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Our Members Asked:
Do any supplements help prevent or reduce eye floaters?
Answer:
A variety of supplements have been promoted for preventing or reducing eye floaters including vitamin C and lutein, ginkgo, milk thistle, collagen, hyaluronic acid, digestive enzymes (as well as pineapple, which contains these enzymes) and flaxseed oil, as well as products such as VitreousHealth. Find out if any of these have been shown to be helpful in clinical trials. See the full answer >>
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Janann10344
September 07, 2022Took over a year but I take 40mg of lutein with zeaxanthin and my floaters are gone.
Deborah10346
September 08, 2022Is there a brand name for this?
richard10349
September 08, 2022i take lutein, and have for years. but sadly no reduction in floaters for me.
Zee
September 10, 2022Yes. Me too. It took me about 6 months with Dr.M’ Eye Support. All my floaters are gone and I had them for years. However, I still have morning dry eyes. ??
DL4115
September 11, 2022I take 20 mg of Lutein with zeaxanthin 3 times a week. I get the same result.
Donna10352
September 11, 2022I'm a believer in this combination for improved eye health. My husband used to have dry eyes and wore glasses with a minimal prescription. He no longer wears the glasses and no longer has dry eyes. I used to have a bothersome floater and it is gone!
GeezerGeek
September 11, 2022I've always taken a large number of supplements. I added lutein (20mg/day) about two months ago. I hadn't really been paying much attention, but over the last several days, I can clearly see that my floaters are almost completely gone. I think zeaxanthin is included in one of my other supplements.
Brian10348
September 12, 2022I have been taking 30 mg of lutein along with 8 mg of Zeaxanthin, Meso-zeaxanthin & trans-zeaxanthin, and 6 mg of Astaxanthin (from algae) for at least 3 years. I still have lots of floaters, though it is difficult to tell if they have been reduced.
Donna10353
September 25, 2022Costco carries Vision Complex Lutein and Zeaxanthin, 30 mg lutein and 5 mg zeaxanthin isomers. Worked for me.
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Richard10340
September 07, 2022I have found that rapid eye moments- forcefully moving your pupil quickly from side to side, can sweep the floaters away from where they interfere with central vision.
Francine10342
September 07, 2022Thank you! Just tried this and it worked for me.
Robert10343
September 11, 2022Yes, I think that's worked for me a few times, good to hear it's working for others!
James10341
September 14, 2022Hey it does work - temporarily
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Deborah10335
December 05, 2021I have been taking flaxseed oil for years. I have not noticed it having any effect on eye floaters. No other supplement I have taken has had any effect either. Neither has my really good diet of chicken, seafood, veggies, and fruits. Neither have the super enzymes I've been taking that contain bromelain and papain.
richard10337
September 08, 2022i have been taking Areds 2 for floaters. I can not really say it has helped any. anyone else try those and have good results?
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richard10332
June 20, 2021As soon as I learned to swim, My floating diminished!
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Patricia10331
March 01, 2020When we decide to go with a mainly whole food, and plant based diet, one of the unexpected benefits was an end to floaters.
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Cindy10329
November 13, 2019I along with 5 of my friends have taken Bluebonnet's Eye Antioxidant formula for several years. It has elminated floaters for each of us. If we run out we get them back. I know does not meet the qualifications of a scientific study but it really works. Mostly we only take 1 capsule a day rather than the 2 recommended.
Researcher
August 24, 2020This is 2020, are you still finding the same results with this product? Thanks for responding
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Mrs. B.10320
November 30, 2018I have been using a product called Vitalzym by World Nutrition to assist with scar tissue problems. Since I've been on it, all floaters disappeared and have not returned. I am on a permanent routine of two soft gels a day. Update August 2019: I now use one capsule per day of VitalzymXe, taken on an empty stomach (usually when I get up during the night), I continue to feel no tension in my surgery areas and have no floaters.
Ken10321
March 10, 2019Which of the Vitalzym products are you using?
Johan10322
July 07, 2019Can you give an update on your experience using this product on scar tissue and eye floaters?
Mrs. B.10324
June 20, 2021Mrs. B, 6-20-21
Still taking the VitalzymXe, 1 cap per day. Still rare to even see a floater, but on occasion one or two will appear. Gone within 2 days.
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Diane10318
August 12, 2018I have been getting a series of 3 MiBoFlo flow (heat) treatments for dry eye in the winter for the past 3 years and also use a Bruder mask (moist heat) over my eyes daily. I have had floaters for many years but they have gotten more persistent and bothersome over the past few months. I wonder whether these heat treatments applied over the eyes for dry eye could be contributing to worsened floaters. Is there any evidence of this and have others experienced this?
Susan19699
June 13, 2024I started with ice immediately after eye lid surgery, then about 2 weeks later started alternating ice and heat. I switched to all heat and got the Bruder mask. Now about a week later I have my first ever floater - started with a lot of bright flashing in about four hours the floater appeared. Thank you for posting your report. Did you stop the heat? Did it help the floaters?
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Peggy10315
August 04, 2018Two subjects do not a study make, but both myself and a neighbor have recently had cataract surgery and our floaters disappeared after that. Who knows why.
Joe10316
September 22, 2021I got permanent floaters after my cataract surgery. :-( But my vision improvement is so wonderful the floaters are relatively minor issue. :-) Shifting my eyes back and forth temporarily remove them from my field of vision.
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ruth10313
August 04, 2018Based on my personal experience, hydrolyzed collagen has eliminated my floaters and my dry eye problem.
iain10314
April 09, 2021I have treid hydrolyzed collagen for 6-months now (YouTheory brand, one 1000mg pill/day ) i see no change in the number of floaters.
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Gail10311
August 01, 2018Curious if any supplements cause an increase in floaters??
ConsumerLab.com
August 08, 2018Hi Gail - We aren't aware of any studies or reports of supplements causing eye floaters.
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patrick10308
August 01, 2018the procedure was pioneered by a Dr. at the eye institute in Birmingham Al., University of Alabama. The procedure was done in about 10-15 minutes using Versed - so not totally under - kind of dream like. No pain whatsoever. Patch off the next day and drops for a week I think. It's been about 12 years ago. I am still floater free. They were so bad I had lost ability to focus on reading...not good as I am investment advisor.
Hope that helps
Richard10309
August 01, 2018Patrick, is vitrectomy the surgery you are referring to?
In addition, there is a painless procedure using a specially-modified YAG laser to break up and in some cases completely vaporize floaters. A small number of ophthalmologists nationwide specialize in this quick, painless procedure, with the number growing somewhat lately. I had it done in 2001 to great success. Then again in 2016 by a different doctor, for a different floater. While the floater I wanted him to treat went away completely, more-bothersome new ones appeared, probably because he (indefensibly, in my mind) also lasered the safely-reachable partions of a large amorphous floater behind the lens that I wasn't even aware of (i.e., wasn't creating symptoms)! So now I am considering getting a floater-only vitrectomy in that eye.
Keith10310
June 30, 2023Do you have a name of the doctor or the name of the procedure?
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patrick10305
August 01, 2018There is a simple surgical procedure that totally eliminates floaters. I have had it. 100% effective. Took about 10 min and one day with patch.
ConsumerLab.com
August 01, 2018Hi Patrick - Thank you for sharing your experience with the surgery. We've added some information about that to the Answer.
DEANE10307
August 01, 2018Please tell us a bit more about the procedure.....how long did it take and were you "put under"?
I've had floaters since I was a teenager and am now in my 70s and I'm sick of them!
Thanks.
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Carol10304
August 01, 2018There are no studies, you say, to support this, but now that you mention it, I realize that floaters are no longer as bothersome as they once were before I regularly took collagen gelatin protein. I use both Bulletproof and Great Lakes (and have no financial interest in either. Wish I did!).
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Dianne10294
August 01, 2018L-Carnosine has totally eliminated the floaters in my eyes. My granddaughter, who has a genetic anomaly called Lattice which creates floaters, takes L-carnosine and it has eliminated her floaters. Another friend who was scheduled for cataract surgery started taking L-carnosine and he was able to cancel his surgery. These are just a few people, but it is worth a try to take it. The eye has the highest amount of L-carnosine and it is an antioxidant. So it can help in many respects.
ConsumerLab.com
August 01, 2018Hi Dianne - Thank you for sharing this. There is some preliminary evidence that L-carnosine may help to protect proteins and cell membranes (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19441807) and eye drops containing a particular form of carnosine (N-acetylcarnosine) may help for cataracts (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19487926). However, there do not appear to be any clinical studies on the effects of taking oral L-carnosine supplements for eye floaters.
Gregory10300
August 01, 2018I am encouraged to see these comments as I have experienced increased floaters over the last 90 days. The opthamolgist did not seem to have alternatives to resolving them after 2 visits. I will give this a try.
Christine10301
August 06, 2018Hi. I am not sure what your history/age is but just some "food for thought": tickborne infections can affect the eyes causing floaters/intermittent blurred vision (especially Lyme or Bartonella-related infection) & it may affect 1 eye or both.
ConsumerLab.com
August 07, 2018Thank you for mentioning this Christine. We've added information about Lyme disease and eye floaters in the answer above.
DEANE10296
August 01, 2018Hello, Please tell us what brand and what dosage of L-Carnosineshe used?
Thanks.
Dorothy10297
April 15, 2019I'm rather late in responding to the question about eye drops containing the particular form of carnosine but Life Extension (www.lef.org) sells Brite Eyes and here is part of their information and as you see, it lists N-acetyl-carnosine.
From their website, it says:
The Brite Eyes III formula contains two clinically validated lubricants (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and glycerin) that are FDA-approved for ophthalmic use without irritation. The Brite Eyes III formula also contains the antioxidant N-acetyl-carnosine, which helps protect the active ingredients against glycation.1-6
Researcher
December 08, 2019Thank you for these invaluale posts on floater help. My husband has developed them and is beginning to fear driving at dusk. Will give this a try and report back. Thanks
Karen10303
November 14, 2021Has anyone tried flaxseed drops for floaters?
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