Sucess with NAC sustain (jarrow)

[sazy123]

Hiya

I ordered jarrows NAC sustain and have been taking them about 2 weeks now, the last week my eyes have felt great- not what they should be (still have a way to go) and still stuck together in the morning but there has deffinately been a significant improvement! im sure i can attribute this to the NAC becuase it came shortly after starting them. the other thing might be the other supplements im on which are: cod liver oil, flaxseed oil, GLA, ester C, grape seed. But ive been on these for a while and have not had this much of a bennifit. The other thing that could be helping is a month ago i started combinding flax seed and cod liver oil. but i still think its the nac i take the max 4 per day. Id like to state that i was using a different nac supplement for ages but didnt see this benefit, so i swiched to this one. It could be a fluctuation or due to the fact my sinus got bad as there has been a pattern but looking good at the mo.

http://www.jarrow.com/product.php?pr...00b088db66ccac

Im not in hardly any discomfort from my eyes in the last week and a half, shame ive got a sinus infection and am in pain form this!

Im also going to see dr laknay in new york, my flight is this saterday. typical as soon as theres some improvement!

[neil0502]

Thanks for that tip, Sazy. I'm hopelessly happy for you for gaining some relief ... aside from the sinus infection (I know all about those).

I wish you much success on your trip to the States. I don't know what you're planning for the actual airplane flight--so many hours in such dry air. Have you thought about that?

If you had access to Lacriserts, I might recommend those. Otherwise, maybe just the goopiest nighttime drops or ointment in your arsenal.

When I talked to my doc at the pain clinic last week, he told me that--if I fly to the EU to see a doc in France--he'd be more than happy to knock me out for the flight. I plan to take him up on it. I'm not recommending that you go that route, but please give some thought to how you'll prep yourself for what will undoubtedly be a really eye-unfriendly climate on board.

All the best,
Neil

[shells]

Wow Sazy! That is great to hear that something may be giving you relief. I'm so happy to hear that you have had a few really good days! I hope that your comfort continues. As for flying, I recently flew across the country, and my sleep mask and GenTeal gel definitely came in handy. I know that you are looking at a much longer flight, but maybe if you could plan to sleep for atleast part of it, it would be easier on your eyes? Good luck with your flight and with your appointment!

[sazy123]

Hiya

thanks my eyes feel consistantly good for the last 1 1/2weeks. i would recommend anyone to try those NAC sustain supplements- espcially if you suspect an oil problem. my eyes feel so good im not that worried about how they will feel on the flight. im more worried how im going to cope with the sinus infection, i wanted to do loads of stuff in new york. ive been on anti biotics 3 says and it has helped somewhat but they are still noticable, so im praying that the antibiotics will kick in more in the next few days. they cleared my last infection up which was not long ago

Im abit enoyed that as soon as i decide to fly to the states my eyes feel better, and i booked the flight before this 3 weeks ago. but they are still bad when i wake up and still dry in comparison to most eyes-so im hoping he wont think im mad for flying all that way!

[neil0502]

my eyes feel so good im not that worried about how they will feel on the flight.

I'm not a nagging parent ... just a "friend who cares," so ... no lecture, but one more comment on this: I'm sure your eyes feel dramatically better, but are they normal? Can you drive down the road at 90kph, with no eyewear, with both windows down ... like "normal" people seem to do?

If not, you may want to rethink the airplane thing. It's literally as dry as the Sahara desert. I've been to the Sahara desert, incidentally

im more worried how im going to cope with the sinus infection, i wanted to do loads of stuff in new york.

The drugs should work ... unless it's viral . Meanwhile, if you have to fly with a sinus infection, it's usually a good idea to use a non-drying decongestant (pseudoephedrine) before you take off. Some people, instead, use a decongestant nose spray about an hour before LANDING. Some people (that'd be me) do both.

It's the pressure change from LANDING that takes the biggest toll on sinus infections.

All the best ... in the UK and in NY (heck, in life, too )

[kitty]

Sudafed may not be a good idea?

it's usually a good idea to use a non-drying decongestant (pseudoephedrine) before you take off.

I find Pseudoephedrine to be very drying. I won't go near it now that I have DES. I only use nasal sprays. If something dries out your nose, it will probably dry out your eyes. Everyone is different though. See the following web page for a list of meds known to cause eye dryness. Scroll way down to the DES section.:
Meds that cause dry eyes

"Check for medications that cause eye dryness: A partial list of these drugs is provided below.

Aspartame (NUTRASWEET)

Antihistamines (Benadryl, Coricidin)

Atropine

Vitamin A analogs (isotretinoin)

Chlorothiazide (diuretics)

Codeine

Decongestants (Sudafed) "

[neil0502]

Couple things:

1) Sudafed doesn't seem to worsen DES for me....

2) Wondering what the source of information was for that source. The manufacturer doesn't list dry eye for Sudafed, Medline doesn't list it as a side effect either, and I don't see it listed anywhere else. Have you seen it elsewhere?

3) A sinus infection can knock you out. Flying is a notoriously aggravating factor for sinus infections. Everybody would have to make their own decision about how to strike that balance.

Take care,
Neil

[neil0502]

Another source, by the way, for "ocular manifestations for commonly prescribed systemic medications."

If there isn't one already, I'll start a thread for this. I'm sure there are other credible sites that we should all be able to easily review:

http://www.aoa.org/x1928.xml

[kitty]

Like I say, everyone is different. I think the concern is that decongestants in general can make dry eyes worse. If it were me, I think I would test out a new medication to see how it affected my eyes before going on a long flight.

The FDA's opinion

"Dry eye also can be caused by certain medications, including antihistamines, some antidepressants, birth control pills, nasal decongestants, and the prescription acne drug Accutane."

And a few of many other places that mention this:

Decongestants
"Medication: Certain medications can decrease the body’s ability to produce lubricating tears: Antidepressants, decongestants, antihistamines, blood pressure medication, oral contraceptives, diuretics, ulcer medication, tranquilizers, beta blockers."

Decongestants 2

"Dry eye can occur in climates with dry air, as well as with the use of some drugs, including antihistamines, nasal decongestants, tranquilizers, and anti-depressant drugs."

And again...

"Birth control pills can trigger dry eye syndrome, and so can many other medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, decongestants, antianxiety agents and diuretics or other blood pressure pills. "

[neil0502]

You may be right ... and I certainly agree about trying something when the stakes are lower, but ... it's my sense that the reason that decongestants are included in the list so often is that they are often contained in pills that also contain antihistamines.

I don't think there's a definitive right or wrong here, but I see very little support for the notion that pseudoephedrine aggravates dry eye. The only reference I found where it could have been construed that way was in two different drugs that also contained antihistamines.

Again, I agree that--if Sazy is looking to prevent a worsening of sinus problems that a flight may cause--she should try something like a pseudoephedrine-only drug before the flight, when it's easier to manage any potential drying of the eyes.

It would also be way too easy to take pseudoephedrine, then fly for eight hours, experience severe dry eyes, and say that the pseudoephedrine caused it ... despite the 1-10% relative humidity of a commercial airplane's cabin

http://www.flyana.com/dehydration.html

We're all complex, and we all react differently to nearly every med, so I don't mean to--in any way--detract from what you say your reaction to pseudoephedrine was. I hope that's clear.

Neil

[sazy123]

Hiya

unfortunately my sinus pain is too bad still and had to cancel the flight, the anitbiotics arnt working, in fact im on 100mg doxy for one week. I dont know if this is because for the first 3 days i didnt realise you had to avoid certain foods with iron, meat, calcium, zinc: so most foods in over words. idiot- i didnt read the front if the packet. today i have not eaten anything like that but still hasent worked, or its not working, i think its not coz anti biotics arent that effective in chronic sinusitis- which i think ive got now becuase the sinus pain keeps reacurring since december-but is now worse and constant. it has reacurred 3 weeks after stopping the last antibiotics (which did clear it up-but was differnt antibiotics). Im getting worried that theres permanent damage now (things i read suggest that there is )?, dont know whether im being a hyprocondriach or not!

the other reason might be that the 100mg dosage of doxy is too small and is not that effective, i also heard that you have to stay out of the sun when on doxy? can you not wear a high factor sun screen?

Anyway about the flight, i didnt think its worth it at the moment coz (hopefully i can get money back on insurance) my eyes do feel better at the mo. and i have a box of restasis which i can make last a while in the mean time. I want to see what my eyes are doing now.

Neil in your answer, my eyes feel next to normal at the moment (in the day, not when i wake up) so thats why i wasnt worrying about the flight, and also i have been on flight last summer (3 hours) it wasnt to bad from what i remember, my eyes actually feel worse in hot stuffy rooms than aircon for some reason..

Sudafed, or any decongestant hasnt helped my sinus pain at all, the nose sprays dont help either, the only thing that helped was the last course of antibiotics. i dont know what the next step gonna be, scared of surgery!
Sudafed didnt effect my dry eyes either..

[DrG]

Neither doxycycline nor any of the tetracyclines would be my antibiotic of choice for treating a sinus infection. The reason is that many of the strains of staph aureus have already developed resistance to it. The reason doxy works for MGD has nothing to do with the antibiotic properties.

Also, having been on these boards for so many years, I am able to report that a number of patients have posted in the past that their dry eyes seemed to be better during a cold or sinus infection.

[neil0502]

Also, having been on these boards for so many years, I am able to report that a number of patients have posted in the past that their dry eyes seemed to be better during a cold or sinus infection.

Doc,

Do you have any guess why that might be??

The only thing that I can think of is this: if I step on you toes while you're barefoot and I'm in work boots, I don't think your eyes would feel as badly either....

Think it's anything else?

[SusieD]

Doc,

Do you have any guess why that might be??

The only thing that I can think of is this: if I step on you toes while you're barefoot and I'm in work boots, I don't think your eyes would feel as badly either....

Think it's anything else?

That is exactly what I was thinking. When I had the flu a couple of months ago - my eyes hardly bothered me. Probably because the nausea, banging headache and horribly aching joints kind of took priority and I wasnt focusing on my eyes as much.

[sazy123]

DR G: thats entirely whats happening with me. Every time my sinuses flare up my eyes dont feel that bad. And now this is a really bad sinus infection and my eyes feel really good. I really didnt want this to be the case and hope after this settles down my eyes will remain like this coz they started feeling good before the sinus felt really bad. I thought this was just a coninsedence and to do with the fact my eyes feel better in the evening and thats when my sinus feel worse.

DRG: Do you think if i improve the sinus problem the eyes will get worse? I really hope not i dont think its the pain being displaced to another area (sinuses), becuase my eyes look healther as well, and i have to use a lot less drops.

Hopefully ill be put on a different antibiotic then! is that why if your on doxy becuase it doesnt work in the antibiotic way you dont have to avoid certain foods??