Fish oil/EPA-how much to take

[jenny2008]

Hey!
since i started this whole discussion i thought i would drop in--being new on here and stuff--i would love to know what you (Rhad) or anyone is doing that is helping?? Please share! I am desperate and have been trying all kinds of things as I have been suffering for over a year and a half now--just like everybody else..

One day they will have a drop that actually will make tears! I just know it. but when? I have been on Restasis for over 7 months -and I took it for 6 months last year--I don't know if it is working... but i am going to stick w/ it.

Ok..So if I find anything that really helps me I will definitely be posting it here ! I go to see Dr. Foulks in Louisville next Wednesday and I have heard wonderful things about him.. I am keeping my fingers crossed and there is always hope.

thanks everyone.

[NYer]

Rhad,

"Nerves" and the "Autonomic Nervous System" are entirely different subjects.

And points like that are exactly why you're detecting condescension in my tone in response to your posts. Yes, you are welcome to your opinion - everyone is. But you are making grand statements that make it sound like you've done scientific or medical studies and that when you produce the results of these studies that everyone here will have tremendous improvement...and you have not done that (whether you imagine them to be scientific or not...they are not). And when it's that obvious that you don't know some of the basics of the premise of the discussion yet you pontificate on the subject, you open yourself up to criticism.

Some of the points you make are valid and interesting, but some of the statements you've made are so way off the mark that they completely invalidate your good points. And in pontificating about things that you really don't know about, you lead readers of posts in a useless direction. Of course, it is not your job to make sure that everyone reading your posts knows enough to follow or not follow or take as gospel what your or I or anyone else writes. But, frankly, it is the ethical responsibility of anyone who posts in a forum such as this, where many people are desperate for help, to truly know what he/she is talking about if he/she is going to speak so dogmatically on a subject.

Although some of your thoughts are interesting and sensible, you do not have the expertise to make some of the blanket statements you've made and you have a number of people waiting breathlessly to find out this amazing thing you've discovered based on your "studies". And I think that's just wrong. You've also made blanket statements in other posts putting down other peoples' attempts to relate what they're doing which, whether they help you or not, have the backing of real science and some excellent doctors (reference the Omega-3 discussion).

On the flip side, I am quite happy for you that you've found something that helps you and I (and a number of other people following this thread) would love to hear what it is. If you could simply say "This is what helped me and this is what I did and what I'm doing" that would be wonderful and quite possibly could be a help to someone else here.

And just remember - if you are going to use the phrase "I'm entitled to my opinion" and that opinion is being expressed to everyone, you are by the very nature of expressing it to everyone, opening yourself (your views) up to criticism and/or praise. The right to say whatever you want doesn't give you protection from having it slapped back atcha - in fact in ensures that someone somewhere will, indeed, disagree with you just as openly and let you know it.

Good luck with your program - I'm glad your health has improved from it.

-NYer

[rubyslippers]

This is me too, Rubyslippers. Although I cannot claim any more of your post to be similar to me or my lifestyle--perhaps no drinking. After that, nope.
I just wanted to make your post even look more Monk-like Lucy

LOL, I read that the first time to be "Monkee-like! I don't see how anything in my lifestyle caused this. Menopause is probably a great part of it though. When my other meno-symptoms act up, so do my eyes.

It's not exactly a great mystery that numerous functions of your body are controlled by your autonomic nervous system. Therefore, if there is a glitch in the autonomic nervous system, it can and does affect not only your dry eyes but other issues throughout your system - especially other mucous-based things like your gastric tract. There is the link between your gastric system and your eyes...but having a problem with your gastric system isn't causing the dry eyes.

Other than that, I can't imagine what great non-scientific "studies" are being performed here to figure out what "specific parts of the body" cause MGD/Blepharitis and lack of tear production. The "part of the body" that controls it is your autonomic nervous system.

yeah, I agree that nerves are extremely important, but what is it that causes these glitches in your autonomic nervouse system? yeah I know I am not a scientist, or even a doctor, but does that mean I can't have an opinion, or share what i have found?

rhad

[NYer]

It's not exactly a great mystery that numerous functions of your body are controlled by your autonomic nervous system. Therefore, if there is a glitch in the autonomic nervous system, it can and does affect not only your dry eyes but other issues throughout your system - especially other mucous-based things like your gastric tract. There is the link between your gastric system and your eyes...but having a problem with your gastric system isn't causing the dry eyes.

Other than that, I can't imagine what great non-scientific "studies" are being performed here to figure out what "specific parts of the body" cause MGD/Blepharitis and lack of tear production. The "part of the body" that controls it is your autonomic nervous system.

[Lucy]

My diet is vegetarian about 95% of the time with it bordering on vegan about 60% of the time.

This is me too, Rubyslippers. Although I cannot claim any more of your post to be similar to me or my lifestyle--perhaps no drinking. After that, nope.
I just wanted to make your post even look more Monk-like Lucy

[rubyslippers]

My diet is vegetarian about 95% of the time with it bordering on vegan about 60% of the time. I do not drink at all, I eat very low sugar. No caffeine for me. I have never smoked. I eat lots of fruit, veggies, grains, and nuts. I eat complex carbs instead of simple carbs. For the last 15 years I have run a couple of miles every other morning. I live in the country and get lots of fresh air---virtually no pollution here. People in my family mostly live to be over 95 with several over 100 and one lived to be 108.

Arcaeon, I agree with you their, all the stress that people in industrialized nations have could be a factor that leads to health problems. stress has a lot of negative effects on the body.

Plat, yes, I have narrowed it down to specific parts of the body that cause MGD/Blepharitis and lack of tear production. I have it all written down on my computer, in a document I am putting together. It all fits together like a puzzle in theory. If what I am doing to cure my MGD/blepharitis really is true and cures this condition, then I will release this information or share it with all those that suffer with this condition. as of yet it hasn't completely cured my conditions, so i can't really say it is a cure.

What I believe is that your body is pretty strong, it can put up with quite a bit of abuse, whether it be lifestyle, diet, etc. but when something stops functioning like it is supposed to, then we feel the effects of it.

rhad

[Arcaeon]

I think that people in these areas you are talking about - Africa, South America, etc - may not feel the effects of their dry eye as much because they lead simpler lives.

Quite honestly, I don't think my dry eye would even really be a problem if modern Western life didn't require you to -

a ) spend ungodly hours of time in front of screens, whether it be computers or tv, or reading

b) be stressed out all the time from work and financial pressures

I think a simple farmer living in the Andes mountains or something wouldn't even notice dry eye. The condition is exacerbated so much by modern life.


In saying that, the obese/unhealthy people statement is definitely true. I know people who eat MacDonalds literally every day and not much else and have healthier eyes than me.

[brd888]

A lot of Rhad's comments make sense to me. Most people don't have dry eye. A lot of people (esp in Scotland) have a bad diet. My sister for instance eats a load of junk and takes no major exercise. She doesn't have dry eye.

I think a poor diet will not cause dry eye. But a good diet will contribute to healthy eyes. For me, the point of taking Oil supplements etc is to try and beef up my ability to create a healthy tear film.

[Plat]

Rhad,

As you have stated,

"something is wrong in your body that stops this process of oil production from taking place"

I believe it is bad diet(processed foods, red meats etc) that affects hormones that affects the balance of your body. So hopefuly Flax or other oils can balance the hormones(but you can not continue bad eating habits). Hormones in turn affect the way your brain sends signals.

Anyone that would like to answer - what is or was your diet like? Most people I ask they say typical diet. Well what does this mean?

Thanks

[Plat]

Hi Rhad, what did you mean by

"obviously something is wrong inside the body that is not allowing proper oil/tear production. You do not have to agree with what I have said, but this is what I have personally observed"

Have you narrowed your dry eye problem to a specific part of the body?

Thanks

[rubyslippers]

I know it helps me and here is why. I ran out of Barlean's cold pressed flaxseed oil. I had been taking 3-6 capsules per day for months. By the fourth day without it, my very dry skin returned. It had been gone for several months. Not coincidentally, I had some very bad eye days at the very same time. I got my hands on the flaxseed oil and by the third day taking it again, my face was once again oily and I no longer needed to use after shower body moisturizer. The days I did not take the flaxseed I was itchy all over which is how I had been before taking it. I do not produce moisture/oil anywhere in my body very well at all. I am completely convinced, as is my eye doctor, that while the flaxseed alone won't "cure" my dry eye, it is certainly helping me.

[Plat]

All I know is I am 36 and had a bad diet since 20, no vegs, no fruit no fish, just all the bad things like pizza, burgers, junk food. I am thin and eat a lot but seems to have affected my eyes(or could have affected somthing within the body to affect the eyes). Eating bad does not just cause you to be obese, just my guess. I know many people who eat bad and have a pretty normal figure.

[Rebecca Petris]

rhad, I apologize. I was reacting to some generalizations but at the same time I do appreciate what I think your point is (if I understood correctly): that all the nutrition and supplements in the world probably aren't going to fix our eyes. I agree with that. I take my flaxseed oil faithfully but my main motivation is overall health benefits.