33 replies to this topic

[nickdino]

hi everyone, i have had a vitrectomy to repair a tear in left retina about 8 months ago due to an injury. Shortly after an area of that eye developed a small cataract but it remained stable for some months. The past week or two the development has gone really quick and as of now it is like im looking trough a dirty plastic window.  

Recently there have been two exciting scientific articles in the media that concern eye functioning, one about an artificial lens that claims to be better than your own lens and another about experiments on animals that had their cataract largely reversed trough the use of lanosterol. I dont want to have my lens removed and miss out on these potential solutions so i started searching for info on the web, the only things i could find is n actylcarnosine (can-c, lef bright eyes) that could halt and reverse cataracts to some extent and some eye exercise programs but they seem a bit shady, 

 

What can i do to improve my condition and not have to lose my own lens? If nothing, what then would be best to do?

[Danail Bulgaria]

Well... surgery will fix it, but it will remove your lens. You may eventually cryopreserve your lens, if you don't want so much to loose it, but it will be relatively expensive.

 

You may try the Skulatchev ions. I don't know if you have heard about them.

Edited by seivtcho, 17 August 2015 - 05:23 PM.

[Antonio2014]

Probably these two solutions (lanosterol and new artificial lens) will take some time to be available, so I think you probably have only two practical options: accepting losing your lens by standard surgery or trying to enter a clinical trial of one of the new solutions (I don't know if there are currently clinical trials, ask your doctor).

Edited by Antonio2014, 17 August 2015 - 10:41 PM.

[nickdino]

Well... surgery will fix it, but it will remove your lens. You may eventually cryopreserve your lens, if you don't want so much to loose it, but it will be relatively expensive.

You may try the Skulatchev ions. I don't know if you have heard about them.

I didn't know about skulachev ions, are you in russia? I would like a bottle or two of the eye drops visomitin send to me.

Edited by nickdino, 20 August 2015 - 09:00 AM.

[platypus]

1st you should try eyedrops with N-acetyl carnosine eyedrops, they apparently work well for some people. 

[nickdino]

Apparently? I've found no reports of evidence have you?

[ceridwen]

I think the replacements lenses have been around for some time. I tried to get some once as I read it could correct any defect and I am moyopic. When I arrived at the hospital I was told that they would have to laser the back of my eye as there was some scar tissue at the back of my eye. I thought that didn't sound right so I went to my optician and told them to look for the scar tissue. Both my eyes were healthy. That put me right off having the operation. If you do opt for replacement lenses be very very careful that the treatment you get is reputable

[Danail Bulgaria]

 

Well... surgery will fix it, but it will remove your lens. You may eventually cryopreserve your lens, if you don't want so much to loose it, but it will be relatively expensive.

You may try the Skulatchev ions. I don't know if you have heard about them.

I didn't know about skulachev ions, are you in russia? I would like a bottle or two of the eye drops visomitin send to me.

 

 

No. Sorry. I live in Bulgaria. For the ions I know only that they are antioxidant, and they have successfully restored cataract in animals. But I think, that there are russians in this forum. Go in the regional forums for Russia and Eastern Europe and make a topic to ask some one from Russia to help you.

[platypus]

Apparently? I've found no reports of evidence have you?

Since when is it too much to ask that people on this forum use a search engine?

 

https://scholar.goog...l=en&as_sdt=0,5

[nowayout]

 

Apparently? I've found no reports of evidence have you?

Since when is it too much to ask that people on this forum use a search engine?

 

https://scholar.goog...l=en&as_sdt=0,5

 

 

The problem is that those papers were almost all written by the pair of Russians who are also marketing the product, so there is a huge conflict of interest. 

Edited by nowayout, 22 August 2015 - 03:59 PM.

[platypus]

 

 

Apparently? I've found no reports of evidence have you?

Since when is it too much to ask that people on this forum use a search engine?

 

https://scholar.goog...l=en&as_sdt=0,5

 

 

The problem is that those papers were almost all written by the pair of Russians who are also marketing the product, so there is a huge conflict of interest. 

 

I'm aware of this drawback. However, anecdotally some people have found a benefit, so it's perhaps worth a shot?

[Kalliste]

Take a look at photobiomodulation with IR/red lights. Not as crazy as it sounds.

 

SkQ1 would work by decreasing the H2O2-ROS levels in the eye according to Skulachevs papers.

It's possible that other targeted mito-antioxidants like mitoq, C60-oo, SS-31, IAC, Tiron might do the same thing.

Some of those are available as supplements and can be ordered online...

[nickdino]

Are there no russians that reported their experiences with visomitin, it's been sold 50.000 times..

[albedo]

This brings lot of hope:

 

Lens regeneration using endogenous stem cells with gain of visual function

 

The repair and regeneration of tissues using endogenous stem cells represents an ultimate goal in regenerative medicine. To our knowledge, human lens regeneration has not yet been demonstrated. Currently, the only treatment for cataracts, the leading cause of blindness worldwide, is to extract the cataractous lens and implant an artificial intraocular lens. However, this procedure poses notable risks of complications. Here we isolate lens epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LECs) in mammals and show that Pax6 and Bmi1 are required for LEC renewal. We design a surgical method of cataract removal that preserves endogenous LECs and achieves functional lens regeneration in rabbits and macaques, as well as in human infants with cataracts. Our method differs conceptually from current practice, as it preserves endogenous LECs and their natural environment maximally, and regenerates lenses with visual function. Our approach demonstrates a novel treatment strategy for cataracts and provides a new paradigm for tissue regeneration using endogenous stem cells.

 

http://www.nature.co...ature17181.html

 

 

[aconita]

Meanwhile I am using castor oil since there are reports of positive outcomes with cataracts (which I don't suffer...yet, touching wood!) and vision improvement in general, just in case.

 

There is not much to loose, it is dirt cheap, it doesn't seem to hurt and if it doesn't work in improving vision at least it should improve your eyelashes.

[albedo]

"High intake of dietary vitamin K₁ was associated with a reduced risk of cataracts in an elderly Mediterranean population even after adjusting by other potential confounders."

 

Camacho-barcia ML, Bulló M, Garcia-gavilán JF, et al. Association of Dietary Vitamin K1 Intake With the Incidence of Cataract Surgery in an Adult Mediterranean Population: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017

 

http://jamanetwork.c...bstract/2627269

[Tasi Tsuinao]

I've read a lot of information on Can-C eye drops. N-Acetylcarnosine seems to play a role in helping the eyes and body, I would do research further on this.

 

N-Acetylcarnosine seems to do amazing things for people's eye disorders.

 

Making an Extreme Life Style Change, Everything Organic, Health Health and More Health, and then supplementing with N-Acetylcarnosine can make a difference, the biggest problem is making an extreme life style change of complete and absolute 100% health to be achieved on a life long, daily basis!

[albedo]

"The high level of dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) in the lenticular tissue is an important risk factor for the development of age-related cataracts. In this study, the effects of DHA on structure and function of lens crystallins were studied in the presence of carnosine using gel mobility shift assay, different spectroscopic techniques, and lens culture analysis. The DHA-induced unfolding and aggregation of lens proteins were largely prevented by this endogenous dipeptide. The ability of carnosine to preserve native protein structure upon exposure to DHA suggests the essential role of this dipeptide in prevention of the senile cataract development. Although the DHA-modified α-crystallin was characterized by altered chaperone activity, functionality of this protein was significantly restored in the presence of carnosine. The increased proteolytic instability of DHA-modified lens proteins was also attenuated in the presence of carnosine. Furthermore, the assessment of lens culture suggested that DHA can induce significant lens opacity which can be prevented by carnosine. These observations can be explained by the pleiotropic functions of this endogenous and pharmaceutical compound, notably by its anti-glycation and anti-aggregation properties. In summary, our study suggests that carnosine may have therapeutic potential in preventing senile cataracts linked with the increased lenticular DHA generation, particularly under pathological conditions associated with the oxidative stress."

 

Javadi S, Yousefi R, Hosseinkhani S, Tamaddon AM, Uversky VN. Protective effects of carnosine on dehydroascorbate-induced structural alteration and opacity of lens crystallins: important implications of carnosine pleiotropic functions to combat cataractogenesis. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2017;35(8):1766-1784.

 

[albedo]

RWhigham, mentioned here the possible benefits of pantethine:

http://www.longecity...ndpost&p=839359

[Believer]

People have used vitamin A in high dosages with great success

[StanG]

I understand you can now buy Lanestrol for a pet on either eBay or Amazon. It comes in 2 different doses.  In the past, I've heard it appears to cloud up the eye for awhile so I would guess it should be used right before bedtime.

Edited by StanG, 16 February 2018 - 07:43 PM.

[Woody42]

I have read one study saying Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of cataract and in one

trial it was able to clear up a few . I also read that vitamin B2 in a dose of about 50mg a day

sometimes will clear then up.  Funny I read that about vitamin B2 perhaps 40 years ago then

about 15 years later when I was about 40 years old I had an eye exam. The DR. asked if 

cataracts ran in my family  I am assuming he noticed the very start of them. Then a few years

later my vision became a little cloudy so I tried  B2 and it cleared up. Then I stopped using it 

and my vision stayed ok for a few years till i needed it again . Unfortunately now at 69 years old 

it doesn't  help enough.  Oh vitamin B2 is very yellow and taking it in large doses can eventualy

give your eyes a yellow tint.   

[nickdino]

Check this recent article from Nature, it found rosmarinic acid to nearly totally clear up cataracts. Anyone have an idea how to make or obtain rosmarinic acid eyedrops?

https://www.nature.c...598-018-27516-9

Edited by nickdino, 07 June 2019 - 05:47 AM.

[YOLF]

I've looked for Rosmarinic Acid a few times in concentrated form. SwansonVitamins.com has a 6% extract and there are 10-40% extracts from various sources on ebay. Some are Aussie, which if you're not familiar is a good sign as they are pretty strict about this stuff.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/322833296136

Oh and I did see method of extracting it... but I didn't happen to read it.

[Daniel Cooper]

I've looked for Rosmarinic Acid a few times in concentrated form. SwansonVitamins.com has a 6% extract and there are 10-40% extracts from various sources on ebay. Some are Aussie, which if you're not familiar is a good sign as they are pretty strict about this stuff.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/322833296136

Oh and I did see method of extracting it... but I didn't happen to read it.

 
Bulk Supplements sells a "pure rosemary extract powder" in bulk form.  I didn't see where they defined "pure" but they do say "no fillers'.  
 
 
Bulk Supplements Rosemary Extract Powder
 
 
I'd like to buy a pre-made eye drop with rosmarinic acid in it, but I don't see any on the market expect one in India that has about a dozen different other herbals in it.
 
I'm contemplating trying to make up a 1% buffered solution and using that.  But clearly I'd rather buy something off the shelf if it exists.

[nickdino]

Any news on the rosemary-drops etc.?

[Woody42]

I found this rather interesting.   https://bjo.bmj.com/content/84/10/1135

[YOLF]

So spontaneous absorption means reversal of the cataract? Any studies which might indicate why or how? Any studies on the genetics of these patients?

 

 

[Woody42]

This is about the only thing I have found but I will leave interpeting it to you. 

 

 

 

 

https://www.nature.c...516-9/figures/2

[YOLF]

So considering where the rosmarinic acid studies come from, I guess somewhere in Australia they sell rosmarinic acid eye drops? Anyone seen it or pure rosmarinic acid?

 

Looks like the study also used mydriacyl (the dilating eye drops) to assess cataract size and formation which given the particulars of eye function could have had some influence on recovery. I'll hypothesize that using mydriacyl daily in the presence of rosmarinic acid, SKQ1, or n acetyl carnosine allows more cytosolic diffusion of the crosslinked crystalin where under normal circumstances the crystalin crosslinks wouldn't be left to more or less slow processes within the cell. NACarnosine and NAGlucosamine both appear to work by remodelling the ECM or collagen/crystalin matrix. This would also assume that the mydriacyl also paralyzes the vascular ending that go to the eye leaving them in an open state.

 

I was also just thinking red light therapy with all these other eye drops might be beneficial too.

Edited by YOLF, 13 August 2019 - 12:33 PM.