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  • A long road to recovery!

    Much like a number of you here, it feels like I have been on this board for a very long time.

    The good news is, after 4-5 years I think I am just about there!! After GP and Opthamologist visits, creams, ointments, tears, compresses and just about everything else, a few, what seem like simple things, turned out to be the answer for me. Apologies if this seems like a novel but bear with me. I would very much like to think that my learnings could help others get to the end goal much faster than I !

    One of the key things for me lay in finally getting a diagnosis of Hashimotos Thyroiditis -an autoimmine disease that has also been shown to affect lacrimal gland function as a result of the associated inflammation in the body. This took close to 2 years, mostly through my own research and insistence that my GP do the required testing. Some GPs, with respect, are clueless when it comes to autoimmune issues or Thyroid disorders, and more importantly the multitude of other related illnesses or symptoms. They are happy to give you drugs and other medications to alleviate symptoms for DES but digging deeper to look at the underlying causes is a vastly different exercise - and you can't do that effectively in a 15 min consult. The specialist told me there was nothing that could be done about my Thyroid as I was not bad enough to be medicated. Many, many people fall into this category known as subclinical. Thyroid conditions, mostly of the underactive kind, have been on the rise for a number of years along with Dry Eye. There is a case for joining the dots here I speculate.

    9 months ago, after hitting rock bottom with fatigue, mild depression, the usual DES and host of other miserable issues, I went to a Naturopath who turned my diet around and provided a number of key nutritional supplements that helped immensely with my overall health. After much research I also came to the conclusion that I was affected by heavy metal toxicity and have been on a nutritional plan to remove the burden of heavy metals for the last few months. More improvement, all the while noticing my eyes feeling better and better, albeit with occasional minor set backs. Added to this I have been using the following things:

    - Moducare. A natural product made of plant sterols to regulate the immune system and help stem the autoimmune system attacks and inflammation associated with Hashimotos.

    - High dose ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 2000-3000 mgs.

    - 200mcg Selenium.

    Selenium and Ascorbic acid are not be underestimated as powerful antioxidants and inflammation fighters. Of course, a good multi, fish oil and a 70% organic diet have also played their part.

    I am almost there and it feels bloody great after all these years!! My best advice is you need to attack from a different angle if the old one isn't working. That is, you cannot simply rely on the drugs to mask or partly treat the symptoms. This to my mind offers no cure in the long run. In saying this, I do not mean to suggest that people affected by Lasik and other complications that cause Dry Eye in different ways aren't getting the best possible treatment. I simply suggest that this was my road to recovery and it started with taking more responsibility for my own health and nutrition, not taking no - or I don't know - for an answer and reading as much as possible.

    If you had asked me a year or more ago I would have said I'm going to be stuck with DES for the rest of my life. But there is hope and there is a way back!! We all have photos of ourselves years ago when our eyes were clear and bright.

    More than happy to answer questions and provide more detail for anyone that's interested.

    Jamie
    Last edited by jads; 23-Sep-2009, 17:56.
    Jamie

  • #2
    Wonderful story. Thank you!!!!
    Rebecca Petris
    The Dry Eye Foundation
    dryeyefoundation.org
    800-484-0244

    Comment


    • #3
      Good to hear mate. Especially as I also have Hypo and DES.

      I'm taking Selenium and Vit C too, though about half of what you are taking. Might have to reconsider that

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks JLG. There's lots of evidence pointing to the need for much larger therapeutic doses of certain vitamin or minerals in treating many conditons, as opposed to say, 50mg of something in your average multi. This is discussed by Dr Saull.

        http://www.doctoryourself.com/ (not such a great name but a very good source of information by Dr Andrew Saull)

        I'd also give Moducare a go. It's not expensive and you can get it shipped fairly cheaply as well from www.iherb.com

        Jamie
        Last edited by jads; 23-Sep-2009, 17:58.
        Jamie

        Comment


        • #5
          moducare

          Hello,
          It's good to hear you are doing so much better. What brand of Moducare do you take and how much daily?

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks Lea. I'm using this one http://www.iherb.com/EPI-Moducare-18...Caps/3616?at=0

            Here's a good review on Youtube also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aL89SXxgv0

            Jamie
            Jamie

            Comment


            • #7
              jamie

              loved reading your success story it always gives some hope.

              can you help me with how you changed your diet is it a case of more fruit and veg or is there certain foods that you stuck with that would help.
              also are them herbal things you take for inflammation as ive have inflammation of the lids and wondering if thats what you meant there for.

              i have lack of oil but not blocked glands
              but have no idea how to get rid of the inflammtion.

              if you have any advice that would be great

              thanks

              Comment


              • #8
                //

                Originally posted by jads View Post
                Thanks Lea. I'm using this one http://www.iherb.com/EPI-Moducare-18...Caps/3616?at=0

                Here's a good review on Youtube also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aL89SXxgv0

                Jamie
                Thanks so much! I think I'll order some and give it a try. I also started on the Vit C and Selenium along with the flaxseed oil.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Kate,

                  if you can make your diet 70-80% whole, unprocessed foods, fresh fruit & vege - organic if possible - then you are starting from a good base. What I realised after a time was that I was taking supplements but they probably were not doing much good because I was suffering from malabsorbtion caused by digestive issues and heavy metals. If you are affected by heavy metals or pollutants like lead, mercury, aluminium and so on, these toxins act as blockers in your body, further disrupting vitamins and minerals from providing benefit. The bad news is that everyone is toxic to a greater or lesser degree and much depends on how effectively your body is flushing these toxins out of your system via the liver and kidneys. Suffice to say that if your liver and kidneys are not functioning well for whatever reason, toxins will build up over time and inflammation starts getting worse.

                  I know how frustrating lid inflammation and bloodshot eyes are. http://www.beverlynadler.com/html/inflammation.html I think the reason that large, therapeutic doses of ascorbic acid (Vit C) are helpful is that the master of all antioxidants, Glutathione, is produced in higher quantities as higher levels of vitamin c are found in the body.

                  My feeling is that Dry Eye in a lot of people is almost always going to be a symptom of another illness, not the illness itself. My best advice is to ask around or make some calls and seek out a good Naturopath or Holistic doctor. This is as gooder place as any to start. If you have any food intolerances or are deficient in key nutrients they will help you get back on track and your eyes will benefit.

                  Jamie
                  Last edited by jads; 28-Sep-2009, 20:00.
                  Jamie

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    jamie

                    thank you for that info i will certainly try and sort my diet but im stil waiting for some blood tests results that i had done at rhumatology and i basically got a full M.O.T i ad soooooo many tests done to see if i have an underlyining problem so we will see,
                    dont want anything bad but may be a cureable reason to my eye problems.

                    thanks again that was really helpful

                    kate

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Dear all,

                      as an update to my road to recovery a very interesting thing has happened. For other reasons not related to DES, I have been in the last few months slowly raising my testosterone levels while reducing my estrogen levels - bad estrogens, that is. I've done this through some natural supplements and of course exercise. The upshot is I have more energy, mental focus and clarity but my eye inflammation (what remained) has all but gone now!

                      I strongly believe that low testosterone and elevated estrogen was one of, if not the major, cause for my battle with dry eyes. Being that I'm now 40, normally testosterone levels are on the way down as estrogen and other male hormones are on the way up. This is not good news for us men.

                      "Our findings indicate that chronic androgen deficiency is associated with meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye."
                      http://www.healthiertalk.com/testost...-syndrome-1643

                      Best
                      Jamie
                      Jamie

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by jads View Post
                        Dear all,

                        as an update to my road to recovery a very interesting thing has happened. For other reasons not related to DES, I have been in the last few months slowly raising my testosterone levels while reducing my estrogen levels - bad estrogens, that is. I've done this through some natural supplements and of course exercise. The upshot is I have more energy, mental focus and clarity but my eye inflammation (what remained) has all but gone now!

                        I strongly believe that low testosterone and elevated estrogen was one of, if not the major, cause for my battle with dry eyes. Being that I'm now 40, normally testosterone levels are on the way down as estrogen and other male hormones are on the way up. This is not good news for us men.

                        "Our findings indicate that chronic androgen deficiency is associated with meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye."
                        http://www.healthiertalk.com/testost...-syndrome-1643

                        Best
                        Jamie
                        Hello,
                        I find this very interesting. I just found out that I have extremely high estrogen levels and somewhat low testosterone as well as some food allergies. What are you doing to reduce your estrogen levels? I do wonder if is part of my eye issue. I have recently started buying only organic and staying away from processed foods and not drinking from plastic bottles. Just wondering what else can be done to reduce the estrogen levels?
                        Thank you,
                        Lea

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Lea View Post
                          Hello,
                          I find this very interesting. I just found out that I have extremely high estrogen levels and somewhat low testosterone
                          Lea, as we already chatted about, i think this is key, very key - not just for you but potentially many others!
                          Last edited by jads; 22-Dec-2010, 16:43.
                          Jamie

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jads View Post
                            Much like a number of you here, it feels like I have been on this board for a very long time.

                            The good news is, after 4-5 years I think I am just about there!! After GP and Opthamologist visits, creams, ointments, tears, compresses and just about everything else, a few, what seem like simple things, turned out to be the answer for me. Apologies if this seems like a novel but bear with me. I would very much like to think that my learnings could help others get to the end goal much faster than I !

                            One of the key things for me lay in finally getting a diagnosis of Hashimotos Thyroiditis -an autoimmine disease that has also been shown to affect lacrimal gland function as a result of the associated inflammation in the body. This took close to 2 years, mostly through my own research and insistence that my GP do the required testing. Some GPs, with respect, are clueless when it comes to autoimmune issues or Thyroid disorders, and more importantly the multitude of other related illnesses or symptoms. They are happy to give you drugs and other medications to alleviate symptoms for DES but digging deeper to look at the underlying causes is a vastly different exercise - and you can't do that effectively in a 15 min consult. The specialist told me there was nothing that could be done about my Thyroid as I was not bad enough to be medicated. Many, many people fall into this category known as subclinical. Thyroid conditions, mostly of the underactive kind, have been on the rise for a number of years along with Dry Eye. There is a case for joining the dots here I speculate.

                            9 months ago, after hitting rock bottom with fatigue, mild depression, the usual DES and host of other miserable issues, I went to a Naturopath who turned my diet around and provided a number of key nutritional supplements that helped immensely with my overall health. After much research I also came to the conclusion that I was affected by heavy metal toxicity and have been on a nutritional plan to remove the burden of heavy metals for the last few months. More improvement, all the while noticing my eyes feeling better and better, albeit with occasional minor set backs. Added to this I have been using the following things:

                            - Moducare. A natural product made of plant sterols to regulate the immune system and help stem the autoimmune system attacks and inflammation associated with Hashimotos.

                            - High dose ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) 2000-3000 mgs.

                            - 200mcg Selenium.

                            Selenium and Ascorbic acid are not be underestimated as powerful antioxidants and inflammation fighters. Of course, a good multi, fish oil and a 70% organic diet have also played their part.

                            I am almost there and it feels bloody great after all these years!! My best advice is you need to attack from a different angle if the old one isn't working. That is, you cannot simply rely on the drugs to mask or partly treat the symptoms. This to my mind offers no cure in the long run. In saying this, I do not mean to suggest that people affected by Lasik and other complications that cause Dry Eye in different ways aren't getting the best possible treatment. I simply suggest that this was my road to recovery and it started with taking more responsibility for my own health and nutrition, not taking no - or I don't know - for an answer and reading as much as possible.

                            If you had asked me a year or more ago I would have said I'm going to be stuck with DES for the rest of my life. But there is hope and there is a way back!! We all have photos of ourselves years ago when our eyes were clear and bright.

                            More than happy to answer questions and provide more detail for anyone that's interested.

                            Jamie
                            I just wanted to bump this, because the suggestion to take selenium and vitamin c has been a tremendous help. I also added dulse (sea weed) to my food because it's extremely high in iodine. I only eat sea salt which is not iodized. I genuinely believe these changes have helped me already. So happy for this site.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Dowork123 Why does selenium and vitamim C help you? Like how does it affect your eyes? What are they doing in the body?

                              Comment

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