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Alternative teaching and melatonin

Question:

Please correct the URL in my message to: www.hhpub.com/catalogue/Martin.html (a dot, instead of slash before the html) An alert NG reader brought this to my attention. Sorry.

Response:

On 4 Sep 1998 15:56:17 GMT, mklefev…@aol.com (MKLeFevour) wrote: >I’ve tried melatonin for about a year with no affect on my pressure.  However, >I did enjoy the deepest sleep I’ve had in years and some fantastic dreams.

You like fantastic dreams?  I’d prefer some improved reality.  We could start with consideration of why a plane can’t be designed to crash land on water, assuming nothing has blown it up — without killing every last person on board. Ray

Response:

On 2 Sep 1998 01:42:40 GMT, halt…@aol.com (Halterb) wrote: >Two items. >I noticed a report on the national TV news Septemer 1 that half of U.S. medical >schools were now teaching alternative medicine, including nutritional, herbal >and other approaches. It’s about time.

Whatever makes a buck.  I guess they figure that, if th public is going to run to HMOs about such, and HMOs are going to go along with it as cheaper, they might as well be the ones doing it. . .as least until they can find some other dodge. >Then, there seems to be some interest developing in melatonin (supplement or >naturally produced within the body) as a substance to control pressures and >aqueous humor formation. See, for example, www.hhpub.com/catalogue/Martin/html

Ray

Response:

I’ve tried melatonin for about a year with no affect on my pressure.  However, I did enjoy the deepest sleep I’ve had in years and some fantastic dreams. Mary Kay

Response:

Two items. I noticed a report on the national TV news Septemer 1 that half of U.S. medical schools were now teaching alternative medicine, including nutritional, herbal and other approaches. It’s about time. Then, there seems to be some interest developing in melatonin (supplement or naturally produced within the body) as a substance to control pressures and aqueous humor formation. See, for example, www.hhpub.com/catalogue/Martin/html

Response:

     My ophthalmologist was concerned last week when my pressures were 16 and 17, perhaps because I have lost some visual field over the past 15-20 years.  He has me trying Cosopt and Xalatan, hoping to get the pressures down a few points. Don – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Halterb wrote: > I’m curious about Mel’s statement: > > I, too, have open angle glaucoma (use >Betagan and I’m currently at L/R > 18/16.< > When you say you have glaucoma, do you mean you have lost vision or have > evidence of damage in your eyes? And, I wonder what your pressure was without > the Betagan. Pressures of 18 and 16 would seem nothing to be concerned about. > (Not a professional response)

Response:

Don followed up on my interest in Mel’s post concerning pressures of 16 and 18, which appeared to me, without evidence of damage, were nothing to be concerned about: >My ophthalmologist was concerned last >week when my pressures were 16 and >17, perhaps because I have lost some visual >field over the past 15-20 years.<

That, and similar posts, emphasize some general questions that many of us think about. If a patient has lost vision at "normal" pressure levels, it would appear NTG was present (normal tension glaucoma) and that vision was lost because of factors other than pressure. Evidently the thinking is that bringing pressure below normal would create an environment less likely to result in further loss; but do we know that lowering pressure in NTG actually does reduce future damage, or should we be acting in other directions? Then, one wonders if a person with no damage at 16 to 18 pressure should be concerned as well, since it might not be known that the "unknown" conditions resulting in NTG may be lurking in the background. Finally, this raises the question as to what really is the normal pressure, and if in the final analysis, pressure has much to do with eye health anyway (other than extremely high readings which are obvious dangers). (Not a professional message)

Response:

Mary Kay wrote: >I’ve tried melatonin for about a year with no affect on my pressure.<

The patented therapy specifies the amount of melatonin required for lowering pressure–I haven’t read the patent, but perhaps the amount (and maybe some other element) is the key.

Response:

        I used Melatonin quite regularly about a year ago, then stopped. I had been having dreams so real, long-lasting, detailed and convoluted that it was beginning to disturb me.         Now, I have to use them again (My older lady dog is getting sick, and wants out at 1:30am, then in at 2:30am, then whines for me to help her up on a sofa at 3:30am, then wants to be helped down at 5:00am (times are approximate). The only way I can accommodate this is to take a melatonin just before going to bed. Then I can immediately service her needs, and still get immediately back to sleep after helping her.  However, the dreams are back, and in full flower !!!!         BTW, I, too, have open angle glaucoma (use Betagan and I’m currently at L/R 18/16.  I don’t know whether melatonin is affecting me or not.  Will ask my Optho at next exam (late October) -Mel

Response:

On 8 Sep 1998 10:22:22 GMT, halt…@aol.com (Halterb) wrote: ………. >If a patient has lost vision at "normal" pressure levels, it would appear NTG >was present (normal tension glaucoma)

In my book, that’s known as a ‘tautology’. >and that vision was lost because of >factors other than pressure. Evidently the thinking is that bringing pressure >below normal would create an environment less likely to result in further loss; >but do we know that lowering pressure in NTG actually does reduce future >damage, or should we be acting in other directions? >Then, one wonders if a person with no damage at 16 to 18 pressure should be >concerned as well, since it might not be known that the "unknown" conditions >resulting in NTG may be lurking in the background.

Hey, that’s cause for a new medical specialty — incognitiatry (?)! The professional who (for an unknown reason) simply *knows* when an unknown condition exists and when it doesn’t.  And technologists are lined up at his door selling him competing types of ‘incognitectors’. ;-) >Finally, this raises the question as to what really is the normal pressure, and >if in the final analysis, pressure has much to do with eye health anyway (other >than extremely high readings which are obvious dangers).

Sales pressure certainly has a *lot* to do with eye (and pocketbook) health. Ray (who’s designing an ‘iatromercantonometer’ and who certainly doesn’t need the below caveat  ;-)  ) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->(Not a professional message)

Response:

I’m curious about Mel’s statement: > I, too, have open angle glaucoma (use >Betagan and I’m currently at L/R

18/16.< When you say you have glaucoma, do you mean you have lost vision or have evidence of damage in your eyes? And, I wonder what your pressure was without the Betagan. Pressures of 18 and 16 would seem nothing to be concerned about. (Not a professional response)

Response:

Following up on the melatonin section of my post. A US patent has been issued on the topic, "Method of lowering IOP using melatonin", number 4,654,361 Samples, et. al. March 31, 1987, Oregon Health Sciences University. Also there are melatonin references in Chem. Abst., 102:933f (1985), 104:29256q(1986) and 104:82662v(1986). I notice one of the participants in last nights Wills glaucoma chat is using melatonin. (Not a professional submission)

Response:

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