Type 2 Newbie stress & diabetes?

socks55 · Feb 9, 2023

I'm newly diagnosed feeling pretty rubbish about this diagnosis. I'm booked in to see the nurse she's going to look at my feet & go through a plan.

My problem with it (& I know this might sound odd but it doesn't if you consider that there's a really good reason for my feeling like this) is that I'm going to struggle with any sort of controlled dieting . This is really because I've had a history of another problem where in order to deal with it, all controlled diets have to go out of the window.

I don't think I'm overweight for my size & I think I've had diabetes for a number of years, which has remained undiagnosed until now. I've had symptoms which now make sense
Also I've never eaten meat or dairy.
Anyone else had the same experience?

I'm just wondering, I've been under a lot of stress with things that feel out of my control over the last 10 years or so, just wondering do people have any opinion about whether stress could play a part in the diabetes diagnosis?

EllieM · Feb 9, 2023

Hi @socks55 and welcome to the forums.

Stress can certainly push up blood sugars, just as can a whole number of other factors including illness, steroids, some other medications and many other things. (We've even had some ,members post that they became temporarily diabetic due to covid).

Most people in the UK are diagnosed via an hba1c test - which is will be a number between 48 and much much higher (eg 148). 48 is the diagnostic level for diabetes and the lower your number is the easier it will be to get your levels back to normal.

Do you know what your hba1c was?

I'm probably not the best person to talk about other treatments than diet (though there are other things that you can do to lower your levels) because I'm T1 (and hence insulin dependent), so I'll leave that to the T2s.

Once more welcome.

Diablo T2 · Feb 9, 2023

socks55 said:
I'm newly diagnosed feeling pretty rubbish about this diagnosis. I'm booked in to see the nurse she's going to look at my feet & go through a plan.

My problem with it (& I know this might sound odd but it doesn't if you consider that there's a really good reason for my feeling like this) is that I'm going to struggle with any sort of controlled dieting . This is really because I've had a history of another problem where in order to deal with it, all controlled diets have to go out of the window.

I don't think I'm overweight for my size & I think I've had diabetes for a number of years, which has remained undiagnosed until now. I've had symptoms which now make sense
Also I've never eaten meat or dairy.
Anyone else had the same experience?

I'm just wondering, I've been under a lot of stress with things that feel out of my control over the last 10 years or so, just wondering do people have any opinion about whether stress could play a part in the diabetes diagnosis?

Hello @socks55

I too had not eaten meat for decades but did always (and still do) eat dairy. When I was diagnosed it is likely that I had been diabetic for some time too as my blood sugar was very high.

My opinion is stress was a factor in my becoming diabetic. At the time of my diagnosis a doctor told me that stress would not be a causal factor, but after diagnosis I read about how the body can respond to stress with increased blood sugar. Both adrenaline and cortisol are hormones that can raise blood sugar and can be triggered by stress. Also, indirectly I would eat persistently as a means of dealing with stress, which itself exacerbates high blood sugar as each time you eat you produce insulin which makes you more insulin resistant.

I have now got my blood sugar under control through following a low carb diet, eating only at meals, and eliminating the main situations causing the (chronic) stress. I do occasionally experience stress and I do notice that my blood sugar can increase. Stress can also lead to lack of sleep and that too tends to raise my blood sugar (I test my blood sugar every day like many type 2's who are managing their diabetes via diet).

klogs17 · Feb 10, 2023

I believe years of chronic insomnia, depression and anxiety are contributing factors of my diabetes and cSVD diagnosis.

socks55 · Feb 10, 2023

EllieM said:
Hi @socks55 and welcome to the forums.

Stress can certainly push up blood sugars, just as can a whole number of other factors including illness, steroids, some other medications and many other things. (We've even had some ,members post that they became temporarily diabetic due to covid).

Most people in the UK are diagnosed via an hba1c test - which is will be a number between 48 and much much higher (eg 148). 48 is the diagnostic level for diabetes and the lower your number is the easier it will be to get your levels back to normal.

Do you know what your hba1c was?

I'm probably not the best person to talk about other treatments than diet (though there are other things that you can do to lower your levels) because I'm T1 (and hence insulin dependent), so I'll leave that to the T2s.

Once more welcome.

Hi! Thank you for replying & yes GP said that levels were 59 which I'm hoping can be reduced by making some adjustments. It's just hard to remove stressful situations where you have no control over them & when you can't just remove them from your life if that makes sense.

socks55 · Feb 10, 2023

Diablo T2 said:
Hello @socks55

I too had not eaten meat for decades but did always (and still do) eat dairy. When I was diagnosed it is likely that I had been diabetic for some time too as my blood sugar was very high.

My opinion is stress was a factor in my becoming diabetic. At the time of my diagnosis a doctor told me that stress would not be a causal factor, but after diagnosis I read about how the body can respond to stress with increased blood sugar. Both adrenaline and cortisol are hormones that can raise blood sugar and can be triggered by stress. Also, indirectly I would eat persistently as a means of dealing with stress, which itself exacerbates high blood sugar as each time you eat you produce insulin which makes you more insulin resistant.

I have now got my blood sugar under control through following a low carb diet, eating only at meals, and eliminating the main situations causing the (chronic) stress. I do occasionally experience stress and I do notice that my blood sugar can increase. Stress can also lead to lack of sleep and that too tends to raise my blood sugar (I test my blood sugar every day like many type 2's who are managing their diabetes via diet).

Hi thank you for your reply. I suspect that stress makes most health situations worse. Can I ask how do you test your blood sugar yourself?

I find that when I get really stressed if I don't eat something it makes me feel really unwell. I'm not sure if this is psychological but I often feel suddenly weak & exhausted if I don't eat right now..& it's often something sweet that I go for.

Outlier · Feb 10, 2023

To help you get the best results and help your nurse to help you, I suggest that prior to the appointment, you make a list of foods you are happy to eat that don't contain any carbs or sugars.

socks55 · Feb 10, 2023

Thank you I will do this

Mbaker · Feb 10, 2023

Stress definitely can raise blood sugars, but the "normal" mechanisms within the body may be able to cope with physiological amounts as insulin is a potent response for removing blood glucose.

The most popular method of reducing blood glucose and the HbA1c on this site by a significant margin, is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed; this has a drug like effect that can be frankly not believeable. In many who are getting blood work results that would not be out of place for a fit child meat and diary (if tolerated) is included. Other adjuncts include walking after meals and any level of exercise.

socks55 · Feb 10, 2023

Mbaker said:
Stress definitely can raise blood sugars, but the "normal" mechanisms within the body may be able to cope with physiological amounts as insulin is a potent response for removing blood glucose.

The most popular method of reducing blood glucose and the HbA1c on this site by a significant margin, is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed; this has a drug like effect that can be frankly not believeable. In many who are getting blood work results that would not be out of place for a fit child meat and diary (if tolerated) is included. Other adjuncts include walking after meals and any level of exercise.

I have looked at carbohydrate food & I don't eat much of these & I never have sugar. I don't drink & don't drink tea or coffee & I don't like fruit. Im not a meat or fish eater & eat tvp, tofu - nuts, not processed food, all of the recommended foodstuffs, so I'm just looking for other reasons that my levels are high, I've been in an extraordinarily stressful situation for a number of years that I have really struggled with, so was thinking that might explain it. I think I could do more exercise though & happy for diet to be looked at. Might be something I'm eating that isn't on the info that is causing it.

Diablo T2 · Feb 10, 2023

socks55 said:
Hi thank you for your reply. I suspect that stress makes most health situations worse. Can I ask how do you test your blood sugar yourself?

I use a blood glucose meter which can be bought by individuals without a doctor's prescription (type 2s don't seem to get them on prescription as a rule, although every now and then someone on the forum reports that they have). They come with test strips and a finger prick device to allow you to obtain a small drop of blood which is placed on the strip and the meter gives you a blood glucose reading. I have to order more strips regularly and that's how the suppliers make their money over time - the meters themselves are quite cheap.

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