Fluctuating Vision

[Branston_boy]

Hello everyone. I am a newly diagnosed type 2 picked up on an eye test and then realising I had all of the other symptoms which was confirmed by blood test.
I went through all the emotions in the last 3 weeks. Anger, denial and read some of the helpful and unhelpful advice.
I have had real fluctuations in my vision though and wondered if others had the same issue. It's not retinopathy just at times more blurry than others. After a week on metformin I didn't need my glasses at all today my vision is a bit worse. Did others experience this please and how long did it last?

 

[Clivethedrive]

Hello Branston_boy,yes this is a common symptom of high blood sugars and in my case settled down after 5 months of fairly good 5.5 mmols readings,so if you need specs go to poundland and get a cheapo Pair until things settle down as they will,clive

 

[Branston_boy]

Hello Branston_boy,yes this is a common symptom of high blood sugars and in my case settled down after 5 months of fairly good 5.5 mmols readings,so if you need specs go to poundland and get a cheapo Pair until things settle down as they will,clive

Thanks very much for this. Trying to get bloods to settle down a bit so I will monitor keep the current glasses handy!

 

[Clivethedrive]

Thanks very much for this. Trying to get bloods to settle down a bit so I will monitor keep the current glasses handy!

Best advice i was given ....test test test until you know what affects your blood and what amounts you can eat,because portion size can still be an issue even if eating the right things,all the very best,clive

 

[Branston_boy]

I am not yet testing. I have 3 months in metformin plus diet before they do the longer test. My diagnosis was made based on fasting glucose levels being way too high. The visual signs (No pun intended) are all I have to go off at the moment!

 

[Branston_boy]

Portions have come way down though I was someone who thought pretty much any meal could be improved by adding it into a sandwich! Much less carbs now and trying to find a level that works. Lost 6kg in 3 weeks though so something is working

 

[Deleted Account]

When we have too much sugar in our blood, our bodies try to get rid of it through pretty much every pore: we pee a lot in an attempt to get it out of our system; our saliva has sugar in it and it is possible to diagnose diabetes through tooth decay; we probably have sweet sweat; and our tears become sweet. When I was first diagnosed, I was a tad upset and cried a little ... until I noticed my tears didn't taste salty, they tasted sweet which was amazing.
Sugary water has a different focal length to salty water. As a consequence, our eyes struggle to adjust to see through the film of tears over them and we have blurred vision.
As your BG comes down and your eyes get used to the new salty tears, your vision should return to normal.

 

[paulus1]

the high levels of glucose invade your lens and eye fluids. once you bg is lowered the fluid drops back quite quickly the lens however takes a lot longer. i had really blurred vision for 4-5 weeks. dont worry it will get back to normal. just dont drive until it does. dont rush to buy new glasses. i bought some new ones the week before i was diagnoses they are now useless.
its upto you to test or not. but i like to now im in control.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I am not yet testing. I have 3 months in metformin plus diet before they do the longer test. My diagnosis was made based on fasting glucose levels being way too high. The visual signs (No pun intended) are all I have to go off at the moment!

I'm afraid I don't understand your post.

What do you mean by "the longer test"? Do you mean the HbA1c that measures a sort of average of your levels over the previous 2 to 3 months? If so, then you should have already had one of these before you were diagnosed. The HbA1c is the test used for diagnosis. The fasting glucose level test is just a snapshot of what you were at the time of the test. If it is high it should be accompanied by an HbA1c for a diagnosis to be made. Do you know what your fasting glucose test result was?

If you don't know which tests you had, and what the results were (in numbers) then I suggest you ask for a print out of the results. (If you are in England where surgeries were asked to put test results on-line by May 2016, you can ask how to register for this service)

By "testing" we mean self testing at home with a blood glucose meter. Do you have one of these?

 

[Branston_boy]

No I didn't have the Hb1A1c test. My fast8bg glucose was 14 which the diagnosis was based on. I don't have a home blood sugar testing kit. Glad to clarify

 

[Bluetit1802]

No I didn't have the Hb1A1c test. My fast8bg glucose was 14 which the diagnosis was based on. I don't have a home blood sugar testing kit. Glad to clarify

In that case, your doctor should have ordered an immediate HbA1c test. The guidelines for doctors are that if a fasting glucose test indicates a problem, it should be followed up with an HbA1c straight away - not 3 months down the line. A correct T2 diagnosis cannot be made on the basis of a single FBG test. They are highly unreliable for many reasons, although as 14 is high, it does indicate a problem.

Your best bet would be to buy a blood glucose meter and plenty of test strips. With this you can check your levels at home, and can also use it to help you formulate a diet that suits you (alongside a detailed food diary) If you decide to buy one we can help you use it to your best advantage.

 

[Branston_boy]

Ok thank you. That's all news to me.

 

[slip]

The Codefree and Tee2 are very popular because they have the cheapest testing strips. Pharmacies don't sell them.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
There are discount codes if you buy in bulk and don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

 

[Branston_boy]

The Codefree and Tee2 are very popular because they have the cheapest testing strips. Pharmacies don't sell them.
Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/
There are discount codes if you buy in bulk and don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Thankyou

 

[slip]

No thanks required - I nicked it from another thread

 

[NewTD2]

I had hyperglycaemia 22nd Sept and nearly died from Ketoacidosis.

I did low carb diet since and my bg readings now are hitting the 5s and 6s.

However I started having blurry visions.

Could this be neuropathy? My eye test is in mid December.

I’m so scared, please advice.

Andrew

 

[paulus1]

no. its the normal blurry eyes lots of us get as our bg drops.the eye liquid drops quite fast the glucose in the lens does not. so it messes up your sightit took mine 4-6 weeks to get back to normal. dont drive until its back to normal.

Peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to your peripheral nerves, often causes weakness, numbness and pain, usually in your hands and feet. It can also affect other areas of your body. Your peripheral nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the rest of your body.

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina). It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated. as you describe it its really not likely.

you mention you where suffering from Ketoacidosis. can i ask have you been tested to see what type you are its unusual for a type 2 to suffer from it.

what meds are you on.i would assume insulin if you where acidotic.
a proper diagnosis is important.

 

[NewTD2]

I had Diabetic Ketoacidosis on the 22 September that’s when I found out I was diabetic and nearly died at the A & E.

I was put on Insulin Glargine and because I followed a strict low carb diet I was weaned off Insulin just after 13 days.

Now on Metformin 500 mg.

My bg has come down to 5s and 6s.

Could the blurry vision due to my eyes settling down?

 

[Pinkorchid]

(If you are in England where surgeries were asked to put test results on-line by May 2016, you can ask how to register for this service)

That can be a bit misleading as many here including myself have reported that although they have registered for online access to their records they do not get any more than ordering repeat medication and making appointments.. I was told at my doctors it is down to the GP practice as to how much information is put online for their patients to access so may not include blood test results or medical records

 

[NewTD2]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/amp.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20189215,00.html