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During the past year after an annual eye exam, the bad news of “early Macular Degeneration” was received. It was suggested that the results of the AREDs Study be read, and that the recommended supplements from the study be taken. A number of searches were done to find information from the AREDs Study, and it was learned that another AREDs Study was underway.
Along with the information about the AREDs Studies, while encouraging that at least some supplements could be helpful, the Studies' information was not nearly as exciting AND promising as what was read in the link below to the article, “Avoiding Visual Degeneration,” (4 pages when printed). Be sure to read every paragraph, as the whole paper is full of information not found in many other searches done.
The link to it: http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2003/09/28/avoiding_visual_degeneration.htm#
[Edit: decided to add this link about uveitis research. Uveitis is another very serious eye problem that has plaqued a number of us. I read some pretty profound information in this article, also.]
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/04/23/type.vitamin.b1.could.treat.common.cause.blindness
AF[user=28]A Friend[/user] wrote:
During the past year after an annual eye exam, the bad news of “early Macular Degeneration” was received.
Hi AF,
So very sorry to hear of this new development. I had an occasion to do a bit of research on Macular Degeneration of the eye for a friend's sister and discovered quite a link between this particular eye condition and chlamydia pneumoniae. There are lots of studies on the topic out there as well as info on doxycycline as a means to modify disease course.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1771658
No doubt, you have done a plethora of research on the topic already, AF, but just thought to mention it in case it might be a helpful lead.
Peace, Maz
Thanks for the info AF! Hmmm spinach… Proof that things that are good for you don't always taste bad… I could eat spinach every day, in fact I may start doing just that..
Hope you are doing well down there in one of my favorite parts of the country. I love East Texas!
Regards,
Dave
[user=664]davew[/user] wrote:
Thanks for the info AF! Hmmm spinach… Proof that things that are good for you don't always taste bad… I could eat spinach every day, in fact I may start doing just that..
Hope you are doing well down there in one of my favorite parts of the country. I love East Texas!
Regards,
Dave
Hi Dave…. yes, spinach… and egg yolks — both seem to have the largest lutein content. (I love fresh spinach anyway, and had found really nice large containers of organic spinach at Sam's, at amazingly reasonable cost.) About the eggs, I get free-range eggs anyway from the health store, and plan to try to do a smoothie often using a raw egg yolk ( and I'll throw away the white, as they aren't supposed to be good for you uncooked, I think). In addition to the above, I am incorporating the recommended other supplements found to be helpful with improvement in the studies.
Something I should have included in my original post on this was that in the AREDS study results, it was found that the drusen that is the primary cause in the AMD diagnosis could not be reversed. (However, my usually stubborn self kept looking for more information about AMD from the “complementary” medicine scientists/practitioners — because over these mounting years, I've had some dire/scarry findings/diagnoses for which better “help” than was told to me has always seemed to be found.)
After doing these additional searches about AMD (not wanting to accept that this could not be turned around or halted), several encouraging papers/links were found showing results from researchers/ophthalmologists doing their own smaller controlled studies, using their own ideas of what to have the control groups use to try to positiively affect AMD.
Being stubborn or persistent in believing there ARE answers to our problems has served me well in the case of a number of daunting problems. I hope everyone reading this will not give up, whatever their problems. Too many of our medical community seem to accept defeat as a given… and just treat the symptoms, but not go for the cause.
The uveitis link that I pasted below the AMD one in the original post on this, about the B-1 vitamin that has been effective against inflammation that causes Uveitis, is something all of us on this board need to keep our eyes on (no pun intended). The organisms that are involved in our cases have free reign in our bodies, and cause inflammation.
I had not been having eye problems at the time of sudden onset of uveitis back in 1999. It happened when I was having pressure in my forehead, and used nose drops with Pau d'Arco drops added (don't ever do this!!!) in them to possibly clear out the congestion — which hit organisms effectively, thus creating a flurry of die-off/herxing/inflammation.
All of the above is to say, even though most of you may never have uveitis, and hopefully not AMD, the cause of these problems (infectious organisms and inflammation) exist within us too often when we have the kind of diagnoses we have.
AF
AF,
My father, 71, was just diagnosed with AMD. I'm sending him the article, thank you very much, very timely. I had a question about the egg yolks, do they have to be eaten raw? Isn't there a risk of salmonella from eating raw eggs? At any rate, I may be able to get my father to eat spinach, but he'll never go for the raw eggs. I can't speak to the cause of the condition in him, he's always been very healthy with one hospitalization about 20 yrs ago for what he thought was a heart attack, but turned out just to be heartburn. The only recent illness was a mild case of shingles a few yrs ago.
[user=11]linda[/user] wrote:
AF,
My father, 71, was just diagnosed with AMD. I'm sending him the article, thank you very much, very timely. I had a question about the egg yolks, do they have to be eaten raw? Isn't there a risk of salmonella from eating raw eggs? At any rate, I may be able to get my father to eat spinach, but he'll never go for the raw eggs. I can't speak to the cause of the condition in him, he's always been very healthy with one hospitalization about 20 yrs ago for what he thought was a heart attack, but turned out just to be heartburn. The only recent illness was a mild case of shingles a few yrs ago.
Linda,
About the eggs, I get fresh eggs from the local health store that are from hens not caged in unhealthy conditions. I usually would not dream of eating a raw egg, but if it's this important, I will be able to eat one in a smoothie. (When I was young and we had a heavy snow, my mother used to make some of the best homemade ice cream with raw eggs as part of the mixture. In those days, we had fresh local eggs in our little town — like the eggs I now get at the health store.)
Your questions: Do they have to be eaten raw? You may want to click on the 4-page article and print it for your father, and underline details. I believe it will answer your questions. Cooking spinach and eggs, according to the article, decreases the lutein content which is needed to reverse AMD drusen, per the article. If you have a Sam's store in your area, I get a really large container of organic spinach for about $4.00, a real bargain compared to the local food stores.
You refer to what caused AMD in your father. Also reading the links may give you and him some clues about this. There are many foods we consume that can add to inflammatory conditions that may come into play because of sensitivities, etc. We are all different and react to different things that can cause different problems.
For instance, you mention his having heartburn and shingles. Heartburn, I read recently, can be associated with some of the causes of heart disease. And shingles, I've read many times, happen when our immune system is very depressed; and shingles I believe happen when our depressed immune system becomes unable to keep the Chicken Pox virus in check; and this virus I've read is the what causes shingles. So, if the above is true, then sounds like your father's immune system may be somewhat weakened.
Really hope this is helpful for him.
AF
Thanks AF,
He is taking this very seriously; he grows his grapes and makes his own wines, he also has to mow frequently and do several other maintenance work involving driving tractors and riding mowers. In addition, he loves to read. The spinach will be easy as they go to a farmers market every week, who knows, he may decide to give the raw eggs a try. I think the article will be helpful to him.
He has to check his eyes everyday with a grid they gave him. My mother does not drive well, anything over 30 mph terrifies her, and they live off I-70 in a little town in MO, which is 60 miles either direction to any kind of decent shopping or hospital. If he loses his sight we are going to have to make some decisions about where they live.
Yet again, I wish I was healthy so that I could be there to help family. Hopefully he'll follow these guidelines and stop any more progression of the AMD.
Linda,
I'm wondering if perhaps he might be a candidate for low-dose Minocin — or Doxycycline? Do you know if your father has inflammation going on? If he does, then these low-dose abx could possibly be helpful. Though I don't know.
You mention his using the grid. Has he been diagnosed with any other eye problem specifics other than AMD? Sounds like a retinal specialist may have given him the grid??? I wish Dr. E. W and his daughter were still practicing, for him to consult. His daughter was practicing using AP when her father died, and she was very knowledgeable, as he was. She left her practice to go into medical research. When I asked her if she was aware of anyone else who knew and practiced as she and her dad did, she said she did not.
Will let you know if I'm able to contact her, and if I learn anything new.
AF
[user=27]Maz[/user] wrote:
[user=28]A Friend[/user] wrote:
During the past year after an annual eye exam, the bad news of “early Macular Degeneration” was received.
Hi AF,So very sorry to hear of this new development. I had an occasion to do a bit of research on Macular Degeneration of the eye for a friend's sister and discovered quite a link between this particular eye condition and chlamydia pneumoniae. There are lots of studies on the topic out there as well as info on doxycycline as a means to modify disease course.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1771658
No doubt, you have done a plethora of research on the topic already, AF, but just thought to mention it in case it might be a helpful lead.
Peace, Maz
Maz,
Thanks so much for the information. Back a few years ago, there was a winter epidemic in the community and schools with people having the respiratory problem that spreads and causes even schools to close. I later learned this is caused by the community-acquired C. pneumoniae.
My spouse got sick and required Rx'es twice — about a month for him to recover. I didn't get sick, but eventually ended up with a tiny chronic cough and pressure between my breasts. I mentioned this during several regular office visits over the year, and my AP physician would say it's just allergy, etc. I said I didn't have allergies any more. I finally went to an AP physician an hour away for a second opinion as my local AP was on overload and I couldn't seem to get him to pay attention.
The out of town AP did the asthma tests, etc., an x-ray, and blood draw for labs. The only thing that was positive was the lab… positive for C. pneu. And thus Zithromax was added, pulsed, along with the Minocin at different times. Well, after a short while on the two, I had the most horrible lightening-bolt pain, ongoing, I could imagine, and couldn't even get out of bed until 30 minutes after taking Bextra. I had to get off of everything I was taking — was afraid not to. I didn't realize it then, but later learned this was caused by what is called a “cytokine storm.” I then remembered reading in Dr. Shoemaker's book about some of his patients who had this kind of reaction — he mentioned that if they were pre-treated with a certain drug, then this doesn't happen. I'll have to learn about that if I ever need that therapy again.
That AP physician and I put our heads together. I had read that Hoekstra and Cheney were getting rid of C. pneu. using a certain type of undenatured whey protein (ImmunePro, I believe it was) — and it was supposed to take about 6 months. I'd just had the lab test and knew my numbers. He said after 6 months, we'd redo the test. We did, and it was back in the normal range.
Thanks for the thought about the C. pneu. I have an appt soon, and I'm going to request a test for it, so I'll know.
AF
Dave,
Forgot to tell you. Get creative with that spinach. If you haven't tried fresh sliced strawberries and walnuts with a dash of raspberry vinagrette on your spinach, it's so good you can also eat it for dessert…. but goes well with main dishes.
Another staple with the spinach (and other salads) is Good Seasons Italian Dressing packets, mixed according to directions, with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. This is good on salads with either spinach or romaine and other vegetables. I never get tired of this dressing, and even like it on a small baked potato.
AF
AF,
I love spinach too and fix it in multiple ways, but one of my favs is to make a spinach pesto that you can put on top of chicken or fish, and of course, pasta.
In a cuisinart, put a couple gloves of fresh garlic and mince. Then add a handful of pinenuts, a little salt and fill the bowl with fresh spinach. While the machine is running drizzle in olive oil until you get the consistency you want and at the end add a little grated parmesan and spin a couple of times.
Even my grandkids love this one and help me make it. 🙂
Take care…..kim
Hi maz.
I haven't been here in a while. Actually I was just surfing and thought I'd see what you know about inflamation of the tear ducts. I have one leg that gives me trouble so I spend a lot of time on the computer and here I think lies the problem. My eyes start to burn and I have to close them for a while. Artificial tears don't help. Actually when it happens it's like a dam opens and the tears flow and my eyes burn for a while. I wonder if any one else gets this and what they do for it. Of course it could just be aging, I am 59.
Davit.
Thanks AF!
I read your post and my mouth started watering. 😀 That sounds really good!
Have a great day!
Dave
[user=1539]Davit[/user] wrote:
I haven't been here in a while. Actually I was just surfing and thought I'd see what you know about inflamation of the tear ducts. I have one leg that gives me trouble so I spend a lot of time on the computer and here I think lies the problem. My eyes start to burn and I have to close them for a while. Artificial tears don't help. Actually when it happens it's like a dam opens and the tears flow and my eyes burn for a while. I wonder if any one else gets this and what they do for it. Of course it could just be aging, I am 59.
Hi Davit,
Nice to see you again! 🙂 Burning eyes can be the result of so many things and hard to know for sure what your issue may be….allergies is the first thing that comes to mind, but here is a link with some further ideas to ponder. You may find more by googling, “Burning eyes”:
A number of folk with RA get dry-eye as a part of the whole RA picture. Sometimes it can be attributed to secondary Sjogren's, if it develops later. There is a blood test you can have done to rule this in or out and definitely worth a visit to the opthalmologist to ensure vision health, especialy if there is discomfort. Allergies can be easily checked for…usually there is a peppled appearance to the underside of the lower lid and the doc can put in some special drops and look under a UV lamp to check for this.
Hope all else is fine with you and you're doing well otherwise, Davit!
Peace, Maz
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