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yea i was just throwing it out there. what about zinc?

Anecdotal, on Lutein...

As one who has suffered from some very severe bouts of Optic neuritis; I will offer this:

I started Lutein six months ago, and never had another bout of it, until yesterday! Yes, my eye doc had told me it couldn't possibly be helping me, too.

On Wednesday, when I took my first dose of Azithromycin, I had forgotten to take my Lutein. The next day, yesterday, I woke up with Optic neuritis symptoms that just kept getting worse. That is, until I remembered to take my Lutein supplement. Within an hour I noticed definite improvement. I could start to keep the eye on my right side open, again. But, it was still there.

I doubled the dose, and it got even better. But, then I lay down for a nap. When I awoke, it started to get a little worse. But, then I took two more and by the time I went to bed, last night, it was all but gone!

I don't have it, today, at all. Good thing, too, as I'm due for my second weekly dose of the Zith. Am definitely doubling up on the Lutein supplements, too! No way am I about to stop this supplement.

Yes, I know it supposedly shouldn't be working for Optic neuritis. Yet it sure seems to be, for me. Have also read similar anecdotes written by others, who swear by it, as well.

If you are having ED and taking Viagra, you really don't need to be overly concerned about your vision. The incidence of vision loss is extremely low. I have not personally seen a patient with optic neuropathy that can be attributed directly to Viagra. The most common vision problem is "blue vision" which I have experienced personally (yes, at 31 years of age I have to use Viagra). It is a sensation of a slight bluish tinge to white objects for me, and it is very short in duration and does not occur with every use.

I tend to use one half of a pill, and the main side effect I experience is flushing of the face. The less dosage you use the less this side effect seems to cause problems.

Minai wrote:Anecdotal, on Lutein...

As one who has suffered from some very severe bouts of Optic neuritis; I will offer this:

I started Lutein six months ago, and never had another bout of it, until yesterday! Yes, my eye doc had told me it couldn't possibly be helping me, too.

On Wednesday, when I took my first dose of Azithromycin, I had forgotten to take my Lutein. The next day, yesterday, I woke up with Optic neuritis symptoms that just kept getting worse. That is, until I remembered to take my Lutein supplement. Within an hour I noticed definite improvement. I could start to keep the eye on my right side open, again. But, it was still there.

I doubled the dose, and it got even better. But, then I lay down for a nap. When I awoke, it started to get a little worse. But, then I took two more and by the time I went to bed, last night, it was all but gone!

I don't have it, today, at all. Good thing, too, as I'm due for my second weekly dose of the Zith. Am definitely doubling up on the Lutein supplements, too! No way am I about to stop this supplement.

Yes, I know it supposedly shouldn't be working for Optic neuritis. Yet it sure seems to be, for me. Have also read similar anecdotes written by others, who swear by it, as well.

Supplements and their benefit on various conditions is always a hotbed topic. Since I made a short statement that lutein has no effect on optic nerve health and did not explain it, allow me do so

Lutein is a supplement that we commonly ask patients who have or are at risk of having Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) to take daily. It is a compound that makes up part of the pigment of the retina in the central vision area. This pigment protects the central vision from harmful blue wavelength of light. Taking lutein orally has been shown in several studies to retard the progression of ARMD.

There are no studies showing lutein as having any other beneficial effects on the eyes, optic nerve or otherwise.

Minai, this is not intended to ignore your assertion that lutein is helping your optic neuritis. I just want to clarify the fact that there is no evidence to show any specific role of lutein in optic nerve health, especially considering it has no way of moderating inflammation.

I hope your neuritis improves soon!

amelia wrote:Melody
Gary has lots of eye trouble. Tell me more about the supplements for the eyes John takes. Gary drinks barley green, small amount, at night to help with spasticiy and resting. Really great if he has to go on steroid treatments. L-Carnatine seem to do him a little good for energy, but he isn't bothered by fatigue too much.

First of all I have John on 2000mg of wild salmon oil per day in gel caps. We eat cold water fish 3-5 times per week and crab, lobster or shrimp twice a week. That really helps with the inflammation. Specifically for eyes we are on Bromelain as well as turmeric. You can use the spice turmeric as well as bromelain comes form pineapple. Only fresh as it breaks down in cooking and canning. Not saying it works but we are trying it out. Also vitamin d3 plays a big role here at dosages of 2000iu summer to 4000iu winter. These are opinions so keep that in mind. Good luck. Forgot Q10 and so much more as we have a whole diet plan set out to reduce inflammation. So far it's working for US.

hey eyedoc yea that's kind of what i was thinking, it's just hard to find published research linking optic neuritis and lutein. but that doesn't mean it doesn't work, just that we can't back it up. there is no published research that has investigated whether i'm alive, but i am! lol!

minai thanks for that great anecdote. i've done a little reading about optic inflammation such and such, pressure so and so, carotenoid this, glaucoma that, and lutein the other thing, and i think with a little more time spent an argument could be pieced together that would support your experience

Thanks Eye Doc for detailed reiteration of what my eye doctors (both my optometrist and an opthomologist, I had seen) had told me. And, thanks for the well wishes, too. No, I have had no more symptoms, since Thursday night. Am now on double doses of the supplement. And, I suppose I should also mention that the supplement also contains Zeaxanthin, too.

I had recently posted here about the latest exam I had, and how amazed my doc is as to the health of my optic nerves considering all that they have been thru. Have to wonder if it's not the Zith that's triggering some sort of inflammation, too. In two weeks, I should have my latest series of lab test results, including, a very sensitive test for CPn infection, back. It may show something, it may not.

JimmyLegs, you are quite welcome. It was just a timely subject for me. And, yes, I wish there were/are more studies being done on this, too! That you've even looked for any, is a lot more than I've had a chance to do. Should use my University Library's subscriptions to do searches on Lutein and Zeaxanthin. But, it just seems enough, as of late, to keep up with my own academics, right now.

While my husband doesn't have MS or ED (thankfully!), he has just started these supplements, too. Having witnessed all that I've been thru, especially the latest. And, already knowing what studies have actually been done, proving the macular health benefits.

Minai

Minai, I found your mention of zeaxanthin very interesting!

And, I suppose I should also mention that the supplement also contains Zeaxanthin, too.

A friend with an MS diagnosis sent me info on a product she had used and thought it had improved her situation. Among many elements in the product description (most coming from the sea--seaweed) was astaxanthin. Is this the part that helped her?

Then on Sep 11, 2006, Reuters carried an article that a Japanese researcher, Dr. Kazuo Miyashita, from Hokkaido University found that rats and mice fed brown seaweed, also known as wakame, lost weight and expressed a protein that led to regulation of metabolism. The key compound was called fucoxanthin.

The article stated,

Miyashita and colleagues also found that fucoxanthin has 'strong' anti-diabetes effects by promoting the synthesis of DHA in the liver.

Now, I have no background in science; but it seems logical that the word similarities would indicate that these two are related to zeaxanthin. Is it possible that the improvements you observed are connected to the zeaxanthin, not the lutein at all?

For those who don't know me--I believe there is a connection between MS and excess insulin. A connection between MS and diabetes has been established. Maybe all these things are related through the pancreas.

By the way, if brown seaweed is the answer, I hope it comes in a capsule--I tried an Asian soup with wakame and it tasted AWFUL!

Food for thought?

hiyas, sounds like a possibility LC - naturally i'm thinking along the lines of seaweed -> xanthin?/iodine? -> purine metabolism -> serum uric acid -> peroxynitrite scavenger?

probably a xanthin source has several tracks along which various things can improve but this was one possible track that occured off the bat.

when i got into searching for xanthin and iodine together i ran across something about radioisotopes of iodine, and when i started along that track i ended up at ION CHANNELS! then i started reading and felt like day 1 of ms research, whole new language to learn, NO THANKS not today ;)