trying NAC again for MGD.. started today

[jenny2008]

anybody else using NAC for mgd? i did back in 2008 and i think it helped..unless i just got worse on my own which is very possible...
anyway, i used it for months-my doc never thought it did anything but i thought i would give it another try and see if after a few weeks my meibomian secretions ge t easier after warm compress and massage.

[Pinky]

Hi Jenny,

See my recent post: http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...-linked-to-DES

[jenny2008]

thanks pinky.. are you still on nac too?

[Pinky]

I just started it again. I noticed it is most effective when my estrogen is lowest e.g. during the pre-menstrual phase.

[farmgirl]

Jenny: I notice it is used for Sjogren's as well, maybe you could get a double whammy here. Let me know if you use it and it makes a difference.

[dijon84]

Thanks for that info Pinky. I've been on NAC for two weeks now. Taking 150mg a day, together with 500mg sustained release vitamin C (HYPERHEAD did tell me that it's best to take it with vitamin C but can't remember exactly why - something to do with the kidneys I think). My main complaint before taking NAC was the gritty sensation in the upper eyelids, particularly when blinking. I think this is linked with the build-up of mucus balls in the inner corners of the eyes, and I believe this is caused by MGD (I will post a thread about this soon). A few days after first taking NAC, my eyes felt really moist and greasy but the gritty sensation was gone. My vision was also more blurry than before taking NAC. These symptoms was far more pleasant than the gritty sensation (although I wouldn't say that this moistness and greasiness in the eyes felt normal!). Almost a week after first taking it, things had gone back to how they were before, and the gritty sensation returned. Possibly because I had been at a beer festival and drank alot, plus didn't do very much lid hygiene etc. Things have been that way this week ie the gritty sensation has remained. Thinking that I may need to up my dosage of NAC to twice a day - HYPERHEAD was planning to do this before he got side-effects from NAC (he is generally quite sensitive to most things and seems to get many side-effects from various products)
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...light=cysteine

In a pdf book about blepharitis that I bought, it says this about NAC:
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an amino acid that enhances the production of glutathione, one of the body's antioxidant enzymes. In one study, the effect of 100mg of NAC orally, three times each day for eight weeks resulted in stablization of tear film and reduced discomfort from blepharitis.

[jenny2008]

when i took it years ago i took 600mg at once.. it seemed to help my mgd..or i just wasnt as bad. i got lazy and stopped buying it..
now i am taking 1200mg..the pharmacist said that was fine.. so far i havent noticed anything great but allergies are awful here and i just began it not even a week ago..
any thoughts on dosage ?? ihave read anywhere from 600 to over 1000...
I cannot find it even online in 100mg or less than 500mg ..

[dijon84]

Well I'm cutting the 600mg tablets up into 4 pieces at the moment. Just taking the low dosage to start then might increase it later

[HYPERHEAD]

Hi all..

Well i stopped nac a week ago as i was getting a lot of mucous in throat for some reason as nac is a mucolyctic thinner, so i wonder maybe this was just the nac ridding of excess mucous also skin itching went after a while and no further allergic responses except a few mild skin breakouts.

Im definetly going back on NAC as my eyes were much better using nac..since i stopped ive been gettin a lot of white meibom oil bumps on my lid margjns which indicate that the nac was working as i didnt get these while using nac. Also im to up the dose after a week 2 300 milligrams as i tbink this will be even more effective.

Also i have been gettin the dreaded dull eyeball ache after massaging the lids firmly..trouble is if you dont use firm pressure the oils dont express as well but i dont want to damage my eyes.

Hows life dave..im glad ur tryin nac and make sure you excercise to improve Circulation and heal inflammation;-)

[dijon84]

I'm alright thanks - think I'll try to up the NAC dose to 300mg a day (ie 150mg twice a day). Do you think I need to take more of the 500mg sustained release vitamin C as well? Not done much exercise lately - oops - need to get back into it. Ta

[villfan22]

I think this is linked with the build-up of mucus balls in the inner corners of the eyes, and I believe this is caused by MGD (I will post a thread about this soon

I too get what I would call 'sleep' in the corners of my eyes throughout the day. If I blink forceably a few times a small ball of yellow-white mucus will be expelled from the corner of my eyes providing there is some to come out. It has a relatively sticky consistancy, not watery and forms a small ball in the corner of the eye near my nose until I either blink it out or use a PF tears to wash them out.

I have no idea what causes this, so hopefully someone might be able to advise, but my suspicion is that is the poor quality MG excretions thoughout the day. These poor quality oils, being thicker, will acumulate in the corner of my eye and form these small balls that I get. Thats my guess anyway

[dijon84]

Well I was thinking that what were a build-up of mucus. If the oil layer is not of a good enough quality, the water layer of the tear film evaporates (causing the gritty sensation) and what's left is the mucus layer. Could be a combination of mucus / thicker oil - don't know really.
Either way, I've noticed for quite a long time now that the amount of mucus per day that forms in these mucus balls correlates with how gritty my eyes have felt that day. Many times I've noticed more mucus on a day when my eyes have felt more gritty than usual. The two or three days when the grittiness disappeared (a few days after first taking NAC) - no mucus balls.
I remember when I used to get actual sleep in the corners of my eyes before the eye problems started. The 'sleep' I got then felt hard, not soft like these mucus balls are. Don't really get proper sleep in the corner of my eyes in the morning now!

[jenny2008]

ive been taking nac but my eyes have been so terribly dry.they feel worse..its only been over a week..not sure what to do

[dijon84]

What I would say is I don't understand completely how NAC would help MGD. As I understand it, NAC is a mucolytic so thins the mucus produced. Surely this would have an impact on the mucin layer of the tear film rather than the oil layer....perhaps someone can help?

[HYPERHEAD]

Why N-acetyl-cysteine can help dry eye.

Hi all,


Due to its capacity to support the elevated production of glutathione, NAC helps to shield your eye against oxidation and the toxic waste materials that come with it. Glutathione is the principal antioxidant employed in the eye, and though all tissues in the body contain glutathione, its highest concentration (aside from the liver, where it is produced) is in the eyes. Many analysis studies have directly linked low levels of glutathione with all sorts of eye diseases, so sufficient levels of glutathione are important to eye wellness.

As a drug, NAC is employed to unclog clumps of mucous in the body, such as in the lungs of patients with chronic emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and pneumonia. The antioxidant action of NAC inhibits oxidation of lipids, which makes it less difficult for mucous to flow.

Its capability to break up mucous, making it much less thick and totally free-flowing, makes NAC helpful in treating lipid-related health conditions in the eyes. Many studies have shown that therapy with NAC is able to create far better outcomes than artificial tears in relieving the discomforts related with blepharitis. Blepharitis symptoms had been decreased as tear film good quality improved with 100mg of NAC taken 3 times a day.

Personally NAC become more effective after a month as it raises glutathione levels gradually ...my eyes since i started NAC again a few days ago have massively improved, the white bumps on the margins have all gone and my eyes are white again For me it definetly worked over time and its amazing how much better my eyes feel after using it again.