Journal
of a Diabetic (Continued)
Live and Learn
I began this new part of my journey when I went for
my yearly eye exam. I knew I needed a
new prescription for glasses. The ophthalmologist
also did a tomography of my eyes and told me he would call me in a day or two
to tell me what he found. This was weeks
ago and I have never talked directly to him for his initial diagnosis.
Instead, his office made me an appointment for a
retinal specialist. I called three times
to get details of what they saw and what the appointment at the specialists was
for. Oh, it is just a second opinion
they told me. Finally, I managed to talk
to the tech who takes the pictures. Again,
she consulted my doctor. She told me he
saw a slight swelling in my edema. OK –
that’s a start.
Each of the three people I spoke with were more
concerned about me keeping the appointment they made me. I heard bells going off. I told one of the girls that the time and
date were inconvenient with me and I would reschedule it myself. That would be so inconvenient for the
specialists! They are a busy busy office
and I was lucky to get in so early. The bells grew louder.
The tech I spoke to seemed a bit put out that I was
trying to get more information. I told
her I wanted to be informed before I saw the specialist. Did they just see swelling – or did they see
blood leakage or ischemia? I told her
that for all I knew, the doctor could have seen a retinal detachment. She said, no, just swelling but without a
formal diagnosis from my doctor, I didn’t exactly take her word. So I began to research.
DME:
Diabetic Macular Edema
I was aware that my triglycerides and A1C were up
and I was and still am working on bringing them back down. This, in and of itself, can cause changes in
vision. Diabetes is a disease of the
extremities – it will first attack the small blood vessels and
capillaries. Circulation and oxygen to
these areas is of prime concern.
When the macular is not receiving enough oxygenated
blood, the body will often grow new blood sources. These tangles (ischemia) are harmful to
vision. (the same process happens in the
brains of Alzheimer’s patients) Macular
degeneration begins when the cells are not getting the oxygen and nutrients
they need. Cells can also pull apart and allow blood leakage into the back of the eye.
My eye doctor's office told me to wait for a package from the retinal
specialist. I wrongly assumed that they
would send me more information on DME and procedures they use to improve
vision. Wrong. The packet contained 10 pages of
questionnaires about my insurance, my health, what medications and supplements
I took etc etc. They wanted to know all
about me – but I knew nothing about them.
Though I found no information on the Wichita retinal
specialists’ website, other retinal specialists provided more. Laser treatment can seal off blood leakage, but only
works for a minority of patients and may require 3-6 months of healing. Vision may or may not be improved.
The new treatments focus is on intravitreal injections
with anti-VEGF agents (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor). The general drug of choice was approved by
the FDA in 2010 for use in the USA. Lucentis (ranibizumag)
is manufactured by Genetech (owned by Roche).
The treatments must be done on a monthly basis and each treatment costs
around $2,000. Pharma makes millions of
dollars off this drug. Lucentis brought in $153 million is sales for just one quarter. By the way, doctors often receive kickbacks
(finders fees) for each patient referral they make to specialists.
Lucentis: Risks
From the website:
LUCENTIS is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye,
and it has side effects. Some LUCENTIS patients have had detached retinas and
serious infections inside the eye. You should not use LUCENTIS if you have an
infection in or around the eye or are allergic to LUCENTIS or any of its
ingredients.
Uncommonly, LUCENTIS patients have had serious,
sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or
strokes.
Some patients have had increased eye pressure before
and within 1 hour of an injection.
Serious side effects include inflammation inside the
eye and, rarely, problems related to the injection procedure, such as
cataracts. These side effects can make your vision worse.
The most common eye-related side effects are
increased redness in the white of the eye, eye pain, small specks in vision,
and increased eye pressure. The most common non-eye-related side effects are
nose and throat infections, headache, lung/airway infections, and nausea.
If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, or
painful, or if you have a change in vision, call or visit your eye doctor right
away.
Pro
Active Measures
I had read enough. I have no problem with medical
procedures that have overall success and positive outcomes. Monthly injections after sitting hours in a
busy doctor’s office? No thank you. Not only that, but at best, vision will be
improved for maybe 2 or 3 years. Surely,
there is a better solution.
I began to research. I first read about a preventative drug called
Aminoguonidine (pimagidine) that you take with B6. It never made it to market. A more natural approach is to get plenty of
saponins in your diet. They also inhibit
glycation.
Saponins
Saponins have hemolytic, expectorative,
anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating activity. Beyond that, saponins
demonstrate antimicrobial properties particularly against fungi and
additionally against bacteria and protozoa. Eating saponins may help lower your
cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Your immune function
benefits from these plant compounds as well. Your risk of developing certain
forms of cancer or getting tumors may even decrease from eating more saponins.
Saponins are found in a
number of foods and herbs including most vegetables, beans and herbs. Examples are peas, alfalfa, garlic, agave,
bacopa monierri, wild yam, fenugreek, ginseng, paprika, tribulus terrestris, yucca, quinoa, maca, wild jujube, yucca, green
tea and medical marijuana. We all need saponins
in our diet.
Glycation
Glycation is the culprit behind diabetic related
diseases. Glycation is the result of the bonding of a protein or lipid
molecule with a sugar molecule, such as fructose or glucose, without the
controlling action of an enzyme. This results in the formation of rogue
molecules known as advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs).
So I wondered, is there anything that can break down
glycation? I found a chemical called
ALT-711 – Thiazodium chloride – Alagebrium. Clinical trials were abandoned due to
lack of funding. It is available on the
net but it is a very harsh chemical that can cause more problems if not used
properly.
Next I searched for a natural source of this
chemical and I found the phenol, chebulic acid (found in Terminalia chebula). This article has a wealth of information and
I highly recommend anyone struggling with macular degeneration to read it.
Chebulic acid is a phenolic compound isolated from
the ripe fruits of Terminalia chebula.
Terminalia chebula is a tree grown in
India and Asia. In Ayruvedic medicine it is called Haritaki in the Hindi
language. Terminalia chebula extract is also found in the ayruvedic
formula called Triphala which means “Three Fruits”.
This article lists a number of natural supplements
that will inhibit glycation as well.
There are numerous references to scientific studies on this
supplement. I plan to try this supplement this along
with other herbs that strengthen the macula.
First on my list are more carotenoids.
Carotenoids
Definition: Any of a group of red, orange, or yellow
pigmented polyisoprenoid hydrocarbons synthesized by prokaryotes and higher plants
and concentrating in animal fat when eaten. There are more than 600 types of
carotenoids. The most common ones in the Western diet, and the most studied,
are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and
lycopene.
There are two broad classifications of carotenoids:
carotenes and xanthophylls. The difference between the two groups is chemical:
xanthophylls contain oxygen, while carotenes are hydrocarbons and do not
contain oxygen. Also, the two absorb different wavelengths of light during a
plant’s photosynthesis process, so xanthophylls are more yellow while carotenes
are orange.
Astaxanthins are 550 x stronger than vitamin E and
6,000 times stronger than Vitamin C. The
astaxanthins include lutein and zeazanthins.
Lutein is the yellow pigment found in marigolds and calendula. These yellow pigments are necessary for
macula health. Other herbs that are
beneficial to the eye are saffron, berberine, goldenseal and phellodendron. They are also found in dark green foods like
spinach and kale.
Choose Wisely
I have chosen to trust the Great Physician and my
gut feelings. When I was first told
about the appointment that was made for me at the retinal specialists, I did
not have a good feeling. I did not like
the way things were handled on my behalf nor did I like the fact that they gave
me no information about my own tomography.
The more I read and learned, the more I knew I was doing the right thing
by cancelling the appointment.
If there was a procedure that had overall good
results, I am not totally against conventional medicine. However, I do feel that patients should be
advised on preventative and holistic medicine and alternatives long before
invasive, costly and questionable procedures are presented. It has been my experience that patients are
often coerced into such scenarios by fear and manipulation. If at all possible, take your time before
being rushed into something that does not feel right.
There are so many healthy alternatives that can be
tailored to your specific needs. One
size does not fit all.
Basic Holistic Rx: Powerful oxidants for the eye, increase blood oxygenation (deep breathing, exercise, NAC, EDTA etc), take preventative supplements and a good eye supplement (lutein, zeazanthin, selenium, copper, ), L-carnitine, B12, milk thistle to protect the liver while ridding the body of the glycation and Vitamin E as alph-tocopherol to normalize blood flow to retina and kidneys. Keep LDL and cholesterol down and use a natural vaso-dilator if you can. Keep the veins, arteries and capillaries soft and supple. This will help your body detox from the breakdown of glycation.
Research
Basics
Research drugs and procedures that you are advised
to use. ALWAYS take the possible side
effects seriously. Who manufactures the
drug? How much money do they make on
this drug or procedure? Are there any
lawsuits regarding the drug or procedure?
Search for the chemical used by a drug manufacturer
and see if you can find a natural alternative
Do your research and read all you can
See
what foods contain sources of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants in
them. Eat healthy.
Use
the handy drop down list on the black bar at the top of the page
Check PubMed.gov for scientific studies done on the alternative
source of medicine. If the article is
extremely negative, see who funded the study.
(PS Web MD is owned by big pharma
– so avoid this website at all costs)
Further
Reading
What are Carotenoids?
Jessie Szalay. Live Science Contributor
