Hyperglycaemia effects on mood, memory & thinking: How to explain to family

[Jenny15]

After many years of good BG control with healthy eating, exercise and Metformin, I become complacent, my life went downhill and I developed long-standing hyperglycaemia. For the first 6 months, the HbA1c result was sitting there in my medical notes but no one called to tell me, or even mentioned it when I was seeing a doctor or nurse for other reasons. I should have followed it up myself at that time and believe me, I will never let this happen again.

Anyway, my muddled thinking abilities over this time have contributed to some "issues" in my life. I've only known for a few days that my high BG levels have likely been making me feel so ill, depressed and confused. I've tried explaining this to people who I know are capable of understanding it, but they are hesitant to believe me.

If you know of any resources such as articles or fact sheets that I can read online, I'd love to have some links to explore. Maybe if I can show them this is real thing that happens to others, they will see I'm not just making it up. I am very committed to improving my health as much as I can, now that I know it can be fixed (I am starting on insulin as soon as I can see my GP). Thanks in advance.

 

[Antje77]

I know one example is not statistically relevant, but maybe it helps. I was diagnosed with and treated for depression for almost a year before my diabetes diagnosis. A blood test more than six months before showed high bg, but like you I hadn't bothered to make the phone call about my blood tests (hey, I was depressed, remember. Getting up every day was hard enough without making stupid phone-calls).
After getting on insulin my depression vanished just like that.
Good luck!

 

[Jenny15]

I know one example is not statistically relevant, but maybe it helps. I was diagnosed with and treated for depression for almost a year before my diabetes diagnosis. A blood test more than six months before showed high bg, but like you I hadn't bothered to make the phone call about my blood tests (hey, I was depressed, remember. Getting up every day was hard enough without making stupid phone-calls).
After getting on insulin my depression vanished just like that.
Good luck!

Oh, that is good to hear! I am looking forward to starting insulin next week. I'm not expecting to feel better the next day, but hopefully I will feel more energy, as fatigue is the biggest issue for now. You've given me a good idea, that I might be able to find resources about depression that I can use with family members. Thank you.

 

[Grant_Vicat]

After many years of good BG control with healthy eating, exercise and Metformin, I become complacent, my life went downhill and I developed long-standing hyperglycaemia. For the first 6 months, the HbA1c result was sitting there in my medical notes but no one called to tell me, or even mentioned it when I was seeing a doctor or nurse for other reasons. I should have followed it up myself at that time and believe me, I will never let this happen again.

Anyway, my muddled thinking abilities over this time have contributed to some "issues" in my life. I've only known for a few days that my high BG levels have likely been making me feel so ill, depressed and confused. I've tried explaining this to people who I know are capable of understanding it, but they are hesitant to believe me.

If you know of any resources such as articles or fact sheets that I can read online, I'd love to have some links to explore. Maybe if I can show them this is real thing that happens to others, they will see I'm not just making it up. I am very committed to improving my health as much as I can, now that I know it can be fixed (I am starting on insulin as soon as I can see my GP). Thanks in advance.

Hi @Jenny15 I have extracted a few excerpts from the Hyperglycaemia section in the book I am holding:

As in so many instances medically, this is a dyslexic’s nightmare derived from three Greek words, Hyper (above), Glycos (sweet, as in Glucose) and (H)aemia (blood), and is the bane of all diabetics. Egyptian papyrus indicates that they knew about sugar in urine even before the Greeks, who coined the word diabetes, which means “a flowing through.” Yes, I’m afraid “doctors” displayed weird fetishes even then. Who in their right mind would dream of tasting any urine, let alone a complete stranger’s? Toddlers perhaps? But I am eternally grateful they did. This meant that until 1978, the only way a diabetic would have any clue (however inaccurate) of their sugar level was by testing urine. So from my first year I was the owner of my own “chemistry set” made by Ames, of Stoke Poges (wonderful name) called Clinitest. There was a stand for several tubes (I would guess this version was designed for laboratory or hospital use), 2 tubes, 2 little droppers with remarkably thick rubber, and a prescribed bottle of Clinitest reagent tablets which would fizz engagingly at the bottom of the tube (which contained five drops of urine and ten of water), changing the urine either to deep blue (no glucose present), army green (trace) camel (1%) orange (2%) and brick red to brown any percentage above. That is when Ketostix would be dipped into the urine to see the result. I would always know when I was in ketosis, because my breathing became very laboured, all my muscles felt as though I had run ten miles and performed fifty press-ups, I had an overwhelming feeling of nausea, would drink vast amounts of water without slaking my thirst, would shun social contact, and my family would notice the all too familiar reek of nail polish remover or pear drops. In later years I realised that it would cloud my vision. Until 2010 I was the only member of the family not to need glasses or lenses, but when I was standing on Shoreham Station platform, aged 13, I was unable to read the nameplate on the opposite platform. Panic set in. Was I already going blind? Or was I suffering from cataracts? My mother took me to an optician that weekend, who could find little worth discussion. However they charged my mother for some placebo gold rimmed glasses. I later realised that it was blood sugar affecting my eyes. The glasses were to serve as props in School plays.
High blood sugar and disturbed digestion [ sudden bouts of inexplicable diarrhoea ] have already been referred to above, as has uncontrollable temper. Even with moderately high levels such as 10.5mmol/L, I lose my natural patience and become irritated by what are normally trifles. One of my employers commented that diabetics ought not to be crossed after lunchtime! Non-diabetic children are known to behave more excitedly after a “sugar fix”, as anybody with children in their charge will tell you. It is only in the last thirty-nine years [now 48] that the carbohydrate content has been stated on food and drink. Yet the public don’t usually know how much sugar they are ingesting in a standard can of fizz. There is the equivalent of eight teaspoons of sugar or two thirds of my lunch starch allowance. Certain chocolate bars have thirteen spoons of sugar...To me and similar people, doughnuts, treacle tart and apple crumble are “Death on a plate!” I have also noticed that my nose runs when I am high. Is this because the brain is using this system to get rid of excess sugar, as it does colds?

Probably the most damaging effect of hyperglycaemia is lethargy. Often an overwhelming tiredness can put the patient to sleep extraordinarily quickly, and after maybe three hours sleep there is no sign of benefit. Before blood sugar meters in the late seventies, my parents used to make me run “round the block”. Unbeknown to them, I should have taken an extra injection of fast acting Insulin and waited for the result.

I hope some of the above will help explain effects of hyperglycaemia that took me several years to understand, and that it gives you some backing to counter disbelief. All the very best

 

[Antje77]

One of my employers commented that diabetics ought not to be crossed after lunchtime!

 

[Resurgam]

When my Hba1c was 91, that is how old I felt in years - now it is 41 and that is about how old I feel.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Hyper feels as if you are wading through treacle. I envisage all that glucose trying to get into my cells and being locked out leaving my cells starving whilst a toxic river of glucose flows outside them both in my brain and body. No amount of caffeine will break through it!
You could tell your family that but it is hard to explain this physiology without experiencing it but we can all empathisehere and I wish you luck on insulin.

 

[Jenny15]

Hi @Jenny15 I have extracted a few excerpts from the Hyperglycaemia section in the book I am holding:

As in so many instances medically, this is a dyslexic’s nightmare derived from three Greek words, Hyper (above), Glycos (sweet, as in Glucose) and (H)aemia (blood), and is the bane of all diabetics. Egyptian papyrus indicates that they knew about sugar in urine even before the Greeks, who coined the word diabetes, which means “a flowing through.” Yes, I’m afraid “doctors” displayed weird fetishes even then. Who in their right mind would dream of tasting any urine, let alone a complete stranger’s? Toddlers perhaps? But I am eternally grateful they did. This meant that until 1978, the only way a diabetic would have any clue (however inaccurate) of their sugar level was by testing urine. So from my first year I was the owner of my own “chemistry set” made by Ames, of Stoke Poges (wonderful name) called Clinitest. There was a stand for several tubes (I would guess this version was designed for laboratory or hospital use), 2 tubes, 2 little droppers with remarkably thick rubber, and a prescribed bottle of Clinitest reagent tablets which would fizz engagingly at the bottom of the tube (which contained five drops of urine and ten of water), changing the urine either to deep blue (no glucose present), army green (trace) camel (1%) orange (2%) and brick red to brown any percentage above. That is when Ketostix would be dipped into the urine to see the result. I would always know when I was in ketosis, because my breathing became very laboured, all my muscles felt as though I had run ten miles and performed fifty press-ups, I had an overwhelming feeling of nausea, would drink vast amounts of water without slaking my thirst, would shun social contact, and my family would notice the all too familiar reek of nail polish remover or pear drops. In later years I realised that it would cloud my vision. Until 2010 I was the only member of the family not to need glasses or lenses, but when I was standing on Shoreham Station platform, aged 13, I was unable to read the nameplate on the opposite platform. Panic set in. Was I already going blind? Or was I suffering from cataracts? My mother took me to an optician that weekend, who could find little worth discussion. However they charged my mother for some placebo gold rimmed glasses. I later realised that it was blood sugar affecting my eyes. The glasses were to serve as props in School plays.
High blood sugar and disturbed digestion [ sudden bouts of inexplicable diarrhoea ] have already been referred to above, as has uncontrollable temper. Even with moderately high levels such as 10.5mmol/L, I lose my natural patience and become irritated by what are normally trifles. One of my employers commented that diabetics ought not to be crossed after lunchtime! Non-diabetic children are known to behave more excitedly after a “sugar fix”, as anybody with children in their charge will tell you. It is only in the last thirty-nine years [now 48] that the carbohydrate content has been stated on food and drink. Yet the public don’t usually know how much sugar they are ingesting in a standard can of fizz. There is the equivalent of eight teaspoons of sugar or two thirds of my lunch starch allowance. Certain chocolate bars have thirteen spoons of sugar...To me and similar people, doughnuts, treacle tart and apple crumble are “Death on a plate!” I have also noticed that my nose runs when I am high. Is this because the brain is using this system to get rid of excess sugar, as it does colds?

Probably the most damaging effect of hyperglycaemia is lethargy. Often an overwhelming tiredness can put the patient to sleep extraordinarily quickly, and after maybe three hours sleep there is no sign of benefit. Before blood sugar meters in the late seventies, my parents used to make me run “round the block”. Unbeknown to them, I should have taken an extra injection of fast acting Insulin and waited for the result.

I hope some of the above will help explain effects of hyperglycaemia that took me several years to understand, and that it gives you some backing to counter disbelief. All the very best

Thank you, that was extremely helpful!

I remember my grandmother using Ketostix for day to day urine testing in the 70s before home blood glucose testing became available. Her 4 shots of insulin per day were delivered via a stainless steel syringe, too. Old school.

 

[Jenny15]

When my Hba1c was 91, that is how old I felt in years - now it is 41 and that is about how old I feel.

A good analogy! Mine is in the 70s and that is how old I feel. Three years ago it was below my age, so I'm hoping to get back there soon.

 

[Jenny15]

Hyper feels as if you are wading through treacle. I envisage all that glucose trying to get into my cells and being locked out leaving my cells starving whilst a toxic river of glucose flows outside them both in my brain and body. No amount of caffeine will break through it!
You could tell your family that but it is hard to explain this physiology without experiencing it but we can all empathisehere and I wish you luck on insulin.

Thank you for the good wishes. Not long to go now I start on insulin tomorrow. And yes, you described perfectly how I feel.

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Thank you, that was extremely helpful!

I remember my grandmother using Ketostix for day to day urine testing in the 70s before home blood glucose testing became available. Her 4 shots of insulin per day were delivered via a stainless steel syringe, too. Old school.

Great pleasure. You might be interested in the thread Anyone remember these syringes?