• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

HELP...& Hi...blurred vision

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.

Carl Jukes

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi All,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last week, with glucose levels around 20.
I've been put on NovoMix30 (2 x per day 10 / 12 intake) & Metformin 1 x per day
Levels since starting the meds are fluctuating between 6 and 12
Got lots of questions, but the main concern at the moment, is my vision???
Before diagnosis, long vision was ok, but now really blurred.... how long does this last?
And, why if levels dropping is eyesight getting worse?

Not even sure how to post this as never joined a forum but think this will be for life now and this seems a good site to get advice from people who have the same as me
Feel totally lost at moment with so many questions to ask and advice needed
Thanks Carl
 
Its because high BG changes the shape of your eyes - this happened gradually as it increased so you didn't really notice it.

Now you're putting a stop to that your eyes cannot change back again that quickly - but they will get there as soon as they can so don't worry - they will !
 
I had an issue with eyesight changing dramatically when I first started reducing my BG. All back to normal now and I've had 2 eye checks, 1 at optician's and 1 at hospital diabetic screening clinic. See this thread I started.
 
Hi All,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last week, with glucose levels around 20.
I've been put on NovoMix30 (2 x per day 10 / 12 intake) & Metformin 1 x per day
Levels since starting the meds are fluctuating between 6 and 12
Got lots of questions, but the main concern at the moment, is my vision???
Before diagnosis, long vision was ok, but now really blurred.... how long does this last?
And, why if levels dropping is eyesight getting worse?

Not even sure how to post this as never joined a forum but think this will be for life now and this seems a good site to get advice from people who have the same as me
Feel totally lost at moment with so many questions to ask and advice needed
Thanks Carl
Hi Carl
Warm welcome to the forum .
 
Hi All
Thanks for the reassurance this has happened to others - thought I was going blind
I am sure I will learn things along way but here are a few initial questions :
1. how do you all get to know about these (Not exactly sure but here goes) H1ABC or something like that - the results ???
2. how will I know if type 1 or 2 - only doctor has said type 1 and given me isulin to take - but how can they be 100% its not type 2 ???
3. I know this is not top of importance but getting a new car 1st March - when do I need to advise dvla and insurance - does insurance shoot up for diabetics ????
4. at moment I can see glucose levels dropping but only after a week still between 6-12. is brown bread bad or how many potatoes - who / where do I go for good information - don't want to make myself worse


If anyone has time please answer as many above questions
Sorry to be all over the place but still in shock as I am 45, 10 & half stone and thought was healthy - only went to docs with dehydration - feel like life has ended at moment and so down

Thanks all
Carl.
 
Hi All
Thanks for the reassurance this has happened to others - thought I was going blind
I am sure I will learn things along way but here are a few initial questions :
1. how do you all get to know about these (Not exactly sure but here goes) H1ABC or something like that - the results ???
2. how will I know if type 1 or 2 - only doctor has said type 1 and given me isulin to take - but how can they be 100% its not type 2 ???
3. I know this is not top of importance but getting a new car 1st March - when do I need to advise dvla and insurance - does insurance shoot up for diabetics ????
4. at moment I can see glucose levels dropping but only after a week still between 6-12. is brown bread bad or how many potatoes - who / where do I go for good information - don't want to make myself worse


If anyone has time please answer as many above questions
Sorry to be all over the place but still in shock as I am 45, 10 & half stone and thought was healthy - only went to docs with dehydration - feel like life has ended at moment and so down

Thanks all
Carl.
Life hasn't ended, its just harder than before. Try not to be down, it doesn't help your levels (what does?!).

1. Your GP might have done your H1abc test, its an average test across a period, I think up to 3 months.
2. I have heard of people being told T2 but then its wrong and they are T1, but not the other way. Not sure what tests they did? If they say type 1 then I would go with that's right
3. You tell DVLA straight away, you shouldn't be driving if they dont know, and with your eyes impacted its dangerous.
4. Online can be good for carb counting, I have a leaflet off my team that's what I use. There is an app carbs and cals which is good or they have a book http://www.carbsandcals.com/app/app
A slice of bread can be between 1 CP and 2 CP. Depends on the bread. Same with potatoes a small baked potato can be 2 but large is up to 7. Depends how they are cooked.

You are not alone!
 
We find differnt things affect us differently. There is no one size fits all .
 
Phoebe, you won't find the term CPs in use hardly at all now - a brief flash in the pan they were! Usually, just grams now - though some of us never even changed LOL (they say if you keep a thing long enough it comes back into fashion LOL)
 
Hi All,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last week, with glucose levels around 20.
I've been put on NovoMix30 (2 x per day 10 / 12 intake) & Metformin 1 x per day
Levels since starting the meds are fluctuating between 6 and 12
Got lots of questions, but the main concern at the moment, is my vision???
Before diagnosis, long vision was ok, but now really blurred.... how long does this last?
And, why if levels dropping is eyesight getting worse?

Not even sure how to post this as never joined a forum but think this will be for life now and this seems a good site to get advice from people who have the same as me
Feel totally lost at moment with so many questions to ask and advice needed
Thanks Carl

Hi Carl..
I'm brand new here too, only diagnosed with T1 within the last few days.... My sight is all over the place. I'm grand far away, but reading my phone, or packets for ingredients, is brutal lol .. Hope mine settles down too
 
Welcome u2 ! I know hydration is good for health & it affects my wellbeing. Good luck 🙂
 
I was diagnosed in November as type 1 with readings over 33. Mine can still be high, around 18 sometimes. My vision, as the levels reduced, was awful. I couldn't see or read things that were under my nose. It didn't last long though and over the Christmas period have settled.
It does seem like a lot to take in! And my diagnosis came out the blue aswell. Take all the advice you can from here 🙂
 
Welcome u2 ! I know hydration is good for health & it affects my wellbeing. Good luck 🙂
Cheers Hobie... I'm on abt 9 or 10 pints of water a day so that part should be ok, i'm sure it'll settle in its own time...
 
Welcome Carl - and also James 🙂

The problem with blurry eyesight is perfectly normal for new diabetics - as others have said, please don't worry. It should settle down within a couple of weeks. But if you usually wear glasses, don't get any new glasses for the first few months, so you can be sure your eyes are completely back to normal before you do.

Re questions 1 and 2, do ask your GP, or whoever ordered the tests, to give you your results - it helps to see the numbers improving as you start to treat the diabetes 🙂 - and it's also reassuring to know that the right tests have been done (or to ask for them to be done if they haven't!). They can be 100% sure it's type 1 if they've done the right tests (as well as HbA1c, they should have done a GAD antibodies test and a c-peptide test), though given your relatively low weight and general healthiness, they may feel they have enough information with just some of those - for instance, I don't think they bothered to give me a c-peptide test because my GAD antibodies test results were so astronomically off the scale. As Pheobe says, though, doctors are much more likely to misdiagnose people as having type 2 when they really have type 1, I've not heard of it happening the other way round either.

I've no idea what a CP is (sorry Pheobe!), but now you are on insulin you can and should eat some carbohydrates - just don't overdo it! Brown bread, brown rice, and potatoes are all OK in small portions, but try to avoid white bread, white rice, pasta, and pizza for now, until you get the hang of which foods suit your metabolism (it varies from person to person, so you will need to test 2 hours after meals to find out). Fruit will mostly be OK in small portions, but avoid fruit juice unless your blood sugar goes under 4 (have you been taught what to do if this happens? - it's important you know.). Oats might be OK for you (it varies from person to person) but try to avoid packet cereals as they are very sugary. If you eat things like biscuits stick to plain ones, like Hobnobs, and one at a time!

But overall, eat plenty of fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts, veg, and salad, and try to make sure you eat your carbs at mealtimes along with these for now.

It's worth asking your diabetes team (have you been referred to a hospital diabetes team, or were you diagnosed by your GP? - if the latter, ask your GP to refer you to a diabetes specialist nurse, or DSN, at the nearest hospital, asap) if in the longer term they would change you to multiple daily injections (MDI) instead of the mixed insulin you're on at the moment, as mixed insulin is a very old-fashioned treatment, though they do sometimes still give it to new diabetics while they are getting used to things. Don't let the idea of MDI worry you - the multiple is 4 rather than 2, not a huge number - but it makes a huge difference to what you can eat and when, and means your lifestyle can be much more flexible - you will be able to eat whatever you want whenever you want, more or less, rather than having to eat to match your insulin.
 
Thnx for the response. Yeah funnily enough, I had visited my optician that morning, and ordered new glasses, then had my doctors appt in the afternoon, to get hit with this bombshell... luckily I mentioned my optician, and he told me to ring immediately and cancel the prescription....
 
Hi and welcome
If it makes you feel any better I am typing this with my temp grandad looking glasses 3.5’s from Sainsbury’s lol!! Pre diagnosis I have glasses for computer work and post diagnosis I seriously thought I was going blind. I’m still using huge font on my phone and honestly have struggled. Even managed to do a head first onto the bus the other week as I couldn’t see without the glasses but they made my peripheral vision behave like I was on acid. Sooooo bizarre. So I’m about 7 weeks post T1 diagnosis and was diagnosed by emergency admission to hospital and really had no idea how bad it was. I was close to diabetic coma. I have just turned 50 and always been reasonably healthy and pretty strong so this was a hell of a shock. I completely understand the omg factor and a bit of grief and a little despair and a whole lot of questions ! I too had never used a forum but this site has been invaluable. I’ve trolled through lots of posts and just taken in heaps of info. I now basically eat a low to no carb diet and have tested tested tested blood glucose whilst figuring out what foods I respond how too. I’m still figuring some of that out. My vision is slowly coming right but not there yet but at least I am now sure I’m not going blind ! I’ve experienced some lows which is pretty yuk but in a way it’s good to know how I feel and I’m starting to get a sense of where my blood glucose is at. My GP is useless but my diabetic nurse at the hospital and consultant have been amazing. All I can say is don’t blame yourself and life doesn’t stop now. I am just grateful that if I had to be diagnosed with something then it is this and not something way worse. Keep reading and keep asking and don’t ever feel alone. We are all in it together 🙂 take good care x
 
Welcome
The carbohydrates (carbs) in your slice of bread will depend on how big it is. If it is homemade you will haev to make a good guess and then gradually adjust it. For a guide a slice of our is 25-30 g of carbs. For bought bread ina packet it should tell you on the label.

All the carb counting will become just part of your new normal. At the moment you will be just gradually getting your levels down and then start to adjust things to match your needs. This takes time, so be patient and just keep coming on here and asking questions. There is a wealth of know,edge from people very happy to help.
 
Thnx for the response. Yeah funnily enough, I had visited my optician that morning, and ordered new glasses, then had my doctors appt in the afternoon, to get hit with this bombshell... luckily I mentioned my optician, and he told me to ring immediately and cancel the prescription....
I had the same problem with my eyes as you at diagnosis. I had ordered new glasses before I knew why my eyes had gone weird. I was too late to cancel the order but the optician replaced the lenses in the new frames with my old prescription at no charge, as they felt that with such a big change they should have picked up my diagnosis.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top