Yeast and high-ish blood sugar (Thoughts?)

[lacy`12]

Hello!

I have a couple of questions. I've struggled with vaginal yeast infections on and off for the past ~2 years or so. (I have the impression I've been reducing symptoms, but never clearing out the underlying infection completely. I did all the normal things advised online (cotton underwear, changing after sweating, take probiotics etc. etc.), and have also used OTC meds, and courses of Fluconazole.

I'm currently traveling abroad, and went to the doctor due to a prolonged infection (I tried several OTC treatment meds, and none had resolved the issue). While at the clinic, the doctor found sugar in my urine. She has referred me to an endocrinologist after running some basic tests, but her preliminary diagnosis was Type 2, that she seemed to think I have maybe been managing some through exercise/lifestyle. Naturally, I'll follow up with the endo, and pursue further diagnostic testing there to confirm. She said that reoccurring yeast infections are often an indicator of diabetes (why my doctors at home never thought to test this after I was struggling with reoccurring infections for so long is beyond me...)

I've been testing blood sugar the last few days to try to get an understanding of my actual numbers/what foods might be causing problems.

A lot of my numbers seem pretty normal and okay, with the exception of how I process more intense carbs (pasta, mostly). My numbers aren't even *that* high, it seems...but they take a while to come back down?

My questions are these:
-Could a singular spike in blood sugar, or a prolonged "higher" blood sugar cause a yeast infection, or worsen it? Or does it take prolonged high numbers? (And, could sustained ~140 even be counted as a "high"? I realize on the scale of diabetes spikes, it is pretty low. But, also that it isn't necessarily normal to sustain a 140 for a few hours.
-Any thoughts on what could be going on in my system since my numbers are sometimes normal, except with carbs?
-How high does BS have to be before you'd have sugar in your urine?

A few more details:
-I'm a very active (professional athlete), 54 kg/120 lbs. BMI is less than 13. I tend to eat a fairly large amount of food for my size due to the amount that I train. I've been taking my BS a lot over the past few days to try to understand what could maybe be happening. (I'm big on data collection when things are uncertain!)

A day where I seem to process carbs slowly:
5/22, Fasting: 5.6, 100.8, ate 2 hardboiled eggs, cheerios w/ almond milk
5/22, Worked out for 3 hours, ate an apple with peanut butter @11AM
5/22, 1:30 PM, 5.3/95, Ate 1.5 cup pasta w/ pesto sauce and parmesan flakes, 1 bellpepper, drank unsweetened tea with a 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. Ate a 1/4 of a chocolate bar (milk chocolate)
5/22: 4:30P, 7.9/142
5/22: 5:30P, 8/144
5/22: 6:30P, 6.6/118
5/22: 7:30PM, ate a serving of steak, 2 clementine oranges
5/22: 9:30PM, 7.3/131.4
5/22: 11PM, 5.4

A day where things seem pretty normal?:
5/23: 5.3/95.4 fasting, ate 2 hardboiled eggs, cheerios w/ almond milk
5/23: Worked out for three hours, ate 2 tbsp peanut butter and a 1/2 cup of pistachios as a snack @11AM
5/23: 1:30P: 6/108: ate 1/4 cup of steak bits, 1 bagel with cream cheese, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, black tea (unsweetened) w/ unsweetened almond milk
5/23: 3:30: 6.7, 120.6
5/23: 4:30: 6.9, 124.2
5/23, 6PM: 6.1/109.8 (worked out/trained 5-8PM)
5/23: 9PM: 5.1/91.8


I don't expect diagnostic info or anything like that ---I have an endocrinologist appointment set up. But, I'd love any insight around the yeast/blood sugar issue!

 

[Alison Campbell]

Welcome to the forum, I'm surprised your doctor at home did not think of the connection, this was queried by my pharmacist when I purchased similar over the counter products. Could be to do with stereotypes of diabetes, as I do not look like an athelete of any level or a child.

Do let us know how you get on with your appointment. Proper blood tests will hopefully shed some light.

Have you seen this list of symptoms (this is not suggesting that you do have type 2) The home testing looks okish.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/type2-diabetes-symptoms.html

 

[lacy`12]

Welcome to the forum, I'm surprised your doctor at home did not think of the connection, this was queried by my pharmacist when I purchased similar over the counter products. Could be to do with stereotypes of diabetes, as I do not look like an athelete of any level or a child.

Do let us know how you get on with your appointment. Proper blood tests will hopefully shed some light.

Have you seen this list of symptoms (this is not suggesting that you do have type 2) The home testing looks okish.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/type2-diabetes-symptoms.html

Thanks for the reply, Alison!

Now that I have been reading a lot about Diabetes, I'm also surprised my doctor at home didn't think of the connection. I hadn't thought of it before/done any reading about it, as I incorrectly believed that T2 was always correlated with weight.

I have seen those symptoms listed on other sites - but not that specific page. Thank you! I have several of them (I am often very thirsty...drinking several liters of water/day... frequent urination...very dry skin/slow to heal....

I'll update after I see the doctor again!

 

[Antje77]

BMI is less than 13

Is that right? I thought that was dangerously low?

 

[lacy`12]

Is that right? I thought that was dangerously low?

Yes, that is accurate/not a typo. There are a lot of misconceptions about healthy/unhealthy BMI. According to my doctor at home, BMI numbers for professional athletes vary a lot from the "traditional" population, and I'm totally healthy (at least in regards to my BMI!)

 

[EllieM]

What puzzles me is that I thought yeast infections came from having sugar in the urine. None of those blood tests look high enough for sugar to be passed, though of course the blood sugar may have peaked at urine in sugar levels. (Though, after re-reading your original post, the doctor found sugar in your urine, so your peaks must be higher.) My understanding was that sugar gets passed at a blood sugar of 10 / 180. And yes, it doesn't have to be high all the time to get fungal infections, just some of the time make them more likely.

Looks to me that your low carb diet could be suppressing/treating the T2, but when you occasionally have high/normal carb your blood sugars are going up....

Your endo will diagnose you, but am wondering if it has to be T2... Could it be the beginnings of T1, LADA etc etc.....???
Any family members with T2???

 

[Antje77]

Yes, that is accurate/not a typo. There are a lot of misconceptions about healthy/unhealthy BMI. According to my doctor at home, BMI numbers for professional athletes vary a lot from the "traditional" population, and I'm totally healthy (at least in regards to my BMI!)

Good to hear you're allright in regards to your weight. Can't help you, except let you know I've been suffering yeast infections for about 2 years before diagnosis. Directly after diagnosis my sugars hovered between 10 and 18, first hba1c was 78. My yeast infections thankfully disappeared after getting my sugars under 8 most of the time.

 

[lacy`12]

What puzzles me is that I thought yeast infections came from having sugar in the urine. None of those blood tests look high enough for sugar to be passed, though of course the blood sugar may have peaked at urine in sugar levels. (Though, after re-reading your original post, the doctor found sugar in your urine, so your peaks must be higher.) My understanding was that sugar gets passed at a blood sugar of 10 / 180. And yes, it doesn't have to be high all the time to get fungal infections, just some of the time make them more likely.

Looks to me that your low carb diet could be suppressing/treating the T2, but when you occasionally have high/normal carb your blood sugars are going up....

Your endo will diagnose you, but am wondering if it has to be T2... Could it be the beginnings of T1, LADA etc etc.....???
Any family members with T2???

Hi Ellie! Thank you for the reply! I guess I'm not actually sure what the exact medical connection is between high BS and yeast, now that you mention it! -- (sugar in the urine? high blood sugar making a hospitable environment for yeast some other way?)

I was also surprised that I had sugar in my urine, since none of my home tests have read all that high in the realm of spikes. It is helpful to know that you've heard sugar gets passed at 10/180. I haven't had anything read that high at home in the last few days.

I don't have any family members that I know of with any form of diabetes. But, I also spent time in foster care/am estranged from family...so it is possible that it exists in the family line and I'm just not aware of it!

 

[lacy`12]

Good to hear you're allright in regards to your weight. Can't help you, except let you know I've been suffering yeast infections for about 2 years before diagnosis. Directly after diagnosis my sugars hovered between 10 and 18, first hba1c was 78. My yeast infections thankfully disappeared after getting my sugars under 8 most of the time.

Thanks for the thoughts! Good to know that things did get better for you! I'm definitely sick of being in this pattern!!

 

[EllieM]

I don't have any family members that I know of with any form of diabetes. But, I also spent time in foster care/am estranged from family...so it is possible that it exists in the family line and I'm just not aware of it!

It normally shows up in older people, and normally there's a strong genetic component plus a much smaller likelihood of getting it if you're slim and active. So that's why I'm wondering if you've got some other form of diabetes, or something else altogether???

Luckily the yeast infections should be much less likely to reoccur if you get rid of the sugar in your urine. My understanding is that they like the sugar. As a T1, I've had loads of them, but usually only when my diabetic control has been rather mediocre.... (Aside from pregnancy, I'm 2 out of 2 on having a yeast infection after pregnancy. )

 

[Resurgam]

One thing I have noticed since diagnosis and switching to low carb foods is how soft and supple my skin has become, perhaps due to giving up low fat foods which are supposed to be cholesterol lowering.

 

[lacy`12]

It normally shows up in older people, and normally there's a strong genetic component plus a much smaller likelihood of getting it if you're slim and active. So that's why I'm wondering if you've got some other form of diabetes, or something else altogether???

Luckily the yeast infections should be much less likely to reoccur if you get rid of the sugar in your urine. My understanding is that they like the sugar. As a T1, I've had loads of them, but usually only when my diabetic control has been rather mediocre.... (Aside from pregnancy, I'm 2 out of 2 on having a yeast infection after pregnancy. )

Makes sense. I have definitely wondered the same, myself! I have been doing a lot of online reading, but naturally, nothing subs for the knowledge of a good doctor. Hopefully I can get clarification soon!!

Thank you for your support and kind words! Hopefully I can get the sugar out of my urine, regardless of the cause!

 

[lacy`12]

One thing I have noticed since diagnosis and switching to low carb foods is how soft and supple my skin has become, perhaps due to giving up low fat foods which are supposed to be cholesterol lowering.

Interesting! I haven't heard that connection before! Good to know!

 

[Chachi]

Hi @lacy`12 . Good to hear your story (although better if you didn't have it to tell!).

I am a type 1 (supposedly) diagnosed 10 years ago (age 30) while mtb guiding in Spain (20-25hrs cycling a week at that point). I have competed at top-level amateur cycling for many years, so, like you do plenty of exercise (or 'training' as its less affectionately know). I have had underlying yeast issues for many years before any mention of diabetes (athletes foot, wonky nails, some mild skin issues) doctors have always pointed me towards creams etc, which over the long-term have never really treated it. I found your post interesting as I have been putting yeast issues and diabetes together more and more.

I say type 1 supposedly, as I still produce insulin and over the past 6 weeks have been treating the yeast with diet (body ecology diet). All of my symptoms have improved or disappeared and I have now been free from insulin for about 10days with mostly normal readings (occasional 10mmol) and fasting below 6. While at my worst, I would take around 10u/day including Bolas. I put the low amount down to high amounts of exercise and a disciplined diet.

I have moved a few times over the past decade, so I have had inconsistent treatment in various places (Spain, UK, New Zealand, and now Germany). I don't have an endocrinologist that I have a relationship with at the moment, so its hard to get some help with the way I am trying to treat it.

I would be interested to hear any progress on your journey. Also, how they are suggesting type2 rather than 1? If your meal plan that you posted is indicative, then I cannot see any major issues with your bloods. Although I would expect your BS to be tighter on the first day you recorded - that would be similar to mine now without insulin.

Best, Josh