Stress - T1

Indeed it can much like illness can, if your having a particularly stressful day you need to increase your insulin slightly to compensate.

Hope things improve for you soon!

Yes, as Noblehead has rightly pointed out it's a big cause of high sugar readings - I am testament to that !

Best thing you can do is go for a long walk - or do some gentle exercise, both things are good for stress and take a correction when you eat. As for whatever is causing the stress, if you can handle it and manage it so that it disappears and doesn't cause you more stress then great.

If I won the lottery I would open a meditation retreat so that any type 1's with stress could come and chill out !

Good luck :thumbup:

Unfortunately stress like illness can send you very high or very low. I tend to go very low, and on occasion visit A+E because of it.
I think high sugars are more common and I've been told that yoga can be very helpful for this, but I guess any de-stressers would work and it is probably trial and error.

Yep, stress can do it.... all sorts of things can affect your sugar levels - the weather/heat, tiredness, stress, monthly cycle for women.... sometimes diabetes can be a bit 'hit and miss' because no matter how well controlled you are, things like a hot sunny day can send you in the wrong direction :roll:

It's crazy how stress and everything affects your sugars!!

I've had near hypo's when under stress, & it can take me quite a bit longer to get back to normal levels, than it would do with a normal "low" which (for me) starts at 5.0. My lowest ever, 1.9 was rather "challenging" & despite the usual remedial action(s) recovery took noticeably longer to sort out.

arkle said:

I've had near hypo's when under stress, & it can take me quite a bit longer to get back to normal levels, than it would do with a normal "low" which (for me) starts at 5.0. My lowest ever, 1.9 was rather "challenging" & despite the usual remedial action(s) recovery took noticeably longer to sort out.

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I'm like you with stress. It lowers my BG quite rapidly. I find this at work a lot and I have to take food in with me to meetings that I think ill be in the spotlight. I've noticed the trigger now though and can be prepared

Stress pushes my BG right up too. My consultant even thinks acute stress is a possible culprit for what triggered my immune response and caused me to get diabetes in the first place due to no family or personal history of diabetes or autoimmune disorders at all. My guess is it was either that or my pregnancy or both as I had a very very traumatic and stressful pregnancy where I developed GD, it went away after I had my son but then came back after the most stressful 6 months of my life...


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

Hilary52 said:

I have had a really stressful and emotional day. My blood sugars have rocketed thru the roof for no apparent reason!!! Not eaten anything out the ordinary and taking my insulin. Can stress and emotions make bs rise?


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Yes I'm afraid it does ,upset, worry stress can cause havoc with blood sugars, I know from experience

Take care best wishes RRB

I had a very stressful day last week and where I am usually under 6 my BG was 12.5 when I tested before breakfast.

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How enlightening it is to read all of your comments!
I had been led to believe that stress/anxiety would cause my BG levels to go sky high.
This has caused me great confusion, as I suffer from chronic anxiety and struggle with leaving the house/going to appointments, etc.
At times when such things cannot be avoided my BG levels plummet! I have to reduce my insulin dose/eat extra carbs. After having a particularly bad week, I feel comforted to know it is not just me that is affected in this way.
I was diagnosed with type 1 in March and only regret I didn't join this community sooner!

Hi Hilary,

I also have type 1 diabetes and had the exactly same issues. Unexplained elevated BS's. It turned out to be an infection due to cold weather. I developed the symptoms 3 days later..... And NO, stress has NO effect on BS's. Dr Richard Bernstein approves of this theory.

AdamAdam that might be the case for you but you are wrong. Stress makes my BS go up significantly and, as mentioned, is thought by many endocrine consultants to be a trigger for autoimmune diabetes. Bernstein is ONE doctor in the whole world. He is not God.


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.

Have to disagree with adamadam here. I have a very stressful job and my bs is constantly higher at work than at home despite eating the same food at the same times. I try to correct before the start of my working day and also relaxation techniques sometimes help


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If an event is stressful enough to start your adrenaline going as indicated by rapid heart rate and tremors then it is likely to raise your blood sugar. Adrenaline is a counter regulatory hormone that can cause the liver to convert stored glycogen to glucose, which is often what is called the flight or fight response to provide your body with enough energy to either overcome the enemy or run away.

An occasional blood sugar increase after a stressful event may well of been bought on by the event, on the other hand unexplained blood sugar increases extending for days or weeks can rarely be attributed to stress, and more likely a secondary effect from over eating, binge eating or indulgence, therefore it is wise to seek out a cause other than emotional stress.

This is a clearer explanation of what Adam was trying to say - it's wise to think if levels are raised over time, then look at your insulin doses and try to identify trends/pattern first, also rule out any possible underlying infections, such as a dental infection or cold. I know that my BG levels can rise alot when in team meetings all day as I get fairly anxious about checking my levels and I know even when I eat no carbs on these days I still have to take a few mmol/l to compensate for my raised levels. Generally the next day they come back down. If my levels are consistently high over time then i look at my background insulin to see if this needs tweaking.

Hope this helps. :thumbup:

It's funny but even watching a scary movie will put my sugars up. It's the body natural defense to "flight or fight". When we are stressed we either choose to take it on or run away. Either way the body interprets this in the literal sense and the liver releases glucose, bumping up your sugars.

Its all good though, just try to calm down and maybe even lower the carbs for that day or take a correction unit or two (if you are able to do so).

Best Wishes

Dan

mine also goes up in stress.

definitely affects me. STressful 2 weeks and sugars have been all over the place vs normal for me.

I'm normally able to achieve very good control i.e. 4-6.5 whereas this week I've seen several reading >8 and a few over 10. I've also seen an odd phenomena where after eating at say 7pm, and testing 2 hours later, a pre-bed reading is showing a drop after dinner and then a rise again with no snacks.

My DSN also thinks the honeymoon period may be ending.

I have also been high due to a short burst of stress, very difficult factor to control. best regards.