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Blurred Vision

Lolix1963

Member
Messages
19
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Hi Everyone
I was diagnosed T2 steroid induced less than a month ago. I was admitted to hospital with hyperglycaemia - my levels we in the 30’s or just reading High. I was started on metformin and glicazide and the doses were raised until it became more stable. I was discharged on metformin 850mg 3 x a day, Glicazide 40mg once a day and Victoza injections once a day. The day before discharge I became very sleepy and this has continued. I sleep 75% of the day. About 2 weeks ago my vision became blurred. Blood glucose levels were good. I had an urgent eye test which showed a massive decrease in vision since my last test just four month previous. I also have lightheaded episode which happen even when laying down. It’s not dizziness Ive not for the spinning sensation. It sometimes feels like I’m sinking. My vision has not got any better, a brain scan was clear.
I’m really worried about loosing my sight, yet will possibly have to wait up to 6 weeks to see someone it the eye clinic.
Being physically disabled and now visionally impaired is not easy when you live alone. I’m fortunate I have friends and family who make my meals as I darned not turn on the gas cooker as I cannot see well enough.
Has anyone else experienced this? What was the outcome?
 
Are you sure your sugar levels are good? Blurry vision is at least for a type 1 a sign of prolonged periods of high blood sugar, as well as susceptible to headaches and general concentration issues.
 
Yes I’ve been testing my level twic daily and they are between 4.5 and 8.2
They blurred vision came on after the glucose levels were reduced.
 
Hey @Lolix1963, the Docs are positive that you are Type2? Sounds like they put you on a pile of meds right off the bat...I would wonder if you shouldn't be testing a little more often with those symptoms....right before you begin a meal and then two hours after that first bite to see what is really happening with your sugars...that's the usual routine for testing to get a better picture of how the foods you are eating impact those levels.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having such difficulties - I can't really say anything about your vision as have no experience in that area. Trust you get things sorted out soon.Hope someone else comes along soon and can address your issues.

I think I would be making an appointment with your GP to discuss your issues further and see if your eye appointment can't be expedited and also to see if you really need all those meds.....Blessings/L

Like the moniker attached to your name by the way!
 
When you say a 'decrease in your vision' do you just mean that your visual acuity is reduced i.e. letters etc. appear blurred at distances where they would previously have been in focus? It is very common for people to get blurred vision when they reduce their blood glucose levels from high down to normal. It usually takes a few weeks for the glucose levels in the lens of the eye to stabilise and it is recommended that you don't buy glasses until your prescription stops changing. Some people buy a few sets of ready-readers from the pound shop to help them through this time.

However, you would not be referred to the eye clinic for this so what did the optician tell you was wrong? Presumably you told them that you were newly-diagnosed with diabetes.
 
It’s hard to explain but I normally wear glasses - bifocals my vision changes were not minor but drastic to the point that I can see people but I cannot see there facial features. Text is blurred and unreadable in printed materials but on digital items I can increase the size so I can make out the words. I can rupture because I’m a touch typist!

The optician said that there was a drastic change in four months and that she recommended diabetic eye screening. Yes they knew I was newly diagnosed and that I had been hyperglycaemic.

My GP was concerned because of the excessive sleepiness and faint feelings.
 
Sounds like me in the first month after I started insulin (New T1). I have been short sighted for 35 years and for the past 20 years my prescription has been pretty static. Pre diagnosis last year I realised I couldn't read the time on our DVD player any more. Optician told me I had got drastically more short-sighted and told me to get new glasses. Good thing I didn't because A&E beckoned 3 weeks later.

After starting insulin my eyes became more long sighted until I suddenly found I had 20:20 vision. It was surreal. Only lasted 2 weeks sadly until they started to change back to where they had been pre diabetes.

I was also exhausted for a good 8 weeks after diagnosis. The consultant told me I'd probably been running at high sugar levels for a year so my body was going cold turkey.

Likely all just a normal part of adjusting but a GP visit is a good idea
 
Thank you.

So I know that all was OK last November my HbA1c was normal.
Onset was rapid but it took three weeks to get anyone to listen. By that time glucose levels were never lower than 24 mmols (I bought a kit as I was certain something wasn’t right). The HbA1c came back at 98.9 and a random glucose of 22.
They say it is steroid induced. I’ve been on steroids since December by not a massive dose. 20mgs a day. I have been on higher doses in the past!
I am in regular contact with my GP who specialising in diabetes.
Rapid onset is like T1 but do steroids cause rapid onset T2?
It’s all very confusing.
 

Steroids can cause a rapid onset, depending on the reason for them and the dosages taken. My father was a steroid induced diabetic, following steroid treatment for a completely different condition. His other condition was so severe that the diabetes was "just" his collateral damage. Sad, but true.

In terms of your vision; a number of people have cited changes to vision - better or worse - once they start treatment for their diabetes.

Could I ask if you know what your HbA1c actually was in November, when it was "normal"? Opinions on"normal" can vary; especially whilst there are medically complicate situations in play.

Your situation does sound rather unusual, but I would urge you not to be too alarmed by the changes in your visions. Many people find the changes fade away again in due course. Some have found themselves to have bought new glasses, only to find they need to be changed again fairly promptly.

It is really important you keep tack of it, and have all the medical/opthalmic support available to you.

Good luck with it all.
 
Thank you.

My HbAc1 was 4.8 in November.

I did a BG before evening meal which was 5.5 and then two hours later and it’s 7.8

The steroids are for a chronic condition that affects several organs called sarcoidosis. It’s a rare auto immune disorder which is not well understood - if you search online mostly it tells you it burns itself out within 2 years but not much mention of the chronic which is what I see more and more of in others.

I am trying not to worry about my eyes and all the replies have been really helpful and reassuring.
 

I'm a tiny bit familiar with sarcoidosis, having recently done some reading on it (not for myself). Sarcoidosis is an auto-immune condition, which increases the chances of developing other AI conditions, which could include other sorts of diabetes (as well as several other things).

When do you next see your diabetes team? Are you seeing any Endo already, or is your sarcoidosis treated by another specialism, related to the body part(s) impacted at any given time?
 
Thank you!

I’m waiting on my first appointment with the dr. But seeing the dietician on Thursday and the diabetic nurse on 17th April.

I’m currently seen by dermatology (who say my skin condition is not sarcoid). And neurologist who is investigating neuro sarc - he put me in the steroids to try and reduce joint pain and swelling and muscle cramping.

I’ve been referred back to the general sarcoid clinic but haven’t yet got an appointment. (All these clinic at at the Royal Free) which is not my local hospital. The diabetes is under my local hospital.

Can I ask why you were researching sarcoid? I was diagnosed 4 years ago after years of debilitating pain.
 

Apologies, I had assumed your steroids related to your Sarcoidosis.

I did some reading on Sarcoidosis when a friend told me he had been diagnosed with it, and I'm a knowledge sponge.

Boy, you're medical situation is very complex indeed, but it sounds like you are receiving lots of input from your various teams.

Keep an eye on your blood numbers.

If you feel odd, or if your vision changes quickly, please do test. You've done very well to bring them down, but keep an eye they are neither creeping back up again, or going into hypo (less than 4) range.

Has anyone mentioned to you what to do if your numbers do go very low?
 
Thank you!

Well that’s not the first time I’ve been called ‘complex’ lol.

The steroids have been given for the sarcoid. The joint pain and swelling etc is connected with sarcoid.

I’ve had one hypo when my readings were 3.9 so I ate cereal with a spoon of sugar, 20 minutes later I was 7.8 ... so maybe a tad too much sugar.

When I do random BG - when I feel particularly lightheaded the readings are always OK which surprises me each time.

I will continue to monitor. I’m fortunate to have a great GP so any doubts I’ll contact her. I must say I do feel much more relaxed now with all the support from this group.
 
Today I have done some additional BG tests as suggested. So far these are the readings.

- Before breakfast (9.10am) 4.8
- 2 hours after food: 7.5
(also took metforim at breakfast 850mg.)
- Before late lunch (3pm) 7.3
- 2 hours later 8.4
)I also took metforim 850mg with lunch).

I had half a grapefruit late morning.

What are your thoughts with these readings?

I also had 1.2 Victoza late morning.
 
If you've been diagnosed less than a month, the blurry vision and sinking feeling/dizziness is normal. Vision changes with big fluctuations in blood sugar, so it adapted to your high sugars before diagnosis and now it has to adapt to normal sugars. I don't know how long it takes exactly, but I would wait and see for a couple of weeks at least.
The funny feeling might very well be 'false hypo's'. It's the same effect people have when their blood sugar is too low. You experience it at a healthy level because your body and brain have gotten used to higher numbers. Again, give it some time, but if you're worried get it looked at.
The extreme tiredness is not usual when having acceptable blood sugar. If you're sleeping 18 hours per day I would certainly try to find the cause.
Good luck!
 
My eyes are beginning to change. I have been diabetic for many years now (don't know how many) and diagnosed about 9 years back. My sight has always been good but in recent years been getting a bit blurred when reading - so reading glasses. I thought that was all the work I did with a computer screen. But that was all, so no real issues (I am getting on, of course, so it could very well be normal degeneration). In September 2017 I had an operation to remove a tumour from my parathyroid which, unfortunately involved cutting away some of my thyroid (intrathyroid parathyroid). Since then I have had a series of health issues, infection, flu, infection and (fairly inevitably) under-active thyroid. So - another medication to add to the rest - levothyroxine. I was feeling pretty awful so the doctor increased the levo, dose. Now I find that my sugar levels are up, I'm full of pain and my eyesight flickers and is less acute than it was only a few months ago; so much so that I feel wary about driving. They have also found a problem with my kidneys, which was the only part of me working properly until recently.

Luckily, I just had a letter today asking me to make an appointment for my diabetic retinopathy test, so I will talk to the optician about this eye thing. I hope I won't need new glasses because I just had a huge bill in for repairs for my car and it will be a month or so at least before I can afford them.

I can't help thinking that these new problems are associated with the increased levothyroxine and can only hope it will all settle down when my body gets used to it.
 
Lolix1963 said:
They blurred vision came on after the glucose levels were reduced.
Click to expand...

Thgis can happen if levels were high, like yours, and have now been lowered. I was admitted to hospital following a DKA episode some years ago and this happened to me. Luckily the sight has more or less stabilised. Keep your sugar levels well controlled and that definitely helps.
 


Metformin basically does not work to lower your blood glucose on its own, it helps with insulin resistance, so helps your other diabetes meds work and be more effective.

I'd say you might also need to tweak your diet.

Test after you eat to see which foods actually contribute to the raise in blood sugar. (test at one hour, then two, from first bite of food).

If you continue to eat a normal diet, ie loaded with carbohydrate(as is often recommended to us) you may struggle to continue to control blood sugars.

However, it is entirely your own choice to do so. I have eaten low carb for the last 9 months or so, my A1C has halved and my cholesterol levels have improved to normal. The programme on here will give you an idea of how to go about it.

What I will say though, is IF you decide to go ahead with the programme, please do it under medical supervision, since some of the meds you are on would lead to dangerous lows when eating low carb.
 
Lolix1963 said:
When I do random BG - when I feel particularly lightheaded the readings are always OK which surprises me each time.
Click to expand...

It's possible that these are what are known as 'false lows', not a true hypo, but your body mimicking the response to what it perceives as you being hypo after running high sugars for a while. They disappear after your sugars normalise.
 
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