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retinopathy

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starlight1

Well-Known Member
Messages
67
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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people who have no manners
hi there, i have been diagnosed with haveing retinopathy. I would like to hear from anyone else who has had the same diagnosis . I have background retinopathy at the moment and i am wondering how long it takes for the next stage of retinopathy to strike and what treatment you have had. I have only been diagnosed with type 2 for a year and im still learning how to fight the symptoms, my blood sugars are still quite high at 14 and i am on 3x500 mg of metformin and 40 mg of gliclazide, 80 mg of atorvostatin at present. any advice would be appreciated. thank you x
 
HI
I am a type1 diabetic and have been for36yrs. Retinopathy is to do with the blood vessels at the back of the eye. It can look like raspberries when they dilate your eye, these can be treated with laser.
I have retinopathy in both eyes, both eyes are lasered all round. I have a continual bleed in my left eye with Macular edema, Which is where the Macular swells and your sight becomes blurry. All my problems are with the left eye, I am awaiting to go into hospital to have the Vitreous Jelly removed to try and stop the bleeds holding in the jelly, as all i can see is blood which keeps squirting.
The best thing i can say is try and keep your sugars at a reasonable level, if you can walk for twenty minutes aday i find that brings my sugar levels down and try to watch your carbohydrates you are eating.
It sounds scary but it is treatable. Just hope i haven't put you off.
Please look after yourself.
Tracey
 
Starlight1

Background retinopathy needn't progress to needing laser treatment if you can gently lower your bg to better levels. I have had background r now twice - once when I was going to pubs and clubs a lot in my late 20's and also in 2007. With tighter control of bg, the background r cleared and my eye scans are all ok.

I think you should go back to your GP and express your concern about the retinopathy and ask what other med you could take to get your bg levels lower. Have you adjusted your diet carb wise? Can you test your bg levels to find out what effect the carb you are eating has on your bg?
 
Hi Starlight1,
Have you just had your retinopathy screening for the first time, and been told you have "some background retinopathy not requiring treatment at present?"
If so, don't be alarmed! Just about everybody (whether diabetic or not) has some background retinopathy if they've a few years under their belts. This is the stock letter we all get; it states the bare facts only, and it need not mean you are on the slippery slope to serious problems. I bet you get exactly the same letter next year! I've had it five years running. Be encouraged....
 
thankyou for your reply. this was the second retinopathy screening i had, i got the letter several weeks after the screening. my gp seems non chalant about it he never told me how i could imrove it or slow it down and i was left feeling very scared. ive been given hope by your reply and the repliels from other members, i will try to reduce my bg readings and go on a low carb mission. thanks once again to you all for your support. x
 
dont try to reduce your BGS to lower levels too quickly. Do it gradually as this can cause bleeds.

I use maritime pine bark and things seem to have improved, the right eye is getting closer to a vitrectomy - it doesnt bleed as easily as the other did before I used this stuff. Had left done already. Bluberry, lutein and grape seed extract can apparently help - I try the lot!

I had lots of laser before. My eyes are frankly **** at night now thanks to laser.

Look around on here for tips and vitamins that might be useful
 
Since 2007 I have regularly taken 100mg Thiamine tablet every day. Before I got myself onto an insulin pump my consultant recommended that I relax my control on bg levels a bit and allow my hba1c to increase. This I did for 3 months and it went from 6.7 - 7.4%. The background r never returned so I was pleased but also surprised on how good thiamine can be. When my a1c was 7.2% I got it but had not taken any thiamine. It does seem as though thiamine can offer some protection but do google it first.
 
Vitamin D3 is also a supplement that is supposed to help...Good luck I hope you reverse it, it looks like some people on here have given you some reassurance and hope..me too! if it did ever happen, Thanks
 
I've already given an account of how Aqu running got my sugar down and stopped me having to take more medication. It's great when you get into the routine and believe me, you feel good after it. If you are serious about getting to grips, you have to do something, it won't 'just happen'.. I say again, take up aqu running or even swimming! It's been amazing for me...
You can only halt the destruction that will ensue by taking charge and doing something about it.
I was in the same mode as others, talking about it and doing little about it, eating what I shouldn't and complaining about the problems that came from that. Be positive and take charge of diabetes by making a positive move towards preventing further problems. :wink:
What has this to do with eye issue?... well there are a lot more people heading that direction if they don't get to grips with their own diabetes... so this is by way of trying to encourage others to do something and prevent any eye problems.
 
Hi there,
I was diagnosed with the same thing last year and to be honest I was absolutely devastated, two days ago I went for my screening and check-up and I was discharged because the deposit that made my eye bleed has healed itself! The only thing I did differently (my long term results seem to run a little high as well at 8.2) was to take advice from people on these forums and take LUTEIN 50mg once a day and BILBERRY 5000mg three times a day. It will heal. End of story. I buy the Lutein from SIMPLY SUPPLEMENTS as they have a buy one get one free offer and it is the cheapest I could find: http://www.simplysupplements.net/search ... x=0&go.y=0
and the bilberry from Healthspan:
http://www.healthspan.co.uk/search/?query=bilberry.
A friend of my Mum with type 1 was always having bleeds in his eyes and had operations every so often, when he was off work with yet another bleed, I got my Mum to give him a bottle of Lutein and a strip of my bilberry and the doctors have said his eyes are a lot better and they couldn't understand why, a year on he is not experiencing any more visual disturbances. Obviously better control would also help but we all know that it is very difficult to control. Take the supplements and write back when you next go to the clinic, I think you will be surprised!!
Ju xx
 
Don't even think about it, buy the lutein and bilberry NOW!
and no I don't work for the above mentioned companies!!!
 
Hi munchkin1976.

50mg of Lutein? How long have you been taking it? I have retinopathy, and take Lutein, but I thought you had to take a low dose so I only take 6mg per day. Sounds as though my dosage isn't going to do much good then.

Helena
 
that is a lot of Bilberry - and Bilberry can give you restless nights so I wouldnt be taking any within a few hours of bedtime!

I'd research and not rely solely on what others tell you on these forums then you can make a more informed decision.

6mg is normal intake requirement for Lutein. Whether 50mg is more effective is up for debate and questionable. Not always increasing the amount of supplements is good for you...

Personally I take 5000mg bilberry just twice a day and am taking 50mg lutein only in the last couple of weeks as I have had a large bleed - i want to see if it actually helps or hinders recovery.

If I see no difference I will go back to these:

Previously Ive taken 10mg Lutein and 400mg Bilberry. I've still had a bleed tho...its not a miracle cure and large doses can do more harm than good so try at your risk. These amounts are above RDA's.
 
I have no problem with lutein but haven't really noticed any esuls. A while ago I read somewhere on this site that two anti-oidane s taken together were better than one so I bought myself some bilberry extract as others have advised. They have made me sick each time I tried them.

IThe one's I have tried had beetroot powder in themand I wondered if this was causing the nausea.

As my sight is so bad I have trouble researching online. Would someone be kind enough to tell me if all the bilberry capsules contain beeroot powder please?

Thanks .
 
You said you take 5000mg of Bilberry extract twice daily.

I am a little confused over the dosage. I have been looking at Diabetic Retinopathy in several books and online and the dosage they seem to quote is 320mg per day.

The herbalist in London site Baldwins says:

"Strengthen blood vessels in the eye and improve vision with this herbal remedy; take 320 mg a day of an extract standardised for 25% anthocyanosides".

I purchased the standardised ones quoted but as they were 100mg each tablet I have been taking 3 per day over the last week as I didn't want to exceed the dosage to 4 as thought 400mg would be too much. You said you take 5000mg twice daily is that correct ???
 


Tight control undoubtedly helps as does keeping bp and cholesterol below the recommended limit for people with diabetes. I've had previous problems with diabetic retinopathy but thankfully my eyes have been settled for the last 5 years, I eat blueberries everyday with my breakfast and do honestly believe they have helped in improving my eye health.

Nigel
 
This US Gov site gives useful info on supplements.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... l/202.html

It describes their possible benefits, interactions and the amounts of the supplements that have been used in trials and has links to those trials. There are several trials on Bilberry and night vision but only one (in German) on retinopathy.
On Bilberry dose it says
-
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... l/202.html
Just to check I did a quick search on pubmed, I found s some recent rodent cell research using bilberry extract but this was direct use on the retinal cells, not oral use.
 
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