OT Eye Floaters

That's what I assumed the ER doc would do, and I'll bet it does hurt! The hypo needle over the barb is a real neat trick. He gave me a needle to put in my tackle box in case it ever happened again, but that was one lesson I didn't need to repeat. Lures are cheap compared to an ER visit....

Jon

Must be a while since you've had that done, or you're having an optometrist do it. Some of them can't afford, or just don't want to spend the cash to get the new equipment.=20

I have Glaucoma, and have my pressure checked about every 2 months. My Ophthalmologist uses a contraption that has a probe that presses against my eyeball to check pressure.

The Glaucoma was discovered about 5 years ago by an Optometrist. I, too, had been seeing some floaters. I also started having trouble focusing at times (at first I thought I was finally getting those =46lashbacks they promised me!), along with an occasional mild headache.

Went to see an Optometrist. First thing he did was check my pressure, and found that it was over 30 in each eye. He asked if I had insurance, took my card and got me a referral to an Ophthalmologist.=20

I have been using eye drops, one drop in each eye every evening, to keep the pressure down - until last week. But I'll explain that in my reply to Dan.

Dan,

I have Open-Angle Glaucoma. Had it for about 5 years now. I, too, am gradually loosing my sight. Although, my doctor has been trying different drugs and things have been pretty stable for the last couple of years. So far, it can still be controlled with eye drops.

Don't know if you've heard about this or not, but there's a new drug called Anecortave Acetate, that's now in the testing stages.

I have been asked by my doctor to participate in a clinical study of this new drug. This drug is supposed to be similar to the Travatan Z drops that I now use, only they inject it under the outer layer of skin in the white part of the eye. It's already been tried on patients with uncontrolled glaucoma (thinking they had nothing to loose), and apparently they've had good results.=20

They feel that with these injections, Open-Angle Glaucoma patients may be able to discontinue the daily drops and possibly go up to 1 YEAR on a single injection. Way cool! The drops are a PITA.=20

My Ophthalmologist has been involved in Glaucoma research for the last

12 years, and is conducting this study under the supervision of Alcon Research, Ltd., makers of Travatan Z. I went through the preliminary tests this past Thursday (check pressure, visual field, & retinal scan). My doctor has taken me off the drops for the next 4 weeks. After this "wash-out" period, I'll have to go back for the Eligibility 1 Visit. If I still meet their requirements, I'll have to go back in one week for the Eligibility 2 visit. The only bad part about all these tests is getting my eyes dilated, and walking around in a daze for about 5 hours. I get to be the Rasta Machinist, walking around the shop wearing sun glasses!

If I still fall within the parameters for this study after the second eligibility visit, my name gets thrown into a hat to see if I get the

24 mg, 48 mg, 60 mg injection, or if I get the placebo (water). Guess they need to prove that the presence of a 'liquid' in that part of the eye won't have any effect on the IOP.

Not too excited about going for so long without my drops, cause I really don't want to do any more damage to my retina. And I really hope they don't make the poor sap who gets the placebo go for the entire length of the study (12 mos.) without treatment (drops), but this doctor seems to know what he's doing, so......... what the heck. I may be able to people like your wife who've been going through what I have for the last 5 years.

It's not like having to put these drops in every night is *that* big of a deal, but I constantly forget. You know, work too many hours, go home, fall asleep on the couch, get up at 2am and go to bed, and never even think about those damn drops. And it would be really nice not to have to go to the doctor 8 times (or more) per year.

Matt

Dan,

I have Open-Angle Glaucoma. Had it for about 5 years now. I, too, am gradually loosing my sight. Although, my doctor has been trying different drugs and things have been pretty stable for the last couple of years. So far, it can still be controlled with eye drops.

Don't know if you've heard about this or not, but there's a new drug called Anecortave Acetate, that's now in the testing stages.

I have been asked by my doctor to participate in a clinical study of this new drug. This drug is supposed to be similar to the Travatan Z drops that I now use, only they inject it under the outer layer of skin in the white part of the eye. It's already been tried on patients with uncontrolled glaucoma (thinking they had nothing to loose), and apparently they've had good results.

They feel that with these injections, Open-Angle Glaucoma patients may be able to discontinue the daily drops and possibly go up to 1 YEAR on a single injection. Way cool! The drops are a PITA.

My Ophthalmologist has been involved in Glaucoma research for the last

12 years, and is conducting this study under the supervision of Alcon Research, Ltd., makers of Travatan Z. I went through the preliminary tests this past Thursday (check pressure, visual field, & retinal scan). My doctor has taken me off the drops for the next 4 weeks. After this "wash-out" period, I'll have to go back for the Eligibility 1 Visit. If I still meet their requirements, I'll have to go back in one week for the Eligibility 2 visit. The only bad part about all these tests is getting my eyes dilated, and walking around in a daze for about 5 hours. I get to be the Rasta Machinist, walking around the shop wearing sun glasses!

If I still fall within the parameters for this study after the second eligibility visit, my name gets thrown into a hat to see if I get the

24 mg, 48 mg, 60 mg injection, or if I get the placebo (water). Guess they need to prove that the presence of a 'liquid' in that part of the eye won't have any effect on the IOP.

Not too excited about going for so long without my drops, cause I really don't want to do any more damage to my retina. And I really hope they don't make the poor sap who gets the placebo go for the entire length of the study (12 mos.) without treatment (drops), but this doctor seems to know what he's doing, so......... what the heck. I may be able to people like your wife who've been going through what I have for the last 5 years.

It's not like having to put these drops in every night is *that* big of a deal, but I constantly forget. You know, work too many hours, go home, fall asleep on the couch, get up at 2am and go to bed, and never even think about those damn drops. And it would be really nice not to have to go to the doctor 8 times (or more) per year.

===========================================

WARNING to Bottle: Make sure you have a bucket nearby, in case you upchuck after reading this..... :)

Not saying don't see/listen to yer docs, and I'm certainly no 'spert on glaucoma, but there are a wealth of hits on google for natural remedies (I googled glaucoma vitamin therapy), most of which should be implemented

*anyway*, in some measure.

Wiki gives a list of potentially useful natural substances, as does

.

The site claims a reduction of pressure of 20-80% with just vit C, altho the doses can be very large.

Now, Vits are certainly not a cure-all. BUT, **to the extent that you may be unwittingly or subclinically *deficient* in one or some vits/mins**, "curing" that deficiency is but a pill away, and indeed is then, defacto, The Cure for the deficiency-induced symptoms.

I can tell you first, second, and third hand, that most people are deficient in several vits/mins/EFA's, with lab values, while not being statistical fiction, still being quite un-revealing ito specific requirements, for sundry reasons. Another discussion as to how one can actually verify this for themselves.

And, the manifestations of deficiencies, while pretty well documented, can still be unpredictable.

To the extent that the damage pf glaucoma is neural in origin, the new spate "brain specials" on PBS (change your brain), and the diet/behavior recommendations therein, might have direct effect on this as well.

The MD hosting this series (actually stumping for PBS) seems grounded/orthodox enough, and strongly recommends fish oils, exercise, total elimination of *diet sodas* (all sodas, imo), etc. Claims to be able to literally see improvements in his brain scans.

Much of this is echoed elsewhere as well.

The wiki article seems very good, and, uh, quite opened my eyes. They distinguish between causal effects and correlative effects (such as systemic hbp), and note that a sig. fraction of glaucoma (the actual damage to optic nerve/retina) is not associated with intraocular pressure--iow, high pressure is not a guarantee to get it, and normal pressure is not a guarantee to not get it. Some of the demographics of glaucoma are stunning--pity the Inuits.

My philosophy is, listen to yer doc, esp. with stuff as serious as this, but don't dismiss moonbeam stuff either, cuz weird shit (good shit) often happens. The name of the game is experimentation, hopefully guided/intelligent experimentation. It is unfortunate that so often the victim has to be their own advocate and researcher.

Last but not least, and some here will really gag on this one, but the exercise mentioned above is indeed a profound medicine-- it is the biomechanical window into our biochemical innards.

For example, above and beyond all the infomercial hype and bullshit, of all the strategies to improve brain function/delay brain deterioration (incl alzheimers), plain ole exercise is now being seen to be at the very top. The implication being that it could--and likely does--help with a bevy of neurological symptoms.

Strange and unexpected shit happens with exercise (real exercise, not the infomercial bull), almost all of it good to extraordinary--barring bad knees, backs, etc-- and there are workarounds for those.

In my case, simple running and weight lifting (and of course my effing HoloBarre) has *eclipsed* all the medically supervised bullshit rehab for my broke neck and the attendant nerve damage.

In fact, in but a few months after the accident, I was already up and able, ready to kick BD's effing ass. But alass, gas was too expensive even then, from Rochester to Yonkers....

In regards to fluid balance in the eye, a kind of biomechanical phenom, exercise quite forces the body into restorative fluid balance, in a number of systems, from the exocrine, endocrine, hormonal, lymphatic, as well as traditional circulation, and in major organs, from the kidneys to the skin.

It is thus not a stretch at all for the eyes to be involved in this. I know of one individual with non-functioning tear ducts, dependent on drops, with progressive damage to the cornea, who became normalized after simple running!

Sincere good luck with this--really a pita, that I hope works out for the best.

Matt Stawicki wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Matt,

Thanks for the info. My wife had the new laser surgery and so far her pressures have stayed low. The one she had (can't remember the name right now) can be repeated in a few years if needed.

So she's off the drops for now. When she was on them she went several types before they found ones that work.

I'm a glaucoma suspect because the disease runs in my family. For the past six years since I turned 40, twice per year I've had field (of vision) tests done to watch for change. Glaucoma can cause loss of peripheral vision before a change in pressure is detected hence the reasons for the field tests. At my last visit to my Ophthalmologist (I've been wearing corrective lenses since I've been 5 years old and have never once had my eyes examined by an Optician or Optometrist) it was determined no since change at all has taken place over the last six years the (field) tests are being cut back to once per year.

If I ever do get glaucoma however, I'm treating it with *Marijuana*. :)~

BD:

Yeah, I saw that in my searches. I wonder if they have nonpsychoactive cannabinol pills that work. I must be the ONLY ex-hippy that never liked marijuana.

Nope. Stuff makes me sick.