Nac

[odydnas]

Hi everyone! I just bought a bottle of 500 mg of N-acetyl-L-cysteine to take in an attempt to improve my situation. I plan on taking it for 3 months to see if I see a difference, and I'll keep you all updated.

I was also wondering, anyone else taking NAC and seeing a difference?

Thanks!

[rhad]

I've taken NAC and noticed no difference...as have many others.. I think only like one or two people actually saw improvement.

I know people are saying I am just "teasing" that I know of a cure..but I don't want to tease people like that..that's why I am not revealing what I am doing until the end of the month..I need a little time to see how "consistent" what I am trying will be after at least a month. so far it has been consistent. I hate when people "tease" and give false hope. I am producing consistently more tears, I am now trying another treatment in an attempt to restore normal Meibomian Gland function. I got the treatment idea from a study on rats in the medical journals. my tear problem is fixed...I'll tell you guys at the end of the month, if this treatment stays consistent by that time. I sure hope to see meibomian gland function improvement as well.

rhad

[willwork4tears]

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, BUT....

I'm a research scientist studying Multiple Sclerosis. I do all my research on a mouse model. I can tell you from first hand experience that successful treatments in rodents RARELY translate into FDA approved human treatments.

That being said, I do hope you're lucky and that you find something that works.

[Guest]

I can tell you from first hand experience that successful treatments in rodents RARELY translate into FDA approved human treatments.

Whenever I see some study done on mice, rats, or some other animal, one of my university profs saying "PEOPLE ARE NOT RATS!" always pops into my head... it's too bad that good results in other animals doesn't necessarily translate into the same results in humans.

[Guest]

I plan on taking it for 3 months to see if I see a difference, and I'll keep you all updated.

I'm interested to see if it helps you... can't wait for your update!

[cristiandryeyes]

I've taken NAC and noticed no difference...as have many others.. I think only like one or two people actually saw improvement.

I know people are saying I am just "teasing" that I know of a cure..but I don't want to tease people like that..that's why I am not revealing what I am doing until the end of the month..I need a little time to see how "consistent" what I am trying will be after at least a month. so far it has been consistent. I hate when people "tease" and give false hope. I am producing consistently more tears, I am now trying another treatment in an attempt to restore normal Meibomian Gland function. I got the treatment idea from a study on rats in the medical journals. my tear problem is fixed...I'll tell you guys at the end of the month, if this treatment stays consistent by that time. I sure hope to see meibomian gland function improvement as well.

rhad

First you say you unintentionally stumbled onto a solution, now you say you got the idea from a study on rats..I don't get it

[rhad]

no, I did stumble upon the Increased Tear production, I wasn't expecting it from what I was taking for another problem I have...

The Study on rats just gave me an idea, and Yes I am aware that a great majority of the results they see with rat testing does not work with humans, the results are always different in humans. But they give us ideas of what could happen in humans. The idea from the rat studies was on Sebaceous Glands, I'm hoping that meibomian gland function can be improved if not restored to normal functioning. you guys are pretty skeptical, you know that. Even if someone did find a solution to the MGD problem, would you even believe them, or would you just criticize? I think so..many on this board, even though they want a solution, their so skeptical, yet they try treatments that just thinking about them logically, they won't work..haha. I mean eyedrops are going to solve your gland problems? yeah right! haha, we know gland function comes from biological activity inside your body, not on the surface, where you put drops... c'mon you guys use more logic here. Don't we want a permanent solution that consistently works, or do we want a temporary one, that doesn't improve our eye function back to what is considered "normal". The least you could do is support me, and not criticize..

rhad

[Rebecca Petris]

no, I did stumble upon the Increased Tear production, I wasn't expecting it from what I was taking for another problem I have...

The Study on rats just gave me an idea, and Yes I am aware that a great majority of the results they see with rat testing does not work with humans, the results are always different in humans. But they give us ideas of what could happen in humans. The idea from the rat studies was on Sebaceous Glands, I'm hoping that meibomian gland function can be improved if not restored to normal functioning. you guys are pretty skeptical, you know that. Even if someone did find a solution to the MGD problem, would you even believe them, or would you just criticize? I think so..many on this board, even though they want a solution, their so skeptical, yet they try treatments that just thinking about them logically, they won't work..haha. I mean eyedrops are going to solve your gland problems? yeah right! haha, we know gland function comes from biological activity inside your body, not on the surface, where you put drops... c'mon you guys use more logic here. Don't we want a permanent solution that consistently works, or do we want a temporary one, that doesn't improve our eye function back to what is considered "normal". The least you could do is support me, and not criticize..

rhad

Rhad,

It's worth bearing in mind that many, perhaps most of us here are presently aiming not at total cure but at improving our quality of life. At the end of the day we're talking about biological processes that no one understands more than a tiny fraction of, really. People are coming from different places with different expectations and we have to respect each other.

There is logic of some sort behind just about every treatment I've ever read about on this board (including eyedrops for glands) and there is room for discussion on this board of everything that can improve or cure our dry eyes and improve our quality of life in the face of what is, for some of us, for the present, chronic disease.

Let's all do our best to show courtesy when challenging or questioning others.

[willwork4tears]

The scientific method

you guys are pretty skeptical, you know that. Even if someone did find a solution to the MGD problem, would you even believe them, or would you just criticize? I think so..many on this board, even though they want a solution, their so skeptical, yet they try treatments that just thinking about them logically, rhad

As a professional scientist, I take that as a compliment. Scientists are trained to be skeptical and to critically and analytically examine evidence.

Scientific findings are only considered to be valid once they have been made public and other scientists have had the opportunity to reproduce the results.

Since you have yet to report evidence or allow others the opportunity to replicate your findings, we have no other choice but to remain skeptical.

[Guest]

Look, Rhad... just spill the beans already... if your discovery is working so well, then share it... otherwise your choosing to mention it again without telling us what it is, feels to many of us like you're being a tease... even though you've said that was not your intention.

[rhad]

As a professional scientist, I take that as a compliment. Scientists are trained to be skeptical and to critically and analytically examine evidence.

Scientific findings are only considered to be valid once they have been made public and other scientists have had the opportunity to reproduce the results.

Since you have yet to report evidence or allow others the opportunity to replicate your findings, we have no other choice but to remain skeptical.

at the end of this month, I will post my whole regimen. so you can "replicate" it, and I will report my findings as to how consistently this has worked. I apologize for my comments about other treatments. I have been on this board for around 4 almost 5 years. I even had an account long before this one I created in 2008. I had one in early 2006. I like many of you, have tried almost every treatment for my Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and so I have continually tried more and more things, both in conventional Medicine, and Alternative as well, both of them hadn't yielded any improvement really. Being a member on this forum for so long, and finding really nothing new as for treatments I could try It seemed hopeless. I don't say things just to get attention, I've really wanted to help you guys and also myself.

everytime I've suggested a new possibility for this disease, I've received opposition, always...on almost every one of my threads on this forum.

Rebecca I respect you alot, It's amazing to me you've been able to run such an incredible forum like DryeyeZone. This forum is continually growing, more and more people are being diagnosed with evaporative dry eye and MGD..it's unbelievable how many people have this condition, and are not finding much relief... it's sad, but true. As for Eye drops and artificial tears, they seem 'unnatural' and seem to dry the eyes out more. it's extremely difficult to manipulate our lacrimal gland, it can supply tears continuously to our eyes, unlike an eyedrop, with just the right amount..that's why I say, it is better to seek to improve our body's natural functions of being able to lubricate and supply tears to our eyes than just try to implement something unnatural like eye drops, they only bring temporary relief, and not complete relief, they don't address the Burning sensation in the eyelids, from inflammation...that's why even with artificial tears, MGD sufferers continue to suffer..

But you guys already know about all this..so I apologize for my comments, I will post a thread at the end of the month with an update and details of what I've found..

[odydnas]

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, BUT....

I'm a research scientist studying Multiple Sclerosis. I do all my research on a mouse model. I can tell you from first hand experience that successful treatments in rodents RARELY translate into FDA approved human treatments.

That being said, I do hope you're lucky and that you find something that works.

Don't worry, willwork4tears, I've had dry eyes for long enough to know not to put too much hope on anything, even if its been tried and true (like antibiotics, plugs, or restasis). Thansk for the heads up though.

I had no idea that NAC was tested on rodents before. Cool. I've spent a couple years doing research on mice too, so I know how that goes.... But one important thing I did learn was that even if you use pure lines and littermates and control as much as you can, those critters can and will still react differently to the same thing. So here's to hoping that I'm so unique that NAC will do something for me

Btw, I'm also taking it vitamin C because I remember reading somewhere that NAC can cause kidney stones? I don't know if this is real or not, but I'm going to take vitamin C just in case.