Calcium Channel Blockers

I have been thinking and praying on the cellular death aspect, apoptosis, of RP. I know something positive happened with regards to my vision after the implant. The missing key, in my opinion, is how to stop my body from pummeling the new cells in the same manner it does my own photoreceptors.

Then, I remembered reading years ago about a study using calcium channel blockers in France. I believe the drug they tested was dilitiazem, which, if I remember correctly, has shown to be ineffective for RP. But, according to the article below, they were on the right track.

Also, anecdotally, I had a dear elderly friend who had lost his driver's license due to Macular Degeneration. Later, he was put on calcium channel blockers for a heart condition. His vision "spontaneously" improved and he earned his way back up the eye chart and in to the driver's seat.

Then I was talking to a friend who brought up calcium channel blockers. I figured it was worth perusing again. I found the articles below:

This article is not a peer-reviewed scientific one. It discusses the superiority of navaldipine in treating ocular issues over the other calcium channel blockers:

http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/25411e.htm


This article explains part of the mechanism of cell death in retinal degeneration:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17088543&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

The article below discusses the results of different calcium channel blocking drugs as tested in mice:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=14706644&ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum