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Linda mentioned:

> I was still having problems with my contact lenses.  It turned out that my
> eyes were very dry, so I stopped wearing the contact lenses and my eye
> glass prescription had changed again!

I have some input on this issue for what it's worth. I have celiac
disease and my daughter is the cel/diabetic. This summer I had to have
punctal plugs inserted in my bottom tear ducts because I had such a dry
eye problem. I am like you in that I wore hard contact lenses for 15
years, then went to gas perms and started to have problems with
irritated eyes in my 20's. (I'm 42). I suffered for many years wearing
gas perms and got to where I could only wear them for about 4 hours on
special occasions. About 2 years ago I started wearing a Focusvue lens
(a toric lens - I have a severe astigmitism) which I wasn't able to do
before before the vision wasn't good enough. These lenses relieved a lot
of my discomfort until about a year ago. Not wearing my glasses didn't
help - eyes still dry. The punctal plugs are wonderful and it improved
my vision. My eye dr. said when the eye is dry (and believe me I used
good tear solutions several times a day to no avail) will make your
vision blurry. I have had multiple prescription changes over the last
several years also. I was in bifocals for a while when I was 39. I
haven't needed those for a couple of years - this is before the punctal
plug thing. I completely understand this prescription changing thing, it
drives you nuts, plus the expense is astronomical! Besides not feeling
like you can see!

I will not say that your eye problem is not diabetic related, because it
could be. But you could also have Sjogren's Syndrome (Sho gren) which
commonly develops in celiacs who are diagnosed late. I wasn't diag.
until I was 35 and my daughter and I have adhered perfectly to the diet,
except once or twice a restaurant has fouled up our food. Then we have
had one taste and immediately know it is gluten. This was years ago.

Sjogren's Syndrome is another auto-immune disorder and one of the first
symptoms is severe dry eyes. Other symptoms include, dry mouth,
difficulty in swallowing, fatigue. Sjogren's tends to happen in people
who have auto-immune disorders. My doctors feel that I have the
beginnings of Sjogren's. There isn't much that can do except puntal
plugs and when my mouth gets dry enough there are medications for that.
I have that on hold, because I take enough presciption meds the way it
is. I also take allergy meds, thyroid med, etc.

I am not trying to play doctor. But your symptoms and eye history are so
similar to mine that I am not so sure it is all diabetes related.
Diabetics could very well have these symptoms too, but a late diag. of
celiac disease causes it's problems too.

Understand your level of frustration - been there done that!

Pam Nylander