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Pain and blood sugar levels

C

cott97

Well-Known Member
Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi
Apologies if this sounds confused, I understand pain can raise your BS levels. If this is under control with medication does it still raise your levels or only when you get breakthrough pain. Logic tells me it's the latter but my BS levels whilst I am asleep seem to be rising but the pain is not severe enough to wake me. The pain during the day has now hit the "need to do something" level as it's impacting my movement. Unfortunately this is an ongoing condition for me for which the treatment is strong painkillers, muscle relaxants and physio and for which I have been under a pain consultant so nothing more I can do to control it. As I am in the process of adjusting my insulin as only started a few weeks ago on a mixed insulin I am interested in whether or not the highs I am seeing are real in the long term or pain related. If anyone suffers with chronic pain how much do your BS rise if you have a flair up?
Thanks for bearing with the waffle
Cath
 
Oh, @cott97 - much love to you, from another pain person. I don't use insulin, so I can't advice you on that aspect of your troubles, but I do find that I go up as much as 3% when it's acutely bad, and then it takes about 12 - 18 hours to drop back to "normal" when the pain has come under control again.

I'm wondering what (if any) impact on BG the painkillers themselves have - we end up taking some fairly powerful stuff to get through the harder moments, and I know I felt almost too cloudy-headed to make good decisions and self-monitor the last time I had to load up (Saturday) to get through something.

I think it's a fine line we have to walk, to be honest, between medicating ourselves enough to sustain some kind of quality of life, but remaining functional enough to still be able to self-manage our diabetes. A quick google brought me to the following link:

https://healthguides.healthgrades.c...-pain-relievers-can-affect-blood-sugar-levels

Hopefully there's something relevant to you there (I take NSAIDs and paracetamol (Tylenol in the US) fairly regularly, and Tramadol when it's very bad - I'm incredibly careful with the opiates). Though I wonder whether your pain consultant might be a good person for a chat (or a pharmacist?) as they should both be aware of what drugs react with what drugs and in what way.

Good luck and e-hugs <3

EDIT: Further link, but far less details. Don't forget the control+F search trick to find something specific.

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/drugs-that-can-affect-blood-glucose-levels/
 
Many thanks. I have managed for 6 months without oral morphine but still take long acting morphine every 12 hours and was successfully reducing the amount. The pain pathway is not a pleasant one and knowing you are addicted is quite something to get your head round however I am at a dose level which is considered acceptable. It's so easy to continually increase pain meds as they do lose their effectiveness hence the need to always take the lowest dose possible and when it improves to reduce dose. My BS seems to have gone up around 3 mmol which seems in line with your experience. I am on holiday at moment so can take it easy and do what I need to reduce the pain. It always feels better to know you're not alone as pain can be very isolating.
 
I know a few others here who are / have been frequent pain sufferers, but I don't know if it's polite to "out" them by tagging them in. But, no, you're far from alone, promise.

I hope you're able to relax and enjoy some of your holiday - even if it's slightly hazed and dopey!
 
Hi Cott97
I too live with daily pain, diagnosed fibromyalgia in 2014
I had not thought about how BS levels might be affected by the pain
So, I will try to monitor BS levels as I feel the pain is "unbearable"
I'm following the low carb program (week 3) and have noticed a general drop in BS, but there are unexpected highs
I have been taught self hypnosis for pain management, it helps if the household is quiet!
We don't "waffle"! We all need support thru these problems. I have been very grateful to the help and advice offered thru the forum
 
Thanks. My guess is we may be a small sub group but that pain may cause us to either medicate incorrectly (brain fog) or because we corrected for levels when pain was high. The ice packs and diazepam have started working so not quite as frazzled as earlier. Had bacon and egg cooked for me for breakfast but BS stills 9.5 and showing no signs of dropping. Can't exercise as movement sets off the pain so trying to will my levels lower.
Think I may try to keep a food / BS / pain diary.
 
I hope your symptoms improve - I have had great success with acupuncture which surprised me.
 
It sounds maybe a bit bonkers, but I sometimes find sensory distraction to be useful, though my theory is that it's about making the rest of me as comfy as possible when specific bits are acting up. Something the smells nice - often the oven with something good roasting inside - comfy, soft clothes (a HUGE jumper I can burrow into), I put something engaging but not demanding on the computer to watch and get cosy on the couch. A newly-washed blanket is the best as, right out of the dryer, it's still warm and smells incredibly reassuring. And then, if I can, I fall asleep.

While none of those things have any direct action on my pain, I often find that my other senses being gently soothed will just relax me a little more, and then I've got something to fix my eyes and ears on that doesn't require any concentration (I find reading a real struggle when it's bad). Sometimes I daydream, sometimes I drift off. Sometimes, of course, it doesn't work at all!
 
Yes, I keep a food and BS diary, so I will add pain as a criteria too
1 - 10 scale of my pain thresholds, where 1 = coping ok to 10 = agony!!! and somewhere in between!
It will be interesting to see over time the outcomes. I know we are all so different not just thru the diabetes but in pain thresholds too. Personally I went thru childbirth with no (yes, no) pain whatsoever. After suffering from painful monthly cycles, I'd been expecting something horrendous! Especially after listening to family and friends stories!!
So, as the saying goes; "Keep calm and carry on"! (ooh I love these emoticons!)
 
Aaargh! The Heroic Birth Stories!

Interesting about adding the pain rating to the diary, though - I already track my periods, and sort of keep an eye on what they're doing (have only had one truly low-carb period since my diagnosis), but hadn't considered pain (and, I guess, the activity levels that often trigger it).

Good thought - thanks.

Also:
(ooh I love these emoticons!)
Click to expand...

Haha
 
My sugars were high yesterday too but the pain wasn't too bad - about a 5 for me. I wonder whether or not it was reflecting pain to come? Mine is caused by ligaments being strained so there would be inflammation probably before I registered the pain rising.
@SockFiddler is there an emoticon for pain or coping with pain. I try to keep up but still have to admit BBC computers were only just entering schools when I left!
 
Ha! I dunno! On the phone, I use the poop emoji! I think this forum is too polite for such a thing...
 
Has your pain team been through ACT therapy with you?

This is accepting that the pain is real but getting help around acceptance of it.

The only treatment for pain that I coped with was morphine, butrans and diazepam. Thanks to alternative pain management I have lidocaine patches when needed that I purchase privately and turmeric and blackpepper for anti inflammatory and off anything addictive. I also do
therapeutic art therapy through my cancer therapy group.
 
Yes they have which is how I've managed to start reducing the amount I take. The physio is also helping in maintaining as much movement in my spine as possible which reduces the pull on the muscles and ligaments. I have been lucky in the support I receive but in 3 years I've gone from being able to walk the dog twice a day for a couple of miles to needing a mobility scooter to do the shopping and a walking stick the rest of the time. It's frustrating but by and large I am coping now and hold down a relatively stressful full time job as well. The increase in blood sugars was unexpected so quickly. In my head I had imagined any rise would.take a good few days of severe pain before the rise hit and that has proved incorrect. Interestingly as I have reduced the pain today by restricting movement, Ice packs and hot targeted showers then my blood sugars have started to lower again. For me it looks like they could act as an early warning of severe pain and perhaps enable me to act sooner to reduce the pain which would be a plus side to.diabetes.
 
Oh, that's super-interesting. So you're saying your BG will rise before your pain starts to increase?
 
Yes. Because the pain is caused by the ligaments and muscles becoming inflamed I think the sugars are responding to the inflammation before I realise how bad it is. If that proves accurate then ice packs and stopping of some of the physio I do could be enough to reduce the length of the strength or both of the pain flare up. It might not work with other types of pain but I do wonder whether it would pick up the early signs of an a chest inflammation and help manage the asthma better. Am going to set up long term diary to see if it's more than just a coincidence.
 
My levels also shoot up pre pain actual feelings and are a warning. I get about 24 hrs notice...
 
Really interesting. I wouldn't recommend diabetes but now I have it I'm glad I've found a positive. Is it common knowledge or just something you find out for yourself if you measure your levels?
 
For me its been ongoing for pain recognition for about 2 years.
Pain at night in my elboow and hands is preceded by higher levels the day before.. and continues.
But also ACT therapy comes in to this as well and well being with my dog and stress as well.
I have to recognise the signs before this happens and to eliminate them.. that is part of ACT therapy to reduce pain and reactions goes hand in hand... and bloods..
 
I've done work on recognising the signs and stopping the cycle of getting more tense when I feel pain making it worse but hadn't realised blood sugars could act as a warning. Real light bulb moment and even better that you have 2 years of proof. My pain has been dealt with very separately from my diabetes.
 
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