Re: Scleritis and IgA nephropathy

[Guest guest]

I've had recurring problems with scleritis over the past 10-15 years. Every

once in a while, I get it. One opthalmologist I saw about 3 years ago did

mention the connection with IgAN. But, on the other hand, it could just be

scleritis, coincidental with IgAN.

One mistake we often make as IgAN patients is that our nephrologist will

take an interest in other non-renal manifestations of our disease. Well,

maybe, but not really. A neph is a specialist who deals with renal failure

and dialysis. This specialty started out in the 1960's with the role of

treating actual kidney failure, ie. dialysis or death. Treating people with

kidney diseases who are years pre-dialysis is a fairly recent thing.

Treating other aspects of the body is not really part of nephrology, even if

it might have a possible link with whatever is causing the renal failure.

I had problems with my eyes long before I developed IgAN, decades before. As

a young child, my eyes would weep uncontrollably just from the brightness of

the fluorescent lights in the classroom, in grade 1, when we moved mid-year

from an old school to a new building. I practically had to wear sunglasses

in class, but the nuns wouldn't have any part of that. I also had very

frequent bouts of conjunctivitis. I don't know if there's any connection

with IgAN. I've always suspected that the problem with our IgA immune

complexes that causes the renal failure may also cause other things, and

that we are probably born with it. I have no proof of this, though. The

kidney's filters are tiny, delicate little blood vessels, and the eyes are

full of tiny delicate little blood vessels too. So maybe there IS a

connection. But, I have never even thought of seeing my neph anytime I had

scleritis or any other eye problem. As IgAN patients, we are kind of

destined to see a bunch of different specialists, without having one doctor

which oversees the whole disease as a " systemic " disease. Not that it makes

any difference, since whatever the original cause of IgAN is, it can't be

treated, and nobody really knows what it is.

Pierre

[Guest guest]

By the way, diabetic nephropathy seems to be the same. It doesn't cause

renal failure in everyone, but the two organs that are commonly affected are

they eyes and the kidneys. Dialysis centres are full of legally-blind kidney

failures patients who are diabetic. There must a 2 or 3 out of every shift

of 30 patients at my dialysis unit.

Pierre

Re: Scleritis and IgA nephropathy

>

> I've had recurring problems with scleritis over the past 10-15 years.

Every

> once in a while, I get it. One opthalmologist I saw about 3 years ago did

> mention the connection with IgAN. But, on the other hand, it could just be

> scleritis, coincidental with IgAN.

>

> One mistake we often make as IgAN patients is that our nephrologist will

> take an interest in other non-renal manifestations of our disease. Well,

> maybe, but not really. A neph is a specialist who deals with renal failure

> and dialysis. This specialty started out in the 1960's with the role of

> treating actual kidney failure, ie. dialysis or death. Treating people

with

> kidney diseases who are years pre-dialysis is a fairly recent thing.

> Treating other aspects of the body is not really part of nephrology, even

if

> it might have a possible link with whatever is causing the renal failure.

>

> I had problems with my eyes long before I developed IgAN, decades before.

As

> a young child, my eyes would weep uncontrollably just from the brightness

of

> the fluorescent lights in the classroom, in grade 1, when we moved

mid-year

> from an old school to a new building. I practically had to wear sunglasses

> in class, but the nuns wouldn't have any part of that. I also had very

> frequent bouts of conjunctivitis. I don't know if there's any connection

> with IgAN. I've always suspected that the problem with our IgA immune

> complexes that causes the renal failure may also cause other things, and

> that we are probably born with it. I have no proof of this, though. The

> kidney's filters are tiny, delicate little blood vessels, and the eyes are

> full of tiny delicate little blood vessels too. So maybe there IS a

> connection. But, I have never even thought of seeing my neph anytime I had

> scleritis or any other eye problem. As IgAN patients, we are kind of

> destined to see a bunch of different specialists, without having one

doctor

> which oversees the whole disease as a " systemic " disease. Not that it

makes

> any difference, since whatever the original cause of IgAN is, it can't be

> treated, and nobody really knows what it is.

>

> Pierre

>

[Guest guest]

You're right- the kidney doctor is best at just treating the kidney disease.

When they try to piece any other body symptoms together, they just end up

getting frustrated, especially if it doesn't make any sense.

This happened with my nephrologist, she was just trying to help- but she ended

up antagonizing me because the lab tests didn't show much and she couldn't

figure it all out. I wrote her a one page letter basically saying that she

needs to stick to the kidneys and not worry about the rest of it, let my GP and

my rheumy deal with all the other symptoms. She took it very well and we've

gotten along great ever since. She's also been very good at communicating with

the two other doctors on my " team " .

I also get the red eyes, the nausea, but also joint pain, clotting in the

superficial veins, and vascular headaches. This was triggered by taking

enalapril several years ago. It's being treated like lupus (rheumy has me on

Plaquenil), but we'll probably never know what it is. One thing I've learned- a

good rheumatologist is the doctor that you want to deal with all the confusing

symptoms that autoimmune disease can give you. Of course IgAn is autoimmune-

your IgA (antibodies) are attacking your kidneys, which is not supposed to

happen. So it kind of makes sense that it could cause a variety of other

symptoms sometimes too, like scleritis...

-beth

[Guest guest]

You're right- the kidney doctor is best at just treating the kidney disease.

When they try to piece any other body symptoms together, they just end up

getting frustrated, especially if it doesn't make any sense.

This happened with my nephrologist, she was just trying to help- but she ended

up antagonizing me because the lab tests didn't show much and she couldn't

figure it all out. I wrote her a one page letter basically saying that she

needs to stick to the kidneys and not worry about the rest of it, let my GP and

my rheumy deal with all the other symptoms. She took it very well and we've

gotten along great ever since. She's also been very good at communicating with

the two other doctors on my " team " .

I also get the red eyes, the nausea, but also joint pain, clotting in the

superficial veins, and vascular headaches. This was triggered by taking

enalapril several years ago. It's being treated like lupus (rheumy has me on

Plaquenil), but we'll probably never know what it is. One thing I've learned- a

good rheumatologist is the doctor that you want to deal with all the confusing

symptoms that autoimmune disease can give you. Of course IgAn is autoimmune-

your IgA (antibodies) are attacking your kidneys, which is not supposed to

happen. So it kind of makes sense that it could cause a variety of other

symptoms sometimes too, like scleritis...

-beth