Anyone got diabetic retinopathy

[daffy1]

I’ve been T2 diabetic for roughly 12 years. Slightly uncontrolled for 10 years as I didn’t realise how serious diabetes really was. I changed everything a couple of years ago when I was told I needed to start insulin alongside my other meds. However just before Christmas I went for my routine eye screening and got the surprising result that I had retinopathy. At the moment tho they don’t feel it needs any action which I’m relieved about and don’t seem to have any problems with my vision apart from floaters . In fact I can see better without my glasses, apart from close up.
Could a really strict diet reverse this or is it bound to progress cos I’ve read about the treatment and it sounds scary

 

[IanBish]

I don't have any experience of retinopathy, but a few people here (I forget who) have said that it improved greatly when they reduced their HbA1c.

 

[JohnJ]

I had my results last week that showed retinopathy, reducing HbA1c as IanBish said does improve/delay permanent damage...

 

[aylalake]

I had “some degree” of retinopathy 18 months ago, but my latest review in September 2023 showed no retinopathy.

 

[GuidingSenses]

My result last year was that I had some degree of retinopathy in left eye which is obviously scary and I do remember slight pain in my eye when my eye moved left to right. However today’s result showed no signs of retinopathy- amazed- no pain now but didn’t realise it could rectify itself?

 

[JohnJ]

My result last year was that I had some degree of retinopathy in left eye which is obviously scary and I do remember slight pain in my eye when my eye moved left to right. However today’s result showed no signs of retinopathy- amazed- no pain now but didn’t realise it could rectify itself?

That's great news. My worry is, I was told with my readings (from hypos to hypers), even with H1bac 7.2, that I could lose my sight in a few years.
My levels of extremes are due to having diabetic antibodies (attacks the insulin injected). I inject 5 to 8 times a day!

Perhaps a pump may help but a fight to get one, post code lottery...

 

[Grant_Vicat]

I’ve been T2 diabetic for roughly 12 years. Slightly uncontrolled for 10 years as I didn’t realise how serious diabetes really was. I changed everything a couple of years ago when I was told I needed to start insulin alongside my other meds. However just before Christmas I went for my routine eye screening and got the surprising result that I had retinopathy. At the moment tho they don’t feel it needs any action which I’m relieved about and don’t seem to have any problems with my vision apart from floaters . In fact I can see better without my glasses, apart from close up.
Could a really strict diet reverse this or is it bound to progress cos I’ve read about the treatment and it sounds scary

I was Type1 from 1959-2013 (pancreas/kidney transplant) I had never had a proper eye inspection until 1978, my vision in 1971 became blurry on several occasions, causing me to go to a standard optician, who could find nothing wrong. It would then correct itself (I found out later that this was due to better blood sugar results). From 1979-1983 I had a total of 7 laser treatments in both eyes. I am still reading, typing (!) and driving all these years later. Good average control has certainly played a part. But like all diabetics, you cannot avoid the blips which come with infection or serious stress. Good luck!

 

[HairySmurf]

My result last year was that I had some degree of retinopathy in left eye which is obviously scary and I do remember slight pain in my eye when my eye moved left to right. However today’s result showed no signs of retinopathy- amazed- no pain now but didn’t realise it could rectify itself?

I'm confused on this one too. As I thought I understood it (and I clearly don't) the scan works in two ways. The first way is it can detect recent micro bleeds on the retina, think of them like miniscule scabs that mark where a tiny blood vessel has bled. The second is by comparing the scan with a previous scan it can detect changes. I had thought that the damage was permanent though once it happens. There are treatments but no cure.

So when they say no retinopathy detected, do they mean no new eye damage or no damage at all?

I have my own scan coming up soon and I'm a bit nervous. I've been having some odd visual disturbances lately and while Google says they're probably just related to my age, the nervousness is hard to dispel.

 

[aylalake]

I'm confused on this one too. As I thought I understood it (and I clearly don't) the scan works in two ways. The first way is it can detect recent micro bleeds on the retina, think of them like miniscule scabs that mark where a tiny blood vessel has bled. The second is by comparing the scan with a previous scan it can detect changes. I had thought that the damage was permanent though once it happens. There are treatments but no cure.

So when they say no retinopathy detected, do they mean no new eye damage or no damage at all?

I have my own scan coming up soon and I'm a bit nervous. I've been having some odd visual disturbances lately and while Google says they're probably just related to my age, the nervousness is hard to dispel.

In my case it showed no damage at all, and I asked the ophthalmologist for clarification, he said that the eyes can repair themselves (like a liver) provided the damage was not too severe or prolonged which could cause scarring.
He likened it to a scratch on your arm which scabs over while it heals, and the scab then falls off leaving no visible sign of any injury.
As opposed to the same scratch which becomes infected due to poor hygiene or care. It becomes deeper/wider and takes far longer to heal, leaving a permanent mark or scar.

 

[M828S]

Hi. Can anyone recommend a specific diet they used to reduce or drastically slow the progression of retinopathy? I was diagnosed today and I’m scared. Thanks.

 

[JohnJ]

I don't have any experience of retinopathy, but a few people here (I forget who) have said that it improved greatly when they reduced their HbA1c.

I have the same but IanBish is correct. They are trying to reword results from a retinopathy scan as the letter can be scary!

 

[Jasmin2000]

I'm confused on this one too. As I thought I understood it (and I clearly don't) the scan works in two ways. The first way is it can detect recent micro bleeds on the retina, think of them like miniscule scabs that mark where a tiny blood vessel has bled. The second is by comparing the scan with a previous scan it can detect changes. I had thought that the damage was permanent though once it happens. There are treatments but no cure.

So when they say no retinopathy detected, do they mean no new eye damage or no damage at all?

I have my own scan coming up soon and I'm a bit nervous. I've been having some odd visual disturbances lately and while Google says they're probably just related to my age, the nervousness is hard to dispel.

Indeed, microbleeds come from microaneurisms (swollen and leaky blood vessels) which grow in the eye where they shouldn't (neovascularization). Hence the bleeds will be cleared away, but the new blood vessels will keep leaking and need to be stopped. Bad BG control contributes to this but can be reversed by getting better control and/or therapy such as laser treatment or anti-VEGF antibody injections.

No retinopathy means all clear as far as they can tell - good news. But beware, retinopathy refers to the retina and not the lens, and here diabetics are prone to cateracts.

 

[Male1960T2]

Diabetic retinopathy is something worth avoiding.
I've been treated with eylea injections and had one eye lazered
Eylea was superceded with a new injection treatment which is very much better, treatment went from every five weeks to currently 3 monthly.
The only way to avoid this is good glucose control.
Due to a CGM and diet I now have good control and my eyesight has returned to a prescription that I had 20 years ago.
Previously my eyesight was all over the place, blurry, sometimes, actually better than normal on one notable occasion for a few weeks ( I thought I was cured lol)
The injections are not a pleasant experience.
With eylea you could write off the whole day plus the next one or two due to the effects.
Sitting in a darkened room, blind with sore eyes and a migraine for two days isn't fun.
Plus infection is always a risk with anything invasive.
Finally the DVLA might want you to take a peripheral vision test.
All this can be avoided with blood glucose control.
It is not an inevitable outcome from having diabetes.
I was an idiot. I got lots of complications through avoiding insulin and living in denial about my diabetes.

 

[Outlier]

Having had a clean bill of health re: retinopathy so far, my most recent test in March was followed by information that I had it. No other details, no follow-up, next test in a year's time.
Mistake?
False result?
A.N. Other?

I'm not unduly bothered, because my BG is consistently in non-diabetic levels, but I can understand that many people would be.

 

[lovinglife]

I had slight signs of changes last year for the first time since diagnosis in 2009, just had this years test a couple of weeks ago and now have no signs.

I did have a little chat when I was getting tested and said to the guy that I had slight changes last year, he said even if there is a tiny spot the size of a full stop they have to register it as changes so it’s only a shot in time, he said it could only be there for a matter of hours and I could very well be clear this time & he was right. He said the 2 most important things in control of retinopathy is a good HbA1c & and good numbers on your blood pressure

 

[Chelseamad]

Diabetic retinopathy is something worth avoiding.
I've been treated with eylea injections and had one eye lazered
Eylea was superceded with a new injection treatment which is very much better, treatment went from every five weeks to currently 3 monthly.
The only way to avoid this is good glucose control.
Due to a CGM and diet I now have good control and my eyesight has returned to a prescription that I had 20 years ago.
Previously my eyesight was all over the place, blurry, sometimes, actually better than normal on one notable occasion for a few weeks ( I thought I was cured lol)
The injections are not a pleasant experience.
With eylea you could write off the whole day plus the next one or two due to the effects.
Sitting in a darkened room, blind with sore eyes and a migraine for two days isn't fun.
Plus infection is always a risk with anything invasive.
Finally the DVLA might want you to take a peripheral vision test.
All this can be avoided with blood glucose control.
It is not an inevitable outcome from having diabetes.
I was an idiot. I got lots of complications through avoiding insulin and living in denial about my diabetes.

Could I please ask what type of retinopathy you had? I am newly diagnosed and my eye screening has shown retinopathy pre proliferation and I am really worried I am going to go blind.