Happy but confused

[desertboy]

Hello everyone,

I am in my middle 40's and for the past 28 years had to wear glasses or contacts for Farsightedness. Also had astigmatism in both eyes.

Here is why I am saying "had to" and "had".

Around the 24 of February this year, my eyes got blurry. On the 28th went to my optometrist and got new contacts because after the examination my eyes went from -4.0 to -5.0 left eye and from -4.5 to -5.0 right eye.

On the 2nd of March I was diagnosed with T2. I followed a certain diet program plus started taking 3000mg of Omega3 and 1250mg Garlic pills. By the 10th of March got my blood sugar level down to normal but my vision started to get blurry again.
On the 12th my vision got so blurry I made an appointment with optometrist for the same day and took my contacts off.

When I took my contacts off I was able to see very clearly.

After my eye examination that day, my left eye's power was -0.25 from -5.0 with no Astigmatism and right eye -0.75 and half the astigmatism from -5.0. I laterally went from almost blind to almost 20/20 in 10 days time.

My optometrist could not explain why or how this was possible.
Have not been wearing contacts or glasses since the 12th.

Anyone know? anyone else had the same experience?

[adiantum]

wow... what a fabulous result.
No wonder your confused.. I would be too

[art]

That exactly the first half of what happened to me and I'm near sighted.

The second half was as I got control of my BS's my eyesight reverted back to it's orginal condition.

Hope you stay looking good.

Art

[Subby]

One of the first things I can remember on waking up at home the day after I got home from hospital was looking out the window and seeing trees clearly on the horizon - without my glasses. I'd been short sighted requiring glasses to read a blackboard, for at least 4 years at that stage.

My newly found perfect vision lasted about 2 weeks before returning to pre-bg levels.

The explanation I recieved (or maybe made up myself: this was a long time ago) was that on getting good BGs and readjusting from the long term pressure of high BGs, it overcompensated and bent the retina back the other way for a time. In people without vision problems it would have caused focusing difficulties. In me, it just happened to correct my vision - while it lasted.

As I say, that was just my suspicion at the time, nothing I've confirmed.

As Art says, hope yours somehow sticks around... or at least that it pans out as better than you thought it had got.

[davef]

Hi,

I had a very similar situaton when I was diagnosed and there is a thread about my experince, here:

http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/eyes/23960-dramatic-eyesight-improvement-weird.html

I had an eye exam last week and while I need glasses for driving (need a diopter adjustment of +1 (right) and +1.25 (Left)) but have no need for glasses to read or use PC. I could actually drive without glasses/contacts but prefer not to.

How your improvement is permanent.

[desertboy]

Thank you all very much for your replies and well wishing.

What Subby said is something I thought of myself.

At first I thought the reason my eyes were getting blurry again (between the 2nd and the 10th of March) was because my BS level was dropping to normal levels. I thought that If anything it was getting back to what they were before.

One person told me the Omega 3 vitamin might have something to do with this. Does anyone else take Omega 3 here?


I have an appointment on the 27th with my optometrist and will let you know what happen.

[desertboy]

David,

I can not thank you enough for your information. I read your post you linked me to
and I hope I end up with the same results.

I wish you guys the best and see you around in this place.

[xMenace]

Such events scream long term high blood glucose levels. They also scream incompitant optometrists!

Make sure you get a complete blood profile and a complete dialated eye exam for any signs of complications. They are not uncommon for newly diagnosed.

[livewiremaxx]

With high sugar levels your eyes have hardening of the lenses so that they cant focus as well. As you lower your sugars the better your eyes can refocus nd the lenses loosen. May have been the case. I have had both happen - going worse and better and worse as my sugars have gone up and down

[desertboy]

A complete dilated eye exam was done on the last visit, 10 days ago and no signs of damage what so ever. BS is under control by diet and a mile walk every night and steady for a week now. I stop eating and drinking at 9pm and my morning BS is in the 80's, 2 hours after a meal it is never over 100 mg/dl. Been getting these readings since the 14th.

I agree with you John. For an eye doctor to have 25 years of experience, he should have known about the effects Diabetes can have on the eyes.

[kegstore]

Hey desertboy do you really have contacts? I've always been told they're no good for diabetics because they reduce the supply of oxygen to the eye? Or do I need to be dragged - kicking and screaming - into the 21st century?!:)

[foxl]

Hey desertboy do you really have contacts? I've always been told they're no good for diabetics because they reduce the supply of oxygen to the eye? Or do I need to be dragged - kicking and screaming - into the 21st century?!:)

Last I heard, soft lenses permit enough oxygen perfusion to be just fine. "traditional" hard lenses, maybe not. Gas-permeable hards -- I hated em but they may be okay for others!

[desertboy]

Hey desertboy do you really have contacts? I've always been told they're no good for diabetics because they reduce the supply of oxygen to the eye? Or do I need to be dragged - kicking and screaming - into the 21st century?!:)

Hahaha......
Yes, been wearing contacts for 11 years now. Oooops, did wear contacts for 11 years. The past 4 years, I kept then on 24/7 and disposed them every month and have never had a bad comment about my eyes health after an examination (twice a year).Todays contacts are much more advanced than few years back, specially if you are talking about Oxygen supply to the eyes. AccueView advanced is 53% Poly and 47% water.

But to be honest, I am new in this and I only wore contacts for 10 days since been diagnosed with T2. But my Optometrist did prescribe new contacts and said nothing about not wearing them. That was my choice since I can see fine without them.

[xMenace]

A complete dilated eye exam was done on the last visit, 10 days ago and no signs of damage what so ever. BS is under control by diet and a mile walk every night and steady for a week now. I stop eating and drinking at 9pm and my morning BS is in the 80's, 2 hours after a meal it is never over 100 mg/dl. Been getting these readings since the 14th.

I agree with you John. For an eye doctor to have 25 years of experience, he should have known about the effects Diabetes can have on the eyes.

But you are not the first one here to have this experience. I'm wondering if it's old timers not keeping up to date.

[art]

ok, I'm currently 63 and been wearing HARD lenses since I'm 17. Been a D for 2 years.
My eyes have always been checked regularly by an MD type eye guy.
Since I'm diabetic all the tests are run at least once a year. Had a problem with my vision when I first got my BS under control.
The fact I wore hard lenses has never been an issue either pre or post diagnosis.
No bad things have happened. All the pressures and other stuff are fine. Slight development of cataracts but that's age, not the little round bits of plastic in my eyes.

I'm keeping mine

Art

[Rakos1]

Hi to everyoine, my first day on the site. I have been a type 2 for a few years, and went on insulin a few months ago when my levels and resistance continues to be a runaway train. bg levels in the 400s, lousy diet, nothing working. my doc has put me on a severe regimen of novolog 3X35 units daily, 80 units of lantus at bedtime, and 2x100 metformin daily. This has brought my levels down to the low 200s, and a diet change and laying off extreme levels of milk would bring it down lower. What DID happen though is that my vision was altered significantly.

According to my eye doc, he explained that the lowering of my bg has lessened the fluid in my eyes, and thus changed the shape of it, and radically changed my vision. TWICE! so it is no myth that swings in sugar will alter your vision.

[angelsbridges]

Ohhhh man.

You just gave me some hope of my own! I went in about a year and half ago to get my eyes checked because they were blurry - my Rx was still the same, but he said I had a slight astigmatism. I wonder if it's related since that's when all my other symptoms started. If so, I hope what happened to you happens to me! :)

[desertboy]

well,
It was one **** of a 2 weeks waking up and going to sleep with no contacts. But the fun is over. It seems like the longer I keep my BS under control, the worst my vision is getting. This morning and only 2 days before my follow up appointment with Dr. Has No Clue, It was very blurry. I had to put the contacts he gave me last (-0.25 and -0.75) in. My vision is better with these contacts, but still not perfect. But it seems much better than what I started with, -5.0.
Friday I will update you with the actual new numbers.

Rakos, Thank you for the info, finally we have an explanation. Good luck to you and Angels.

[desertboy]

I had the exam today. Happy to say my eyes are both -2.5 and no astigmatism. Much better, actually twice as good as they were before T2. I was told this is it for now and no more changes for a while.

what a trade off. LOL

Thank you to everyone that contributed to this thread and best wishes to everyone.