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Old 06-26-2015, 12:27 PM
Auntie Audrey Auntie Audrey is offline
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Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 165
8 yr Member
Auntie Audrey Auntie Audrey is offline
Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 165
8 yr Member
Default New Research into Glaucoma: A Form of Nerve Damage?

Hello everyone, I am a retired academic who was looking forward to a nice pleasant retirement before being diagnosed with a demyelination condition. These days I am mostly home bound with severe mobility problems and neuropathy.

Last week I was dealt another blow when my opthamologist informed me that I have early glaucoma in both of my eyes. He said there are no effective supplements for glaucoma and that he will prescribe medications for me in the near future after more testing. I am not keen on prescription medications and do believe that some supplements may be helpful.

Being a curious person, I began wondering if my glaucoma could be related to nerve damage caused by my demyelination. I found an article saying that “ some top researchers no longer consider glaucoma solely an eye disease, but rather a neurologic disorder with some similarities to Parkinson disease and Alzheimer's.”

Here is a link to the article, which is brief and can be read quickly:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0307094659.htm

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

“Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. For many years, the prevailing theory was that vision damage in glaucoma patients was caused by abnormally high pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP).”

“But even when surgery or medication successfully lowers IOP, vision loss continues in some glaucoma patients......The new research paradigm focuses on the damage that occurs in a type of nerve cell called retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which are vital to the ability to see. These cells connect the eye to the brain through the optic nerve.
RGC-targeted glaucoma treatments now in clinical trials include: medications injected into the eye that deliver survival and growth factors to RGCs; medications known to be useful for stroke and Alzheimer's, such as cytidine-5-diphosphocholine; and electrical stimulation of RGCs, delivered via tiny electrodes implanted in contact lenses or other external devices.”



The article mentions trials of cytidine-5-diphosphocholine, which is already marketed as CDP-Choline and is available as a supplement from places like iherb. I may try this supplement to help prevent further progression of the glaucoma, but I need to do more research.

I would be very interested to hear back from anyone who has glaucoma about what your experiences have been regarding use of supplements and medications to treat the condition.

This post is also being duplicated on another forum. Thank you!!
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"Thanks for this!" says:
bluesfan (06-26-2015), Joe Duffer (07-10-2015)