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Blurred vision

Cl1ve

Cl1ve

Well-Known Member
Messages
193
Location
poole Dorset
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all
2 weeks age I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes . Levels were 21 have now got the levels down with medication and diet . Levels have dropped to low so now have to adjust the medication . I now have blurred vision have been to my local hospital and have been told I need glasses as the high levels has masked the fact that I need glasses
Anyone had this happen to them
Clive
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Welcome to the forum. Well done on making dietary changes and getting your blood sugar down. Do you have a glucose meter and test strips?

Your BG level has probably dropped too low because you are on Gliclazide. It might be possible to come off it completely, depending on your levels.

Blurred vision can be a symptom of high blood sugar or some medications. It might pay to wait a bit and get your eyes tested in a couple of months, in case the glasses aren't at the right prescription setting for your longer term needs. But if your vision is affecting your driving then it's best to do what the hospital says.
 
When i was first diagnosed with type 2 last year i was put on metformin and changed my diet a lot to lower sugar and lower fat foods hence the sugar levels started coming down. After about 3 weeks i noticed my vision was also more blurred than before especially when watching TV.
After about another two or three weeks the blurredness went and vision was back as it was.

I think it's the eyesight trying to find it's proper level again without high sugar levels in the way, as aforesaid it doesn't last to long so might be a good idea to endure it just for about two to three weeks and see if it gets better, then take it from there !!!!!
 
what you're experiencing is normal with sudden drop in bg levels... your eyes can't adjust in time and therefore you're getting blurred vision, once your eyes gets used to the lower levels your vision should return to normal. I know its hard, however try and hang in there. In my case it was about 5 weeks before my vision recovered.
 
don't do what I did and waste money on new glasses. Like the others have said, wait for it to settle down. My new glasses are now too strong for me.
 
Thanks for the advise . Not sure what to do now . I have seen the top consultant at Bournemouth hospital and he told me I needed glasses . Think I'll now wait a bit longer .
 
CatLadyNZ said:
Welcome to the forum. Well done on making dietary changes and getting your blood sugar down. Do you have a glucose meter and test strips?

Your BG level has probably dropped too low because you are on Gliclazide. It might be possible to come off it completely, depending on your levels.

Blurred vision can be a symptom of high blood sugar or some medications. It might pay to wait a bit and get your eyes tested in a couple of months, in case the glasses aren't at the right prescription setting for your longer term needs. But if your vision is affecting your driving then it's best to do what the hospital says.
Click to expand...
 
Hi . Thanks for the reply . My levels are about right at the moment ranging from 5 to 7. And yes it is affecting my driving . The consultant I have seen told me my diabetes has been masking the fact the I need glasses for my distant vision by inflating the lens so when my levels come down the lenses have go back to normal . And yes I am cutting Dow on my medication . I think that I will get glasses as I need to drive will let you know if anything changes
Clive
 
Hi Cl1ve whatever you do do not have your eyes tested for the next 6 weeks at least, when your bg levels have been running high the blood pressure builds up slowly behind your eyes this distorts the lens but you dont notice any difference as your eye adjust to it day by day.

But, when you reduce your bg levels quickly the sudden drop in pressure behind your eyes makes your vision seem blurred, this is a normal consequence of a sudden drop in bg levels and happens to lots of people myself included.

I was admitted to hospital just after diagnosis and my levels were 29 mmol/L with an hba1c of 12.6% and put on intravenous insulin to bring my levels down which it did within a couple of days they were down to 10mmol/L and I was discharged and prescribed insulin although I am T2 I then started dieting and within weeks my levels were down to almost non diabetic levels and my eyesight was awful to the point that I had to use +1.5 or +2 reading glasses just to drive!! Pound shop reading glasses are a bargain as you will be chucking them away in a few weeks time ;)

I was told not to have my eyes tested for at least 6 weeks by which time my sight should have returned to normal, I cant remember how long exactly it took but my eyesight did indeed return to normal after a month or so, I was lucky that I was prescribed insulin and placed under the care of a specialist diabetic unit at my local hospital where they knew a lot more about diabetes than the average GP or hospital nurse and was given sound advice.

By all means tell your doctor about the problem just in case there is another cause but my guess would be the sudden drop in blood pressure on your eyes.

Good luck and keep up the good work.
 
I had to see my Optician yesterday - just over 3 weeks into LCHF diet.
Vision very blurred.
My prescription has gone up considerably in both eyes.
BUT because I wear monthly contacts, they are very easily cahanged and I can see clearly again.
I'm well aware that in a few weeks my prescription will probably change again as my BG comes under control, so I haven't updated my glasses.
Optician was very helpful and I can go back as often as I need to and lenses will be changed.
 
Sid Bonkers said:
Hi Cl1ve whatever you do do not have your eyes tested for the next 6 weeks at least, when your bg levels have been running high the blood pressure builds up slowly behind your eyes this distorts the lens but you dont notice any difference as your eye adjust to it day by day.

But, when you reduce your bg levels quickly the sudden drop in pressure behind your eyes makes your vision seem blurred, this is a normal consequence of a sudden drop in bg levels and happens to lots of people myself included.

I was admitted to hospital just after diagnosis and my levels were 29 mmol/L with an hba1c of 12.6% and put on intravenous insulin to bring my levels down which it did within a couple of days they were down to 10mmol/L and I was discharged and prescribed insulin although I am T2 I then started dieting and within weeks my levels were down to almost non diabetic levels and my eyesight was awful to the point that I had to use +1.5 or +2 reading glasses just to drive!! Pound shop reading glasses are a bargain as you will be chucking them away in a few weeks time ;)

I was told not to have my eyes tested for at least 6 weeks by which time my sight should have returned to normal, I cant remember how long exactly it took but my eyesight did indeed return to normal after a month or so, I was lucky that I was prescribed insulin and placed under the care of a specialist diabetic unit at my local hospital where they knew a lot more about diabetes than the average GP or hospital nurse and was given sound advice.

By all means tell your doctor about the problem just in case there is another cause but my guess would be the sudden drop in blood pressure on your eyes.

Good luck and keep up the good work.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Sid . Thanks for the reply . I'm due to get my eyes tested this Thursday . I am going to go ahead as I need to be back at work and can't wait for my eyes to get back to normal . It would cost me a lot more to be off work waiting for my sight to improve . So I'll get the glasses and if my eyes go back to normal I'll just have to not use them . It seams clear now after all the replies I've had that they will right themselves . This was my first question I put on here and have been surprised by the response . So thank you all and I'll let you know how it goes
Clive
 
Well the good news is, the blurred vision shows that your BG is improving.

I went the whole way from my eyesight improving to the point I didn't need my reading glasses, and often forgetting to wear my normal glasses during the period prior to diagnosis wjhen my BG were extremely high, to a week or so after diagnosis being virtually unable to see anything properly.

After about 3-4 weeks it all settled down and was back to normal.
 
Cl1ve said:
Hi all
2 weeks age I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes . Levels were 21 have now got the levels down with medication and diet . Levels have dropped to low so now have to adjust the medication . I now have blurred vision have been to my local hospital and have been told I need glasses as the high levels has masked the fact that I need glasses
Anyone had this happen to them
Clive
Click to expand...
Best to wait, same happened to me, 2 weeks after taking metformin, told I needed glasses, spend £100 on glasses a week later eyesight back to normal
 
Cl1ve said:
Hi Sid . Thanks for the reply . I'm due to get my eyes tested this Thursday . I am going to go ahead as I need to be back at work and can't wait for my eyes to get back to normal . It would cost me a lot more to be off work waiting for my sight to improve . So I'll get the glasses and if my eyes go back to normal I'll just have to not use them . It seams clear now after all the replies I've had that they will right themselves . This was my first question I put on here and have been surprised by the response . So thank you all and I'll let you know how it goes
Clive
Click to expand...
Please, please, go and buy yourself a pound shop pair of reading glasses, they were my best friend and never off my head for around 6 weeks after my BG reduced. And then my eyes went back to normal.
 
What a great post.... My vision has become a bit blurry as well, especially since on the Glyburide which really corrected my BG levels. I've never seen them so good. I've been on metformin for over a year now.
 
Hi

it was having blurred vision last December, and visiting an optician that led to my diagnosis with type 2 diabetes. I was put on metformin and my eye sight returned to normal after about 3 weeks. Thank goodness for a switched on optician!
 
My clarity of sight can change by hour, by day, doesn't seem to be a logical pattern to it, certainly won't be spending loads of money on glasses this year.
 
I have been on metformin now since 2012 and although I wear glasses I still get blurred vision but mentioned this to my GP I have been told not to worry it's just a side effect. So unless it's happening everyday I wouldn't worry.
 
Cl1ve said:
Hi all
2 weeks age I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes . Levels were 21 have now got the levels down with medication and diet . Levels have dropped to low so now have to adjust the medication . I now have blurred vision have been to my local hospital and have been told I need glasses as the high levels has masked the fact that I need glasses
Anyone had this happen to them
Clive
Click to expand...
It's a well known factor that changes in blood sugar can cause blurred vision as the lens in the eye hydrates and rehydrates to compensate for the changes in your blood glucose. These changes change the refractive properties of your lens.
Your experience perhaps flags the importance that all adults should have an eye test at least every 2 years and had you done so your diabetes may have been caught earlier. I do hope you weren't a driver and hadn't had your vision checked regularly.
As a retired NHS clinical adviser, I can confirm that optometrists regularly refer patients for suspicion of diabetes to their GP, due to this happening go them.
 
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