Posted by Phil D (209.253.224.161) on July 16, 1999 at 20:49:46:
In Reply to: "Relaxica"--snake oil or legit? posted by J. Randall Nichols on July 15, 1999 at 13:07:25:
Hi gang,
I'm the guy who had the detached retina and believe that it may have, in some part, been the result of or exacerbated by the use of vibration.
Believe me, it is not worth it. I had two vitrectomys after the cryogenic probe behind the eye didn't do the trick. A vitrectomy (in my non-doctor-like opinion) is a little procedure where they make a couple of slits in your eyeball and through one opening, they remove the vitreous fluid that fills your eyeball. It has to be carefully separated from your retina. Through the other slit they pump in an inert gas to keep your eyeball inflated. Then they attempt to correct or reattach your retina. Then the openings are sticthed closed and you are sent home for a few weeks of keeping your head facing the ground, all day, all night. NO reading. After a few days of this, (and some pretty decent headaches, although not as bad as a cluster) the damn retina detached again. At this point your eye looks like your were the looser in a axe fight. Back to the surgery room. Another couple of cuts into the eyeball and another victrectomy. This time they needed to put a strap around the outside of the eyeball, inside my head. It's called a scleral buckle. It provides some resistance from the outside of the eyeball to allow the retina to be pushed against (or something like that). Back home and head facing the ground again for a couple of weeks while your eye fills with fluid.
Headaches, major discomfort and all the while wondering if it would detach again; wondering if you will be blind in that eye.
Ok, I've gone on enough but believe me, I've had clusters for 33 years and I do not recommend doing anything to relieve your headached that would endanger your eyesite.
Soapbox is now put away.
Phil D