FAQs / Does Mirtogenol Really Work for Congenital Glaucoma?

QUESTION:

I have a 16 year old son who has congenital glaucoma and despite numerous surgeries, is blinded in both eyes.

His right eye has 2 shunts placed and perhaps due to the trauma of the surgeries, the retina is now detached. On top of that this eye has cataract and calcium deposit.

His left eye has 1 shunt inserted but despite being on maximum eyedrop and 2 diamox pills a day, his pressure still not ideal, IOP 25-36. The doctor has suggested to perform a trabeculectomy on this eye. My fear is that the retina will detach like what happen to his right eye.

Recently, another boy with glaucoma (his glaucoma was caused by eczema though) and has since been blinded too, started on taking Mirtogenol twice daily and his pressure went from 36-16. His father told me he is unsure if it was the Mirtogenol working or it was just some kind of divine intervention or that the IOP actually fluctuated.

I am very troubled and not sure what kind of treatment should my son undergo. From your experience, does Mirtogenol really work, for congenital glaucoma?

I would deeply appreciate if you could spend some of your precious time advising me.

Thank you very much.

******

ANSWER:

Dear ******,

I’m very sorry to hear about your son’s glaucoma. I can only imagine how much suffering you have both experienced from his condition and the multiple failed treatments. I wish that Mirtogenol could provide some much needed relief from this suffering. I do think it is a generally well-tolerated supplement with decent evidence of benefit in adults. However, as you most likely already know, congenital glaucoma is a more challenging disease than the glaucoma commonly seen in adults. There simply is no study of which I am aware that has looked at the use of supplements such as Mirtogenol with congenital glaucoma. Additionally, I have personally never seen a decrease in IOP by 50% in any of my patients taking any oral supplement. That being said, as there are few risks associated with taking Mirtogenol it may be worth considering.

Warm regards,
David Richardson, MD

Date: Mar 5, 2014

Posted in: Glaucoma