Retinopathy- tightening up terrible control- how fast?

Hi,

Here is some information on this

http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/Informa ... ients.html

You should be on Lisinopril as it has protective effects on the eyes and kidneys and will help to reduce your blood pressure which is another factor that will cause problems if it is high.

If you have not been prescribed Lisinopril ask your GP to do that as soon as possible; it is a normal preventative drug that many diabetics take.

Read the advice about diet that gets posted to the new joiners; perhaps you had already had that posted to you? You need to start managing your carbohydrates and the insulin you take to deal with them.

I don't know what the current thinking is on how quickly you need to drop your average blood sugars is; but it is something that is said again and again here so it's disappointing that your doctor hasn't heard of this. Hopefully someone will come along with a better time line; my feeling though is that the risk comes from dropping from really high to really low in a few days. If you gradually reduce sugars over a month or so that might be a better idea.

It is never too late to take control of your diabetes; because either you control it or it controls you - your choice.

Best

Dillinger

My understanding is that you are at the sage just before the new blood vessels grow, So this means that laser may very well stop it in its tracks. Maybe you will have lalser at your net appointment.?

In the hospital I atttend I acually see the consultant in the laser clinic so he can decide on the spot whether or not laser is necessary or appropriate at the ime. Very often I will go prepared for laser but i won't be done or vice versa,
Things can change quickly.. I hope that doesn't frighten you but I think from your post that it migh reassure you.

The bleeds are leaksages of fluid into the reina but wihout he red colouring. It depends whether he bleed affecs the macula and your central vision as o wheher you will notice but some people are always aware that it has happpened. Others do indeed have to wait to be told. You can learn to recognise the signs for yourself in time. I expect they are different for everyone.

Yes , it was definitely reducing my bg levels which caused my problems . Twice!

I can't suggest an ideal level for you to aim at but i would suggest that you start by trying o achieve stability at an easily aceivable level for yourself. Swinging between 7 and 17 would not be ideal. Even if its a igher level than you would evenually aim for I would try to avoid the spikes and lows as the most important thing . This is probably best achieved gradually.

Hope this helps. Very few doctors have heard about the dangers of reducing lebvels oo quickly but the opthalmologists seem to assume it is common knowledge. Do wish they would learn to communicate with each other.

Hope this helps glad you now seem to have recovered a lile from your shock. Its very hard to come o terms wih at first but all is not lost. You can still have very successful reatment which will stop it in its tracks.

I have just read Dillinger's post , he posted just before I did. I think he is quite right about dropping suddenly from high to low is the real problem with reducing levels for most people. We are all diffferent so it is impossible o be more specific but your fluctuating levels are probably doing more harm than a more stable higher level at the moment.

I am of course, speaking as a T2 and it may well be different ofr T1s but the doctor in the eye clinic who first told me this had assumed that i was T1 so I am assuming i hat it is the same for everyone.

Good blood glucose control, blood pressure and cholesterol are all ways in which you can prevent and stop diabetic retinopathy progressing, this is from the the same site which Dillinger posted earlier:

http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/retinop ... ession.htm

I've been in remission with Retinopathy for over 5 years now, as well as controlling the above I mentioned it was advised that I eat a diet rich in dark coloured fruit and vegetables.....apparently the darker coloured varieties are beneficial to eye health, if you do decide to tighten your control take heed of the information given on the link.

Saoirse said:

Thank you it's good to hear from people, thank you for engaging in discussion with me about this. I'm afraid I get terribly anxious, becoming dizzy and nauseated and hyperventilating (I have counselling specifically for medical anxiety, it has been a very real and persistant thing since childhood) when reading things like that Birminghan Uni website, even though it's well designed making the information very accessable- so I do rather prefer to talk to people directly.

Click to expand...

The Birmingham website is great at explaining things well without getting too deep, hope things improve for you from here-on!