DIY Hydrogen Peroxide Solution Recipe

[hosanna13]

That's awesome! If you are heading to Asia, I bet you can continue acupuncture and more cheaply, too. How often do you do acupuncture? I got tired of paying so much $$ for weekly sessions, so I just learned the points and do it on myself. I've had previous training and exposure to basic acupuncture before. I try to do it everyday. Don't know if it helps, but extra blood flow to your eyes should help in theory!

[Guest]

He had me going every week for the first 3 visits, then every 2 weeks for the next 2 visits, now says to see him every 3 weeks. Not sure why - I'd happily come every week if it helps But mind you, he did say to come less often because he wants to give things time and get a better idea of what is helping is what isn't.

He started with just acupuncture, then the last visit used some electrical device on the acupuncture points after removing the needles.

I figure I'll probably see him 2 more times before I leave.

[saralynn143]

I recently had a telephone conversation with the president of the company that manufactured my scleral lens. He did not recommend hydrogen peroxide cleaning, although he said it was fine if I wished to use it. He also said rinsing my scleral with tap water was fine between daily cleaning and disinfecting, here in the United States. If I travel out of the country, take plenty of saline solution to rinse with. And never ever rinse with tap water before placing the lens in my eye.

[dryeyedave]

Everyone should do whatever they are comfortable with but in the US municipal water is extremely clean. I rinse my scleral with it since I do not want any peroxide residue on the lens. The lobob solution in fact says to use tap water to rinse the lens. I also rinse out my eyes with an eye cup and salt water solution I mix up from the tap. I have had no problems and really it was the least irritating way for me. Also the surface of your eye ball is not sterile any way.

[littlemermaid]

also rinse with tap water anyways, so how bad could it be?

UK https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/search?q...ba%20keratitis
USA http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/acantha...keratitis.html
So we all know what we're doing, in UK and Europe now (June 2014) there is a supply emergency on ophthalmic polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and chlorhexidine digluconate - calls for help all over the internet. These are first-line antibacterials for the parasite acanthamoeba but can't kill it. Treatment must start early; if cornea scrapes don't work, full penetrating grafts might save sight http://www.healio.com/optometry/corn...-in-some-areas (PubMed 'acanthamoeba keratitis').

[Guest]

Also the surface of your eye ball is not sterile any way.

It should be relatively free of bacteria etc., and if there is bacteria/viruses etc. on the surface of your eyeball, when you blink, it helps to wash it away. BUT, when you wear a scleral, you are trapping whatever is under that lens to sit there and multiply for the entire time you are wearing the lens. Major infection risk.

Why not just use sterile water for rinsing your eyes out? Boil the water you are going to use for 10 minutes at the very least, let it cool and transfer to a sterilized container for safekeeping until ready to use. (I personally would not use anything on my scleral lenses other than sterile solutions intended for use with scleral lenses... but if you insist on using tap water, at least boil it... man... you are taking such risks with your eyes!!!)

Lastly, regarding what you said about the lobob solution and rinsing with tap water - I bet you that refers to regular rigid contact lenses, NOT sclerals. Sclerals are different because they trap whatever is under the lens for the entire time you wear it... - I'm suspect regular rigid lenses are less likely to do not do that since they just "float" on your tear film.

[miki-mama]

Hello, SAAG.

What effects did the acupuncture sessions have on your eyes that you could discontinue using your serum drops? I am a big fan of acupuncture, and a few years ago, I received weekly treatments for a year for ocular inflammation without making much difference. I also took tonics and done moxibustion where they burn small incense on the treatment points, as well as cupping where they apply pressure released glass cups, you name it. All from same practitioner. Maybe I didn't have a good doctor.

Also, when you refer to a portable freezer, is this something you took with you on trips? I am going to be away for three weeks next month, and I'm not sure what the best way is to travel with three weeks' supply of serum drops safely. Does anyone have suggestions? I would love to hear your advice on how you travel with serum drops in general.

Thanks.

BTW, where in Asia are you moving to SAAG? I'm Korean, grew up there, and later lived in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

[Guest]

Hello, SAAG.

What effects did the acupuncture sessions have on your eyes that you could discontinue using your serum drops?

Well, in my case, we know that since my LASIK procedure, the nerves did re-inervate the cornea and appear normal. (not the case for everyone, but I'm lucky I guess). However, obviously my nerves are not working properly.

So, as I understand it, my naturopath is trying a lot of similar strategies that he would use for a stroke victim in the hopes of helping my corneal nerves re-gain their ability to communicate properly with my brain so that once again, my lacrimal glands/meibomian glands and whatever else will make tears like a normal person when my ocular surface is dry.

He is doing acupuncture, and microcurrent stimulation of the acupuncture points.

He has also told me that I need to balance my yin and yang. One of them is the calm part of you, the other is the high energy part - he says my high energy part is too much and needs to quiet down. He said if my brain is constantly working overtime with so much stuff on my mind, it cannot have time to work on re-making the connection between my corneal nerves and my brain. He has me doing daily breathing exercises, stretching, listening to classical music (Mozart in particular... some study showed benefit somehow, don't remember exactly how... I've forgotten) and exercise (but it has to be something I enjoy doing he said).

He also had me taking some homeopathic remedies - I admit to not believing it could possibly do anything, but since it only costs me 15 bucks for a 3 week supply, I'm humoring him and taking that too.

At our last appointment, he has me spending time each day focusing on a specific colour (in my case, yellow) for 10-30 seconds 3 times in a row, and repeat twice a day - apparently it will stimulate my optic nerve and somehow he thinks that may benefit me in helping my corneal nerves re-start properly communicating with my brain. He feels this part of the treatment is the MOST important - he said acupuncture can calm the inflammation etc, but it won't help in making new connections between my corneal nerves and my brain.

So, while some of this perhaps sounds a bit "out there," I am following his direction as best I can. I figure no sense going to see him if I ignore half of what he recommends, know what I mean?

Anyhow, re: serum drops and stopping them

The serum drops have always been helpful in making my eyes able to tolerate more than they can when I stop the serum drops - I assume they reduce inflammation and that causes my eyes to make more tears than they would without the serum drops. But after my first few acupuncture treatments (and doing all the other stuff he recommended), I was at noticing that my eyes would be tearing up so much I couldn't see straight and had to blot them regularly. So I stopped my serum drops, and predictably, my eyes were no longer making as much tears... but the difference is that because prior to stopping the serum my eyes were now making lots more tears, I was now able to tolerate the drop in tear production that came with stopping the serum drops, whereas previously I could not.

If it weren't for my trip coming up, I'd have stayed on the serum, and instead tried cutting back on Restasis... but the serum drops are such a pain in the you-know-what to travel with that they were first priority for stopping.

Also, when you refer to a portable freezer, is this something you took with you on trips? I am going to be away for three weeks next month, and I'm not sure what the best way is to travel with three weeks' supply of serum drops safely. Does anyone have suggestions? I would love to hear your advice on how you travel with serum drops in general.

Prior to this big trip, since I'd always be staying in places that had a freezer, I'd just use an insulin carrier with icepack to keep my serum drops cold during travel time. This worked well for as much as 24 hours of travel time. Then, when we'd arrive at our vacation rental, I'd take my serum drops out of the insulin carrier and put the in the freezer.

The reason I was looking for a freezer on this trip is because I will not always be staying in places with a freezer, therefore needed a way to keep my serum drops frozen at all times.

BTW, where in Asia are you moving to SAAG? I'm Korean, grew up there, and later lived in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Cool! We're not moving per se, more like traveling long-term while we work on our on-line sources of income (ie. tiny right now, hoping to build them up to the point where we can live location independently indefinitely.)

Anyhow, we're spending 2-4 mo. in Bali over the next 12 months (waiting to see if our multiple entry visa applications are approved), 4-6 mo. in Malaysia, and maybe some time in Thailand (if the political situation there calms down), Singapore (only briefly though, since it's too expensive to stay long on this trip), Cambodia (want to see Angkor Wat), and maybe Cebu in the Philippines or even checking out Vietnam.

We are also stopping in Hawaii on our way to and from SE Asia.

[miki-mama]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Clearly the treatments you are receiving had a positive effect on your eyes if they were tearing and you are able function without the serum drops. I have never tried going off of the serum drops since I started using them 6 years ago, so I have no idea how it would even feel.

Best of luck in Asia. Sounds like a great adventure ahead of you!