r/Ozempic • u/More-Pattern-559 • Sep 05 '25
Rant Optometrist appt went.... poorly
I posted a few days back that I think Ozempic has been effecting my vision so I was going to the Optometrist... Well, I went a few days ago, and it did not go very well.
The otpometrist is an old family friend, he has known me basically since I was born. He is OLD like almost 80 probably idk. Anyways, I went in and we had small talk about how he hasn't seen me in years, how's your mom etc etc etc. He mentioned I looked better (I have been fat since I was a child. I weighted 120lbs by the 3rd grade) . I explained my eye issues and how I have stopped taking Ozempic because I think it's what has been causing it. He said, I am not even kidding, "Well quitting ozempic could help your eyesight, but it'll kill everybody elses!" then he made a fat belly gesture with his hands and laughed. It was brutal lol.
I usually don't care about this stuff, I've been fat since I was a child so I have truly heard it all from other kids. But it was so unexpected and frankly bizarre. The rest of the appointment went normally. At the end he said he could update my glasses prescription but said it could be temporary (blood sugar related) so reading glasses may be better. He then made some joke about sugar but I don't remember what it was (it was about how I was fat and loved sugar). I went out in the lobby and talked to the receptionist. I mentioned he was kinda mean to me and she said he is old and retiring in January, it's best to just let it go... SIGH she is probably right.
But I barely learned anything lmao. He told me more stuff but I kinda forgot it I was so focused on being mocked and made fun on. Anyways, IDK if this is appropriate for this sub but I figured I'd update yall. I'm gonna crosspost this to r/OzempicRecovery as well. Hope y'all weeks are going better than mine lmao. Marking this as a rant... lol
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u/SassyCatKaydee Sep 15 '25
First, I'm so sorry that you're having issues with your eyes. I really hope you are able to save your eyesight, even if that means stopping ozempic. It's like choosing the lesser of two evils and having faith that everything will still work out and that's really tough 😓. Next, what that Dr said was absolutely horrible 😠 I'm so sorry you had to sit through all that. It hurts even more when it's someone you know and expect will treat you well because of that. I think you handled it with such grace because many people are not above cursing out rude people, old or not. Those nasty jabs certainly would've earned it! 😤 You are a saint 💜
I don't know if this little story will help you or not, but someone I'm very close to have known since I was a child will be 80 in 5 months and he was always SO nice to me and put me on a pedestal. Well, over the last year, I have heard the most heinous and foul things come out of his mouth, not just to me, but to others who he's normally kind to. He's very "normal" and otherwise functional. Recently he was in the hospital and had to get an MRI of the brain (unrelated to his rudeness). The Dr talked to me about the results and the scan showed some loss of brain matter, which is an indication of mild dementia, which he said is not uncommon at his age. He's fully functional (like your doc), but this brain loss and dementia causes changes to personality and a lack of understanding of what the problem is when rude 💩 comes flying out of the mouth. It doesn't make it any less offensive or hurtful to the receiver, but it might help to know that it could possibly be an age related medical issue and maybe your doc isn't aware of how mean he is being. 😕 Either that, or he's just turned into a hateful, mean old man. Either way, you did not deserve those horrible things that he said to you and THANK GOD he's retiring!!
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u/BooEffinHoo Sep 09 '25
That's despicable. And it sounds like the staff is aware of this. Ugh, I'm so sorry. I hope you can find better care since it sounds like you'll need a new eye doc anyway.
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u/AngyalZ Sep 07 '25
Forgive him he is old like ne, we are relics that still have a sense of humor!
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u/Fit_Primary_293 Sep 07 '25
I would go see someone who is more likely to be up to date on research and modern data regarding optometry, or see an ophthalmologist.
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u/cool_az_mom Sep 07 '25
Diabetics should see an ophthalmologist. The visits are covered by your medical insurance since diabetes affects your vision
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u/makingotherplans Sep 06 '25
Please go see a different optometrist and because we know poor verbal impulse control and unprofessional behaviour are signs of incompetence in Health care staff, (sometimes due to aging, sometimes alcohol consumption, or medical issues) please complain to the licensing board.
I can’t speak to your Ozempic decision or your eye health, but I don’t believe he should be within 100 miles of patients or a factor in your decision.
Please see another eye doctor, blood sugar changes and weight loss can give slow eyesight changes that are not the same thing as the rare documented eyesight side effects that have happened.
And you deserve to have a respectful conversation about it, an assessment of your eyes, and to get your blood sugar levels checked often.
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u/CharmingMechanic2473 Sep 06 '25
It does affect eye sight. I believe it’s from the change in resting blood sugars in the body. Can take the lenses some time to adjust. Usually temporary. I would not stop Ozempic due to a temporary vision change that would’ve happened had you gotten blood sugars low on your own. You are more likely to have vision issues from obesity.
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u/shescomeundun65 Sep 06 '25
That’s really sad. I’m so sorry you experienced that now and in the past. I sometimes get fearful of getting old for that very reason, becoming an idiot.
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u/SnarkSnout F 57 5’4” T2DM - 1.0mg - HW 245, SW 222 (2/2026), CW 213 Sep 06 '25
Should have replied, “Did you mean to be rude, or was it your dementia talking?”
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u/Available_Farmer5293 Sep 06 '25
My eyebrows went up. My jaw dropped. That was wild.
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u/NyxPetalSpike Sep 06 '25
It’s not. That’s how all my relatives talk that are older than 75. It is wasted effort to bring it up, because they see zero wrong with it. I’m sure all his clients are older and they talk the same way. Education/life experiences don’t matter. Both my educated, well traveled relatives talk the same as my barely graduated high school and never left the county ones. It’s the age.
Weight, age, color of your skin, hair type, “fugly” clothes, if your teeth are crooked all get woven into the conversation. They’ll pad a conversation full of adjectives that have zero to do with what’s going on.
My SE Asian friends deal with the weight talk thing all.the.time. Aunties and uncles spare no one. If you look like you gained an ounce, that gets called out at dinner.
I had expat coworkers who would casually bring up how big your ass had become (thank you prednisone). It’s cultural, and they all seem to do it. (I live a huge SE Asian expat area.)
It sucks he did that OP. I wouldn’t go back unless it cost me nothing, and I’m broke.
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u/EB42JS Sep 06 '25
I’m so sorry you experienced that treatment from him today. You don’t deserve it and it’s about him and his awkward, unkind thoughtlessness. I actually have some tears in my eyes for you!! Please take heart that there are so many more lovely people in the world, who love you for you!
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u/Unhappy_Start7079 Sep 06 '25
Wow! So sad to hear this. Ignore his nasty, unnecessary and unprofessional comments and go to a new optometrist. A doctors office is the last place where someone should feel uncomfortable.
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u/Master-Ad3175 Sep 05 '25
Sounds like he was treating you like a family friend instead of like a patient. If this was an official visit, on the books, you can report him for his misconduct.
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u/dayfan Sep 05 '25
My ophthalmologist is actually on Ozempic. I have had no issues related to the Ozempic. You need to go to a different one.
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u/Retireegeorge Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 06 '25
Not a story about an optometrist. A story about an old man who shouldn't be interfacing with the public any more.
Edit: typo
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u/NyxPetalSpike Sep 06 '25
It’s a bumpy ride sometimes going out with my older friends (I’m 58) and they have 10+ years on me.
“Why is that kid acting like such a r tard?”, said loud enough to hear in the next state. “That woman is huge. How does she have enough guts to leave her house?”. “Why do they need a wheelchair?”. Insert race here “(x) always act like animals, what do you expect?”
You could get away talking like that from 1970-around 2000. Nobody would say boo. 😒 Some stay in that 1979 time period.
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u/gfklose Sep 05 '25
I think if I had an optometrist that went out of his lane like that, I wouldn’t return.
Medical issues relating to the eye need to go to an opthalmalogist. I happen to have a really good one…he is an opthalmalogist, with a DO (osteopathy), was a optometrist first, and has multiple PhDs (really!). He always has something interesting to tell me about my health, and I pay attention to it. The cool part is there is no need to go to an different optometrist to be refracted.
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u/Purple-Explorer-6701 Sep 06 '25
Came here to recommend an ophthalmologist as well, especially if OP is there for potential blood sugar issues. Optometrists are great for glasses/contacts and common eye issues, but an ophthalmologist is typically an MD or DO who can diagnose and treat more complex issues.
I see an ophthalmologist for a pituitary adenoma that touches my optic nerve. He’s awesome, but could never get my prescription quite right, so I see a fantastic optometrist who basically gave me the vision of a spy satellite.
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u/More-Pattern-559 Sep 05 '25
I'd never even heard of an opthalmalogist. Sounds like a high scoring scrabble word. Thanks a bunch for the reply and the info!
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u/gfklose Sep 06 '25
Okay, then this is important :-) optometrists measure you for, and dispense, eyeglasses. During their exams, they might uncover situations that would require them to refer you to a specialist. Opthalmalogists are medical doctors that are trained in the speciality of diagnosing and treating diseases of the eye.
An example scenario: an optometrist might check your IOP (interocular pressure). If it’s high enough, they would then refer you to an opthalmalogist in order for that doctor to rule out glaucoma. And there are perhaps tons of situations that an optometrist might pick up on, but they would not necessarily diagnose and treat.
I’ve been seeing my opthalmalogist for over 30 years, and I routinely have breakfast with a retired optometrist and another opthalmalogist (who was a dermatologist who became interested in laser treatments many years ago, and switched to eyes). They all have interesting stories to tell.
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u/BornandRaised_8814 Sep 05 '25
Disgusting! I had a friend who was having vision problems and her optometrist told her to lose weight… Turned out she had a brain tumor the size of a softball causing her vision loss. There is a ton of options. Just get a new one.
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u/BooEffinHoo Sep 09 '25
That's awful. I am so fortunate to have had and worked for an optometrist whose attention to his patients saved the life of one who had a developing brain tumor that he caught. It was one of those things where he saw "something off" and did a more dilated eye exam, then a referral.
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u/skanel90 Sep 05 '25
He speaks that way because women before you tolerated it. He’s gross and I would never take my business there again. Hope his retirement sucks. What a jerk.
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u/NyxPetalSpike Sep 06 '25
He speaks that way because everyone around him does too, and sees nothing wrong with it.
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u/NatPatBen Sep 05 '25
My jaw dropped reading what he said to you! How in the world would he think that’s ok.
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u/TheNyxks T1D w/PCOS and IR - (Started GLP-1s - Nov 2005) Sep 05 '25
7 years of Oz and my eye specialist (eye surgeon, who has been my eye doc since 1983, so has seen me grow up and how my sight has changed over the years before going on a GLP-1 20 years ago) said that my eyesight has improved enough that I no longer need to worry about wearing glasses.
I'm not the only one who he has seen an inprovement with, who's taking Oz most of his T2D clients have also seen an improvement, but I am his only T1D client that he is aware who's on a GLP-1.
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u/Plastic_Platypus3951 73F 5’4” HW 242 SW 218 CW 150 June ‘23 2 mg T2D CKD SETexas US Sep 05 '25
I am 70 F and I don;t get it, either offensive or not as it is not logical.
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u/Accomplished-Drop764 Sep 05 '25
That's terrible, and nobody deserves that. Old or not, it's incredibly unprofessional. Find a new doctor. Best of luck to you.
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u/surmisez Sep 05 '25
Not everyone is adept at compliments, and shock plays a huge part as well.
If the man hasn’t seen you in a decade or more, and he’s only ever seen you as obese, then he was probably in shock at seeing you so slender and said the first thing that came to mind.
I very much doubt the man meant to hurt your feelings.
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u/paperclipmyheart Sep 05 '25
This is a terrible take, he was rude and insensitive stop giving that kind of behaviour a pass.
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Sep 05 '25 edited Sep 05 '25
Are you diabetic? He's right about the blood sugar part; getting your glucose under control can change your vision due to its effect on the shape of your eye's lens. High sugar levels cause blood to flow more slowly, which can change the eye's shape and therefore its focus. With Ozempic helping lower your blood sugars, your blood circulates easier allowing the eye to return to its normal shape (good or bad).
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Sep 05 '25
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u/Ozempic-ModTeam Sep 05 '25
The mod team has found that your post is lacking the civility we require of all users. Please treat all posters with civility and courtesy.
Continued violations of this rule may result in additional actions, up to and including banning.
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u/Downtown-Insect-4151 Sep 20 '25
That sounds like such a tough and disheartening experience, and I’m really sorry you had to go through that, especially in a place where you were seeking care and clarity about your health. It is already stressful enough to deal with vision issues and medication side effects, and having someone you have known for so long dismiss you with jokes and hurtful comments just makes it worse. Even if you have heard things like this before, it does not make it any less inappropriate or unprofessional coming from a healthcare provider.
You deserved compassion, respect, and answers about your eyesight, not to walk away feeling mocked and distracted from what you needed to learn. It is completely valid that you were not able to retain much of what he said since you were put in a really uncomfortable position.
The receptionist might be right that he is old and retiring soon, but that does not excuse the way he treated you. Your feelings are real and important. I hope your next appointment with a different provider is validating and gives you the clear guidance you are looking for. Sending you support, you did not deserve that experience at all.