Ozempic and Retinopathy

Lucyr

Lucyr

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Other Type
So I’ve been taking ozempic for a few months now, and one of the things that had to be set up when I start it is being moved up to high risk on the eye screening so that I could have my eyes checked this year. This is because there is a risk of retinopathy with ozempic, which I think is from quickly improving blood sugars.

I’ve had diabetes since 2008 with no complications and eyes always clear. The letter came back yesterday with background retinopathy. Reading the NHS website it says there’s a 25% chance of progressing to later stages within 3 years. I have been having blurred vision in distances but no dark patches.

I guess there’s no way of knowing if it was previous high blood sugars or recent improved blood sugars that caused this. Any ideas what happens next, will I be advised to stop the ozempic at next checkup? It’s not due till April so I guess it’s best to continue in the meantime.
 
Until you mentioned I had not heard of the link to Retinopathy. In your position, I think I would want to discuss with the medics. Though with background Retinopathy, say it can be seen on one screening, but then the next one gone.There is a website for Retinopathy called Diabetic Retinopathy org uk.
 
I’m not sure GP is the best starting place, but I’ve called DSN and left a message asking for an appointment. Last time i saw her she had said have an a1c and another video call in February. The blood test form came before Christmas but no appointment came.

Thinking about it today I think I want to know my latest a1c to understand how much it’s dropped and whether that could have caused it, so I think having that and seeing what DSN thinks is first step. Presumably waiting a bit to see DSN rather than speaking to GP quicker won’t risk things getting worse. Honestly don’t think GP would have a clue. I’ll check if the leaflet says anything about what to do too.
 
Had a quick look but didn’t find anything about ozempic or about improving control causing retinopathy yet. Only bit about improved control I found so far was the below, and that seems to be about people that already have retinopathy improving their control.
 

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There is some information about Ozempic and retinopathy on a SUSTAIN-6 study but it seems to indicate a higher risk in people with existing retinopathy and that a rapid decrease in HbA1c and tightening of control is known to accelerate retinopathy progression whether using insulin/Ozempic etc. This information from diabeticretinopathy.org.uk covers the risk of retinopathy progressing with a rapid decrease in HbA1c
http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/retinopathyprogression.htm

Background retinopathy can remain stable for years with good glucose/blood pressure/cholesterol control and can disappear altogether. I hope you can get some reassurance from your DSN asap.
 
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As has been mentioned background can remain stable and even disappear so I wouldn't get too worked up about it

I went from being diagnosed Type 1 to developing diabetic macular oedema in less than a month believed to be caused by a plummet in hba1c, I underwent numerous eye injections for it and was seen by ophthalmology department every 3 months yet went straight to proliferative retinopathy less than 2 years in so some are just unfortunate too even though they do their best to try and limit their chances
xx
 
I'd forgotten that you could access a DSN @Lucyr - and so I do actually agree with what you're saying you thought you'd do. I've got to find out where I can have my own blood (& urine) tests ready for my phone appt towards the end of Feb, too. Yes I obv. want the bloods but also want the Urine because that's the creatnine and albumen ones, which the GP tests in between the hospital ones, don't include.
 
I got a callback from DSN yesterday. She said they’re not doing appointments as have been redeployed due to COVID but not to worry as loads of people have background retinopathy by 10 years in and so could just be one of those things
 
Years ago when you I used to get a camera operator who knew quite a lot more about eyesight than in recent years seem to, who refuse to converse - one said to me that it wasn't at all unusual after 10 years. I said Oh good, I've had it for over 30 ..... and laughed. That was the first time it was apparent in both eyes though so I wasn't overjoyed.
 
Is anyone aware of any statistics on how often background retinopathy develops further over time? After doing some research online I have struggled to find any stats on this. An nhs page said over 25% goes on to become worse within 3 years, but that kind of stat isn’t of much use to me as I plan to live another 50-60+ years not just 3!
 
Lucyr said:
Is anyone aware of any statistics on how often background retinopathy develops further over time? After doing some research online I have struggled to find any stats on this. An nhs page said over 25% goes on to become worse within 3 years, but that kind of stat isn’t of much use to me as I plan to live another 50-60+ years not just 3!
Click to expand...

I don’t know of any stats off the top of my head, but there have been many forum members whose ‘background’ has just stayed where it was, or disappeared entirely.

I’ve not done any more than a skim read, but this seems to suggest that the risk increases if you have background changes in both eyes versus just one eye.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The influence of background diabetic retinopathy in the second eye on rates of progression of diabetic retinopathy between 2005 and 2010

Purpose: The Gloucestershire Diabetic Eye Screening Programme offers annual digital photographic screening for diabetic retinopathy to a countywide population of people with diabetes. This study was designed to investigate progression of diabetic retinopathy ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hope yours stays stable, along with your BGs. Keep an eye on your BP too.

Even if it’s 25%... that’s still 75% chance of no progression. I‘d happily take 75% as a score if I was trying to do well in a test :)
 
Thanks, i am hoping it stays stable too. I think the way it is diagnosed, with just a letter and a leaflet about sight loss and no opportunity to ask any questions is probably what makes it feel more of a shock. The 75% chance of no progression within the next 3 years was good yes... but what about the 57 years after that was mainly my thoughts on reading it! Havent had my blood pressure measured for a couple of years but it was okay then.
 
Lucyr said:
Thanks, i am hoping it stays stable too. I think the way it is diagnosed, with just a letter and a leaflet about sight loss and no opportunity to ask any questions is probably what makes it feel more of a shock. The 75% chance of no progression within the next 3 years was good yes... but what about the 57 years after that was mainly my thoughts on reading it! Havent had my blood pressure measured for a couple of years but it was okay then.
Click to expand...

I was really shocked and worried the first time I had a ‘background changes’ letter (I think it’s really badly worded!).

Then I had an all clear... then another ‘background’ (much less worrying that time!) and have had ’all clear’ since.

Hope yours stabilises or resolves :)
 
Mine started in 1995 @Lucyr .

Guess what? I still have background changes ....... so that's 26 years later so far. Meanwhile I've had cataracts in both eyes removed - after originally sprouting, they both worsened quite quickly. (talking a few years even so) There again, only takes 15-20 minutes to whip em out and replace em with new ones, so hardly a vast problem. I did wonder when I had the ops whether this might affect the retinopathy progression, but nope.
 
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