Iritis flare up

Along with my cd, I get iritis flare ups from time to time. It's been awhile since my last one, and I now live in another state. My pred drops have expired, and I am without insurance, and not much money this week. Good timing.

I normally have seen an ophthamologist for this, but I'm wondering if an optometrist would be able to treat this. My reasoning being that maybe it would be cheaper. I hate having to call a doctor I've never seen to help, knowing when I do get my insurance, I won't be able to continue with him/her due to the HMO having it's own docs that I can't see without their insurance.

In the meantime, I'm trying the old drops, which may be helping a bit, and I've put myself on a little oral prednisone to see if it will help. (It's kind of expired too.) I feel like I'm just delaying the inevitable, but also feel like I don't have a lot of options.

So, any suggestions, or anyone know if I can be seen by an optometrist to save some money???

Thanks a bunch.

Expired medicines are often good for years beyond the official expiration date. No guaranteed, but that is usually the case.

My understanding is that out-of-state docs can phone/fax a prescription to any state in the USA, as long as it's for a drug that does not have "abuse potential." I doubt that there is any abuse potential for prednisone eye drops. "Abuse" is something that can get you high, like morphine. Even then, most states even allow those drugs to be prescribed by phone from out-of-state, but a few won't allow it (Texas, I know, is one that doesn't).

Now as to the very tricky business of getting insurance reimbursement for drugs, I have no idea. It's a minefield. Insurance companies will do anything and everything to get out of paying. They may have a clause in their policy saying they won't reimburse you for a drug prescribed during a full moon, or when Lady Gaga is on tour.

cheers,
Robert

Hi heatmiser,

I feel your pain, I also get bouts of iritis and its nasty, I live in Australia and over here I'm pretty sure an optometrist can't prescribe meds like that, but I'm happy to hear you were able to get some as I know if iritis is left untreated it can cause blindness so at any cost you do need to get pred eye drops asap, my eye specialist also prescribes me anti biotic drops when the iritis occurs. Good luck and hope you feel better soon

Doreen

yep thats very surprising heatmiser, I always have antibiotic drops along with the prednisone drops. Good luck hope your better soon