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488724 tn?1253551235

Sugar out of control and eye sight getting worse quickly

I was diagnosed June 5, 2007.  My eyes were always very good until 2003 i started needing glasses and forever they pretty much stayed as bad as they have been til i was diagnosed. My doc sent me to get my eyes checked when i was diagnosed, doc told me no blood vessels popped but needed major correction.  I never got glasses so now more then a year later my eyes are really bad, seems every month for sure they are getting worse.  I use to have trouble reading far, like a billboard with small letters.  But now even seeing 3 feet in front of me looking at the calendar across my desk is where squinting wont even let me read it.
  My sugar has been out of control for past 2-3 months because i just havent had a chance to get to the doc.. last time i went my A1c was 7.5 from 8.1  so it went down but i know its gone back up because during the last month i've gotten 300-400's and thats with taking 1000mg of metformin twice daily,  45mg actos once daily and taking 12units of Lantus in the Morning and 8 at night.  My doctor gave me humalog for fast acting but its not in the pen form like Lantus, and i dont have access to a fridge everytime im gonna eat. so i never do it.  I wanna ask him for the Humalog pen i've even printed out a free trial coupon to go with the prescription.  But im scared to go because i know he'll be upset i didnt go sooner.  SO i got 2 questions.
   #1: Do you think i could have Type 1 instead of Type 2 cause how could i progress so fast in not even 2 years yet, going from great control with just the metformin to poor control with so much, i've heard type 2s go to insulin but over 20 years not 2.  And im only 22 and weigh 176, i've lost 20 pounds since diagnosed.  So shouldnt i be needing less insulin not more if im a true type 2?      
   #2:  Could my eyes go this bad this fast from my sugar, am i looking at blindness at a young age?

Sorry for rambling..
12 Responses
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Avatar universal
AT 28 I WAS TOLD I WAS DIABETIC. AFTER IT WAS CAUGHT. THEY SENT ME FOR TESTS. I WAS HAVING HEADACHES AND NIGHTIME WAS HARD TO SEE. I WASTOLD I WAS LEGALLY BLIND. MY VISION WAS 20 -200. I AM HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING MY NUMBERS NORMAL. THE FIRST I NOTICE IS MY EYE SITE IS GETTING BLURRED. I AM SCARED. I WILL BE GOING FOR TESTS AGAIN.
Helpful - 0
488724 tn?1253551235
Thank You :) and yep the correct diagnoses meant everything to my control
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Way to go, Tiffany! You've come so far! It is amazing what the right diagnosis can do, isn't it? At least once we know what we are dealing with, all our hard work can pay off! Keep up the good work.
Zoe
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Avatar universal
its dangerous do some yoga sans in morning and evening avoid Jagger, fast foods take always natural food which are less in carbohydrates meditate twice a day which is helpful.i am like u suffering form diabetics at age of 22
Helpful - 0
488724 tn?1253551235
i know this is an old post now, but wanted to update this,   On July 30th 2009 i was CORRECTLY diagnosed TYPE 1, with a c-peptide of .6  with the lab scale ranging from .8 to 3.1  and thats on Metformin 1000mg thats suppose to stimulate insulin production, I am now on the same 1000mg of Metformin to help with weight loss, 15 units Lantus at night only, and 1-5 units of Humalog every meal with great control if you wanna see my profile  to check my stats out, http://www.medhelp.org/personal_pages/show/4237?personal_page_id=4237  ; Im eating so much better, and when i go back to the doctor on Thursday, October 1st 2009, we are thinking about starting me on Symlin (weight loss injection for Type 1s) if my a1c went down from the 8.3% in July to under 7% which im sure it should be now
Helpful - 0
141598 tn?1355671763
I just did the math and Ms Tiffany isn't messing up 10% of the time but more like 28% of the time. [2 days out of 7]

And ditto Zoelula. Skinless chicken and eggs contain hardly any fat. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol. One still has to monitor the ingredients in foods. Just because its soup doesn't mean it has no bad carbs nor sugar.

And potatoes in moderate portions, not fried, are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese. But keep in mind potatoes are starchy and refrigerating them turns some of the starch into sugar.

Ditto the yoga and exercises and checks.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What I have learned about this disease, from my own experience, reading and talking with others is that we are all different. Some general principles hold true for all: good nutrition, exercise, work to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, test an see your doctor for a change in your meds if your numbers stay high. But just how those things look is different for us all. I can eat things without negative impact on my numbers that my friend cannot (and visa versa). I'm a vegetarian so I'm no expert, but my understanding is that broiled chicken with the skin removed is not high in fat. I had actually switched my breakfast from eggs to cereal to decrease my egg intake and found that even whole wheat cereal wreaked havoc with my blood sugar. I also learned that for me what I used to call a low calorie diet wasn't always appropriate. For instance I would eat a simple salad for lunch and find my blood sugar way too low before dinner because my lunch had no carbs at all!

Few books or dieticians prescribe a diet that is very specific for just this reason. Within the general guidelines each person has to find out what is right for them. That's why home testing is so important, especially when you are new to diabetes or have had a change in meds. That way you can learn which foods work for you and which don't as well as the influence of other factors such as exercise.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,First you have to control in your diet.
1) You have to leave chicken and egg,because it increases fat which is not good for health.
2) Take healthy diet.You have to take soups,low calorie diet without potatoes and rice,salad etc.
3) Do regular exercise,morning walk & Yoga for a month and then check your diabetic level.
I hope it will improve & control your sugar level.
If you have any query then please let me know
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Tiffany,
I agree with Waverider that you need to adjust your priorities to stabilize your diabetes. I understand it ***** to be diagnosed so young and it does interfere with your life, but consider the alternatives...you are already experiencing side effects that will impact the quality of your life a lot more! If you can get your blood sugars stable now (and you can!) it will become a routine that will integrate into your life and you can get on with that life! You can't "not get around to" going to the doctor, and shame about your non- compliance isn't a reason. It is YOUR diabetes, your life, not your doctor's. He knows you are struggling.

A word about that struggling: I hear you sounding very frustrated, maybe even angry, perhaps it would help to see a counselor to talk about those feelings?

As for the progressing to insulin so fast: I was diagnosed almost exactly at the same time as you, July 2007 and I just started on insulin because my numbers were no longer controlled with oral meds. I too was surprised, as I'd also heard it took 10-15 years for this to happen. On the other hand I've read that current medical thinking is that Type II's who are started on insulin sooner do better in the long run.

About the eating. I know you are trying to lose weight (which is very important!) but when I read what you eat it didn't sound all that appetizing! I can understand why you want to "mess up on the weekends". I call this the "twinkie granola syndrome." You need for your food EVERY DAY to be healthy but appetizing, so that you can stick with it ongoing. Perhaps work with a dietician or get some recipes so that you aren't left feeling deprived and wanting to binge on junk.
Hang in there, girl!
Zoe
Helpful - 0
141598 tn?1355671763
Careful, your wayward weekends of 10% binging has started to affect your vision.  Please don't mask this with excuses for your goal is to have consistent glucose levels that are normal or close to normal at all times. You can't get there unless the bad habits are broken. Please try harder.
Helpful - 0
488724 tn?1253551235
i eat very well 90% of the time..i only allow myself to mess up on the weekends.

even today ive drank a slim fast in the morning with a egg beaters omelet and at lunch just lettuce mixture with olives and tablespoon of light dressing and 4-5 chicken chunk pieces.  and my 2+ hours after lunch number was 215..  

i havent ate chocolate or hamburgers or pizza for weeks now..   only thing was chips a couple times this past week.   Even my coworkers call me the healthy one cause i eat so well compared to their burritos.

and im always trying to get in 30 minutes on the treadmill atleast 3 times a week

thats why i dont get why my sugar is out of control.  I know ive been stressed alot lately either with work or my niece going to the hospital.  but its been to high for to long.  I go through times where i have great control where i stay between 65 and 105 but times like this drive me insane.  
Helpful - 0
141598 tn?1355671763
Yes. The side effects of diabetes has no age limit/boundaries. Being in the 300-400 range is dangerous and you're eyes are getting the worse of it from your bad habits. Relying on medication is not the way to go either.
What has to change is your "poor control", no ifs or buts. Please get your nutrition under control, do moderate exercise, and continue to lose the weight.
Helpful - 0
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