Stress - does it make your sugars go up or down?

[Herbie72]

I've always thought that mine went down when I was stressed, but lately I've been having inexplicable highs and been wondering whether it's down to stress (work problems).

Does anyone on here have similar problems with sugar levels like this?

 

[Fallenstar]

Hey Herbie
Yup, stress makes mine go up...cortisol again Hun :wink: We release it with chronic stress and it raises blood Glucose.
Hope things settle for you soon work wise.maybe raise your insulin levels a bit to cope with it until you feel a little less stressed.

 

[Herbie72]

Hey Herbie
Yup, stress makes mine go up...cortisol again Hun :wink: We release it with chronic stress and it raises blood Glucose.
Hope things settle for you soon work wise.maybe raise your insulin levels a bit to cope with it until you feel a little less stressed.

Thanks hun. Our company's gone into administration, so we're all potentially being made redundant, though some of us are being kept on to work in the 'new' company. All really unsettling!

Thanks for the advice, though, good to know there's a reason why the sugars have been so wild recently!! :thumbup:

 

[Fallenstar]

Herbie, I'm sorry to hear that, I make no wonder you are feeling stressed so I can understand your levels will be all over the place
I really hope things work out for you, I know at times of stress and upheaval it is all too easy for the Diabetes to go on the back burner, been there, done that, probably too many times...but please try and take time out to look after yourself as well. Not easy, but try and I'm sure things will work out in the long run.
I hope so (hug)

 

[Andybanbury]

Stress makes my Sugars go up :? Only took me 30 years to figure that one out

 

[gollymax]

Stress makes my Sugars go up :? Only took me 30 years to figure that one out

Streess affects my sugar levels, it makes them go fairly high

 

[Beav]

Defo makes them go up.

 

[Trevelyan]

The body has two pathways that respond to stress. The HPA pathway maintains or prolongs the body's stress response. It releases cortisol in the adrenal cortex and this has three effects including increased blood clotting, changing fluis/salt balance and increasing the availability of glucose. Therefore stress will always increase blood sugar levels.

 

[JKPilsworth]

Glad for the clarification. I have a food allergy which can cause severe vomiting. Suagrs are always up afterwards. Must be a stress-related effect

 

[Herbie72]

Glad for the clarification. I have a food allergy which can cause severe vomiting. Suagrs are always up afterwards. Must be a stress-related effect

Yes, thanks all.

What foods are you allergic to, JKP?

 

[flashasarat]

Hope this helps.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10254#p238308

 

[cjdchef]

hi yes it does make your sugar levels raise myself i use to be able able to deal with loads of stress bieng a type 1 and being a fully qualified chef over yrs have run restaurants hotels and was chef for MOD but finally it all caught up with me constant stress high sugar levels to the excess of over 36mml,
my dr signed me off work, the stress was causing large amounts of cortisol (Cortisol counteracts insulin, contributes to hyperglycemia-causing hepatic gluconeogenesis[11] and inhibits the peripheral utilization of glucose (insulin resistance) [11] by decreasing the translocation of glucose transporters (especially GLUT4) to the cell membrane.[12][13] However, cortisol increases glycogen synthesis (glycogenesis) in the liver.[14] The permissive effect of cortisol on insulin action in liver glycogenesis is observed in hepatocyte culture in the laboratory, although the mechanism for this is unknown.)
also large amounts of adrenalin these on there own for a diabetic's blood sugars are bad enough but together its a recipe for disaster, so watch your stress levels and keep a very close eye on ur sugar levels when facing stressful situations
also link below may help you understand it easier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol

 

[Snodger]

stress will always increase blood sugar levels.

...except when it doesn't. Stress makes me go hypo. I know it's not biologically supposed to happen, I understand the biochemistry; I know that most people find stress raises their bg; but nevertheless, with me, it's the other way around. (and I've come across others who have similar experiences, although we are a tiny minority).

 

[daisy3174]

Hey Snodger, I am one of those tiny minority.Hypo every time for me,I do have a huge ammount of stress and even had a 2.4mmol on Christmas day.I am glad that someone else has posted this though as I thought I was weird, even being out in the cold and driving will send me hypo, wonder if some kind of sedative would stop this?x

 

[Snodger]

yay, glad you posted, daisy. I know - I usually don't even mention that I go hypo with stress (certainly not to health professionals) as people end up telling me it's impossible, or they tell me I must be doing more exercise when I'm stressed, or some other 'explanation' which doesn't actually fit the facts. But it does happen and I've met other T1s with the same reaction.
I haven't ever tried any kind of drug to de-stress me so I don't know if that would work. I have heard of people managing their overall stress with various meditation techniques - their overall stress levels decreased and they could see the effect on their bgs. (for them, stress = higher bg though)

 

[daisy3174]

I am Type 2 they think but said it is not straightforward as I have lots of lows as well.Range was about 3.4 to 13.8 about a month ago but now 2.4 to 16.8, so its getting worse.My nurse said the hypos can happen to diabetics early on who are not medicated. I have always exercised (2-3 mile running most days) but it does not de stress me for long and if I am low before I go, it goes up to the 12,s.If I am say 11 before I go the I can sink to 4, its all crazy, think my pancreas has gone mad.I know someone who is Type 1, and has been for 16 years, she also has stress hypos.I think it is probably more common than we think but no one likes to mention it.Anyone else get Hypos due to stress?x

 

[noblehead]

Stress certainly pushes my bg up so try to avoid stressful situations.......not easy with a household of teenagers! :crazy:

 

[Herbie72]

I am Type 2 they think but said it is not straightforward as I have lots of lows as well.Range was about 3.4 to 13.8 about a month ago but now 2.4 to 16.8, so its getting worse.My nurse said the hypos can happen to diabetics early on who are not medicated. I have always exercised (2-3 mile running most days) but it does not de stress me for long and if I am low before I go, it goes up to the 12,s.If I am say 11 before I go the I can sink to 4, its all crazy, think my pancreas has gone mad.I know someone who is Type 1, and has been for 16 years, she also has stress hypos.I think it is probably more common than we think but no one likes to mention it.Anyone else get Hypos due to stress?x

That is what's always confused me, Daisy. I tend to go low when I'm being overwhelmed by my two lively kids (aged four and 18 months) - but that may not necessarily be down to stress. It could be just because their hectic mythering is actually physically tiring! I dunno!!

 

[Lanusia]

Hey Daisy and Snodger! I have the similar symptoms for the hard stress, my BG begin to fall down immediately. I try to understand the mechanism of this phenomen, but it not so clear for me, yet.
So, I glad,that I'm not alone in the "club"

It seems like a compensatory body mechanism to get more sugars for overcome stress.

 

[daisy3174]

Hi Herbie, yes my children nagging me etc also drops my sugar, as does driving and shopping in Morrisons.It would be nice to find out why some people go high due to stress and others go low, so strange x