Low cholesterol diet and Prenisone pack effectively cured my two-year-old blepharitis

Eye care
1

Hello, this is my first post to this site. I wanted to share my experience, because after two years of blepharitis symptoms and four different eye doctors who, while clearly sympathetic, were not able to help, my blepharitis symptoms finally resolved over a period of roughly three months through a combination of a low cholesterol diet and a 12 day course of prednisone (for a lower back injury...thank goodness I hurt my back! Never would have known...).

Please note that I am not sure precisely which of these two components, the change in diet or the predisone, helped the most in resolving my blepharitis (likely synergistic); I only know that upon changing my diet to a significantly lower cholesterol diet, my blepharitis began to gradually improve, and that after taking a 12 day prednisone pack (for an unrelated lower back injury), that the blepharitis left for good almost immediately (although barely sleeping for 2 weeks wasn't fun...) and hasn't been back (I finished that predinsone pack about 4 months ago, so I've been entirely blepharitis free for the past 4 months...after 2 years of wondering what caused it and whether or not I'd ever get rid of it, it feels so good smile

Please note also that not one eye doctor recommended this strategy (including three from Duke Eye Center), despite my repeated inquiries into the potential mechanisms involved in blepharitis, etc. (I am not a medical doctor, but I hold a PhD in biomedical engineering with significant post-doctoral experience in tissue engineering (including nearly three years as an assistant prof...so I have a solid understanding of how to approach biomedical problems systematically).

By the time that I changed my diet (a New Year's resolution that I started Jan. 1st, 2014) I had seen four different eye doctors for my symptoms (please note that I do not wear contacts or glasses and never saw an eye doctor before my blepharitis symptoms began).  Their suggestions progressively escalated from the standard "first line of defense"--baby shampoo (give me a break...)--to antibiotic, and then steroid, eye drops, and finally to a choice between sticking a heated cup of sorts beneath my eyelid to melt the congealed waxes comprising my chalazion to some laser therapy... In any event, I'm glad I changed my diet (because I knew I had high cholesterol (approaching 300 total) for quite some time). In turns out that there are (a few) studies in which a connection between high cholesterol and blepharitis have been established: please see, for example, the following review article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2071340

Interestingly, the high cholesterol component has been linked not only to blockage of the meibomian glands, but also to promoting the growth of bacteria such as Staph aureus; thus, the high cholesterol hypothesis appears to be consistent with both the physical blockage mechanism, the bacterial component, as well as the inflammatory component associated with the two. That's where I believe the predisone did it's work, by breaking the cycle of inflammation, which I'd already began to chip away at through reducing my cholesterol intake.

So, there you go, my suggestion is to find a doctor sufficiently open-minded to prescribe a 12-day course of prednisone (be careful with this stuff, it causes insomnia and potential for mood fluctuations--read everything about it before taking it). Also, my suggestion is to begin the whole process by reducing your cholesterol intake.  I am so hopeful that this information may be helpful to you, because I feel so fortunate that I seem to have finally figured it out for myself and I hope it works for you, too.

If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer (again, please note that I'm not a medical doctor, simply sharing my personal experience).

Take care and best wishes,

George

2

Dear George,

A friend killed her Blepharitis with a facial scrub with Benzethonium Chloride in it. They reformulated so I ended up using WET ONES, antibacterial hand wipes with Benzethonium Chloride in them and killed mine off too. They were wiped on the eyelash area not in the eye.

After killing it, a few were allergic to the lanolin and the Quats themselves so started to research why.

I found this info and also the antibiotic I think will kill it too.

Please let me know what you think. I am interested because of your science background.

Here it is:

 Staphylococcal blepharitis thought to be caused by a bacterium (germ) called staphylococcus.

Benzethonium Chloride (US) and Benzalkonium Chloride (UK) are Quats. These are the ingredients that are in the antibacterial hand wipes that kill Blepharitis.

Quats are effective in destroying a broad spectrum of harmful microorganisms. One is staphylococcus.

Quat-based disinfectants carry a positive charge. Bacteria, viruses and fungi carry a negative charge.

This results in the disruption of the bacteria cell wall and eventual death to the microbe.

However, even in the case of these relatively easy to kill pathogens quats often require a contact time upwards of 10 minutes to do so.

{I did not rinse the eyelashes after applying the antibacterial hand wipes.}

Bacteriostatic antibiotics

Bacteriostatic antibiotics limit the growth of bacteria by interfering with bacterial protein production, DNA replication, or other aspects of bacterial cellular metabolism. They must work together with the immune system to remove the microorganisms from the body. However, there is not always a precise distinction between them and bactericidal antibiotics; high concentrations of some bacteriostatic agents are also bactericidal, whereas low concentrations of some bacteriocidal agents are bacteriostatic.

Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum semisynthetic tetracycline.1 Doxycycline is bacteriostatic, inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis due to disruption of transfer RNA and messenger RNA at ribosomal sites.

Both of these (Doxycycline and the antibacterial hand wipes) work by disruption of the cell on contact. This is an article showing the dental application of Doxycycline. A topical application.

 

Dental Information

Please note: Anaerobic includes staphylococcus species

 

1In vitro testing has shown that Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Campylobacter rectus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum, which are associated with periodontal disease, are susceptible to doxycycline at concentrations ≤ 6.0 µg/mL.2 A single-center, single-blind, randomized, clinical study in 45 subjects with periodontal disease demonstrated that a single treatment with ATRIDOX® resulted in the reduction in the numbers of P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, C. rectus, F. nucleatum, Bacteroides forsythus, and E. corrodens in subgingival plaque samples. Levels of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were also reduced after treatment with ATRIDOX®. The clinical significance of these findings, however, is not known. During these studies, no overgrowth of opportunistic organisms such as Gram-negative bacilli and yeast were observed. However, as with other antibiotic preparations, ATRIDOX® therapy may result in the overgrowth of nonsusceptible organisms including fungi. (See PRECAUTIONS)

Pharmacokinetics

In a clinical pharmacokinetic study, subjects were randomized to receive either ATRIDOX® covered with Coe-Pak™ periodontal dressing (n=13), ATRIDOX® covered with Octyldent™ periodontal adhesive (n=13), or oral doxycycline (n=5) (according to package dosing instructions). The doxycycline release characteristics in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva, and serum were evaluated.

Doxycycline levels in GCF peaked (~1,500 µg/mL and ~2000 µg/mL for Coe-Pak™ and Octyldent™ groups, respectively) 2 hours following treatment with ATRIDOX®. These levels remained above 1000 µg/mL through 18 hours, at which time the levels began to decline gradually. However, local levels of doxycycline remained well above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) for periodontal pathogens (≤ 6.0 µg/mL)2 through Day 7. In contrast, subjects receiving oral doxycycline had peak GCF levels of ~2.5 µg/mL at 12 hours following the initial oral dosing with levels declining to ~0.2 µg/mL by Day 7. High variability was observed for doxycycline levels in GCF for both oral and ATRIDOX® treatment groups.

 

What I got from this is that Doxycycline applied topically reduced the anaerobic bacteria (Staphylococcus Species) just like the wipes did. It took several months but the wipes did kill the Staphylococcus. Antibiotics may take less time judging from the dental application of Doxycycline.

For those who cannot use the wipes, this may be something to look into. A chemist or Dr. would be the one to tell you the right amount for the eye.

These wipes did not go into the eye. This antibiotic would not go into the eye. Just put on the eyelashes to kill the Staphylococcus.

There may even be other antibiotics that are safe to put on the eyelashes that would kill Staphylococcus. A Dr. or chemist needs to be consulted.

 If this makes sense to you please let me know if you see what I see.

Lynda79

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Dear George  

I was told I had high cholesterol after a routine fitness check about 5 years ago and reading your article I realise that the awful blephariits I currently suffer from also started aout that time.  I go 6-monthly to my local eye clinic but the only advice I have every had has been the usual hot pads and cleaning routine plus eye drops.  Your experience has really made me hopeful that this might be some clue towardys a cure.

Frankly, I have never taken the cholesterol warning very seriously as I am not overweight and thought I had a blanced diet.  the doctor just advised me to eat a Benecol yoghurt every day.  Do you have any hints for the diet.  I don't eat many fatty foods and don't own a frying pan.

I will go back to my doctor and discuss prednisone.

Thanks for info.

Rosie

4

Dear Rosie,

I'm sincerely hopeful that the info helps smile  Regarding the diet, during the weekdays I eat Fage 0% yogurt, a palm-full of walnuts, and a pack of Nature's Path hemp plus oatmeal for breakfast, usually a pre-packaged low calorie salad for lunch (and maybe a clementine or two, and/or some 0% cottage cheese), and lately have been eating a veggie burger (or two) (microwaved 1min) on low calorie bread (45 cal per slice...I think it's Sara Lee brand) with a big slice of tomato and also either a package of steam-in-the-bag brussels sprouts (microwaved 4min) or a bowl of kale and mushrooms (microwaved 1.5min). I'm all about easy, so while my normal nightly menu is pretty borning, it's really convenient smile I usually have a couple glasses of wine every night (probably should cut back, but it helps me relax and write). If I get hungry for a late night snack, I've been trying to stick with low calorie popcorn (Smart Pop from Orville Reddenbacher (sp?) is only 30 calories per popped bag!  I hope this helps (and I hope you're doctor will be open to the prednisone idea. Just bear in mind that the prednisone will likely interrupt your sleep for the first week, but otherwise it wasn't so bad (definitely affects mood, so just need to relax while taking it).  Take care and best, George