Blurred vision

[pussinboots73]

Hi everyone

I need some advice please. I'm t2 and on metformin but my vision remains awful, my blood sugar levels are still elevated besides me taking the tablets and controlling the diet. What is the best course of action?

 

[Mike d]

Readings? In any event, don't muck around with that and get to your opthamoligist / doc and get a complete review

 

[Sirmione]

As above but apart from the long term risk to vision I have found when my blood glucose level has a major effect on my ability to focus now after a year on a low carbohydrate higher fats (and oils) diet I have my blood glucose under better control and my distance vision has greatly improved to extent I could scrape through the driving test eye test without the glasses I have worn for 45 years. Near vision is a different matter but that is an age related change.

Driving your blood glucose levels down has to be the way to go and in my experience and that of many others that means forgetting the the official dietary advice and cutting right back on the proportion of carbohydrates in your meals.

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi @pussinboots73,
I have read some of your other posts and you have a lot to contend with besides diabetes. You say in another post,

"I am a type 2 diabetic and was diagnosed last year. Recently my blood sugars have been very high which has caused some bad symptoms, blurred vision, dry mouth, aches and pains etc. My Doctor has now put me on metformin and they are causing some unwanted stomach upsets for me. I have a range of illnesses, some due to being overweight others not. I have sarcoidosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, underactive thyroid, high blood pressure, allergies, depression, diabetes and an enlarged heart."

I would go back to your Dr and ask for a medication review as sometimes medications for other conditions can raise blood sugars.

 

[Ross.Walker]

Hello

Speak to a specialist, high bg and blood pressure will effect eyes and other bits. AS you control BP & BG it you should* experience a change in your health. I never thought I would see my lady but through glasses, but I with work on my health I have improvements I can see her with my own eyes. It fluctuates as I am on the journey but please see a specialist for this.

 

[CTO]

Sirmione, thought I was on my own as my eyesight has changed with bringing my blood glucose down, wierd being able to drive without glasses after 30 years!

 

[MarkyP123]

I've had blurry vision the last couple of days but have been reliably informed that this is due to me managing to lower my blood sugar levels and it will improve within a couple of weeks.

 

[meagainbutnotforlong]

My eyesight was poor for years before diagnosis.
When I first started to reduce my blood glucose levels I lost the ability to focus properly at any distance for two or three days.
I now have 20/20 vision.

 

[meagainbutnotforlong]

It sounds nothing like a stroke. A change in blood glucose is a common reason for someone having difficulty focusing.

 

[ladybird64]

Thank you, doctor, better safe than sorry when it comes to stroke awareness

That was an unnecessary sarcasm. Asking a load of unconnected (and possibly frightening) questions, when the OP has already said she has got numerous other medical conditions, is not helpful on a forum such as this. As an aside, blurred vision is something that would usually happen as a consequence after having had a stroke, not as an impending sign of one.

Better to go to the GP to get it checked out.

 

[Oldvatr]

I have this problem I recently dropped my HbA1c from 99 down to 46 since Sept 2015, I can see ok, but my astigmatism has shifted. This was confirmed by my eye specialist just after Xmas. I can actually see better from an older prescription. Waiting to see if it stays like this, of if i need to change glasses. On my last eyetest before I started dropping my bgl, the optician declared me as having 20/20 vision, at my age.

PS I had 2 strokes, and it did not give me any of the symptoms described above. Nor did they affect my eyesight.

 

[Angela_T]

Hi everyone

I need some advice please. I'm t2 and on metformin but my vision remains awful, my blood sugar levels are still elevated besides me taking the tablets and controlling the diet. What is the best course of action?

Go to the Opticians and book an appointment for your eyes to be seen as soon as. They may refer you to an eye specialist from there at a hospital for a regular check up depending what the problem is. It's better to get tested and checked sooner than later to catch the problem before it gets worse good luck. You will be ok as long as you get them checked out and seen by a specialist to tell you what's going on. Good luck Angela T

 

[amgrundy]

I have had blurry vision for a while [ before being diagnosed with diabetes] I have always put this down to bad sinus and catarrh. But since I have gone on metformin and like someone said lowering BG levels this could be the reason. I had my Diabetic Eye Screening Test this week so will wait for results hope to god that there is nothing wrong with my eyes and it is only that I need glasses. I do have reading glasses.

 

[ladybird64]

My comment re sarcasm was regarding your "thank you doctor" remark.

I haven't written anything false. You ignored her other medical issues instead concentrating on reciting a load of unrelated symptoms. The OP has been advised to go and get herself checked out by her GP, an eye test as mentioned is also a good step. That's the best advice we can give her. I don't think blurred vision is a reason to go to A&E when it's not an emergency, do you?

 

[Spirit01]

Good afternoon all, I'm just experiencing a very frightening time. I started a low carb high protein diet about 3 weeks ago because at 22 stones (6ft 1) and coming up to 60 I thought it was long over due that I look after myself a bit better. I exercise quite hard via an allotment and of course I eat delicious fresh fruit and veg. ashamedly I got into the "birthday" trap at work and there seems to be cakes etc every single day. I drink very little alcohol but I did enjoy diet coke, bitter lemon, and all other manor of things that I shouldn't have. I was justifying this by saying to myself that I eat plenty of fresh fruit & veg + I make my own yoghurt. Got to be healthy surely? A week ago I woke up and thought that I had "tired eyes" and didn't seem to be able to focus properly. I've had no headaches, bumps on the head so just thought that I must be very tired. I should also have pointed out that around 3-4 weeks ago I couldn't stop drinking and apart from water I was also drinking 2-4 pints of skimmed milk a day. when I went to the loo through the night (every hour) I had to have another pint of water. If I didn't my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth in the morning. Anyway, This Monday I went to Specsavers because I thought I had an eye problem. The Optician didn't even look at me (only the Lady on desk) but advised that I went straight to A&E. Ok so now I have a brain tumor, an aneurism, or something else that's going to kill me instantly & I panicked. On my way back to work I stopped at Vision Express for another opinion and at least their Optician came and talked to me and was "dumbfounded" with the advice I'd been given. He told me about blood sugars etc and managed to make me feel a lot more comfortable. He advised me to call my Doctor which I did last night and he to was dumbfounded by the A&E advice. Upshot is that I feel a lot more relaxed about the situation and certainly after looking on here and I'm in for blood tests next Tuesday to see if I have Diabetes and to check on my blood sugar levels. My reason for writing on here is because I was scared witless earlier in the week but now I know that there is a good reason for my blurred eyes. If you are still reading thank you for taking the time.

 

[LucySW]

Hold on - there probably is no reason to panic. The most likely cause of the blurred vision you describe is the temporary - and reversible - effect that high BG has on the lenses in your eyes. Blurry vision is one of the identifying signs of high BG. It isn't the same as retinopathy and is completely reversible, *if* you get your BG down to normal levels. It won't happen otherwise. So that means low carb, eating to your meter, and Metformin probably.

http://www.m.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-blurred-vision

This is far the likeliest cause.

 

[Spirit01]

Hold on - there probably is no reason to panic. The most likely cause of the blurred vision you describe is the temporary - and reversible - effect that high BG has on the lenses in your eyes. Blurry vision is one of the identifying signs of high BG. It isn't the same as retinopathy and is completely reversible, *if* you get your BG down to normal levels. It won't happen otherwise. So that means low carb, eating to your meter, and Metformin probably.

http://www.m.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-blurred-vision

This is far the likeliest cause.

Thank you so much.

 

[LucySW]

Oh - my eyes settled down once I'd got my BG down to 5s and 6s, and no problems since then.

Getting diagnosed was such a shock that it was easy for me - I saw all starchy carbs as poison and just stopped eating them immediately. Went straight to protein and lots of green veg. Then I found out about LCHF, and it all stabilised. Jenny Ruhl's nutritional calculator helped a lot : http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/p....com/diabetes/33614154.php&utm_referrer=#2981

If people can get their BG down, this problem will go away.

 

[amgrundy]

Hi I had blurred vision for a couple of weeks, I was really worried to, then read a post on here about blurred vision and was told it was due to BG levels being high, and as they settled then my vision would be ok, that was good advice back to normal now, so do not worry you will be fine,

 

[LucySW]

@Galja, what you say is true, but it is very unlikely. Much, much more likely is the temporary effect of high blood sugar on the lenses of the eye, followed by changes in train with lowering blood sugar. It might not be helpful to terrify the OP.

TIAs have additional signs.