| BEHCET'S ONTARIO Canada |
| The American Behcet's Disease Association (ABDA) Medical Conference held in April 2007 provided valuable insight into the effects of Behcet's Disease on the body. A variety of doctors spoke on several subjects ranging from immunology of BD, Neuro-Behcet's, Heart, Lungs, Eyes, GI Manifestations, Oral Health, Skin, Nutrition, Pregnancy, Pain Mangement and Behcet's around the world. It was packed with general information plus a few new facts. Well here it is as promised. I have outlined in point form a brief summary of some basic and new information that was presented. |
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| ABDA Medical Conference 2007 |
| Understanding Behcet's Criteria & Symptoms Obtaining a Diagnosis Specialists Cindy's Story Gerry's Story Behcet's Hope Support Group Links Our Success What's New In Memory ABDA Medical Conference 2007 |
| Headaches in Behcet's - There seems to be a greater than 80% prevalence of headaches in BD with 98% of them being of a vascular type of headache. It also has a higher prevalence of debilitating symptoms and usually are inadequatly treated. MRI's are usually normal. Behcet's in America - It is found to be more common in women than in men in America than in the Middle East. America has a higher prevalence of CNS involvement > 20% compared to < 10% in the Silk Road. America has more treatable eye manifestations compared to the Silk Road. GI Involvement - Gastro involvement is slightly more common in women than men in North America and has a prevalence of 8.21%. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding and rarely perforation. It typically involves the terminal ileum (small bowel area) and the large bowel especially the right colon. Behcet's can also include the stomach and esophagus but this is also very rare. These symptoms can include chest pain, pain on swallowing and the feeling of food sticking. Causes - Science believes that both genetic and environmental factors are probably equally important for the development of Behcet's. Mouth Ulcer's - Avoid alcohol based mouth washes. Try and use a Sodium Lauryl Sulfate free toothpaste such as Rembrandt for cold sores (May not be available in all Countries including Canada). You may want to have your doctor prescribe a special mouthwash (as per Dr. Clifton Georgaklis) It consists of Hydrocortisone 20 mg x 5 tablets, Tetracycline 500 mg x 5 capsules & Benadryl 180 ml. Pain Management - Behcet's is a very painful disease and therefore pain mangement should be separate from disease management. You may need to have pain specialist who will be able to prescribe proper medications to get your pain under control. One concern that many of us have is will I become addicted to pain medication. In a number of studies it has been found that " Based on survey data involving large numbers of patients treated with opioids for pain, it has been concluded that the risk of addiction is extremely low in patients who receive opioid analgesics appropriately for pain management." Drug Therapy - There is not one single drug available to date that effectively treats every organ affected by Behcet's Disease. Unfortunately it takes time and patience to find the right "recipe" to get BD activity under control in each individual person. Listed below are a few notes on some of the drugs used in the treatment of BD. Steriods - Good for all aspects of Behcet's but not for long term use Colchicine - Used for Arthritis, Erythema Nodosum & gential lesions in women Thalidomide - Good for Mucocutaneous Lesions. The toxicity precludes long-term use Azathioprine (Imuran) - Slow acting, usually underdosed. TNF Inhibitors (Remicade) - Quick response, good for all aspects of the disease. Used in combination with other drugs. Benefits of the drug may be lost once treatment is stopped. This provides only a summary of the information that was discussed over the course of three days. As always please discuss any new treatment option or symptoms with your doctor. This is for informational purposes only. |
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