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April is Stress Awareness Month and we’d like to know how different stressful situations impact your blood sugar. Please select any of the following statements that you feel apply to you.
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I answered N/A because all of the above apply. I’ve learned over 50+ years as a T1D how exercise and insulin affect blood glucose. However, I have no such understanding of stress effects. When under stress I note BG changes but am not certain if they are a cause, effect, or even related.
I became a widow in 2019, and the pandemic hit in 2020 which isolated me (high risk). Then the day of Jan.6th, 2021 was on TV and I watched it all – stress does effect blood sugars but you have to correct as the numbers dictate. I have found that exercise, sleep, and keeping busy are all good for physical and mental health. Diet is also a huge component of blood sugars, and many Drs. are promoting the vegan diet for best health. I’ve taken online classes offered by our hospital which gives me a lot to consider.
I am right there with you Connie and am glad to hear your mention of veganism. I myself am a “veggan” meaning I can’t quite give up eggs because I am so carb sensitive in the a.m. My endo encouraged this especially to help mitigate against CKD. The pandemic actually made it easier (no fancy restaurant dilemna!) and by abstaining from meals that included animal fats/proteins certainly help prevent spikes hours after a meal.
As I have written before, I am a pastor. Sunday mornings are times when my adrenaline rises (a stressful situation) which raises my blood glucose. I bolus “phantom” carbs to keep within reasonable range.
Stress raises cortisol.. cortisol messes with the way the body utilizes glucose. But the amount of stress and insulin requirements don’t seem to follow a curve for me. There is a definite tipping point
I feel some nerves when watching my son in sports competitions, and by halftime of a close soccer match I can see my BG rising on the CGM graph. Even this minor event has an effect, so I am working on relaxation techniques rather than simply taking insulin. One of the cruelest parts about stress and BG levels is that stress causes my BG to rise, and one thing that stresses me out is high BG levels. It’s a losing feedback loop!
I’ve not noticed a concrete change in my blood sugars in stressful situations. They have a life of their own and tend to do what they want to, down, no change.
I know that when I get into certain situations (an argument or difficult conversation is typical) I’ll start to flush, my heart speeds up and I usually start shaking a little. That’s the only time I can be reasonably sure my BG will rise, likely because of a rise in cortisol.
I don’t know enough about when my stress level (i.e. cortisol) is actually on the rise. I think sometimes it’s heightened and I don’t realize it, but there’s no way to tell for sure. My BG has been doing some crazy things lately. Maybe that’s the cause?
I struggle greatly with PTSD due to many large and small traumas (never served in a war due to diabetes). And the stress associated is very real and shows up as high blood sugar. I’m constantly on alert for triggers – and therefore constantly seeing my CGM rise. The interesting fact is my blood sugar remains flat at a healthy range while sleeping (unless it’s a night when I have nightmares). But the minute I wake in the morning my blood sugar begins racing. After 55 years of diabetes I’m still all over the place!
One of the biggest things that raises my BG is going to the doctor!
When I’m stressed (no matter what the cause) my blood sugar sometimes rises, sometimes drops, and sometimes remains constant.
I said N/A because I don’t really know. When I was younger I thought that stress lowered my blood sugar because I often felt like I had a low blood sugar before competitions and tests and the like. But that could’ve just been nerves. On the other hand, recently I’ve been under some stress at work and my schedule has changed dramatically. Since the schedule change my blood sugar had been high almost constantly. There’s a chance it’s to do with my insulin being near it’s expiration date, but that timing seems suspect.
I have not noticed any of these types of correlation in twenty years. I was also not sure why I should pick 1-5. One would be the most prevalent, or a number that says incredibly or rarely for the situation.
It goes up when I’m dealing with short-term high-grade stress (argument, etc.), and then drops on its own (i.e., I don’t need to, and shouldn’t, take insulin to counter the rise).
I said NA because sometimes my blood sugar drops and sometimes it goes up. No pattern. Just gotta watch my CGM graph and make adjustments.
Stress is my biggest challenge for TIR goals. I recently jumped from 140 to 280 in 30 minutes. No basal algorithm or auto correction boluses seem to be able to control the skyrocketing BG. When/if the stress is resolved, then my BG falls just as quickly resulting in lows.