Do high sugar levels actually affect your mood?

[Rosieroo]

I’m not talking about being fed up and down trying to manage your diabetes I mean does it actually physically affect your mood if that makes sense

I’m asking because for a long time I’ve struggled getting my levels down alive no one to blame as I wasn’t looking after myself - my morning levels when I tested have been really high up to 20 some days never below 13 . My last HB1ca result was about 73

I’ve been trying to do better and for a week or so my levels went down in the mornings to around 7-8 which is really good for me

Usually I’m really cranking, irritated especially in the mornings but I’ve noticed less so since my levels have been lower . The last couple of days I’ve not eaten too great in the evening so the levels have been high again and I’ve definitely felt more irritable moody and more sluggish as well .

I’ve got a lot going on with working kids etc so I am usually tired and the kids can make me cranky for sure but I did notice those couple of weeks I felt a little better mentally

So for the long post

 

[Antje77]

I’m not talking about being fed up and down trying to manage your diabetes I mean does it actually physically affect your mood if that makes sense

Definitely!
After diagnosis and starting insulin, I felt so much better mentally once my numbers dropped! This is one of my main motivations to stay on top of my diabetes, I never want to feel as bad as I felt when I was having high BG all the time.

The last couple of days I’ve not eaten too great in the evening so the levels have been high again and I’ve definitely felt more irritable moody and more sluggish as well .

The sluggishness with high numbers after food are very relatable as well. I used to struggle to stay awake after meals until I got the hang of insulin dosing.
Are you carb counting and adjusting your doses to what you eat? Do you use correction doses when you see you are going high?
With some practice, you might be able to keep your BG in a reasonable range even when 'not eating great'.

 

[jjraak]

Due to unforeseen circumstances I've been off lchf for near in two years.

Now finally able to work again, I'm making a big effort since Xmas to restart & monitor my BG .

That slight befuddlement has ended & I now feel much sharper.

Part of my job is maths based, and were as before I'd default to using a calculator, now I try to do more of the mental maths.

Keeps me sharp and I like knowing, I still got 'it'.

On a slightly different note, I now now how mums feel about kids going hyper on sugars.

I never really noticed myself, but it was pointed out to me, an apple or similar hits me, and I end chatting waaay too much.

Was the missus who said that , oddly

One minute, it's "you never never talk"..the next it's "shut up, you talk too much "...

But yeah, lower numbers and I'm much calmer & have better clarity .

 

[Rosieroo]

Definitely!
After diagnosis and starting insulin, I felt so much better mentally once my numbers dropped! This is one of my main motivations to stay on top of my diabetes, I never want to feel as bad as I felt when I was having high BG all the time.

The sluggishness with high numbers after food are very relatable as well. I used to struggle to stay awake after meals until I got the hang of insulin dosing.
Are you carb counting and adjusting your doses to what you eat? Do you use correction doses when you see you are going high?
With some practice, you might be able to keep your BG in a reasonable range even when 'not eating great'.

Thank you for your reply

Considering I was diagnosed 8 years ago you’d think I’d be on top of it by now but due to a lot of stress and personal issues I’ve neglected it all. So I’m trying to learn it all now . I don’t carb count , for breakfast lunch and dinner I pretty much eat the same thing and my diabetic nurse told me what amount insulin to take to cover it . She has advised me to at some point learn to carb count . My issue is snacking in the evening on the sweet stuff sadly , the evenings I feel I’m constantly hungry .

But seeing and feeling my mood be a lot better when my numbers came down is motivating me.

 

[Dazza1984]

Yup, definitely. Just think of it as a logical process.
"Not enough insulin = body not able to use glucose = neurological/biological changes"

Normally we would all think about the hypos causing neuro problems and changes in mentation. However, the excess glucose indirectly causes fluid loss as your kidneys try to expel it. If not kept on top of then an element of dehydration occurs. This in itself makes you feel ****.

 

[Antje77]

My issue is snacking in the evening on the sweet stuff sadly , the evenings I feel I’m constantly hungry .

If you feel hungry in the evening, by all means eat!
But you'll need to cover the carbs you eat with insulin, and that's where the carb counting and knowing how much insulin you need for how many carbs comes in.
There is no need to go high with evening snacking at all (I'm a notorious midnight snacker), although it's easier if you choose non sugary snacks.
If it's hunger leading you to snacking sweet things, have you considered snacking on things like cheese, nuts, charcutery stuff to do something about being hungry? Works just as well for being hungry, and it's less likely to make you feel rubbish with high BG, as long as you're not comfortable with dosing for the carbs.

Considering I was diagnosed 8 years ago you’d think I’d be on top of it by now but due to a lot of stress and personal issues I’ve neglected it all. So I’m trying to learn it all now

Way to go!
Don't apologise for not having been able to start learning more than the basics until now. There is a lot more happening in our lives than diabetes, and sometimes there's simply no room for diving in.
And if you're ready to learn now, go for it!

If I were you, I'd ask your diabetes nurse if you can go on a DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) course. From what I understand it can be very helpful in getting the basics of carb counting and insulin dosing. (It's not available in my country so I don't have personal experience of it.) https://dafne.nhs.uk/

 

[jjraak]

Thank you for your reply

Considering I was diagnosed 8 years ago you’d think I’d be on top of it by now but due to a lot of stress and personal issues I’ve neglected it all. So I’m trying to learn it all now . I don’t carb count , for breakfast lunch and dinner I pretty much eat the same thing and my diabetic nurse told me what amount insulin to take to cover it . She has advised me to at some point learn to carb count . My issue is snacking in the evening on the sweet stuff sadly , the evenings I feel I’m constantly hungry .

But seeing and feeling my mood be a lot better when my numbers came down is motivating me.

Might not be the same, as T2D here .

But when I went lchf first time round, I used to still get hungry post evening meal.

(Was down to two meals a day by then)

To avoid snacking later, and another burst of insulin being dispatched to deal with more food, I wanted to be satiated at that last meal.

However I didn't just want 'more' dinner, if that makes sense

Not really a 'pudding' person, I did find a low cal jelly, double cream & a few blueberries filled me up & didn't spike me.

Only needed for a few weeks until that hunger diminished.

Might help you get over that, too ?

 

[Ushthetaff]

high blood sugars makes Mark short tempered ! Irritable , lethargic , not able to concentrate, one or all of my three ex wives would probably say “no different to normal then “ … hmmmmm

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I’m not talking about being fed up and down trying to manage your diabetes I mean does it actually physically affect your mood if that makes sense

I’m asking because for a long time I’ve struggled getting my levels down alive no one to blame as I wasn’t looking after myself - my morning levels when I tested have been really high up to 20 some days never below 13 . My last HB1ca result was about 73

I’ve been trying to do better and for a week or so my levels went down in the mornings to around 7-8 which is really good for me

Usually I’m really cranking, irritated especially in the mornings but I’ve noticed less so since my levels have been lower . The last couple of days I’ve not eaten too great in the evening so the levels have been high again and I’ve definitely felt more irritable moody and more sluggish as well .

I’ve got a lot going on with working kids etc so I am usually tired and the kids can make me cranky for sure but I did notice those couple of weeks I felt a little better mentally

So for the long post

Severe moodswings, increased depression, and being an irritable dragon... I have a whole lot going on mentally as it is, but I was a much more pleasant person to be around when I got my blood sugars under control. Yes... It most definitely makes a difference.

 

[PatsyB]

yes makes me short tempered ! Irritable , lethargic and not nice to know

 

[Sarah69]

No definitely not, I’ve had very high blood sugars in the late 20’s and early 30’s but had no affect on me at all. If I hadn’t tested to know I was that high then I wouldn’t know. I’d been once been to an appointment's at my drs and had bloods taken. The dr rang me when I got home and a real panic asking if I was ok and I was perfectly fine he said my blood sugar was 24. I’m not really sure what he was expecting me to be like!

 

[searley]

Yes…

I don't really notice it and I feel normal

But people around me certainly can tell

 

[TheSCManiac]

Depends how quickly it's climbing, but I would say it tends to result in me getting aggravated far more easily, more mild cases, I am less lethargic