Can Eye Drops With Pirenoxine Be Used to Treat Cataract?
January 14, 2011
For over 60 years, cataract has been treated in China with eye drops containing the non-prescription drug pirenoxine.
Researchers recently tested the potential effectiveness of pirenoxine as a treatment for cataract by investigating whether and how pirenoxine interacts with selenite or calcium ions, which have been proven as factors leading to the formation of lens cataract.
As reported in the journal Inorganic Chemistry, researchers found that pirenoxine reduced the cloudiness of the lens solution containing calcium by 38 per cent and reduced the cloudiness of the selenite solution by 11 per cent.
Researchers concluded that the results may provide a rationale for using pirenoxine as an anti-cataract agent and advocated further biological studies.
Click here to read the full abstract.
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3 Responses to “Can Eye Drops With Pirenoxine Be Used to Treat Cataract?”
I read your article about pirenoxine.
Are You aware of any research on using it preop or intraop in order to facilititate the surgery, specialy the hard ones?
nothing can reverse advanced “brick-dense” cataract. i would advise cataract surgery by a world-class surgeon like mackool here in ny, or david chang. these very skilled surgeons can often tackle very difficult cases and can overcome many complications that would give ordinary surgeons trouble.
In column “Better Health” published January 26, 2011 in Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dr. Mitchell Hecht (Dr. H) refers to nonprescription treatment for mild cataracts in the form of an eye drop developed in China and used in China, Japan and nearly 40 other countries for nearly 60 years named pirenoxine (brand name Catalin). He says eye drop has many reports of happy customers but few actual patient studies. I am caregiver to my only kin, my 77-year-old older sister, a tiny woman with nanophthalmic eyes. Shortest axial length ever examined at Emory (15). Right eye with glaucoma/cataract was blinded in 2003 by one-half-minute laser surgery to remove ciliary tissue to reduce IOP so that cataract could be removed; ciliary tissue was removed, but cornea was ravaged resulting in blindness; however, both retinas work fine. Both eyes have brick-dense cataracts, and left eye also has glaucoma, though latest IOP reading was 20. She was warned that left eye surgery might cause blinding hemorrhage (common to nanophthalmic eyes). She is legally blind, can see large black-on-white print, is a published writer and misses writing/reading. Cataract affects her perception of colors and ability to recognize people and other objects. Do you think pirenoxine could help her in any way? If so, how can it be obtained in Atlanta, Georgia, USA? How much does it cost to try out? Do these drops affect heart? (They are not beta or calcium blockers, are they? Once she nearly died from Cosopt (timolol) which slowed heart, was then abruptly placed on Azopt, which nearly caused heart attack.) She currently takes Azopt 3 times daily and Lumigan once in evening. Kindly respond! Thank you for any info and your help!
