Eye sight issues?

[water4623]

Hello Everybody,

This is my first time on the forum as I was diagnosed the week before Christmas.

Since being on medication my eye sight has completely changed, where by I had worn glasses/contacts for over 20 year and I had a negative prescription it has now changed to a positive prescription.

Is this normal, has it happened to anybody else?

Appreciate all and any help 🙂

 

[pippaandben]

You will find your eyesight will change as you manage to bring your blood glucose levels down. I found I did not need to use distance glasses when pre diagnosis I found difficulty in reading road signs even with glasses. Then as my body got used to me being at lower level as a norm it changed again.

It is not worth getting new glasses until your levels have stabilised. If your reading distance is the problem then get some cheap magnifying ones.

When you do see the optician do tell them your levels, date of diagnosis and how long you have been on medication. It is also worth asking what experience they have in dealing with a newly diagnosed diabetic- or rather who is the best member of staff to see in this circumstance. Do not accept a reply that they all have experience - they may do, but some have a particular expertise. I was lucky enough to get one who had done her doctorate in "eye changes in diabetes"

 

[Northerner]

Hello water4623, welcome to the forum 🙂

Can't really add to what @pippaandben has said. It's common for this to happen, but as things settle down, so does the eyesight 🙂 Very frustrating! I bought myself some poundshop reading glasses to 'see' me through! 🙂

 

[water4623]

Thank you for the info, any idea how long it will take to settle down, my levels are stable now but still my eye sight is completely changed

 

[Northerner]

Thank you for the info, any idea how long it will take to settle down, my levels are stable now but still my eye sight is completely changed

Hopefully soon - I think it took about 5-6 weeks for me 🙂 The problem is caused by the excess glucose pre-diagnosis distorting the shape of the lens in the eye, I think it can vary how long it takes a person to get back to normal 🙂

 

[trophywench]

The advice is still as it was as far as I know - don't retest your eyes/get new glasses until your BG has been controlled for 3 months. It took 6 weeks for my eyes to get back to normal, and I went straight back to my pre-D reading glasses no prob whatever. There again with T1, there had not been gradual changes over a long period, in fact I had the problems within 2 days of starting on insulin so there obviously were gradual changes prior to diagnosis though presumably over a shorter period, weeks or a few months rather than the years it may take T2 to get established.