Samantha Walsh has lived with type 1 diabetes for over five years since 2017. After her T1D diagnosis, she was eager to give back to the diabetes community. She is the Community and Partner Manager for T1D Exchange and helps to manage the Online Community and recruit for the T1D Exchange Registry. Prior to T1D Exchange, Samantha fundraised at Joslin Diabetes Center. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors degree in sociology and early childhood education.
Other: I am uncertain if stress affects my BG. I notice that when I have increased seizure activity, my BG seems to be elevated often, but not always.
I don’t notice an elevation with psychological stresses.
If I have a very stressful week or 2 I often will have one day where all day my blood sugars keep crashing hard. I set my pump on my activity or lower Basel on those days. It’s amazing how stress, even good excitement can lower my blood sugars.
I haven’t noticed that stress either raises or lowers my blood glucose level, but heat DOES. That lowers my blood glucose level dramatically, often resulting me experience severe hypoglycaemic episodes. (I class severe hypoglycaemic episodes as ones where I lose consciousness.)
Bizarre imprecise question!?!? Stress affects blood sugar ONLY one way period! ALL the stress hormones; adrenaline, cortisol, epinephrine, which the adrenal glands produce, ONLY increase blood sugar period. Never anything else. Always INCREASE BG period. Add in the liver dumping sugar into our system, the altered breathing, the emotional and psychological aspects…. STRESS only increases blood sugar, as it must. If it did anything else as a species, humans would be dead…. naaah, I’m all relaxed ignore the tiger(s), fire, flood… NOPE not the way it ever works.
Other: I am uncertain if stress affects my BG. I notice that when I have increased seizure activity, my BG seems to be elevated often, but not always.
I don’t notice an elevation with psychological stresses.
Stress events affects me like a 20 carb snack. I usually need to increase basal by 30 to 50% for for things such as rush hour driving.
Stress from physical or emotional events seem to have little impact.
Now steroids? That’s a horse of a different color and an unfolding protein molecule of a different poignancy. 🙃☹️🙃
I have had both lows and highs with significant stress. My theory is that whatever is happening with my BG is exacerbated by the stress.
Other – depending on the stress-source and/or level my BGL may stay level, increase, or decrease. Sometimes be erratic.
If I have a very stressful week or 2 I often will have one day where all day my blood sugars keep crashing hard. I set my pump on my activity or lower Basel on those days. It’s amazing how stress, even good excitement can lower my blood sugars.
Stress raises it at first put if it goes on and/or more is added, it will drop it.
Stress crashes my blood sugars terribly.
Even what others may think of as mild stress.
My levels don’t seem effected by stress, but heat and handling dogs raise them.
I haven’t noticed that stress either raises or lowers my blood glucose level, but heat DOES. That lowers my blood glucose level dramatically, often resulting me experience severe hypoglycaemic episodes. (I class severe hypoglycaemic episodes as ones where I lose consciousness.)
My blood pressure goes up with the glucose.
Bizarre imprecise question!?!? Stress affects blood sugar ONLY one way period! ALL the stress hormones; adrenaline, cortisol, epinephrine, which the adrenal glands produce, ONLY increase blood sugar period. Never anything else. Always INCREASE BG period. Add in the liver dumping sugar into our system, the altered breathing, the emotional and psychological aspects…. STRESS only increases blood sugar, as it must. If it did anything else as a species, humans would be dead…. naaah, I’m all relaxed ignore the tiger(s), fire, flood… NOPE not the way it ever works.
Raised bg