Anxiety/depression - Mood/Behaviour affected by fluctuating blood sugar levels

[Maxy]

Hi,

Have only just joined the forum. Eager to hear other people opinions and experiences on this matter-
Does anyone find their mood and behaviour chance distinctly when their blood sugar levels get high/low?

When low, on numerous occasions I have humiliated and embarrassed myself which has contributed to me feeling anxious over certain things. People have commented and asked me whether I was on drugs during hypo- sometimes in serious occasions I get really 'silly' almost childish crazy behaviour and will bleat out first things that come in to my head uncontrollably almost as if I was drunk. This almost stimulant drug like effect ceases a few minutes later if I don't get sugar then turns into a dosey sleepy stage which I'd compare to an onlooker to look like someone who was extremely drunk.
During lows also I'll get extreme feelings of anxiety and depression which have almost become a part of my hypo awareness- it characterises them. I am not categorically depressed as such but I do believe these feelings come on very much during highs and lows. My hypo awareness is generally pretty good but they catch me off guard from time to time.

When my blood sugars are high I often feel very unhappy, anxious and very unmotivated to do ANYTHING. I will lie down and glaze over with no energy or inertia to do anything. I sometimes wonder whether my blood pressure feels high because my head feels tight in these episodes and often I feel like my heart is beating significantly harder which physiologically could be causing a lot of stress.

Would be very grateful to hear any opinions on this.

Thanks

 

[Jelaca]

Hey welcome
Yeah I think blood sugar levels have a lot to answer for with moods and our actions.. I'm always so scared that ill do something stupid while im having a hypo, and so if im with friends, sometimes I make my levels higher so as to avoid this, but i know this is wrong...
With high levels sometimes i feel a bit irritable and maybe thats because i get headaches from high levels
It is such a hard thing though and I'm still not used to what my levels do to me!

 

[Alanp35]

Personally I find that my moods swings in tandem with my BG levels. I am LADA fairly newly diagnosed so am still "settling in" but when BG is high my mood becomes more angry firstly at me because my BG are so uncontrolled and then with medics who are supporting me. Frustration I suppose is the main sentiment and then I get very low, dark moods, very dark indeed,when I start to work out how best, for me, to get out of this diabetes millstone which I now have round my neck.
I suppose it is for each of us to try and manage this as best we can.

 

[Maxy]

I'm in uni now but had that throughout school- sacrificing higher levels to avoid lows, know that too well! I'm in general really calm so anything like that is out of character. And Andy, frustration is a good description- for some reason I've often become delusional or in denial that I'm hypo when I'm at that state, telling my family that I am fine when I'm obviously not- or in situations with paramedics present being very resilient and fighting what they are doing.

 

[carlrr]

I have noticed that I become very angry,impatient and irritable when I my sugar level is high and the mood doesn't seem to change quickly when my sugars get to around normal levels, something I that is apparent is my "lack of focus" I seem to have suffered from this and mood swings since the condition got hold of me.
I believe the medical body should make themselves aware of these mental issues and look to restore brain imbalance as well as the other issues caused by being diabetic

 

[jreid1906]

Yeah I'm the same with mood swings from highs and lows in bm. I also find it can take a long time to get back to normal even though my sugars are corrected fairly quickly. I'm left extremely sleepy and with a lack of awareness. It's horrible because people expect once your sugars are back to normal for you to be too!


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