Diabetes and depression

[ButtterflyLady]

I have had type 1 for 37 years. 12 years ago I had a very acute and serious episode of depression and anxiety. I was hospitalised and had, anti depressants,antipsychotics, ECT, and much much more. I was ill for about 18months in total. It eventually made a full recovery thanks to the excellent mental health team I had.

They did not know why it happened and said it was purely clinical. Having diabetes, going through the menopause and possibly the stress of my job as a midwife were given as possible contributing factors.

Glad you are doing better now. Statistically, women have higher rates of depression and anxiety at around the age of menopause. Hormonal changes seem to have a big effect on mental health for many women.

 

[oldnevada]

I agree with the VitD issue, my specialist noticed I was low on tests and are now taking 2 tablets a day. I'm a computer cyclist but in doors for most of the working day. I was very surprised how much better I felt taking the tablets though, life outlook lifted a bit.
David
Australia

Lots of sun will usually boost my outlook. Even if I just go out on the balcony and sit in my adirondack chair with the sun on my face. As does strenuous cardiovascular exercise, like cycling.

 

[exrn]

I was diagnosed with depression pretty soon after developing t1. I was put on various ssri and none of them seemed to do anything beneficial. When I was at my worst I would sleep on the sofa in the same clothes for a long period of time and just not care. Sleeping on the sofa got me onto the fact that I possibly suffer from sleep apnea. Having to sleep on my side when on the sofa would make me wake up fresher than if I slept on my back in the bed. I do think if people have t1 or t2 and depression alongside, they should get checked out for sleep apnea because the symptoms are all so similar!!

 

[oldnevada]

I was diagnosed with depression pretty soon after developing t1. I was put on various ssri and none of them seemed to do anything beneficial. When I was at my worst I would sleep on the sofa in the same clothes for a long period of time and just not care. Sleeping on the sofa got me onto the fact that I possibly suffer from sleep apnea. Having to sleep on my side when on the sofa would make me wake up fresher than if I slept on my back in the bed. I do think if people have t1 or t2 and depression alongside, they should get checked out for sleep apnea because the symptoms are all so similar!!

Similar experience. I can sleep for long periods as well. But I have read that it is better to sleep on your left hand side as it prevents acid reflux better, which I can have issues with if I'm not careful with my eating (meaning processed foods with those nasty industrial cooking oils like the ubiquitous palm oil.). This I have personally found true. I'm on SSRI's as well.

 

[exrn]

Similar experience. I can sleep for long periods as well. But I have read that it is better to sleep on your left hand side as it prevents acid reflux better, which I can have issues with if I'm not careful with my eating. This I have personally found true. I'm on SSRI's as well.

I cant choose what side I sleep on. I automatically revert to on my back. I think its with sleeping on submarines forever and having to sleep on my back. When I am just nodding off I will often wake up with a gasp. Like my throat has just relaxed and closed up.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

I was diagnosed with depression pretty soon after developing t1. I was put on various ssri and none of them seemed to do anything beneficial. When I was at my worst I would sleep on the sofa in the same clothes for a long period of time and just not care. Sleeping on the sofa got me onto the fact that I possibly suffer from sleep apnea. Having to sleep on my side when on the sofa would make me wake up fresher than if I slept on my back in the bed. I do think if people have t1 or t2 and depression alongside, they should get checked out for sleep apnea because the symptoms are all so similar!!

I agree. I have sleep apnoea. Have you been referred for a sleep study?

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Similar experience. I can sleep for long periods as well. But I have read that it is better to sleep on your left hand side as it prevents acid reflux better, which I can have issues with if I'm not careful with my eating. This I have personally found true. I'm on SSRI's as well.

If you are able to stay on your side that's great, but a person can still have sleep apnoea while sleeping on their side, so if you think there's a chance you might have it, ask to be referred for a sleep study. This test can also pick up other sleep disorders that might be contributing to depression and other health problems.

 

[exrn]

I agree. I have sleep apnoea. Have you been referred for a sleep study?

Yeah. I will be there within the next 4 weeks. My GP is a really cool guy so he appears to be sorting things.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

I cant choose what side I sleep on. I automatically revert to on my back. I think its with sleeping on submarines forever and having to sleep on my back. When I am just nodding off I will often wake up with a gasp. Like my throat has just relaxed and closed up.

That's exactly what happens to me if I fall asleep without wearing my CPAP mask. Sounds like sleep apnoea.

 

[exrn]

That's exactly what happens to me if I fall asleep without wearing my CPAP mask. Sounds like sleep apnoea.

Its at the stage of sleeping that if that didn't happen you wouldnt even realise that stage existed. Its definitely in my throat where the blockage is and feels like......I can only describe it as a half swallow kind of thing. Hope that makes sense.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Its at the stage of sleeping that if that didn't happen you wouldnt even realise that stage existed. Its definitely in my throat where the blockage is and feels like......I can only describe it as a half swallow kind of thing. Hope that makes sense.

Yes it does make sense. What is likely to be happening is that the muscles at the back of your tongue relax, dropping the tongue backwards and covering the opening of the throat. It may be happening several times an hour but you sleep deeply enough for it not to fully wake you up. When I was diagnosed it was happening every 90 seconds or so, and it's easy to see how having your sleep interrupted that much can wreck your health. Fortunately, it is treatable with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, which uses lightly pressurised air to splint the airway open. It can take a bit of getting used to, but once it settles, most people don't find it a bother.

 

[exrn]

Yes it does make sense. What is likely to be happening is that the muscles at the back of your tongue relax, dropping the tongue backwards and covering the opening of the throat. It may be happening several times an hour but you sleep deeply enough for it not to fully wake you up. When I was diagnosed it was happening every 90 seconds or so, and it's easy to see how having your sleep interrupted that much can wreck your health. Fortunately, it is treatable with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy, which uses lightly pressurised air to splint the airway open. It can take a bit of getting used to, but once it settles, most people don't find it a bother.

Did your energy increase after starting the CPAP? I am relying on stimulants to get me through the day as it is because I have quite a packed schedule. I never wake up feeling alive except for that time that I was sleeping on my sofa and it only lasted three days then.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Did your energy increase after starting the CPAP? I am relying on stimulants to get me through the day as it is because I have quite a packed schedule. I never wake up feeling alive except for that time that I was sleeping on my sofa and it only lasted three days then.

Yes, my energy level increased and I was not as sleepy during the day as I had been. If you can try and sleep on your side, or semi-upright in a lounger chair, that might help you while you wait for the sleep study. It shouldn't affect the result either, because they will collect data from you lying flat on your back. Some people put a tennis ball under the back of their nightshirt to remind them not to roll over onto their back, but this didn't work for me.

The sleep study will show if you have sleep apnoea, and/or other disorders, and if you have any of these disorders and after treatment you still have low energy/sleepiness, then there are other disorders they can look for through blood tests, for example.

I think sleep disorders are very relevant to depression, because (having battled depression for over 20 years) if there is a purely physical cause you can get treated, then it can make all the difference with depression. Either the depression goes away or it is less severe/responds better to treatment. Common culprits are sleep apnoea, limb movements during sleep, blood glucose problems, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, thyroid imbalances, and iron problems. Plus many other rarer conditions. My psychiatrist tests my B12, folate, thyroid and iron levels every 6 months.

 

[exrn]

Yes, my energy level increased and I was not as sleepy during the day as I had been. If you can try and sleep on your side, or semi-upright in a lounger chair, that might help you while you wait for the sleep study. It shouldn't affect the result either, because they will collect data from you lying flat on your back. Some people put a tennis ball under the back of their nightshirt to remind them not to roll over onto their back, but this didn't work for me.

The sleep study will show if you have sleep apnoea, and/or other disorders, and if you have any of these disorders and after treatment you still have low energy/sleepiness, then there are other disorders they can look for through blood tests, for example.

I think sleep disorders are very relevant to depression, because (having battled depression for over 20 years) if there is a purely physical cause you can get treated, then it can make all the difference with depression. Either the depression goes away or it is less severe/responds better to treatment. Common culprits are sleep apnoea, limb movements during sleep, blood glucose problems, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, thyroid imbalances, and iron problems. Plus many other rarer conditions. My psychiatrist tests my B12, folate, thyroid and iron levels every 6 months.

I read the tennis ball trick before elsewhere. I haven't tried it though. The problem with trying to sleep on my side is that i literally cannot do it. I used to sleep in the fetal position as a child but not in my adult years.
I read about restless leg syndrome too as i get the crawling feelings in my legs when laying in bed which creates an autonomous reaction for me to rub my feet together. I often wake up doing it in the mornings. Apparently this is linked to excess dopamine.
Those three days that i felt alive after the sofa sleeping incident literally felt like i was on amphetamine and i had endless amounts of energy. I suspect thats what it feels like to be at normal energy levels?
I couldn't work it out for ages the reason why I had all that energy for three days. I tried changing my diet to replicate what I had eaten in the weeks preceeding, no joy. I tried cutting out carbohydrate on a night time, changing my lantus injection time. During that three day period, my circadian rhythm automatically synced in. It was amazing. After reading up on the sleep apnea recently, it all pointed towards that. I just hope it is fixed sooner rather than later. All the coffee is making me feel sick.

 

[Fai9al]

I've been diagnosed with T1D almost 5 years ago. Over these years, I've felt like my state has worsened I'm afraid, and two leading factors are depression and anger. For the past year or so, I haven't been finding any joy in any part of my life. My favorite hobby ever, PC gaming, which I turn to every single day has a temporary effect on my depressed state. I'm not denying that my glucose levels are all over the place most of the time, but this is becoming way too hard for me to handle. I wake up every morning looking forward to an amazing and beautiful day, but all I get is extreme dullness throughout the entire day. Hell, even university work and studying in general hasn't been that great at all, and I'm not finding any joy in it either. All I can think of nowadays is how easier it would be on me if I just killed myself. About three days ago, I was the angriest I have ever been in my entire life. I literally felt like I was going to explode if I didn't punch the hell out of something. I haven't talked to any of my family members about my depression, but I have told some of my closest friends. You have no idea how much I hate my life even though I have everything I've ever wanted. I would give up everything in my posession if it could bring me happiness. Any advice would be wonderful even though most of what you guys will type would be something I've already heard. Also, I don't take any anti-depressants of any kind.

 

[azure]

Sorry to hear you're feeling so bad. Do you think it's the diabetes, or would you still feel the same if you didn't have it?

 

[Fai9al]

Sorry to hear you're feeling so bad. Do you think it's the diabetes, or would you still feel the same if you didn't have it?

For the most part I think I would still feel the same with or without diabetes sadly.

 

[azure]

Have you spoken to your GP? Perhaps he or she could rule out anything making it worse, and talk to you about possible options.

I know people assume that being at Uni is a doddle and fun 24/7, but sometimes it can bring on depression or make it worse. And the fact you think you should be enjoying yourself and you're not can make you even more down.

Do you have a routine to your days? Sometimes that can help because you have something to focus on on bad days.

If your blood sugar is high, that could be making the anger worse. Many people feel very irritable with high sugars, myself included.

 

[sillysausage]

Depressed & angry is 'normal' I'm told....life feels like the rug has been pulled away beneath your feet, everyone seems to tell you what to do, when to do something or how to do everything......giving yourself time to relax & do whatever you want to do-however long it takes is OK, & if you want to burst into tears that's OK too, or screaming from the garden shed....if it helps.
You may have to remind people however sad & upset you appear to them - you are really hurting inside & beating yourself up.
Grieving for your loss of life as you knew it & all those dreams you had for the future,....is normal..
Big hugs . X

 

[Fai9al]

Depressed & angry is 'normal' I'm told....life feels like the rug has been pulled away beneath your feet, everyone seems to tell you what to do, when to do something or how to do everything......giving yourself time to relax & do whatever you want to do-however long it takes is OK, & if you want to burst into tears that's OK too, or screaming from the garden shed....if it helps.
You may have to remind people however sad & upset you appear to them - you are really hurting inside & beating yourself up.
Grieving for your loss of life as you knew it & all those dreams you had for the future,....is normal..
Big hugs . X

Thanks a lot for that I really appreciate it.