DMSO and cataract lens implants (long)

[Guest guest]

I thought I would post what I have been able to find out, which is very

little, but here it is:

DMSO does dissolve/damage Acrylic plastics.

I was unable to contact Alcon to find out exactly which type of acrylic

they use in the Acrysof IOLs and/or toric IOLs. (they require an account

number which I do not have, but I doubt they would have given me any

proprietary info anyway).

I emailed Lab, and Jeff sent me some info, which at the end, very

briefly said plastic implants should be ok, but the info did NOT specify

what type of implant (no mention of replacement lens implants at all)

where such an implant might be located in the body, and what/where

and/or exactly what concentration of DMSO might be applied to the body

that might be expected to be safe. So though in my mind, Lab would

be the place where someone might have experimented with trying to

dissolve various types of IOLs, apparently they have not pursued that,

and apparently they have also not attempted to gather or record any

reports of anyone using topical or oral DMSO who has IOL implants who

has experienced any problems or deterioration of their lens implants as

a result. (Perhaps I expect too much that if they were pursuing any

interest at all it might have been mentioned to me). While I know they

cannot pursue every avenue of DMSO/MSM research cataract surgery is now

so common, it seems like there would be some interest.

I guess I'm just irritable because I got no more help there, Jeff gave

me the standard CYA suggestion that I ask my " health care provider "

which apparently would be the eye surgeon, but I might as well ask the

squirrels who frequent my backyard feeders, given the general lack of

knowledge as well as probable fear about DMSO and MSM that most doctors

and surgeons have. And it would get me branded as even more of an

" alternative nutcase " than my blue/grey fingernail moons already have done.

Given how useful DMSO and MSM have been to me, despite the terrific

improvement in my vision, from having had the surgery, I'm not sure that

I made the right decision for the long term, if having the IOLs means

giving up these incredibly useful substances or risking ruining the

IOLs. My understanding is that repeating a cataract surgery can be

extremely risky.

FWIW, for anyone else out there facing or contemplating cataract

surgery, I do wonder if SILICONE replacement IOLs would have posed the

same issue with DMSO that acrylic IOLs do.

sol