anyone have any luck with accupuncture?

[jenny2008]

im going to try accupuncture fri..i know it can take months to see results.. has anybody had any luck with it for their eyes?

[PotatoCakes]

It didn't help with my dry eyes (my experience: http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...ht=acupuncture) but I did find it helpful. I haven't been in a while but I plan to start going again at some point; I just haven't made it a priority to fit into my schedule.

[LisaLis]

Hi Jenny, I didn't have such good luck. But the acupuncturist did tell me it could take 2 or 3 months and I went to the acupuncturist 2x's a week. I went for 8 sessions. He told me its very hard to get rid of eye problems. It made me nervous and I felt like maybe he couldn't help me. I should have stuck it out longer. But he had me change my whole diet too. He told me if I didn't, then it wouldn't work. It was so hard for me to do the diet cut out sugar, spicy, raw fish, cheese, alcohol, greasy foods. So hard to do. I'm wondering if it would have helped if I stuck it longer. Even with aryurvedic herbs I had an online consult from a doctor in india and he told me to cut out a lot from my diet too while taking these herbs he prescribed. I haven't done it yet. I have to get into that frame of mind before I can cut everything out again. There must be something too the diet if both the acupuncturist and the aryurvedic dr.'s are saying to change the diet. I just cant do it right now. I'll tell you nothing else is helping me having to do with western medicine. I can't bare using restasis, it burns like heck all day, lids and eyes. Can't deal with it.

[Warren]

Hi Jenny: I have had dry eye for about two months, and I am planning on giving "Western Medicine" a chance
to solve my dry eye. I don't know yet how long I am going to wait for progress using "western" methods.

However, if I do not improve in some period of time (a year?) one of my options will be to go to a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Acupuncturist (who was also trained in Western Medicine in China. Unfortunately, her Chinese Medical degree was not or is not recognized here, I don't recall). Anyhow, my plan will be to go to her, describe my dry eye symptoms, and let her determine if she can help me with acupuncture or with Chinese herbs. She has told me before that for some problems (such as depression) acupuncture takes a long time to reach a successful outcome, but it can work. I also know from personal experience that Chinese herbs do work for some problems. She will also tells me frankly when her knowledge is inadequate to solve my problem or when Western medicine will be a better solution.

If you want to pursue this route, I suggest that you get in touch with a patient who has been successfully treated with acupuncture or Chinese herbs, find out who their provider was, and try to make an appointment with them so see what they think they can do for you.

You might ask your current acupuncturist about herbs or about a Chinese medical doctor they would recommend.

Just some thoughts.

Best wishes for improvements with your symptoms!

Warren

[LaDiva]

Hi Jenny,
I've been going to acupuncture for about a month and a half, twice a week. My eyes look better, but are still uncomfortable. The acupuncturist said it will take awhile, if it is going to work. Like Lisa, she also said eye problems are difficult to address. The therapist bled my ears a couple of times. The first time, the whites of my eyes were white, white, white for about two days after, and then, back to being red, but better than before the treatments. The ultra-white trick only worked the first time. After the first month, I began to fall asleep during sessions, and that seems to help too. I read that sleeping is the result of a flood of extra endorphins. I am more relaxed and feel more rested. Am also using a dietary supplement with stem cells and bilberry for inflammation. Overall, I believe my eyes are a bit better.

[Hopeful2]

Hi LaDiva,

Glad to hear that you are finding some relief with the acupuncture, albeit somewhat indirect. I too have started acupuncture. I have not noticed much difference with the eyes, but I do feel more relaxed.

I was wondering what the dietary supplement was that you are taking with 'stem cells and bilberry'? How do you notice that it reduces the inflammation? Do you experience less burning?

[Martz22]

I did not have good luck with it but I did not stick with more than a couple of months. I found that every time I went my eyes burned really bad afterwards. I think what was causing the burning was the alcohol he used to sterilize my skin before and after he inserted the needles. I only made this coorelation when I used an alcohol based anti-itch medication for my scalp. Soon after I applied the medication to my scalp i noticed my eyes started burning like they did when I did acupuncture. If I were to do it again, I would ask for something other than straight rubbing be applied to my skin.

Even though I didn't have a good experience doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. Everything works differently on different people, give it a try!

[Bill Sonoma County]

Wish you good luck and hope to hear positive results. I had extended acupuncture treatment and chinese herbs. No benefit. Bill

[Seavie]

Hi!

My research has led me to believe that acupuncture only helps if your dry eye is nerve-related, such as via LASIK, because that's what the needles are stimulating.

I did it for several weeks with zero improvement, probably because my dry eye has nothing to do with nerves. Punctal plugs, Restastis, a buttload of supplements - all this has helped me.

I am chronicling all my treatments and symptoms now on my own little blog. If you want you can read it here I'm hoping it helps someone. This dry eye stuff really sucks, I know.

[LauraK]

I have been doing acupunture for about 1 month. I have not currently experienced any benefit - although my acupuncturist says it can take a while. I am going to give it another week or two.

[DCRdryeye]

I tried acupuncture not long after my traumatic operation that caused my dry eye. He was very good and applied two acupuncture needles near my eye and connected them with a wire and stimulated them with electricity. Then he applied acupuncture needles elsewhere on my body to deal with the acute stress I had. Not sure if it helped my dryness, but it did offer comfort, support and that feeling that I was being helped and doing something about it.

[jenny2008]

to those of you who were trying accupuncture did you continue??? if so , did it help??
i went 2 x ( not long to tell) and gave up.. was thinking about trying again but not sure if i should due to $$$//

any replies much appreciated.
thanks..

[sunshinelover]

to those of you who were trying accupuncture did you continue??? if so , did it help??
i went 2 x ( not long to tell) and gave up.. was thinking about trying again but not sure if i should due to $$$//

any replies much appreciated.
thanks..

I went five days in a row two weeks ago, had the needles all over back and front and face for 1,5-2 hours each session. It was quite painful in some places near the eyes, and unfortunatelya, since I am eating LOTS of omega 3 I was bleeding here and there and have now had a bad bruise under my eye for more than a week. But I have felt much bertter in my eyes the last six days. On th other hand, I am still on vacation and now using the computer, not spending any time where there are fans or AC and humidity i HIGH right now. So we'll see when I go back to work next week. The acupuncturist wanted me to eat goji berries and drink crysanthemum tea (haven't found that yet) and not eat garlic!! And to call again when back from vacation, but in fact I do not think I will have the time to spend then. This chinese doctor is so famous in Sweden so people come from all over the country and she has around 15-20 patients treated at the same time, and it could be som waiting before you get your time too.... Anyway, it was a great experience, I often fell asleep, but problably I would need more sessions.

[bakunin]

I ahd 3 sessions, each one of half-hour, one per week. No improvement. I think i will do 2 more sessions.

[Sooz]

I have been seeing a naturopath for several things and getting acupuncture. She has a program where you pay $150 a month for twice a week acupuncture and all the herbs and supplements they think you need. Today she suggested goji berries. After some discussion of the current price of them, I decided to try a supplement called Lycuvin. It has goji berry extract, cuscuta extract, bilberry extract and lutein from Calendula. I just checked online and found that Amazon has it. She also suggested alternating warm and cold compresses, starting with 2 minutes of warm and 1 minute of cold x 3. I told her I had been doing 5 minutes of warm, and she suggested doing that first and then the warm/cold routine. Since I will be getting acupuncture for other things, I've decided to try it for DES. I don't see how it could hurt. Since I will be doing this for the next year I will be able to give it a real trial. I will keep you posted.
I just want to add that I used to turn up my nose at complementary therapies, but a serious illness has opened my eyes to the shortcomings of allopathic medicine. I have become much more open minded about things like accupuncture and naturopathy. As with medical doctors there are good and bad naturopaths. In finding one I have a rule of thumb: if the first thing they start telling you is that you are gluten intolerant and overrun with yeast, find another one. The one I am going to knows a lot about simple things you can do to improve your health. And she was able to recommend an opthamolgist who knows and cares about DES.