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Vision question

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Posted 4/15/2010 3:00 PM (GMT 0)
Long story, short...Prior to last week I was not on meds or considered diabetic.  Last week put on 500mg Metformin and insulin due to 300-450 bgl.  Doctor seems to think that a hormone pill I recently started taking was the catalyst for this.   I am now taking nightly Lantus and up to 24 units and adjusting up each night until my fasting bgl is under 150.  Getting close, this morning fasting was 170.  Quite an improvement in a week from the upper 300's I was getting.  I have also had no breads, chips or carbs other than those found in vegetables, and other whole foods.  So overall, I feel like I am doing my part in controlling my eating.  Now this question, the last three days my vision is getting blurrier and blurrier.  I know you can get blurry vision from high bgl but mine have come way down.  They still are hitting mid to upper 200's after meals but better than over 400 after meals.  If my vision is from the high bgl's, why would it be happening now and not a week ago when my numbers were so high?
Posted 4/15/2010 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know.  I've read that blurriness related to blood sugar can take weeks or longer to clear up as the blood sugar is brought down to normal.  I think you should also see an eye doctor since you've had such high blood sugar.  The eye doctor can do a thorough examination of your eyes and determine if there's been any damage to the eye.  So, it's not just the blurriness to be concerned about but if there's been damage to the eye because of the diabetes.  Even if your blood sugar is better and being brought under control, there might still be changes to the eye that only a professional can see. 

Let me tell you about my own problem.  I've never had very high blood sugar, only "elevated" according to my doctor but if I were to have continued as before she would have put me on meds.  Now, I keep it under control with a no carb diet, but  when I went for a routine eye exam a couple of years ago, they found I had the onset of glaucoma, high pressure behind the eyes.  Glaucoma is related to diabetes and can lead to blindness if untreated.  I didn't have any symptoms.  I was given eye drops but after 6 months it was still hard to keep the pressure down, so the doctor did a laser procedure on each eye to help drain the fluid behind the eyes to reduce pressure.  I still put drops in.  This is to tell you that it's very important for an ophthamologist to look at your eyes.  There are ways for them to look behind your eyes and do measurements I've never knew existed.  

Posted 4/15/2010 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
We really need a yearly opthalmological exam to be sure we're not developing eye problems. In addition to glaucoma and cataracts, diabetes can be associated with diabetic retinopathy, where small vessels in the retina bleed and damage the retina. That can also lead to blindness, but can be treated very effectively if found early on.

It's a good idea to see an ophthomologist (MD) rather than and optometrist (DO) because they can treat any problems and have more training in diagnosis.
Posted 4/15/2010 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your reply. I was thinking I should wait it out but now I am thinking I should get in for an eye exam.
Posted 4/15/2010 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, please do!  I have been a diabetic for 18 years and have seen an opthomologist yearly.  I have always had a clean bill of health when it came to my eyes, but last fall the very beginnings of glaucoma reared it's head.  I'm on eye drops now and should be just fine because they caught it in the earliest stages.  My doctor said it's the people that wait and the damage occurs that has the major problems with glaucoma.  I now have my eyes checked every four months.  Vision is too important to fool around with.

 

Sherrine

Posted 4/15/2010 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
I believe optometrists normally test eye pressure and other eye conditions during an eye exam when patients reach a certain age.  So, since I wear glasses, it was during one of these exams that I was told my pressure was too high and I was sent to an ophthomologist.  I wonder about those people who have never worn glasses, however.  They may not have regular eye exams until something goes wrong and by then, maybe damage has already been done.    
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