what supplements do you take for your glaucoma?

[Blindbeggar83]

just thought a thread on this might be useful.

I was taking vitamin b3 3000mg per day, and noticed improvement until I ended up in hospital.

Ginkgo bilboa is another I’ve heard to be beneficial.

[muddledme]

Hello Blindbeggar83

My consultant mentioned that some people found Ginko Biloba beneficial but when I looked it up I saw that it could cause bleeding . As I had frequent retinal bleeds prior to eye surgery I decided not a good idea for me.

Vit B 3 also possibly gave me retinal bleeds( 500 mg daily )and stopped when I drastically reduced the dose.

I do have berries of some form on most days and grow a lot in the garden, also eat a Mediterranean diet with omega 3 in the form of fish oil.

There is going to be a Glaucoma UK digital webinar in a month or two about glaucoma and lifestyle.

Best wishes

[stephanie1977 in reply to muddledme]

Hi Muddledme,

Found it interesting your comment about Nicotinamide and retinal bleeds. Do you mean optic nerve disc hemmorages? I had been taking a pretty high dose of Nicotinamide for quite some time and had a disc hemmorage in the fall of 2023. We changed my medications. I stopped the Nicotinaminde. I started up again about a month and half ago only to go to my consultant this week and discovered another disc hemmorages or possibly the same one was still there from 8 months ago the Dr. wasn't sure. So after reading your post I'm concerned that the Vitamin B3 could of caused the disc hemmorage. Do you know if anyone else with disc hemmorages while taking vitamin B3?

[Runnergal3]

I take quite a few - currently Nicotinamide (B3) 2g/day - growing evidence for its value in neuroprotection and several large international trials ongoing at present, gingko biloba (evidence for neuroprotection), Citicholine (neuroprotective and seems to enhance conduction on visual pathways), Forskolin and Rutin (some evidence they lower IOP) and CBG oil (some evidence it lowers IOP). I’ve also started 365 breathing, which also lowers IOP. There are no gold standard trials in any of these, although Nicotinamide has some on the way, so they are a bit of a leap of faith but the ones which are found to lower IOP seem to work for me.

[muddledme in reply to Runnergal3]

I did not know about Rutin and IOP ,but since I have taken Buckwheat (high in rutin) I have not had leg cramps, it is available in flakes or grain and my husband often thinks the cooked grain is rice.

Best wishes

[S_Miles]

nothing can restore the damage done by glaucoma only help prevent further damage to the optic nerve, or so I thought?

[Dumyat26 in reply to S_Miles]

That's what I was told by consultant

[warwickshire_singh in reply to S_Miles]

any damage due to Glaucoma can not be restored.

[Blindbeggar83 in reply to S_Miles]

when I was taking b3, I noticed a significant improvement in my vision within 2 weeks, to the point I could see without glasses. Unfortunately I had to stop as I ended up in hospital. There are no superfoods that contain the amount of vitamin b/b3 you find in capsules, but I’m sure the cure will be found soon.

[PBX142 in reply to Blindbeggar83]

Why did taking B3 - Nicotinamide - cause you to end up in hospital? What adverse symptoms did it give you?? This is a very cautionary note for those of us who are taking B3 to aid our vision...No point in it helping us to see better if it's attacking our body elsewhere!!

[Blindbeggar83 in reply to PBX142]

I took 500mg for around 16months. I noticed I was struggling to empty my bladder in the evening- but didn’t think anything of it.

There’s a b3 trial that had taken place which showed symptoms in glaucoma improved when taken at 3000mg- which I decided to try.

After little over 2 weeks, I went into urinary retention and had to have a catheter fitted. I hadn’t passed urine for 29hrs! Bladder very nearly burst.

I remember having a metally/salty taste in my mouth which lasted months.

I’ve spoken to the dr on the trial, and the manufacturer, no one has ever reported urinary retention.

As there was no evidence, I decided to try taking it again several months later, I took it again for 2 weeks, Whilst I didn’t go into retention, I had 6-8 weeks of nothing but straining to pass urine. It was absolutely awful.

[PBX142 in reply to Blindbeggar83]

Thanks for explaining....awful indeed! Although my ophtho at Moorfields recommended it because she said research looked promising, I read several articles in different publications that suggested that large amounts of B3 increased risks of varying cancers, including breast cancer, so I stopped using it. There is too little finite research about as regards benefits and shortfalls!

[warwickshire_singh]

nothing for Glaucoma but I take Cod Liver Oil for general health and extra Vitamin D during October to late March. been doing this for nearly 10 years and have noticed improvements in general health

[Ladyblue8]

I currently take daily preservation AReds 2 plus multi, ginkgo 60 mg, ginseng complex, quercetin complex, turmeric curcumin with bioperine 1300 mg, omega 3 fish oil, astaxanthin 12mg, French grape seed extract 300mg and eye pressure by fortifeye which contains a bilberry and pycnogenol extract. I try everything I can to keep my glaucoma at its current level. My ophthalmologist is very surprised that I have not had to have surgery at some point, only eyedrops. I also have acupuncture occasionally and walk a lot for circulation. Stay tuned, eye appointment tomorrow with the dreaded visual field.

[Bluella in reply to Ladyblue8]

Hi Ladyblue8 - thanks for sharing, I'd like to ask where you buy your bilberry and pycnogenol - do Fortifeye ship to UK? I used to take Life Extension eye pressure support off Amazon but stopped and just thinking if I should start taking it again. Thank you, Best regards

[Ladyblue8 in reply to Bluella]

Hi Bluella, I get my Fortifeye drop directly from yje company. I'm sure they ship everywhere.

[Bluella in reply to Ladyblue8]

Great, thank you!

[YoungontheOutside]

nothing specifically for glaucoma, but I do take Macushield, as my wet AMD/myopic CMV contributed to glaucoma in one eye.

[Soulshine3]

Methelene blue. Check it out YT, lots of videos. The basic cellular level mehanics involve reenergizing mitochondria so that can supply energy to Optic nerves. Preserving RNFL health is the key. Glaucoma is NOT a disease of high pressure, it is a disease of Optic nerve degeneration. IOP just happens to be the only variable mainstream allopathy can control. But for those with NTG, it is not entirely adequate (as well as for many regular POAG patients) so we need to look to enhance optic nerve health directly. Please research MB, much more than I can competently share in a limited space.