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The "winter" phenomenon

J

john.in.france

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Messages
10
Location
Arleuf, France
The dawn phenomenon is a known real effect. I'm beginning to think that there is also a "winter" phenomenon.

Can anyone comment on whether, like me, they've noticed a change in blood sugar (a reduction) when the weather turns colder (all other things being equal).

As a new boy, the wife and I are watching the figures and the diet like hawks at the moment and we'd like to know whether this is just something we're imagining or is a real effect.

John
 
I have looked up my records and find no difference between my levels in winter and summer. Does your diet change according to the season? My levels have however come down a lot since my diagnosis. :)
 
Thanks for the response Daisy, but that was my point. My diet hadn't changed, nor the amount of exercise I'd taken but the blood sugar figure was down a few points on the previous week. The only thing that seemed to have changed was the temperature.

As someone who had studied physics (many years ago now), it seemed a reasonable hypothesis but ignored the magnificent feedback controls of the human body - even when screwed up by diabetes.

Thanks for looking back on your data for me, perhaps after I've got a couple of full year's data collected I'll be able to justify the guess - but for now - the "Winter Phenomenon" is just my imagination.

Ta. John :lol:
 
There is S A D which kicks in with some of us when the days become shorter the further you are away from the equator and what sun light there is at its lowest strength. Maybe that could have an effect and also when its colder we surely must burn up more energy in maintaining our body temperature thus lowering our BG values.
 
If you are using more enrgy to keep warm, your BG will go down. So turn down the heating and wear an extra sweater.
Hana
 
Yep I get a noticable change in insulin needs from winter to summer, use a lot less insulin during the winter months. I work as a dog handler and have two of my own, so spend most of my time outdoors...

Mind you adapting to different tempretures aren't as bad now that I have a pump, on the MDI days, it would take a couple of days to adjust which was the pit with the english climate and it's veraible summer days...
 
An interesting mix of views. Thanks everyone. The physicist in me thought that the hypothesis was an elegent one, but the human body is amazingly adaptable to its environment, so Daisy's view seemed reasonable too.

My other factor is that I'm a very new boy and the optimist in me wondered perhaps if my phase 1 response had recovered just a bit following my treatment after the hyper incident which led to my diagnosis.

I think I'll just have to keep watching the figures :)

That way, I'll hopefully find out if it's me or the weather.

John
 
I have a winter phenomenon - but it's related to eating and sleeping differently when my partner is away working in Antarctic summer for several months each northern winter, plus changes in activity during winter - same amount of cycling, but less fell walking, adventure racing, occasional weekend orienteering instead of summer evenings etc. Like many Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey staff, he prefers to avoid the cold, damp, dark days of winter!
 
In the hot weather there were plenty of people here saying how the heat causes their BG to rise, so why shouldn't it work in reverse when the temp goes down?
 
annie p ... A theory, but only a theory.

In the hotter periods we usually become less active I know I do) and it also probably follows on that we use far less energy maintaining our core temperature... I even resort to fans to help keep cool. Whereas in the colder periods we usually move quicker more often and expend far more energy keeping our core temperature around normal. As we expend energy we must burn up more glucose than when we are inactive so hence the lower test readings.

Don't forget our body temperature is created and maintained by a biological process that 'burns' extracts of what we eat, which is why we only cool a minute amount as we sleep and shiver on other occasions if our core temperature becomes too low, where the physical muscular movement generates heat to be distributed by the circulating blood.
 
Hi John,


I don't know if I am honest...but think that the physisist in you should bear in mind your measurment uncertainty. I am not sure how many reading etc you are doing....but I think that the meters are typically only =/- 10% accurate, so be carefult to make sure that you have a genuine trend, and not a statistical wobble.

Alas, my reading are not so constant that I can spot such a small change, although I do see a change if I am ill etc.


PS, I am a chemist, so I am always nervous talking figures with someone who studied physics!
 
Now be fair, I have already confessed to my sin of almost jumping to conclusions based on limited data.

However, unlike some Chemical (sorry I was going to say Pharmaceutical, but given your confession of being a Chemist - I couldn't resist it! :wink: ) Companies, I don't propose to publish the result just because at the moment, most votes seem to support some element of a "winter phenomenon".

I'll just keep looking at the numbers and see whether over time there is a pattern that's temperature based. D..m - that means I'll need to track and record the temperature too !

John
 
On the other hand ...... when I go in to the sauna my BG levels go quite low. Knowing that this happens I always check before driving home and eat something if necessary. Just adding to the discussion :!: :D
 
I tend to notice I need to adjust my background when either spring or autumn begins to kick in.

Just today I've needed to increase my insulin.

Is this because of the winter, or have I got a slight infection that needs a bit more insulin?

I have noticed that sometimes, often around the start of spring, that I have a period of low blood sugars and have to reduce my insulin.

I've mentioned it to other diabetic friends and they have noticed similar effects of having to adjust their insulin one way or another.
 
This is something I have considered as well (the engineer in me loves to keep logs and estimate things ;)... I keep all my records (just coming up to 1 year next week!) and haven't really noticed a change. But then again, I am still honeymooning and need to make adjustments to my background every so often.

I'll have to wait until next year until I see any trends I think!
 
Defiantely, I tend to require an additional 1-2 units on Levamir at both ends of the spectrum.

It used to be like clockwork for me, Early October I'd go into the 20's and March I'd have overnight hypos.

Not sure if this relates to the fact people are less active when it gets cold take the car more etc.
 
I found out in April this year that i was diabetic nd i notice in da summer that i needed less insulin 2 tho im always hypoin alot but im goin threw hell at da moment, very stressed not eatin rite nd smoking worth dan a train nd i fink dats got alot 2 do wif it...eg sat sugar level was just over 4 b4 i had my dinner checked again bout half hr after id eaten was way up 2 over 16, so took my food insulin 4units wif in 2 hrs was way bk down 2 round 5, probably explains my behaviour lol 1 min im fine nd da nxt im off on 1 lol. It very frustrating nd cant believe just how much diabetes effects ur life nd wen i go 2 da gym nd sauna i take sugar drink nd bananas as i get tired very quickly nd check my sugar levels b4, durnin nd after x
 
Thanks everyone.

Yep, it's confirmed - when it comes to diabetes, nothing is cut and dried and every single one of us has their own special feature.

Even after only two months I've found so many different things screw up my readings - be it temperature, infection, exercise, worry - you name it, it seems to have an impact. :!:

Bottom line - use the meter and adjust the grub as necessary.

Got some good news this week. Got my first blood test results and they also showed what my readings had been in hospital.

HbA1c on 10 August 2010 - 8.2%
HbA1c on 7 October 2010 - 6.2%.

We must be doing something right :)
 
I can remember telling my doctor at the yearly check up how the weather affected my levels he brushed it off as though I was stupid but then again he did not believe stress could affect levels to me he was straight out of college and thought he knew everything . Pleased to say I now have a good team of docs nurses but the info. I have received on this website from people with diabetes has been fantastic
 
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