Blurred vision - scared. Please Help

[Gal72]

Hi all

I introduced myself at the weekend. Post-diagnosis - 14 days. Taking 1000mg Metformin morrning with breakfast and againn with dinner

Last few days my vision has bee blurred - especially with PC/laptop and mobile phone. Left work early today as I couldn't concentrate well enough. Writing this has been a huge challenge

I can't get a GP appt til Monday; pharmacist says blurred vision not connected to medication. Have arranged an optician's appt for Friday morning.

Advice located on web is conflicting - indicating that I may have low glucose and I may have too high glucose. I can't test my glucose levels....this is all new to me. I have been given no tangible advice apart from''eat a healthy balanced diet'

Would really appreciate some advice and hear about your experiences. (I'm in UK)

 

[mo1905]

I believe this is normally associated with High blood glucose readings. I had it when first diagnosed, very scary but soon clears when your sugars are under control. Seems you haven't really received good help from your medical practitioners ! Can you try to give them another call and ask for a cancellation ? You can always call NHS Direct too ! I know it's scary, but please don't panic ! This will be temporary ;-)

 

[Lovelylivpet]

I'd suggest:
1. Get more sleep than you ussaly would
2. See what happends if you eat less carbs.
3. For your eyes- try getting a towel/flannel with warm water and soak it on your eye lids.

(I'm no specialist but...) If all things you try fail consider re-seeing a doctor.

 

[pav]

I agree that the blurred vision could well be down to high (BS) blood sugers, the optician can certainly check yours eyes out. If the blurred vision is down to high BS, If you have a lens perscription made up and your BS is high, when they come down you will need another new perscription.

Have you any idea of what your blood sugar reading is a the moment? If you don't have a meter a lot of companies will send you one out the next day free of charge if you phone them up. I would also be on the phone to the GP for what most GP's call urgent appointments which are only availiable the moment they are open.

It needs checking out even if its to either confirm or eliminate high BS as the reason why your vision is blurred.

 

[mrman]

Hi after I started my medication after diagnosis had blurred vision in my eyes for three months. I asked the consultant and was told its the blood vessels in my eyes getting smaller and getting used to lower levels. was told not to get an eye test for the first three month period as it won't last. I know I was using insulin but maybe your meds are working to lower your sugar and also eyes adjusting. I did get reading glasses which helped during this time. Would advise to mention to your doc still. Hope this helped.

Sent from my GT-S5360 using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Gal72]

Thanks guys

I plan to call the surgery tomorrow at 8am in the hope that I can get an emergency appt

I won't be able to do my job with blurred vision so if I need to get an interim prescription for glasses then I will do. I can only hope this does not last 3months!

I shall find out some more about the meters. I don't even know what the BS level was which made the GP diagnose and prescribe. So I am working in the dark right now (no pun intended!!)

To hear that this is probably temporary is a relief. Thank you - I feel a bit better for it x

 

[MCMLXXIII]

Start taking bilberry, wonderful stuff. X

 

[mickthered]

only diagnosed a few weeks ago never had a problem with my vision apart from close up reading small print and the likes woke up a few weeks ago went out side only to find everything was blurred

Made an appointment with my optician after testing there had been a huge change in my eyesight

It was then explained how diabetes can alter your eyesight and I was then given temporary glasses for both reading and normal vision free of charge

After about 3 weeks my normal vision has returned

Only problem is that now I think my reading glasses are too strong and now need changing again

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I agree with others that blurred vision as you indicate is quite possibly due to high blood sugar. I suffered this at my diagnosis. Getting hold of a meter will really help you. The advice to have a 'healthy, balanced diet' was not helpful as diabetics can't have a normal, balanced diet. It is vital that you keep your carb intake at a sensibly low level having low-GI carbs where you can. Carbs are the main contributor to high blood sugar when you have diabetes. I agree that Metformin is highly unlikely to be the cause of the vision problems and will be helping a little to keep your sugars down.

 

[Mini40]

Get your blood pressure checked.

 

[perrywinkle]

HI I had blurred vision which was one of the first indicators of the Diabetes for me, I noticed at work the characters on the screen seemed blurred, and then when reading teletext or newspapers. I went along to optician thinking I needed some new glasses but he said no it was the sugar, and that my tear ducts were full of sugar, I had to bathe them everymorning for a little while. He would not give me any new glasses during this interim period as once it settles and the Diabetes comes under control it gets better. I do sometimes still get it if sugar is high.

 

[mickthered]

Just back from the opticians today

Prescribed new glasses as the temporary reading ones given to me a few weeks back are to strong

Only problem the optician was a bit confused as one eye has returned to normal but the other one hasn't

 

[Thundercat]

Agree that it is most likely high bs levels. I had same problem and was told high bs can cause thickening of lens. Once bs was under control my vision went back to normal

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Gal72, there is nothing to get over worried about here as blurred vission is often associated with a sudden drop in blood glucose (BG) levels. Would you think that you have managed to lower them since you were diagnosed?

I am surprised that an optician did not tell you this, I am guessing that it was someone who worked in an opticians and not an actual optician as diabetes and eye problems are very common.

When I was first diagnosed I was put straight on insulin so my levels crashed from 29 mmol/L to under 10 mmol/L almost overnight and when I was discharged from hospital the following day I couldnt see well enough to drive safely, everything looked blurred. I had to buy some cheapo Pound Shop reading glasses +1.50 which returned my vision to pretty much normal and allowed me to drive without any problems.

The Specialist Diabetes Nurse who talked to me at diagnosis told me this was likely to happen and NOT to get my eyes checked for at least 6 weeks after diagnosis or any prescription would be useless as my eyesight would return to normal within a few weeks. Which it did

See your doctor about this but dont get stressed as I'm sure it will prove to be nothing to worry about.

ps. due to the rapid drop in my bg levels after diagnosis I did suffer some small amount of background retinopathy which I am glad to say had disappeared by my next annual eye screening

 

[mickthered]

I made an appointment with the optician the same day as I noticed my vision had blurred as I had only just been diagnosed with diabetes no one had mentioned anything about waiting six weeks the doc didnt even say anything whe I told her about the problem with my eyesight

The optician seen (no pun intended :wink: ) gave me a better explanation about diabetes then the docs did and somehow could even work out my BG level just looking at my eyes

Explained my eyes should return to normal but would give me some temporary glasses at no charge

What you need to watch out for is that some opticians will charge you for glasses that you may only need for a couple of weeks then charge you again when they need changing

I was back at the opticians yesterday as my eyesight has changed again more or less back to normal now and the temporary glasses were to strong

Asked me to bring in any pairs of glasses in that I wanted and he would put in new lenses again free of charge

 

[violet6763]

I had exactly the same for three weeks following diagnosis and insulin. My blood sugar readings dropped and I was told it was my body adjusting to normal. After so long being around twenty and higher under ten made me feel awful. I also had headaches. Now nearly ten weeks later my vision is back to normal and has been for several weeks. I also feel much better. As said before on this post get lots of sleep as your body is working hard. X

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[momwithkidz]

This happened when my daughter first started insulin and then her vision improved. The thing to remember is that diabetic blindness is increasing in many countries. High blood sugar has a very negative affect on the blood vessels in the eyes

See here http://type2diabetesdietplan.blogspot.com/2014/07/diabetes-blurry-vision-what-to-do-about.html

 

[@Giverny]

Hi my vision was very blurred l couldn't see computer screen l got an emergency appointment + it was because my blood readings were very high 25, l now have a meter to check regularly + am on insulin.
I think you are wise to go to doctors in morning good luck.

 

[Marieukxx]

My vison was also blurred when I was first diagnosed and a while before as I i8gnored the symptoms. Now I'm on low carb it's not blurred anymore

 

[Barragirl]

Not long diagnosed bs was at 20 got it down to between 6 and 8. Last week my vision blurred but my reading glasses seem to work but not for reading. II also told my practise nurse about my blurred vision she just said she would make an appointment with the ophthalmist but that is not available till May. I am so glad that I decided to look up the forum on blurred vision. I hope it returns to normal soon as I don't like how it feels. Great to hear about how others cope with this, thank God for this forum. I have learned so much on here thank you.