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ANDREW Cooper

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Type 2
Hi everyone, I'm Andy, I was diagnosed on 27th June as type 2, at that point my blood level was 25.8% got it down over the last 2 weeks to a respectable 5.6- 6.0 %. currently taking 1 * Gliclazide 80mg tabs twice a day with 2 Metformin 500 mg twice a day as well. a strange side affect i have with Metformin, it has really helped with my COPD, It has reduced my need for inhalers dramatically. It is nice to be able to breath more easily. But as my levels have gone down, my eyesight really has gone to pot, apparently the high sugar levels was masking how bad my eyes had got. Has anyone else come accross this problem when you have been diagnosed ?
 
Welcome to the forum Andrew, from a fellow T2.
 
Welcome Andrew, you were diagnosed on my birthday! My experience was the opposite, things finally went to pot when my bg peaked at 22, my eyesight was all over the place. I usually wear contacts or glasses but my vision would fluctuate throughout the day. Now that things are under control, my eyesight has settled. You will get very well looked after with eyecare now you have a diagnosis so do let your doctor know you are having problems. Strange side effects with your COPD, hope that continues for you :D
 
Eyesight going to pot after you start bringing your BG down, is a very common thing that happens after diagnosis. It's to do with the amount of liquid that appears in your eyeball, and it temporarily changes the shape of your eyes which kicks the lenses and the other bits, out of kilter with each other. It takes a while to get back to normal, usually 4 - 6 weeks and it's a bore! However the official advice is not to have your eyes re-tested until 2-3 months have passed since diagnosis for the simple reason it is only temporary and it would be daft investing £££££ in new glasses which will be useless to you in a few weeks - any decent optician will tell you exactly that too.

If you need to invest in strong 'ready readers' just for a week or two then do so to get by, but otherwise don't bother wasting time effort and money - just be patient!
 
CathyB said:
Welcome Andrew, you were diagnosed on my birthday! My experience was the opposite, things finally went to pot when my bg peaked at 22, my eyesight was all over the place. I usually wear contacts or glasses but my vision would fluctuate throughout the day. Now that things are under control, my eyesight has settled. You will get very well looked after with eyecare now you have a diagnosis so do let your doctor know you are having problems. Strange side effects with your COPD, hope that continues for you :D
Click to expand...

Thank you Cathy for responding, i hope you had a great birthday BTW. My eyesight has changed quite dramatically, I have had an eye exam and they found that my distance prescription has changed to almost the same as my old reading glasses, so am wearing those till new ones are made, and my reading prescription has changed a great deal,
 
I can confirm what trophywench has said
My eyesight went progressive more long sighted to the point that I could drive without glasses before returning to my normal - 2.5 & Ieven had to by a cheak (£1.50) pair of +2.5 reading glasses so that I could read al the usefull Diabetes books I had downloaded to my kindle! (check the recommendation out on this sight, they should be considered essential reading)
the 4 -6 week estimate seems to be about right.
 
trophywench said:
Eyesight going to pot after you start bringing your BG down, is a very common thing that happens after diagnosis. It's to do with the amount of liquid that appears in your eyeball, and it temporarily changes the shape of your eyes which kicks the lenses and the other bits, out of kilter with each other. It takes a while to get back to normal, usually 4 - 6 weeks and it's a bore! However the official advice is not to have your eyes re-tested until 2-3 months have passed since diagnosis for the simple reason it is only temporary and it would be daft investing £££££ in new glasses which will be useless to you in a few weeks - any decent optician will tell you exactly that too.

If you need to invest in strong 'ready readers' just for a week or two then do so to get by, but otherwise don't bother wasting time effort and money - just be patient!
Click to expand...
I didn't find this out til a year after I'd bought a new pair of glasses.
 
Well you have to tell the optician you have only just been diagnosed but if he doesn't say anything after knowing that I can only hope you've never seen him since and have changed your optician!
 
Hear Hear or is it here here Not quite sure but I agree🙂.
 
ANDREW Cooper said:
Thank you Cathy for responding, i hope you had a great birthday BTW. My eyesight has changed quite dramatically, I have had an eye exam and they found that my distance prescription has changed to almost the same as my old reading glasses, so am wearing those till new ones are made, and my reading prescription has changed a great deal,
Click to expand...
Hi Andrew, when my optician did new glasses for me during the time I was developing T1, and consequently a useless pair of glasses once diagnosed and back in track, they refunded the cost and put new lenses in for me, as they felt that they should have picked this up as the change they saw was so big.
If you told them about your diabetes, you will o doubt need a change again once you get your levels under control.
 
trophywench said:
Well you have to tell the optician you have only just been diagnosed but if he doesn't say anything after knowing that I can only hope you've never seen him since and have changed your optician!
Click to expand...
Exactly, what a rip off. Anything for a sale. In a few weeks....the glasses will be no good. I had a new pair of expensive glasses made in December, got diagnosed in Feb, meds made my eyes perfect, after a few weeks had to wear my new glasses again, I was the happiest person to have bad eyesight back 🙂
 
I went to the good old pound shop, spent a fiver on a range of different strength readings glasses and just swapped and changed between them as required 😎
 
I was advised by the doctor to get my eyes checked as the change in my vision was so dramatic, Just to make sure there was nothing sinister going on. Which thankfully there isnt. I have taken on board all of your lovely recommendations and will hold fire for another 6 weeks or so before i get some new specs. Thanks everyone.
 
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