Empagliflozin

[MonkstonDave]

I've been told I should go on Empagliflozin but my HbA1C is 13+ due to stress, sleep issues and currently recovering from Covid. So, on the back of this, has anyone researched what effect stress and sleep issues has on HbA1C before I sign up for Empag. Thanks!

 

[Fenn]

Hi, it’s well known here that stress, COVID and just about everything else can affect our numbers, if you are confident you can get your numbers down in a reasonable time try to explain this to your doctor, no drugs is best but I have taken emp and personally found it really beneficial with zero side effects

 

[EllieM]

Hi @MonkstonDave
an hba1c of 13% corresponds to an average blood sugar of 18 mmol/L and an hba1c of 119mmol/mol.

There is no doubt that stress and sleep issues have an (adverse) effect on bg levels, and covid won't be helping either, but I personally would be looking to reduce those bgs asap. Remember that you can always come off diabetes medication if your levels improve.

@Oldvatr is our resident expert on dredging up research papers, but here is one I found.
Stress and A1c Among People with Diabetes Across the Lifespan - PMC (nih.gov)
Seems to be suggesting that reducing stress can improve your hba1c by 1% or so??? But an hba1c of 12% is still very high.

The big unknown here is covid. It's possible, if the covid affected you for weeks/months, that it has skewed your hba1c significantly upwards. What are your bg levels like now?

What diabetes medication are you on at the moment? Have you any scope for reducing your levels by low carbing?

 

[Oldvatr]

Stress increases the amount of cortisol in the blood ( adrenaline in old money) This switches off the ability of insulin to store glucose away ( see Krebs Cycle or Citric Cycle) and provides that energy for fight or flight activities. If you do not burn it off in exercise then your body is in the state where both glucose and insulin are present, but not actually achieving much. Empagliflozin will encourage another pathway for the sugar by excreting it in the urine.
https://www.goldenlotusmala.com/blogs/meditation/mantra-recitation-during-meditation
For use while excreting the sugar?