Got The Tests Back..Questions?

[Yoboney]

Hi folks, as you recalled I asked about diabetes type 2 because I had some sores and my left eye has gone from 20/20 to about 20/200 in the past few months. The lab results for fasting glucose were 99 and the A1C test came back today at 5.8 I was wondering if there is any way I could still have diabetes type 2 that could be messing my eye up. I don't want to go and confront the doc that did lasik on the eye unless I am sure that it is not diabetes messing it up. Thanks for your friendship and help.

Brad

[pdxdennisj]

Not that I know of.

[davef]

Brad,

I think your numbers would be considered to be within the non-diabetic range. According to the American Diabetes Association "With the FPG (Fasting Plasma Glucose) test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes", so with 99 you are just below the level that would signal pre-diabetes. Did you discuss your Lab results with your doctor?

[Yoboney]

Brad,

I think your numbers would be considered to be within the non-diabetic range. According to the American Diabetes Association "With the FPG (Fasting Plasma Glucose) test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes", so with 99 you are just below the level that would signal pre-diabetes. Did you discuss your Lab results with your doctor?

I have chatted with the dr for two years with no answer. I started losing vision in the left eye and I also had some diabetic type sores. They would clear up with cephalexin. I have had three fasting blood tests and the first was 105..then 99 and 99..the a1c as I posted was 5.8. The dr says no diabetes and he has no idea why I think I may be diabetic. I am going by reports that I have read which show that even mildly elevated glucose levels can affect vision. The eye drs all say they have no idea why I can't see. lol I guess nobody knows. I know I have gained fifty pounds since I had lasik surgery on my eyes and that weight gain is probably enough to cause type 2? The results do look like a non diabetic but I will have to check in June and see what is going on and see how my glucose levels are doing.

[davef]

I have chatted with the dr for two years with no answer. I started losing vision in the left eye and I also had some diabetic type sores. They would clear up with cephalexin. I have had three fasting blood tests and the first was 105..then 99 and 99..the a1c as I posted was 5.8. The dr says no diabetes and he has no idea why I think I may be diabetic. I am going by reports that I have read which show that even mildly elevated glucose levels can affect vision.

When I was diagnosed I had some blurring of vision in both eyes, but my fasting test number was 378! I don't think I have seen any posts of people having blurred vision with numbers like yours, I would also expect that if it was diabetes that you would have the issue with both eyes.

The eye drs all say they have no idea why I can't see. lol I guess nobody knows. I know I have gained fifty pounds since I had lasik surgery on my eyes and that weight gain is probably enough to cause type 2? The results do look like a non diabetic but I will have to check in June and see what is going on and see how my glucose levels are doing.

Weight gain alone is NOT enough to trigger diabetes, there are thin type 2's. You need to be genetically predisposed to diabetes. Does anyone in your family have diabetes, if so then it would be advisable to try shift the extra weight, it would be wise to try that anyhow. I know it's not easy, having been through it and continuing to work at it myself.

I would suggest that you investigate your eye issues with another optician, perhaps a new person can identify the problem.

[Yoboney]

When I was diagnosed I had some blurring of vision in both eyes, but my fasting test number was 378! I don't think I have seen any posts of people having blurred vision with numbers like yours, I would also expect that if it was diabetes that you would have the issue with both eyes.

Wow, the 378 is just what my neighbor who has confirmed type 2 said his was when he was diagnosed. The internist checked mine first because of a skin sore and it was negative at the time. But the blurring has gotten worse in the past year for no known reason.



Weight gain alone is NOT enough to trigger diabetes, there are thin type 2's. You need to be genetically predisposed to diabetes. Does anyone in your family have diabetes, if so then it would be advisable to try shift the extra weight, it would be wise to try that anyhow. I know it's not easy, having been through it and continuing to work at it myself.

My great grandmother had type 2 and other than that I don't know of anyone in my family with it.


I would suggest that you investigate your eye issues with another optician, perhaps a new person can identify the problem.

I have more appointments this week. This will be dr number five and we will see if he knows why I can't see out of the left eye. I had one eye dr who actually told me to check for type 2 because my eyes were healthy. Then a few weeks ago a specialist said I was at the beginning of a cataract in both eyes and they were not affecting vision. I never knew a skinny person could have type 2. That is interesting. I have gout too and I have actually seen skinny people with gout and that also amazes me. I appreciate your knowledge and help.

[princesslinda]

Cataracts can worsen quickly. My stepmom had a cataract diagnosed, doc told her it wasn't bad enough for treatment yet, 3 months later, her vision deteriorated and she had the surgery. It may be the same with you.

As for gout, lots of skinny and non-diabetic people with gout. ...just means you have high uric acid levels in the blood. We get lots of kidney stone patients who have stones composed of this as well. There's a medication called Allopurinol that we give to patients to help decrease the production of uric acid.

[Hammer]

It's odd that it would affect only your left eye. If you were a professional photographer, I'd lean towards cataracts but you've been checked for those also, so I can't think of anything else that might cause that.

I'm surprised that the doctors can't find what's causing it. With all of their equipment and tests, they should be able to find anything.

[davef]

Cataracts can worsen quickly.
Ditto

I have friend who had a cataract that progressed very quickly, I'd get that checked out.

[Yoboney]

Cataracts can worsen quickly. My stepmom had a cataract diagnosed, doc told her it wasn't bad enough for treatment yet, 3 months later, her vision deteriorated and she had the surgery. It may be the same with you.

As for gout, lots of skinny and non-diabetic people with gout. ...just means you have high uric acid levels in the blood. We get lots of kidney stone patients who have stones composed of this as well. There's a medication called Allopurinol that we give to patients to help decrease the production of uric acid.


I have had blurred vision in the left eye for about three years. It tested at 20/30 but was blurred for about two and one half years..then this year it has really gotten blurred. The dr at Wilmer Eye Institute said three weeks ago that she saw the beginnings of cataracts in both eyes and this has never been mentioned before. I have another appt next week so we will see what happens.

I saw a man on discovery health that was skinny and always had arm pain...I knew right away it was gout but after watching the episode he had surgery and the surgeon noticed it was gout..sewed the arm shut and gave him colchicine. I never had kidney stones 'til I was 41. Then I had two at one time and then last year I had two that passed within one and one half hour. The first was huge..about the max probably that you can pass. It was about 3/4 inch long and more than 1/4 inch wide. They were uric acid stones and had been in me for about two years. I had xray after xray and they would only bother me sometimes. But they were nasty coming out. So I guess that after forty everything hits at once. This eye thing though keeps making me think diabetes but the tests say no.

[Yoboney]

It's odd that it would affect only your left eye. If you were a professional photographer, I'd lean towards cataracts but you've been checked for those also, so I can't think of anything else that might cause that.

I'm surprised that the doctors can't find what's causing it. With all of their equipment and tests, they should be able to find anything.


I was a photographer 20 years ago and my dad had cataracts after cancer treatments. I will have to get some dr that knows what he is doing. The left eye is very bizarre indeed.

[felinefan67]

I never knew a skinny person could have type 2. That is interesting.

Yoboney,

My dad has always been thin and active. He was diagnosed with Type 2 a year ago (had probably had full-blown type 2 for about 3 years before his symptoms got so bad he finally went to the doctor). He was 70 at the time of his diagnosis.

He was atypical EXCEPT for eating LARGE amounts of sugary foods including fruit for YEARS after having "pre-diabetes" since 1994. He continued to eat sugary/carby foods unchecked because his doctors never really indicated the pre-diabetes numbers were a huge deal (back before the numbers lowered to 100-125 for pre-diabetes). His doctor wrote one his charts that his diabetes was "diet-induced".


I found that my FBG readings on my dad's meter were 102 for at least a three week period in March. It could be "off" because it wasn't an official lab test, so I don't know if I'm pre-diabetic or not (Since then my numbers are consistently normal in the fasting and after meals). 79-94 fasting since late March and 90-109 after meals. I also had an HBA1c done in early April which came back at 5.8. My doctor said it was within the normal range and didn't say it was a pre-diabetic number or anything.

Regardless, I think I might be pre-diabetic even if my doctor doesn't think so. I've been dieting and exercising and have lost 25lbs already!!

Just keep eating healthy and exercising and I would think you will have little to worry about even IF a family member has Diabetes.

[Yoboney]

Yoboney,

My dad has always been thin and active. He was diagnosed with Type 2 a year ago (had probably had full-blown type 2 for about 3 years before his symptoms got so bad he finally went to the doctor). He was 70 at the time of his diagnosis.

He was atypical EXCEPT for eating LARGE amounts of sugary foods including fruit for YEARS after having "pre-diabetes" since 1994. He continued to eat sugary/carby foods unchecked because his doctors never really indicated the pre-diabetes numbers were a huge deal (back before the numbers lowered to 100-125 for pre-diabetes). His doctor wrote one his charts that his diabetes was "diet-induced".


I found that my FBG readings on my dad's meter were 102 for at least a three week period in March. It could be "off" because it wasn't an official lab test, so I don't know if I'm pre-diabetic or not (Since then my numbers are consistently normal in the fasting and after meals). 79-94 fasting since late March and 90-109 after meals. I also had an HBA1c done in early April which came back at 5.8. My doctor said it was within the normal range and didn't say it was a pre-diabetic number or anything.

Regardless, I think I might be pre-diabetic even if my doctor doesn't think so. I've been dieting and exercising and have lost 25lbs already!!

Just keep eating healthy and exercising and I would think you will have little to worry about even IF a family member has Diabetes.

Isn't it amazing when thin folks get diabetes or gout. It is almost unbelievable to me. I was 253 pounds and didn't even know it. Then I lost about 18 pounds before I got the recent tests. I guess we are in the same test range at 5.8. I need to work out more and get the numbers lower so I don't get type 2. I guess I will always wonder if I am having sugar spikes and these are affecting my vision. Since I have been exercising my right eye has gotten better but the left remains unchanged. Your 79 bg test is really good. I sometimes get lightheaded but that is probably normal for everyone. I guess time will tell.

Brad

[Hammer]

I was a photographer 20 years ago and my dad had cataracts after cancer treatments. I will have to get some dr that knows what he is doing. The left eye is very bizarre indeed.

If you stopped doing photography 20 years ago, then that wouldn't affect you now. A lot of people aren't aware of what a camera's flash can do to your eyes. If you've ever been to a museum where they have some ancient relics on display, they have signs up prohibiting picture taking of the exhibits. The reason is because of the flash. If a million people take two million pictures of the exhibit, those two million flashes will cause damage to the exhibit....similar to what the sun does.

If you're a professional photographer, you're taking hundreds, maybe thousands of pictures a week. You have your eyes wide open to the flashes that are bouncing off the subject and walls. These flashes are about the same intensity as the sun. If you looked into the sun that many times a week, you'd develop cataracts. The same applies to camera flashes.

My daughter is a staff photographer for the House of Representatives, and she is only 28 years old and already she is in the early stages of cataracts. Her eye doctor examined her, saw the cataracts, checked her age, and asked her if she was a photographer. He said that this is a common problem with photographers.

[Yoboney]

If you stopped doing photography 20 years ago, then that wouldn't affect you now. A lot of people aren't aware of what a camera's flash can do to your eyes. If you've ever been to a museum where they have some ancient relics on display, they have signs up prohibiting picture taking of the exhibits. The reason is because of the flash. If a million people take two million pictures of the exhibit, those two million flashes will cause damage to the exhibit....similar to what the sun does.

If you're a professional photographer, you're taking hundreds, maybe thousands of pictures a week. You have your eyes wide open to the flashes that are bouncing off the subject and walls. These flashes are about the same intensity as the sun. If you looked into the sun that many times a week, you'd develop cataracts. The same applies to camera flashes.

My daughter is a staff photographer for the House of Representatives, and she is only 28 years old and already she is in the early stages of cataracts. Her eye doctor examined her, saw the cataracts, checked her age, and asked her if she was a photographer. He said that this is a common problem with photographers.

Wow. I had never heard that before. I will have to research that. Boy wouldn't I like to sue the company I worked for...lol But the statutes of limitations has run out. The last eye doc I went to was the first dr to ever mention that I had the beginning of cataracts in both eyes but that they were not affecting my vision. Very interesting item to know.