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Blue light in my vision!

M

munchkin1976

Member
Messages
13
Dear panel,
Since having my son four years ago I have been experiencing what I can only describe as a tiny blue square of light in my vision when my blood sugars either drop or are on the rebound. I had pre-eclampsia and saw "stars" when I was in hospital but this is just one pin-prick of a blue light and is definately square! I have asked my diabetic nurse, consultant, optician and retinopathy scanner and so far none of them have a clue. I'm sure there is a simple answer but as with all complications of diabetes I would like it answered and dealt with as soon as possible. Can anyone help me?
 
TBH, I think if none of your present Specialists etc can offer any clues as to what the problem is then certainly none of us here unless they have actually had the same thing are going to be able to answer your question.

I know from my own experience that certain drugs can cause visual disturbances ( I had holes in my view !) so it may or may not be related to Diabetes and your blood sugar levels. This is something that needs investigating more fully. Possible side effects of other drugs you are taking perhaps ?

IMHO you should get a second opinion by being referred to an Opthalmic Specialist, perhaps at an Eye Clinic for further tests etc. It is obvious that the present ones do not have a clue........so ask for that referral. Hope you get it sorted soon. Not pleasant having such a problem.

Ken

P.S. On a personal note.....in a previous life....I saw loads of Blue Lights. They were on the roof of most of the cars I drove...... :lol:
 
I agree with Ken that you should get a referral to an Opthalmic Specialist :idea:

When I had the last stroke about 4 years ago I had weird lights in my vision and a complete loss of the central area in my field of vision, the most horrible and disconcerting thing about that was that no-one actually had a face. :shock: My visual problems have all gone now and my blood pressure is now good but there are many reasons for these sorts of things so it is always best to get checked out.
 
munchkin1976 said:
Dear panel,
Since having my son four years ago I have been experiencing what I can only describe as a tiny blue square of light in my vision when my blood sugars either drop or are on the rebound.
Click to expand...

I would go along with what has already been said and ask for a further referral to a specialist in this field. In the mean time, I take it that by what you have written above is referring to having hypo and hyper episodes, if so then it would be wise to look at your overall control and try as far as posible to prevent these fluctuations, and to reduce the visual disturbance.

As a type 1 myself, I know it is not easy and does take hard work and dedication, but you could begin by discussing your control with your dsn, and perhaps recording at what level (bg reading) these blue lights occur, this would be helpful for your consultant/specialist to see. Not sure if you have done the DAFNE course, but most people find that after completing the course their hypo's/hypers are less frequent than before they enrolled.

As Ken said, some meds can cause visual disturbance, I was on a short course of meds recently, and they effected my vision, so I refrained from driving until I finished the tablets. Hope you get sorted soon, good luck!

Nigel
 
Thank you everyone for your support and quick replies.
I will ask again when I see my team. It is a strange one isn't it! It's a job to know what to think with this disease. My overall readings were 7.1 but have been a little higher in the past. I do tend to stay around 4-8 but do a lot of exercise and can crash at any time with a hyper rebound. I have had Type 1 since I was ten, that's 23 years of it! I take moderate amounts of humalog (lispro) 3 x a day and levemir 2x a day and was put on to metformin slow release (3 x a day) after my son was born, so it may be the metformin that's doing it, I didn't put two and two together until you said.
I will definately be noting down the times, the only thing is that I haven't seen a "Diabetic Doctor" for about four years due to cut backs in my area. The nurses at the hospital are brilliant but may not have the extra detailed knowledge to help me.
As usual the internet is providing me with valuable self help to arm myself with!
I will tell you what it is when I find out. I do hope it's not an impending stroke as my Dad died suddenly of one when I was 16 but I will do my blood pressure too when it happens again.

Thanks again!

Julia xx
 
Years ago I had bright gold rings flying across my vision and ended up seeing a neurologist, who, after doublechecking with a scan that there was nothing untoward going on, told me it was simply retinal migraines, which can cause shapes and lights to appear. I have old problems with my neck so started seeing an osteopath regularly to release tension as I reasoned it could well be the cause, and they pretty much went away within a couple of months. Could be worth looking asking about it.
 
Hi Munchkin1976
I'm type-1 and also have Retinitis Pigmentosa. The latter can cause flashing lights and visual disturbances and in recent years I've noticed when I'm hypo that my central vision gets obstructed by what I can only describe as dark blobs. It can be quite useful, and it always goes when my BG's back to normal and it doesn't happen with every hypo. I don't know if it's actually related to the RP, docs don't know and I don't know anyone else with RP and diabetes.
The lights might be nothing to do with an eye problem, especially if clinic haven't seen anything, but maybe seeing a specialist will put your mind at rest..
If your insulin's not working, maybe you should ask your doc to change it rather than being on Metformin. Metformin with type-1 is not recommended and probably unnecessary. It's not uncommon these days for patients to be told they're insulin resistant, when in fact the insulin's the problem and not them.
Jus
 
Dear all,

I can't thank you enough. I am seeing a specialist next week and will be telling her about it.
Is the metformin harmful with insulin? I would like to know your findings.
I was changed from actrapid and monotard in my childhood and teens to actrapid and insulatard in my twenties, then to lispro and insulatard whilst pregnant, then lispro and lantus after he was born (lantus was awful for me) then to lispro and levemir and metformin soon after I saw the "one" diabetic doctor! It's a job to know what to think and if these drugs companies slip a back hander to the doctors to test on people!
My symptoms are very similar to those described with the dark blobs though mine are quite small but I found out in early December that I have background retinopathy so the dark blob might be that even though it is when I'm low. I did have a look on the internet for blue lights and found one article about white blood cells in the vision but nothing more. I did take my blood pressure and readings when it happened and they were 6.9 and 122/72 and pulse of 75.
I will update when I've seen the specialist.

Thanks to all for the valuable information you've taken the time to send me, it is much appreciated as diabetes can be a very lonely disease when things go wrong.

Love Julia xx
 
Hi Julia
Don't know about back-handers, but most definately incentives !! :twisted:
The concern I have about metformin being used alongside insulin, is that metformin works by suppressing glucose production from the liver. This could potentially make a hypo more dangerous, particularly night-hypos when we may rely on our own glucose production to bring us round.
The use of Metformin with type-1s, particularly in younger people is a relatively new phenomenon, and I suspect more to do with the failure of analogue insulins than insulin resistance.
Best of luck with the specialist and keep us posted
Jus
 
I saw the specialist yesterday and she said it was "normal". She said if the lights turn into rainbow colours then there would be something wrong with my retina. Back to the drawing board me thinks!!
I find it very frustrating when I ask about symptoms and am fobbed off with the "it's nothing to worry about" routine. I want to know WHY it happens even if it is normal, so I have the facts and scientific explanation about what it is I'm experiencing, then and only then will I NOT worry about it!!!! GRRRRR!!!

Ju x
 
Hi Ju.

Sometimes we can just be grateful that there is nothing to worry about it - what a mercy!

Glad all is well in spite of the frustration! :?
 
Hi Julia,
know exactly how you feel about being told something is "normal" but not being told why it happens. Heart specialist said that about my ectopic/missed heart beats, although when I asked if he suffered them, he didn't answer :? I'm not satisfied, requested to see another doc and got an appt in June.
Has anyone dilated your eyes with drops and looked into the back of them to examine your retinas?
Sounds like you still have concerns and if you've not had this examination, maybe you should see the specialist again to put your mind at rest.
In 1998 I was referred to an eye specialist at my local hospital as I was experiencing flashing lights in my eyes. I was concerned I had Retinitis Pigmentosa like my sister. The specialist assured me I didnt have it but was probably a carrier. Having 2 children, this obviously worried me but he discharged me from his care. I was still having visual disturbances so I got a referral to Moorefields Eye Hosp. After some tests I was told , unfortunately, that I did have RP after all.
You see there's "specialists" and then there's "specialists"!
Jus
 
I had my eyes dilated a couple of weeks ago as a follow up to being told I had background retinopathy. Got the result a couple of days ago and it said I now have moderate diabetic eye disease and am being referred to an opthamologist to see if I need an operation. Very concerned at how quickly it is progressing and so far I have only had a leaflet in the post and nowhere on that leaflet does it say anything about "moderate" diabetic eye disease. I have to look it up myself again. I'm sure the lights are something to do with it so I am going to be pushing hard for my sight....again.
I did a full day of blood pricks yesterday and my highest peak was 9.2 after lunch but I was 1.7 after breakfast and mostly 4-6 the rest of the day. I have reduced my morning lispro so I don't plummet after brekkie. Feel sorry for myself I thought the blindness would come much later in life. I don't even know what I'm doing wrong anymore.
I think it may be the pigmentosa, how do they test for it though?
I will keep you posted.
 
Hello again Munchkin

Makes you wonder why you were given the 'normal' verdict when clearly it is not! :shock:

I really hope that things are not as bad as you fear and that it is all 'fixable' so do let us know how you get on.
 
I will have to have the test too where they dilate your eyes. I will have to drive afterwards. Can they undilate them afterwards? I know they could do it in the past as it was done to my sister in London some time ago but maybe it was bad for your eyes so they won't do it any more?
 


I have had retinal screening done for many years and never been offered 'undilating' drops. Every letter I have had clearly states, 'Do not drive to and from your appointment.' Hence I use the Bus.
It can take some time for your eyesight to get back to normal.

Ken
 
You can't drive with dilated pupils! Way too dangerous. I just about manage to get home on the bus but I have to ask people to read the number for me so I don't end up somewhere weird. Seriously, you need to sort out a lift or a bus or a taxi. Driving is not safe with such indistinct vision and if you get caught you'd probably lose your licence.
 
badmedsin,

Thanks. I fully realise that I can't drive with my eyes dilated. I don't live anywhere near public transport so I will get a lift - its just that I had heard it was reversible and hoped it was.
 
Hello,
I've seen the ophthalmologist and asked about the blue lights and his verdict was "some people see them and some don't" That was very helpful as you can imagine. He did say that the fatty lump that had leaked has healed over and the left eye is in excellent health considering how long I've had diabetes mellitus for, I have never felt so relieved and am trying very, very hard to get my readings under control as regards the amount of lows I'm having.

I have looked up the flashing lights online again and found a passage describing them as follows:

http://www.perret-optic.ch/optometrie/s ... lot_gb.htm

There are so many different and frightening write ups that I have now given up looking because it is making me paranoid and sad!

Two months before the appointment I started taking Lutein and Bilberry supplements after reading some good things about them on this site and I am sure they have helped my eye health. When I read the eye test chart it wasn't as blurred and I got to the bottom line instead of the 4th from the bottom on the last test, couldn't believe my eyes!!!!!

I feel a lot better knowing I could save my sight and it's not all doom and gloom.
Thanks for reading,

Ju xx
 
I have also ordered some Lutein and bilberry supplement after much research, useful information on here. Even with glasses I don't see very well so I hope that will improve. I haven't seen the opthalmologist yet.
 
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