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This is the place where forum members can chat about anything they want - sport, hobbies etc. Anything except Keratoconus issues.

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michaell
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Postby michaell » Fri 20 Oct 2006 3:31 pm

I am not particularly determined to find a non-surgical cure, but I know that after a year or so following the kind of dietary strictures I have been and incidentally not wearing contacts, i have noticed an improvement in the quality of my eyesight, confirmed through the new prescription i recently obtained. Therefore, in my opinion, there is a lot more to this whole issue than anyone suggests or is willing to publicly accept. My experience ties in with the Dresden study that increased visual acuity and regression of KC can be achieved whether you do it by way of collagen cross linking or other means, which means that there are viable alternatives to surgical action. The only question is determining those alternatives according to scientifically credible means.

More to the point, however, it is an accepted fact that surgery is not a total answer to KC in all cases because there is always a chance of relapse, not to mention the need in many cases to wear RGPs in any event post-surgery - at least that has been postulated in my case. And on a personal basis, I am lucky to be in a position where I do not have a choice between surgery and nothing else. More to the point, surgery de facto does not get to the root of what actually caused the problem in the first place. In the same way that the removal of a tumour does not mean that the conditions for a new tumour have not been removed. Both the conditions, which led to the tumour, as well as the tumour, need to be tackled.

On this basis I come to the following argument. I thoroughly believe that there is something more latent in our bodies, which causes KC and this latent agent, X or agents, XY, is usually not just causing KC but other things too. The cornea is pure and simple connective tissue. And connective tissue is all over our bodies. If X or XY can cause KC, then my reasoning is that it is often influencing something else in our bodies too, more likely than not, other forms of connective tissue or evidencing itself in some other way. Collagen is after all a building block for the human body as well as being a major ingredient of the cornea.

More to the point, just because an ophthalmologist diagnoses KC but finds nothing else, that does not mean that there is no other adverse issue gradually affecting the quality of your eyesight in the first place. If there is no other point worth raising in the background, then no questions are usually raised. However, in my view this is a fallacy.

As i am sure, you are aware, there are a plenty of physiological and optical factors, which influence the quality of your eyesight. More to the point, the cornea is itself merely one layer in the apparatus which controls how you see things and as you are probably aware: the cornea, the acqueous, lens, pupil, vitreous, retina, and lacrimal apparatus to name but the essentials all play indispensable parts.
These are all connected.
For example, the acqueous supplies amino acids to the lens; it also supplies glucose to the corneal endothelium and stroma; maintains intraocular pressure; and is a transparent conducting medium and thereby responsible for focusing light on the retina.
On the reverse side, for example, lactic acid is slowly pumped by the endothelium and stroma into the acqueous otherwise you develop corneal oedema.

But this whole mechanism whereby one part feeds another and gets fed with something else in return or else one part is assisted in its function by another part depends on mineral, protein and other stocks such as glucose, ascorbic acid (for example, postulated to act as an antioxidant and moreover absorber of UV light in the acqueous) being at their highest so that the needs of the mechanism are met.

For example, the epithelium's role in acqueous production is undisputed. What has, however, been unclear up to now, is to what degree the so-called pigmented part played in this process; since it was thought that the non-pigmented epithelium was more equipped due to its greater mitochondria levels. Nonetheless, whilst the non-pigmented epithelium exhibits more intense Sodium Potassium ATPase activity, the pigmented epithelial cells contain numerous sodium dependent cotransporters and exchangers and carbonic anhydrase activity.

The point of this example is to demonstrate the utility of sodium and potassium in particular and ascorbate, even if the precise interactions between the various epithelial cells is as yet not fully understood. But sodium and potassium aren’t just important in the functioning of the acqueous; but in the biochemistry of the lens, vitreous, not to mention the cornea too.

The underlying argument I am trying to raise is that there is a common supply chain underneath all these organic functions and it is this, which I am trying to investigate and which i am convinced hold the answers to how KC can be cured if one can call it that. I am not talking about a miracle cure but something whereby the body can naturally repairs itself over say 4 or 5 years; given that the usual collagen turnover cycle is 2-3 years in the human cornea.

That i my line of enquiry is a correct one is, i think, corroborated by the usage of such a fundamental element as riboflavin in the latest pioneering Collagen cross linking work which is being currently undertaken.

(I also raise the above point in response to Jay's point about having raised the issue of free radicals on the cell mitochondria incidentally.)
I reckon there is a permanent non-surgical cure to keratoconus and I mean to find it!

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Steven Williams
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Postby Steven Williams » Fri 20 Oct 2006 4:38 pm

Alison states:-

out of curiosity why are you so determined to find a non surgical cure?


Fabulous positive response Michaell if you feel going down the research route you are pursuing will come up with a solution then good luck mate.

Prevention is always better than cure in my eyes!!!! :lol:

Whats important is your actively pursuing and researching a solution. Whether its surgical or non surgical is IMO irrelevant.

If anything produces an improvement then if that information is shared on here the KC community here will be able to benefit from that and I am sure Alison will thank you for that.

Go for it Michaell, keep us informed, my intuition tells me its an avenue worth pursuing!

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Andrew MacLean
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Postby Andrew MacLean » Sat 21 Oct 2006 5:03 pm

Michaell

More power to you! A non-surgical cure come too late for some of us, but it is a goal well worth striving for.

Welcome to the forum. I look forward to reading more and more of your posts.

Andrew

ps there is, of course, no surgical cure for KC, so any cure will be a first!
Andrew MacLean

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Ann
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Postby Ann » Mon 23 Oct 2006 8:07 pm

Hi Michael, I joined the group yesterday after being diagnosed last Thursday. The thought of anyone going near my eyes with a sharp knife gives me nightmares so anything that can prevent this being necessary would be fantastic!
There was mention of KC being more common in Asian communities - has there ever been any suggestions why that might be? With this talk about acidifying guts I wondered whether there'd been any thoughts on it being diet related, as I thought highly spicy and hot foods could cause that (but I could be making that up); I'm addicted to chillis and spicy foods myself.
Also, what about excessive alcohol consumption. Obviously bad in any case but could it's adverse effects on kidney and liver function result in the sort of imbalances that may affect the cornea? I have been drinking too much due to stress for a couple of years and first started noticing changes in my left eye about a year ago.
Think I'm going to add selenium and green tea to my shopping list and go on a de-tox!
Look forward to hearing more and well done on your stirling effort - good luck.
Ann

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Andrew MacLean
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Postby Andrew MacLean » Tue 24 Oct 2006 6:16 am

Ann

Good to see you.

I did read somewhere that KC is associated with (it did not say caused by) a Magnesium deficiency.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract

Thinking about my own died I reckon I have a relatively Mg rich intake of food. The problem is that there is no one-on-one cause and effect relationship between Keratoconus and anything. Neither, I am afraid is there any cure, although lots of good people are working hard to find one!

All the best

Andrew
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Alison Fisher
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Postby Alison Fisher » Tue 24 Oct 2006 7:28 pm

Very interesting answer michaell. Thank you. :D I asked as I took it from your sig that you were anti surgery for some reason and as I'm someone who is exceptionally happy with her grafts I wondered why.

With how the management of KC has changed since I was diagnosed twenty odd years ago I wonder where we'll be with it in twenty years time.
grafts in 1992 and 1996

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Fth
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Chronic Mercury Poisoning

Postby Fth » Sat 24 Feb 2007 8:30 pm

Hello,
I used to play with mercury when I was a child. I have allergic body and right after one week of a flu vaccine asthma syndromes started when I was 22. At 28 I had 8 amalgam fillings. Within 6 months I started to suffer from headaches and eye disturbances. I was a fighter pilot. My vision started to chance very rapidly on my left eye. Two years after amalgam fillings, keratoconus developed on my left eye. Generally this disease stops after sb is 30 years old, but in my case it started after 30 and was mild level at 33 which costed me my fighter pilot certificate.

I have found several studies pointing the relations between allergy and mercury poisoning. For me now it makes a lot of sense. I don't have a lot of time but I am posting this message as a quick heads up. I am planning to remove my amalgams and detox from heavy metals with an Herbal detox programme. f I can I am planning to explain everything in detail later on. Anyone interested in this should search for collagen tissue and mercury interactions. You will come across stories with patiences having eye problems due to mercury toxification and studies pointing possible relations with eye problems. Moreover mercury destroys the zinc and other elements in the body which are utilised by throid system (whic is somewhat accounted for keratoconus). I believe there is a very strong connection between heavy metal poisoning (especially mercury) and keratoconus.

My objective is stopping the progress at the source.

I wish you all the best.
Last edited by Fth on Sun 25 Feb 2007 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Andrew MacLean
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Postby Andrew MacLean » Sat 24 Feb 2007 8:57 pm

Fatih

Welcome to the forum. I am not sure that I fully understand your post. Are you going to hve a dentist remove your Amalgam fillings?

I follow the logic if you move from a theory that free mercury has an impact on eyesight to wantime to remove mercury compoinds from your body.

Would you advocate the removal of mercury rich, or potentially mercury rich food, from the diet?

All the best

Andrew
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Fth
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Postby Fth » Sat 24 Feb 2007 9:56 pm

Dear Andrew,

8 months ago I spend 7 days in front of my computer after reading some information about magnesium deficiency and keratoconus. I have seen a lot of symptoms of magnesium deficiency in myself. I decided to take magnesium and some other supplements (Vitamin B6, B complex, Coenzyme q-10, Selenium, Billbery extract) that helps magnesium to be absorbed by cells and good for the eye. It was a real brake for me I become emotionally stable. I was relieved from allergy and asthma attacks for around 3 months. I thought I had the magnesium deficiency because of bottled water and inorganic food. Meanwhile I moved to Germany and found a good carbonated mineral water (soda) which was magnesium and calcium rich. And I drunk 2 liter per day for 1 week. Expecting better conditions, My immune system collapsed, my asthma become severe and I had to use medications after 5 months brake.

Meanwhile I was looking for the cause of keratoconus and I read this topic 3 weeks ago. In the first page somebody mentioned amalgam fillings. I realized I had amalgam fillings. Then I started to search about amalgam fillings. Then realized amalgam fillings are mercury based fillings and release mercury continuously. The amount of mercury we get from 8 or more amalgam fillings is above FDA hazard limit.

One thing mercury does in our system is magnesium depletion.

What does drinking soda have anything to do with this? The amount you get mercury from filling increases up to 10 times more with acidic foods like citrus and soda drinks.

Chronic mercury poisoning is a reality and caused from vaccines, environmental pollution, amalgam fillings, and the amalgam fillings your mother had when she was pregnant with you and when she breastfed you...

I am sorry for my language ability. I hope I could make myself clear now.

I spent a lot of time in front of the computer for this conclusion but I believe it worth it. I don’t trust those symptom oriented doctors and I am trying to find the cause... Godspeed...

Here is a link you can start with:
http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C586629.html
Sincerely.

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Postby Fth » Sat 24 Feb 2007 10:05 pm

By the way, I advocate safe removal of mercury fillings if you have any and a detoxification from heavy metals regardless of if you have any amalgam fillings or not.

One can be curious about not having the necessary tests for revealing defficiencies and toxin levels but tests are as much expensive as removal and detox process, so the real test will be the result.


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