Can Metformin Cause Problems With Vision? Is It Permanent?
I’m afraid there is no simple answer to this one. But there is a clear way ahead. Let me explain. If you get blurry vision as soon as you start the metformin, there are some experts who say that this is could be a good sign. How come? Well, diabetes affects vision and you could have been losing your eyesight gradually, as your sugar levels went up over months and years. You are not even aware of this change in vision, because the loss is so gradual. RELATED: If You Take Metformin, You Need These Nutritional Supplements As soon as you start the metformin, your sugar suddenly comes under control and your eyes suddenly cannot adjust to the new, lower blood sugar, causing the blurry vision. The answer therefore could be to lower your starting metformin dose and then slowly, increase it over a few weeks/months, giving your body and your eyes a chance to adjust. The blurry vision could disappear with this. However, if you have started to experience blurry vision after using metformin for a few years, the answer could be very different. This form of vision loss happens due to loss of Vitamin B12 from the body, because Metformin interferes with our ability to absorb this vitamin from food. Vitamin B12 forms the protective sheath or insulation of all nerves in the body, including the one that is critical for vision, the optic nerve. When the optic nerve is damaged due to prolonged metformin use, the right solution is to immediately supplement with Vitamin B12. You should also know that with long term use, metformin also interferes with our ability to use two other vital nutrients, Vitamin B9 and Co Enzyme Q10 in the human body. This can cause a range of side effects – from hair loss and insomnia and heart palpitations to unexplained muscle pains. The real answer – to both Continue reading >>
Eyesight Better On Insulin?
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More. Get the Diabetes Forum App for your phone - available on iOS and Android . Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Newly diagnosed t1. Have worn glasses for driving for 15 years. after 1 week on insulin my eyesight has improved so much I can now see without my glasses?! In fact my eyesight has improved so much that wearing my glasses makes my vision blurry?! I've never heard of diabetes curing eyesight! It's a common symptom with diabetes to have blurry vision, so maybe you've had blurry vision pre-diagnosis and now your on insulin your body is able to clear the excess glucose from around your eyes so your eyes will probably be much better than before you were diagnosed. My vision has gotten worse since i've had diabetes. I need to wear glasses for long distance activities, driving watching tv etc. Before diabetes i had perfect vision, up to my diagnosis i noticed my eyes would blurr quite badly to the point i thought i would need glasses permanently! then when i was diagnosed and using insulin my eyes returned to normal! It may or may not be the case but either way i'm sure it's a good thing Simples! High blood sugar levels cause blurred vision. Once you're diagnosed and start to sort out your levels, with insulin, diet or whatever, the blurring stops. If you lose control again, you'll probably notice the blurring come back. Having sniffed around the internet it seems eyesight improvement is a common phenomenon albeit temporary in most cases: Have an opticians appointment today so will keep you posted. Sounds like I should hold off ordering a new pair of glasses though! Most people's Continue reading >>
About Metformin
Metformin is a medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes and sometimes polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Type 2 diabetes is an illness where the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the insulin that it makes doesn't work properly. This can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). PCOS is a condition that affects how the ovaries work. Metformin lowers your blood sugar levels by improving the way your body handles insulin. It's usually prescribed for diabetes when diet and exercise alone have not been enough to control your blood sugar levels. For women with PCOS, metformin stimulates ovulation even if they don't have diabetes. It does this by lowering insulin and blood sugar levels. Metformin is available on prescription as tablets and as a liquid that you drink. Key facts Metformin works by reducing the amount of sugar your liver releases into your blood. It also makes your body respond better to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that controls the level of sugar in your blood. It's best to take metformin with a meal to reduce the side effects. The most common side effects are feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach ache and going off your food. Metformin does not cause weight gain (unlike some other diabetes medicines). Metformin may also be called by the brand names Bolamyn, Diagemet, Glucient, Glucophage, and Metabet. Who can and can't take metformin Metformin can be taken by adults. It can also be taken by children from 10 years of age on the advice of a doctor. Metformin isn't suitable for some people. Tell your doctor before starting the medicine if you: have had an allergic reaction to metformin or other medicines in the past have uncontrolled diabetes have liver or kidney problems have a severe infection are being treated for heart failure or you have recentl Continue reading >>
How To Manage Blurry Vision Caused By Metformin?
Blurry vision is a common side effect associated with a prolonged use of Metformin. This happens due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12 as Metformin is known to affect its absorption. Let’s look at how to manage this condition. Include Adequate Vitamin B12 in Your Diet Vitamin B12 takes care of some critical functions in the human body such as protecting the nervous system and the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin B12 also plays an important part in maintaining the heath of the optic nerve. This nerve is responsible for carrying signals from the eyes to the brain, and so its role is extremely important in interpreting what you see. A deficiency in B12 could make the optic nerve more vulnerable to several eye-related issues, such as a gradual loss of vision. Some good sources of Vitamin B12 are: Dairy products Beef liver Fish such as salmon, sardines and shellfish Eggs Soy Milk Red meat Eat Eye-Friendly Foods: In order to get relief from vision-related problems such as blurry vision, it is important to take care of your diet. Green leafy vegetables, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish such as salmon and tuna), eggs, almonds and carrots are some foods recommended for eye health. Perform Eye Exercises Eye exercises can help in dealing with blurry vision. This is particularly true if your job involves staring at a computer or laptop for too long. Listed below are a few easy eye exercises that can help. Try flexing It is a simple exercise to stretch your eye muscles and give you a break from staring at objects very close to you, usually gadget screens. With your head still, look up with your eyes and then go left, down, right and back to where you started from. Do it clockwise and anti-clockwise 10 times in each direction. You can also do a full roll of your eyes Continue reading >>
Multiple Benefits Of Metformin | Life Extension Magazine
As the type II diabetic condition progresses, many people gain weight and develop more fat cells.2 Treating type II diabetes with insulin-enhancing therapy increases the risk of cardiovascular complications, induces weight gain, and fails to correct the underlying cause of the disease. Many type II diabetics produce too much insulin in a futile attempt to drive glucose into insulin-resistant cells. When doctors prescribe insulin-enhancing drugs to these type II diabetics, a temporarily reduction of serum glucose may occur, but the long-term effects of this excess insulin can be devastating. An ideal anti-diabetic drug would enhance cellular insulin sensitivity, inhibit excess intestinal absorption of sugar, reduce excess liver production of glucose, promote weight loss and reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Metformin (Glucophage) is the one drug that does all of this and more. Metformin works by increasing the number of muscle and adipocyte (fat cell) insulin receptors and the attraction for the receptor. It does not increase insulin secretion, it only increases insulin sensitivity. Therefore, metformin is not associated with causing hypoglycemia. This activity reduces insulin levels by increasing the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to the effects of insulin by rejuvenating the response, and restoring glucose and insulin to younger physiological levels that may cause weight loss and most certainly a decrease in the body's total fat content.3-7 In an study published by the American Diabetes Association, metformin was found to decrease the fasting plasma glucose concentration by -60 to -70mg/dl in patients with non-insulin dependent type II diabetes.1 Metformin also reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, a blood measurement of glycosylation. One of the most devastating conseq Continue reading >>
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Vision Changes
I had dramatic vision changes before my diabetic event as I call it. Ironically, it changed so that distance went into focus and was blurry with glasses (wish that had remained!) I'm about 2 weeks out from ER bringing my bs down and going on meds and my vision has changed a lot. My glasses are no longer adequate, but I don't want to rush off to my opthamologist for glasses prematurely. For those of you who have gone through vision changes, how long did it take for your vision to stabilize? My bs the last 2 days has been in the low 100's. A1C: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Stuff I'm having a big problem with blurriness and I think that's the reason for my headaches. Would it be premature to see my retinologist? I want to avoid more than one appt for financial reasons. I think if you have not had your eyes dilated and your retinas examined than you do need to do so. Sometimes the blurriness will go away after a few weeks of normal blood sugars. It all depends on if there was any retinal damage done or not. My problem was leaking blood vessels in the retinas of my eyes. They lasered the leaking areas and once the extra fluid reabsorbed my vision returned to normal. That is not to say that you are having the same problem, but all diabetics need to have their retinas evaluated at least yearly. Many permanent complications can be prevented when caught early enough. I had a retinal exam June last year because I have macular degeneration. My endocrinologist said it's possible to likely I've not had diabetes a long time because it would have shown up then, or I'd have some neuropathy. It's possible I have some leaking from this recent event I guess. I'm due for my next appt in June. I'll call the office and get their input. This vision is terrible though. Nothing is in fo Continue reading >>
Dramatic Eyesight Improvement, Weird Or Normal?
Dramatic eyesight improvement, weird or normal? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Dramatic eyesight improvement, weird or normal? I recently diagnosed as Type II and one of the things that sent me to the Doctor was I had noticed what I thought was a fairly sudden (over 3 weeks) deterioration in my sight. I wear glasses (mild prescription) and had an eye test in July for contact lenses. Anyhow I went to the Optician and after checking me she was worried that it appeared my prescription had changed very dramatically in such a short time and urged me to see my GP to check for Diabetes, which was when I found out about the Diabetes. My doctor and a colleague who is Type I both said not to worry or do anything about changing my glasses as when I got my BG under control my eyesight would return to its previous level. This was a huge relief as my main hobby is photography and I was having problems using some of my cameras which require manual focusing. Thankfully over the last 7-10 days, my sight has improved dramatically. Then two nights ago I'm sitting watching TV (after my walk) and notice that things are a little blurry, after a few expletives I took off my glasses to clean them and suddenly noticed that I didn't need my glasses. I can now see better without my glasses than I could with my glasses, in fact I'd say my sight is better that it has been in years. Has anyone experienced this, is it a temporary improvement or am I just weird? I had the same problem with my eyes. What sent me to the Dr was a bad kidney infection that I couldn't seem to shake for two weeks, but while I was there I had told him I was having trouble with Continue reading >>
Transient Vision Loss In A Patient With Severe Metforminassociated Lactic Acidosis
Transient vision loss in a patient with severe metforminassociated lactic acidosis From the 1Nephrology Unit and 2Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Da Costa, Burela, Spain Search for other works by this author on: From the 1Nephrology Unit and 2Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Da Costa, Burela, Spain Search for other works by this author on: From the 1Nephrology Unit and 2Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Da Costa, Burela, Spain Search for other works by this author on: From the 1Nephrology Unit and 2Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Da Costa, Burela, Spain Search for other works by this author on: From the 1Nephrology Unit and 2Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Da Costa, Burela, Spain Search for other works by this author on: QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 105, Issue 8, 1 August 2012, Pages 781783, S. Cigarrn, M.L. Rodriguez, M. Pousa, H. Menndez, M.J. Mendez; Transient vision loss in a patient with severe metforminassociated lactic acidosis, QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 105, Issue 8, 1 August 2012, Pages 781783, A 54-year-old male, insulin-dependent diabetic and chronic kidney disease stage I, was brought to Emergency Department with a complaint of acute vision loss, severe hypoglycemia, hyperventilation, metabolic acidosis and acute renal failure. Five days prior to admission suffered diarrhea and vomiting with loss of vision at the last 12 h. Home medications included insulin lantus, valsartan 160 mg, amlodipine 5 mg and metformin 850 mg twice a day. There was not previous history of drinking alcohol, smoking or drugs abuse. In the emergency room, physical examination revealed an ill man with a Kussmaul respiratory pattern with 34 breaths/min, dry mucous membranes a Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Blurry Vision: What You Need To Know
Diabetes and blurry vision Diabetes refers to a complex metabolic disease in which your body either can’t produce insulin, doesn’t produce enough insulin, or simply can’t use it efficiently. All your body’s cells need sugar (glucose) for energy. Insulin helps to break down and deliver sugar to cells throughout your body. Sugar levels build up in your blood if you don’t have enough insulin to break it down. This is known as hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can negatively affect every part of your body, including your eyes. Blurry vision is often one of the first warning signs of diabetes. Your vision may be blurry because fluid is leaking into the lens of your eye. This makes the lens swell and change shape. Those changes make it hard for your eyes to focus, so things start to look fuzzy. You may also get blurred vision when you start insulin treatment. This is due to shifting fluids, but it generally resolves after a few weeks. For many people, as blood sugar levels stabilize, so does their vision. How can diabetes cause blurry vision? Diabetic retinopathy is a term that describes retinal disorders caused by diabetes. Some of these disorders include macular edema and proliferative retinopathy. Macular edema is when the macula swells due to leaking fluid. The macula is the part of the retina that gives you sharp central vision. Other symptoms of macular edema include wavy vision and color changes. Proliferative retinopathy is when blood vessels leak into the center of your eye. Blurry vision is one of the signs that this is happening. You may also experience spots or floaters, or have trouble with night vision. Blurry vision can also be a symptom of glaucoma, a disease in which pressure in your eye damages the optic nerve. According to the National Eye Institute, i Continue reading >>
Diabetes Drug Could Treat Leading Cause Of Blindness: Metformin Blocks Uveitis In Rats
Follow all of ScienceDaily's latest research news and top science headlines ! Diabetes drug could treat leading cause of blindness: Metformin blocks uveitis in rats University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Researchers have discovered that a drug already prescribed to millions of people with diabetes could also have another important use: treating one of the world's leading causes of blindness. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered that a drug already prescribed to millions of people with diabetes could also have another important use: treating one of the world's leading causes of blindness. In laboratory rat and cell-culture experiments, the scientists found that metformin, which is commonly used to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes, also substantially reduced the effects of uveitis, an inflammation of the tissues just below the outer surface of the eyeball. Uveitis causes 10 to 15 percent of all cases of blindness in the United States, and is responsible for an even higher proportion of blindness globally. The only treatment now available for the disorder is steroid therapy, which has serious side effects and cannot be used long-term. "Uveitis has various causes -- the most common are infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders -- but they all produce inflammation within the eye," said UTMB professor Kota V. Ramana, senior author of a paper on the study now online in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. "Metformin inhibits the process that causes that inflammation." The scientists discovered metformin's efficacy when they tested it in rats given an endotoxin that mimicked the inflammatory effects of bacterial infection. The results showed clearly that metformin was a very effective anti-uve Continue reading >>
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Eating For Better Vision And Healthy Eyes
For generations, mothers have advised their children to eat their carrots for the sake of their eyes. Indeed, carrots do contain compounds that are vital to vision. But today’s moms and others wanting to eat for eye health should know that eating for better vision is not just about carrots anymore. Researchers have been homing in on evidence that certain dietary habits may help stave off two common degenerative eye diseases: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of legal blindness and vision impairment in older Americans, and cataract, a condition affecting more than 20 million Americans. What you eat can also help to control blood glucose levels, which is important to reducing the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a common eye complication of diabetes. -- Keep an eye on your vision! Learn about preventive steps and treatments for diabetic retinopathy from retinal specialist Dr. Charles Wykoff. >> An in-depth look at nutritional strategies for healthy eyes follows, but first it’s helpful to understand a little more about these common eye diseases. Age-related macular degeneration According to the National Eye Institute, more than 1.7 million older Americans have advanced-stage age-related macular degeneration. Because the risk of developing AMD rises with age — the condition is rare in people under 60 — the number of people diagnosed with the disease is expected to increase sharply as the baby-boom generation ages. The macula of the eye is a tiny region at the center of the retina, the thin tissue that lines the eyeball. Light-sensitive cells in the macula are responsible for sharp vision, the kind needed for everyday activities such as reading, driving, and watching television. Scientists are not sure exactly how the most common f Continue reading >>
I Have Been Taking Jardiance For 3 Weeks And My Eyesight Has Dramatically Changed. I Just Got?
Home Q & A Questions I have been taking Jardiance... I have been taking Jardiance for 3 weeks and my eyesight has dramatically changed. I just got? eye conditions , diabetes, type 2 , diagnosis , eye , jardiance , drug ... diagnosed as a TYPE 2 then, but my FBS are only 180. My P.A. IS adding another drug when this scrip is up. Will my eyes keep changing or should I get new glasses now? If your eyesight changed just since you've been on the jardiance then you need to be taken off it. I would bet part of your vision problems are because your blood sugar isn't controlled. 180 is too high. You need to get it controlled. Watch your diet, drink plenty of water and get some exercise. I agree. Get off the medicine. Changing eyesight is a serious problem for a diabetic. Your eyesight is already threatened due to the diabetes, let alone adding a medicine that causes further damage. And don't try to fool yourself that 180 is not high. This is a serious business and you need to keep your sugar much lower. Every high sugar is telling you to cut back on the sweets or carbs and stop the damage it's doing to you. Keep your glucoses down closer toward 100 if possible. Let your Dr. guide you on that. My husband became a diabetic because he had pancreatic cancer. Now he's walking 35 minutes twice a day for exercise. He resisted at 1st, but eventually his Dr. convinced him he HAD to do it. Don't forget, cheating will be revealed by your Hgb A1C test. Do what's going to give you a good quality of life! Continue reading >>
Diabetes Type 2
People with type 2 diabetes can experience long term complications including eye problems (retinopathy), damage to the nerves (neuropathy), kidney disease (nephropathy) and heart problems (cardiovascular disease). Several people we talked to wanted to know whether these complications were inevitable. Complications are not inevitable but the ability to avoid them may be beyond the person's control depending on the amount of genetics that may be involved. Whether someone gets complications may be partly due to their blood glucose control and how long they've had diabetes, but there are also genetic factors which we don't know much about. Eyes People with Type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing retinopathy, where the blood vessels in the retina of the eye can become blocked, leaky or grow haphazardly and eyesight is affected. Some people we talked to described instances of 'bleeding in the back of their eyes' and how, as a result, they had lost some vision, either for a short time or permanently. Medication and improving blood glucose control had helped to improve vision for some people, but losing sight, even for a short time was said to be very alarming. Yearly retinopathy screening can monitor changes to the eyes and if blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat levels are kept under control the risk of retinopathy is reduced. Some people's eye problems were first spotted at a routine eye test. Retinopathy can be treated by laser which is very successful if it is caught early. However, laser therapy cannot restore any vision which has already been lost. Feet/Neuropathy People with type 2 diabetes can develop neuropathy (damage to the nerves). The most common form is peripheral neuropathy which affects the nerves in the feet, legs and sometimes hands leading to loss o Continue reading >>
Eye Changes When You Come Down With Diabetes
Eye Changes When You Come Down With Diabetes Thu, 11/18/2010 - 16:23 -- Richard Morris by John Walsh, P.A., C.D.E., Ruth Roberts, M.A. Changes in vision may happen at the time that diabetes is first diagnosed or at any time that blood sugar control is poor. Fluctuating blood sugars cause the lens to swell and shrink, and result in fluctuating vision. Many times, people who have "borderline" diabetes finally decide to take their diabetes seriously when their vision becomes blurred. Sometimes, people coming down with diabetes marvel that they no longer need their glasses to see in the distance. But as insulin or other therapy is begun and the blood sugar drops, the abnormal swelling diminishes. In the short-term vision becomes blurred and is not corrected by their prescription lenses. Either of these scenarios can be frightening to people who have heard of the severe eye damage that goes along with diabetes. Blurred vision in both eyes when insulin or other treatment begins is almost never caused by damage to the eye. Rather, it results from the speed at which the swelling, due to high blood sugars in the previous weeks and months, dissipates from the lens. Vision is usually out of sync for 3 to 4 weeks, sometimes with an accompanying headache. After a visit to the physician to confirm that the abnormal vision is actually a temporary problem caused by lowering the blood sugars, a common treatment is to visit the reading glasses section in a large pharmacy. There, the person tries on different strengths of "reading glasses" until he finds one that allows him to see clearly at distances. As the days pass, a weaker version may be needed until eventually his own prescription lenses again work. Never buy prescription lenses during any period of uncontrolled blood sugars. Thes Continue reading >>
Metformin (oral Route)
Precautions Drug information provided by: Micromedex It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits, especially during the first few weeks that you take this medicine. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. This medicine may interact with the dye used for an X-ray or CT scan. Your doctor should advise you to stop taking it before you have any medical exams or diagnostic tests that might cause less urine output than usual. You may be advised to start taking the medicine again 48 hours after the exams or tests if your kidney function is tested and found to be normal. Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using this medicine several days before having surgery or medical tests. It is very important to carefully follow any instructions from your health care team about: Alcohol—Drinking alcohol may cause severe low blood sugar. Discuss this with your health care team. Other medicines—Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This especially includes nonprescription medicines such as aspirin, and medicines for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hay fever, or sinus problems. Counseling—Other family members need to learn how to prevent side effects or help with side effects if they occur. Also, patients with diabetes may need special counseling about diabetes medicine dosing changes that might occur with lifestyle changes, such as changes in exercise or diet. Counseling on birth control and pregnancy may be needed because of the problems that can occur in pregnancy for patients with diabetes. Travel—Keep a recent prescription and your medical history with you. Be prepared for an emergency as you would norm Continue reading >>
