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How does infection increase blood sugar?

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kaazoom

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I saw a nutritionist yesterday to get advice on how to better control of my blood sugar. I have been on a low carb diet, which she wasn't impressed with, although she was happy with me using it tempararily to reduce my weight. When I first started low carbing I was getting much blood sugar levels, but now I have noticed that even on low carbs my blood sugar is creeping up. She said I shouldn't get the peaks I'm getting with the low carbs I am on and suggested I should talk to my GP about the medication I'm on as they may be affecting control.

I have read that infection can make blood sugar control difficult. Does anyone know the mechanism for this? I have ME/CFS and one of the the things that is often found with it is an immune dysfunction, it is like the immune system of people with ME/CFS is fighting an infection, although the infection has never been identified. So I am wondering if this may be having an effect on my diabetes, epecially as my ME/CFS symptoms have flared again recently.

Does anyone know if it is the function of the immune system that causes blood sugar levels to rise when someone who has type 2 diabetes has an infection? Or is it the infection itself?
 
I don't have the answer you are looking for, but I just want to say that Bernstein says in his book that infections (even minor ones, like infections under a tooth) will cause a substantial rise in blood sugar. Also, I wonder if you might still be having liver dumps. Once you start a low-carbohydrate diet, the liver dumps can continue for weeks, causing BS numbers that are much higher than you might expect.

I don't know much about ME/CFS, but based on what I just read, it sounds like that could be the cause.

Do you mind if I propose a different approach? Spend 5-10 minutes every day visualizing yourself being perfectly healthy, feeling good and doing things which ME/CFS doesn't usually allow. The mind has great healing power.
 
Hi kazoom

Have you been tested for Vitamin D deficiency? I was diagnosed with CF/ME and it wasn't, it was Vitamin D deficiency. Worth getting it checked out as low Vitamin D levels also mean higher BS levels.
 
How much your sugar levels are affected does depend on the illness/problem and whether or not you have enough insulin in your system. Insulin is a key to preventing high sugar levels, as well as ketone production.

I am very unsure how this is also affected by your other condition but it is tempting to suggest that it will mean your body will have to work extra hard, with the assistance of insulin transferring the energy where it's needed while your body fights the illness.

However, if you're not producing ketones, you may find that you're reasonably okay with the sugar levels. If worse comes to worse, you end up taking a correction every meal to help your body along and prevent ketones making the situation go out of hand.

You really need to speak to your diabetes team about this if you are very concerned. You may need to temporarily go on to insulin if you are ever too badly ill (my grandfather had to when he was last seriously ill and he was Type 2... steroids did not help the sugar levels but he also needed them).

Whatever happens, you take care, y'hear?
 
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