High Blood Sugars and Stress.....Related?

Luvpugs · #1 (**permalink**) 01-03-2008, 06:05 AM

Does anyone else's sugar go really high if they are under a lot of stress? Mine always does. We had some changes at my job that caused me bunches of stress and no matter what I told my brain about remaining calm, etc..., my sugars would go to 500 or more. My endo says that he doesn't think stress can make them go that high. I highly disagree. I have been diabetic for 22 years and I know myself way better than he does. He advised me to get a lower stress job or try to deal with my stress in different manners (yoga)......ha! ha! I guess this sounds snippy but I am sure he doesn't have much stress making $200.00 per 5 minute patient visit.

xMenace · #2 (**permalink**) 01-03-2008, 06:13 AM

Stress is a known agitant

Do you find you go this high for days at a time or for only a short time, say an 8 hr stretch? Have you ruled out everything else?

RLK · #3 (**permalink**) 01-03-2008, 06:18 AM

Heck yeah, stress does wacky things to BG numbers. When I'm having a particularly bad stretch at work, my I:C ratio while in the office is 1:12, compared to 1:15 for meals eaten at home. I generally don't hit 500 when stressed, but post-prandials in the mid 200s are not uncommon if I don't decrease my I:C (more insulin) during stressful times.

Are your BGs only going high after meals, or is it all the time? Some basal testing might be in order, just to figure out if you need to increase your long-acting insulin or just the short-acting. Are you comfortable that your basal doses are correct when you're not stressed out? If you can answer these questions, it will be easier to determine what changes might need to be made.

Good luck!

markr · #4 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 12:29 AM

Did you see what I posted yesterday regarding stress? Discovery News : Discovery Channel

I can't believe your endo told you this regarding the stress issue. I am sure with the majority of us our blood sugars jump whenever we face a stressful situation. Don't pay his bill and see what happens to his blood sugar.

TenderVittleS · #5 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 12:35 AM

Yes, Insulin is a hormone and when you are under stress your hormones can cause the rise in BS. Its not a pretty sight!!

mwd · #6 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 02:26 AM

my mother-in-law's been staying at my house for the last 15 days for her holiday and my sugars have been all time high for no reason...except the stress she causes me whenever she is around me!!

Jill-O · #7 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 02:55 AM

I'm type 2 but stress does send my numbers way up. Especially when I am really mad at someone or frustrated with a situation (like wanting to loose my temper situations).

gambi · #8 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 04:27 AM

I'm the opposite, If I get stressed or upset my blood sugar goes low. I asked a nurse at work and she that it possible. I doesn't sound normal but it is what it is.

UpNorth · #9 (**permalink**) 01-04-2008, 05:26 AM

My numbers always go up when i'm feeling stressed. Doesn't have to be stressed as in having lots of things to do, most of the time i can manage that kind of stress quite well. The worst stress for me is when being restless. Right now i'm still at my parents place, my boyfriend went back home 2 days ago, i'm going back home in little more than a week from now, and since he went back home, i've been very restless, had trouble sleeping and constantly struggling to keep my bloodsugar below 10mmol/l

I even eat less now than i normally do and still need more insulin than usual...

Just checked... I'm at 14.5mmol/l now

Better take a couple of units now and go refill that waterbottle

Luvpugs · #10 (**permalink**) 01-05-2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xMenace

Stress is a known agitant

Do you find you go this high for days at a time or for only a short time, say an 8 hr stretch? Have you ruled out everything else?

I have had an episode before that lasted about 20 or so days where my sugar would go really, really high and of course I would bolus for it and it would come down but then right back up again. My A1C was horrible that three month period, at 9.8. Then the stress stopped at work and my sugars were running good and my A1C dropped to 6.7. I have ruled out everything else. I can handle a high work load but it is generally when I feel like I can't control a situation or I have an issue with a boss and I of course can't say anything to them about it, no way to vent.

Sheralyn · #11 (**permalink**) 01-05-2008, 12:56 PM

mwd -- I had to laugh when I read your post -- nothing better than a mother-in-law to cause stress!

mwd · #12 (**permalink**) 01-05-2008, 09:52 PM

Not funny at all for me!

Bunkins · #13 (**permalink**) 01-05-2008, 10:51 PM

It drives my numbers up, but never that high.. But as we all know, everything effects people in different ways. I do find though that when I'm really stressed, I tend to eat just a little bit more, testing less and not really caring about what happens with my BG numbers.. Thats when I see the high numbers, but at the time I'm so stressed out, even though I know what I'm doing it doesnt seem to matter.. It's important to find a way to relax so that the stress doesnt carry on from one day to the other.. Took me a long time to find something that works for me...