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Type 1 Painful Eyes And What To Do ...

gemma_T1

Well-Known Member
Messages
147
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi all,
I was wondering if any of you had ever suffered from a pain in your eyes that feels as if you have been hit numerous times in the eye with a hammer?

After numerous days of very high blood sugar that no amount of insulin would get down I then had a really bad hypo at about two in the morning yesterday ... it had risen to a spectacular 21 by 6am when I woke up. On waking I felt this hammer strike and it has not left me since, it feels like a kind of constant pressure on my eye and is quite painful.
My diabetic specialist is on holiday. My GP knows nothing about diabetes. Should I go to the casualty? Should I be worried? Do you think it will just settle down?
 
Are you sure your eye problems are diabetes related?
I recently experienced a painful eye which swelled up to affect my eyesight. This had nothing to do with diabetes: it was an allergic reaction. I went to see my GP and after a course of steroid (which affected my BG), the swelling and pain subsided.
Your high BG may be due to an eye infection. So, if I was you, I'd be visiting the GP.

An alternative could be a opticians if you have no confidence in your GP.
 

Thank you for your swift reply. My GP should be in his practice this afternoon. I’ll ask if he will see me. I’m not convinced it’s an infection as it’s not swollen or red, it just feels like I have been hit with a hammer. I can’t tell if my vision has been affected as I see with my other eye. This one is the one worst affected by diabetic retinopathy.
Thanks again.
 
gemma_T1 said:
This one is the one worst affected by diabetic retinopathy.
Click to expand...
Even if it is a diabetic complication (I have no idea whether it is) your doctor should be able to say whether you need an eye specialist, eye drops, trip to ER, etc etc.
 
It could, maybe, be a migraine like pain. I don't get them so I don't know really know, but apparently a very rapid change in blood sugar can cause that.

High blood sugars for a long period are horrible, but I think it's worth going to the GP anyway, as you don't want anymore stress, so hopefully they can work out what might be the cause.
 
Personally, I would be asking my optician to have a look at my eye, as they're "into eyes", but whoever you decide to consult, @gemma_T1 , it makes sense to see someone about it.

Better safe than sorry.
 
Any sudden pain in the eyes, particularly if it should occor in both eyes, needs to be seen to A.S.A.P. if only to eliminate what could be a very serious Eye problem. There is one type of rapid pressure onset 'Glaucoma' which can occur within just a few hours, which if not treated quickly can cause perminant damage to the individual's eye/s.
Get yourself down to the Accident and Emergency Department at your local Hospital 'IMMEDIATELY' for them to examine your eyes in closer detail. There is a very good chance that it isn't rapid onsite Glaucoma, but it's best to make sure rather than delay things as time is a critical factor here.
 
Hi everyone,

thank you all for trying to help me with your advice I really appreciate it.

First of all, I tried the GP, no answer to calls or text messages... so will have to just try again tomorrow.

Then I went to the A &E but they didn’t have an eye specialist to see me.... everyone’s on holiday.

The opticians here only see you to buy spectacles they don’t check the back of your eyes or the pressure etc. just the measurements to order your specs.

So, I’m going to ring up the eye hospital I used to be under first thing tomorrow as today I couldn’t get through as the lines were on a loop which cut out after half an hour and you had to start the whole process again. They stop for lunch and go home at 4pm. But they’ll be up and running tomorrow at 8.30 so I shall see if I can get an emergency private appointment and get all the tests done between now and Friday. If I can’t get though by 10 am, I’ll take the public transport system and go in person. I wasn’t well enough to go today and as it takes 2 hours in the heat I just couldn’t face it and thought I’d stay closer to home and maybe resolve everything ... but that was just wishful thinking ...

Wish me luck for tomorrow
 
I would be going straight to SpecSavers. Your GP will more than likely send you there anyway
 
porl69 said:
I would be going straight to SpecSavers. Your GP will more than likely send you there anyway
Click to expand...

Hi,
Unfortunately I’m not based in the Uk anymore
it’s completely different here. I wish I still lived lived in England ... for many reasons including the NHS!
 
gemma_T1 said:
Hi,
Unfortunately I’m not based in the Uk anymore
it’s completely different here. I wish I still lived lived in England ... for many reasons including the NHS!
Click to expand...
Yeah I just read your other post. As much as people moan about living in the UK, we do have a lot of benefits here. Good luck for tomorrow
 
porl69 said:
Yeah I just read your other post. As much as people moan about living in the UK, we do have a lot of benefits here. Good luck for tomorrow
Click to expand...

Thankyou very much. Fingers crossed!!
As for the NHS, it is deliberately hugely underfunded. Nevertheless it is an amazing institution and you can get extremely good care. What I realise everytime I’m in hospital here is the lack of respect they have for the patient. Most don’t even say hello or present themselves and you are talked over and ignored. Handed a piece of paper which tells you when to pick up your results. Not all of them are like this, but unfortunately it is the majority...

Where I live the care is hit and miss and it’s not free! To see what we would call NHS specialist doctors in hospital or to do blood tests, X-rays etc. you have to pay what they call a ‘ticket’ the cost of which varies from region to region and as to type of visit or test to be performed ... sometimes you can have a lot of blood tests and end up paying nearly 300 euros... and this is not privately!!

If you want to see a specialist you can wait more than a year, however if you don’t want to or can’t wait that long you can pay upwards of 150 euros usually much more it depends on the medic or specialization... and see him the next day or at least within a couple of days in the same room in the same NHS hospital as you would have had if you had paid your ticket with the national health care system.
It costs a lot to stay healthy here!

Thankyou again for your kind wishes!
 
Hi everyone, well after seven hours in eye emergency, I have my diagnosis

I have inflammation in my right eye ... and everything that can be inflamed is inflamed which is why it hurts to move my eye especially to the right or left - don’t know why these directions hurt much more that the others ... so I have been given anti-inflammatory drops for that and good strong painkillers... hopefully within 10 days it should clear.
I asked how this occurs but the really lovely doctor says they don’t really know ...it can just happen ...

That was the good news!!!

The bad news is that I have a huge and extensive macular edema on this eye which wasn’t there last October in my last retinal tests so I am really upset, especially as I can’t do anything about it until I return to Italy in September. I am booking the hospital for more invasive tests for the 3rd of September and hopefully they can give me the injections to stop it ...by the end of that week. Fingers crossed!! But in the meantime this ‘wetness’ will damage my eye and maybe permanently like the last time when two injections cleared it up but the damage was already done!!
A very delicate piece of equipment this retina.
Anyway, I met some lovely people in the emergency waiting area and we had a really jolly time I think we managed extremely well to forget our pain and troubles and to spend much of our 7 hours together laughing.
 
Thanks for letting us know @gemma_T1 sorry to hear about the macular edema, paradoxically though, seems like the inflammation forced you to get medical help, and you found out about it earlier, than you might otherwise have done.

How are you getting on with those very high blood sugars? I wonder, and I know nothing, but I wonder if they were an early indicator of the inflammation. Keep us updated on how it all goes.
 

Yes, you’re right about that, my annual eye check is due on 1st October. But I’m going to get everything done privately on 3rd sept ... better to do it as early as possible.
Well things have got back to normal in that I’m back to having high spikes and lows instead of just constantly high
...
Before these constant high levels I had been constantly hypo-ing which doesn’t do the macular any favours either.
You may also be right about the high blood sugars. I’m now back on an almost normal basal for me of 12.5 units a day... so hopefully I’ll be back to my usual lower rate when the inflammation goes away...

Thanks for being so thoughtful

Best wishes
 

Is there any way you can get back to Italy and sooner than September/October, even if only for a few days or a week?

I know in your shoes, the edema would be playing on my mind, and that increased stress could make other aspects of your important diabetes care trickier in the meantime.

Good luck with it all. I feel for you.
 

Hi, I’ll be back 1st September. I could get a flight back but the only doctor I completely trust my eye health with will be on holiday in August. I only trust her with laser and she organizes my injections with a very human doctor as I am not the best patient to have injections in my eyes. It took ten different attempts the first time ... with all the older people saying it was nothing but I am needle phobic ... not great for a type one and let’s say eye phobic too ...it took me years to be able to have even just drops in my eyes without trying to run away
... I’ve obviously matured but still I have to have complete trust and patience and understanding to be a collaborative patient. They tried giving me Valium hoping it would calm me down and make me less anxious but it made me cry a river
no good for the doctor trying to disinfect the eye and then inject ... its funny when I think back on it now ...


Yesterday at the eye casualty, I was amazed at how far I had travelled from the absolutely terrified to accepting all kinds of stuff in my eyes with a zen like bearing ... mind the doctor was lovely and instilled confidence so I think that helped a lot.

Yes, you’re right I’m not going to enjoy a carefree summer with my family and friends in the North East as it will be praying on my mind.. all I can do until September is to get my bloods under control and try to stop these spikes and lows. They have been my downfall for roughly a decade now ... the Libre helps but it’s still tough ... and even though I live in Italy I have given up pasta, and many other carbs but still up it goes. Better than with the gluten free pasta though!

Thanks for being so kind... it’s much appreciated!

Best wishes!
 

Just as a final comment, and please don't take as my being critical of your approach, I'm merely picking up on what you're said.

You say you're a very nervy patent, when it comes to your eyes (my OH feels the same about eyes, but the word cataract has entered his life in the last year). I can't say I fancy eye treatment myself, but you say you wer astonished, yesterday, how far you had come on your confidence/trust journey with your eyes. Could it be worthwhile contacting your Doc, who will be away next month and asking him/her for their recommendation for someone you can see in their absence? I would phrase is along the lines of "if you had to have this sort of treatment, and were as nervy as me, who would you see?" and see what she would say?

I have a number of medic friends, but I wouldn't care to see them with an ill of any sort, so that's the approach I take. It makes them focus on the best person nthey can think of, because they'd be unlikely to just go to anyone themselves.

Sometimes we are forced, for a number od reasons, to shuffle our priorities. maybe this is such a time for you?

Good luck with it, whatever you choose to do.
 

Thankyou for being so considerate... I spoke to my eye specialist today and we decided to do everything the first week of September.
Maybe if it had been my good eye it would have been different, but as it stands it’s the one that took my driving license away 12 years ago. It took tennis and cycling away too .. what more can it do to me?
I have had two other specialists do one injection and some laser on that eye in the past when she was away and it didn’t end well.
I ended up in hospital with the injection as he hit a nerve when he injected and I cannot tell you the pain. The laser was done in the wrong area ... so after trying to trust others and it going wrong I’ll stick to her. She’s the best in her field here in Italy and worth every penny.

I totally understand where you are coming from which is why in the past I tried everything possible.
I do really appreciate your advice and I would probably give it to others as I know from experience that the longer the edema stays on your retina the more permanent the damage.

As for your other half re cataracts my aunt said it was absolutely nothing as did my mother-in -law and father-in-law. So I hope he finds the courage to do it. I know I would have trouble as I’ve been terrified of eyes since my great uncle used to put his glass eye above the mantelpiece and say he was keeping an eye on us

He had lost his eye in the Second World War.
It has haunted me since childhood and added to this my paternal grandmother had been in and out of the eye hospital from the age of 9 months and told such scary stories that eyes and needles became my worst nightmare...
you can imagine that becoming type one diabetic and having advanced retinopathy and wet macular degeneration made my nightmares come true

There are worse things I know ... and have experienced them too ...
I will eventually be able to have the Labrador I always wanted ( my husband has always refused to have a dog)... you always have to look on the bright side .. no more tennis or netball but a clever loving dog by you side.
I do really appreciate your advice enough to make ne call her today .. not an easy task ..
best wishes to you and your other half
 

Thanks for your message Gemma. I'm really glad you made the call and you have at least proven to yourself you're doing the right thing, for you, for the right reasons. There's nothing worse than a lingering "what if I had done....." lurking in the background.

My OH will have his cataracts done, and indeed the conversation was actually about how early he might look to doing it. As my friend's husband is an opthalmic surgeon, there my well soon be conversations over a glass of red.

It' funny how we all have our drivers and limiters in our lives. He'd rather do almost anything rather than have someone meddle with his etes, but on the other hand, he feels the cataracts, in one eye in particular, are affecting his golf. Now, trust me, that's serious!

Good luck for September, and as you say, you have an increased motivator try try to tame the bloods rollercoaster you seem to have been wrestling for a while.
 
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