Eyes... Please help

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EmsySeth

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Type 2
Hi, was wondering if I could have some help.

Going to be having weight loss surgery, and have gone hard on Keto in preparation to maintain sugar level for surgery.

Have been doing strict keto for the last two months, and around the same time I started, I began to get eye flickering, In both eyes, and then mainly in my left eye.

Had some blurred vision, but knew that change in sugar levels could affect it, as did when I initially went onto insulin and my blood sugars came down.

The last few days I've had really bad blurring intermittently, with what feels like something being stuck in my eye, and a feeling, like I've been swimming and eyes are stinging with chlorine. (Have not been swimming in years)

I phoned local eye hospital that initially they said they thought this was down to the lens changing shape due to decrease in blood sugar, but when they found out I had not had an eye screening for a few years (I know, I know) they wanted to see me today, but I couldn't get out of work and hoping to get in this week.

My anxiety is through the roof, and have convinced myself this isn't down to sugars and I have retinopathy.

Could really do with an ear as it's worrying me so much, has anyone else experienced this, not just blurring but the flickering, feeling like something is in eye. Is this what retinopathy is, or a side effect of 20g of carbs a day?
 
Certainly a sudden drop in blood glucose can cause problems with your eyes, it should be a priority to get it checked out. Some of those symptoms don't quite sound consistent, it is usually just poor focus.
Are you still taking insulin as if so you need to be careful with Keto, as low as 20g carbs is seriously Keto.
 
Hi, Yes I'm still taking 8 units of insulin. Have stopped my Metformin for now and I was on 8 units in evening, but stopped that when I started Keto. I'm Def going to get it checked, but will probably be Friday when I'm seen, and the anxiety is driving me mad xx
 
EmsySeth said:
Hi, Yes I'm still taking 8 units of insulin. Have stopped my Metformin for now and I was on 8 units in evening, but stopped that when I started Keto. I'm Def going to get it checked, but will probably be Friday when I'm seen, and the anxiety is driving me mad xx
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Good you are getting checked out.
Just to clarify you are taking 8 units of insulin and only 20g carbs per day. What insulin are you taking?
 
Is it the SC part?
 

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No, it’s the green i after the word Humulin (thanks for the photo). That i stands for isophane. It’s a long-acting basal insulin. How are your blood sugars on 20g carbs? Are you just taking the Humulin i at night?
 
Ok, 6 is fine but do watch out for hypos. Keep hypo treatment near/with you at all times. It might be that your insulin needs reducing if you go too low.

Sorry about your eye troubles. You’re doing the right thing having them checked. It might not be anything to do with the diabetes. Don’t assume it is. Wait until they’re checked. I hope they’re ok and this is a temporary non-diabetic condition. You mentioned it felt like something was in your eye. Have you looked carefully in case there is? Have you had a recent cold? Conjunctivitis can cause burning and blurriness.
 
Nothing in eye, and no signs of conjunctivitis so far. It just all started around the same time as Keto, but can't seem to find anyone else with same symptoms, and keep seeing retinopathy, but don't know anyone with it to ask if they have had same
 
There are some people here who’ve got retinopathy. I can’t remember any names at the moment, but if I do I’ll tag them for you. Your difficulty is that you’ve not had a recent eye screen. If you had and it had been ok, then I think it would be unlikely for retinopathy to come on so quickly and to such an extent that you had symptoms, but that’s just a guess from me. Whatever it is, it’s needs checking.

Edited to add that I think @Kaylz had some retinopathy but I’m not sure if she’s still around. Will add more names if I think of them x
 
Thank you so much X I suffer with anxiety, so the wait is making it really difficult.
I appreciate your help, it means a lot x
 
You’re very welcome. I hope everything turns out ok for you x
 
A quick Google told me that keto can cause dry eyes @EmsySeth Perhaps that’s the answer? One person said his eyes were quite sore.
 
Hi @EmsySeth

I’m sorry you’re having issues with your eyes and hope you get reassurance asap.

I’ve had proliferative retinopathy & the first issues I had was seeing blood inside my eye as fragile eye vessels leaked, this totally obscured my vision & stopped me in my tracks. . Up until that through the other stages of background & preproliferative I didn’t have any noticeable symptoms and was completely unaware I had retinopathy. This was in the 1980s pre organised annual retinal screening. It usually develops over time through stages background, preproliferative & proliferative.


Hopefully it is something else that can be sorted and put your mind at rest. Best wishes.
 
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I had a similar situation with my eyes last month. Feeling like something in my eye, dry/sometimes blurry and irritated. Was conjunctivitis, wasn’t gunky but I’d imagine if I left it any longer it would have been. I went to the pharmacy and got drops. Everything went away after 5 days on the drops - hope this helps and you get some relief soon!
 
If you feel like something is stuck in your eye but you can't see anything, then it's likely conjunctivitis but no-one on this forum is an ophthalmologist (at least I don't think they are) so you need to get yourself to the emergency eye clinic and get checked out. I know you said you couldn't get out of work but this stuff is important and work would understand surely.

I've had all sorts of eye issues since being diagnosed T2 but I have a proper diagnosis. It's still a concern but at least I know for definite and I'm not guessing.
 
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