Anger and extreme irritability are the prevailing emotions that people see when I’m high (although can be when I’m low too). My husband knows, and sometimes he’ll ask ask me if I need to test, which can cause me to flare out at him for just daring to think that anything might be wrong (he’s usually right). There are sometimes more subtle emotions - apathy (just don’t care, I’m busy with something right now), mild depression and sadness (low), fear (especially when I see the low coming, coupled with a panicky need to eat), easy to distract become confused (again when low).
My mood depends on the level of my lows. I do not have hypo unawareness and in most situations, I do not drop quickly. I get giddy (at 68 to 58); confused, and irritable and sad( around 55 to 44); confused and irritable and sad and afraid (43-35),;and I may not pass out ,but I am darn near unable to do anything to help myself below 35 or so…I get too sleepy/groggy.
Highs over 230 make me feel less energectic and not as sharp-brained. I really do not feel and out of range high between 140- and 220, that;s why I need the CGMS…
I kind of know from my moods where my blood sugar is…which is good and bad… If I am just a little silly, giggling, and saying anything that comes off the top of my head, ( my brother calls it “loopy”) I know I have time to treat, so the silly part of my brain that is still workinfgtells me i can wait… If I have the negative emotions, I will treat myself, yet still growl at others ( “Can’t you see I am having a low? Get me something with sugar or get out of my way!!!”).
God bless,
Brunetta
high blood sugars make me cranky and very foggy/tired, lows make me “drunk” feeling and acting them tired…a day of roller coaster BG’s makes me feel like I’ve been hit by a truck…
and unfortunatley getting really angry, stressed, upset, scared; only starts ther roller caoster that compounds the issue
John: I admit I am obsessed lately w/control. Since Ive found TuDiab I realized
there are MANY D’s out there taking charge of their control issues so I don’t feel as guilty
YES. YES. HELL, YES!!!..'nuf said:)
I used to get giddy too! Unfortunately I lost that some years ago, around when I started to develop hypo unawareness. I actually kinda miss that part:) Now that I’m thinking about it, I no longer get a lot of the symptoms that I used to for lower lows, at least not to the extent that I used to: twitchy legs and eyeballs, paranoia, etc. Now I just get cranky and confused:(
The last time I had an endo tell me I was too obsessed about keeping control of my Type 1 diabetes was the last time she saw me. She asked me why I track everything the way I do and I told her that I just sat in her waiting room with several people without feet and I didn’t ever want to be in that place and think “I wish I would have taken more control over my situation”. This is your life and your disease the doctors are either on board or out of the picture.
My mood does change with highs and lows. When I am low, I get very irritable and kind of panicky. I don’t feel highs as much anymore but I will get lathargic and light-headed, which can happen with lows too.
Good for you! I can’t believe she said that to you! You sound like a model patient to me!
Always I can be good when I’m “normal” but look out if I go either way (too high or too low)
-Highs make me feel sluggish, cranky, uninspired and sometimes sleepy. Highs when I’m already asleep will make me sleep through an alarm clock.
-Lows make me feel nervous, panicked and out of breath. Lows when I’m already asleep gives me nightmares.
My wife will be the first to tell you . . .YES!!! When BG’s are high words used to describe my general mood/emotion include cranky and irritable as well groggy and lethargic. Conversly, lows tend to make me wired and hyper at first usually with extreme hunger which is usually a warning sign to check my BG. Silliness and confusion aren’t far behind.
Highs – lethargic, sleepy, thirsty, super mellow, unfocused.
Lows – panicky, dizzy, unfocused, shaky – a “must do something, something bad is happening” kind of mood.
When I am low everyone knows to stay out of my way and to not talk to me. The only thing that I am trying desparately to focus on is getting some sugar in to my system. I get very angry when people keep asking if I am all right but my brain cannot function to even answer them. i get jittery, sweaty, and nervous.
In the past, before I got on the pump, I had a lot of high sugars and it made me very depressed. I was foggy and tired all of the time and my Dr. confirmed that not controlling your blood sugars as best that you can will affect your moods.
I’m the opposite, I can never get to sleep when I’m high, no matter how tired I feel!
wow really? If it’s higher than 250-300 than all I want to do is take a nap if I’m awake until it drops. So do you have hard time sleeping if it goes up after you fall asleep? I have slept for 10-12 hours from highs. (normally I sleep 6-9hours) I slept through the phone ringing, people ringing the bell or knocking, alarm clock, and anytime I sleep through something like that it is usually higher than 250-300 if not more. Does anyone get nightmares when it goes low, like under 50-60??
I do not get nightmares…Just really weird dreams/hallucinations, such as Inanimate objects having human features ( the Cheerios box with teeth; the fireplace morphs into a dragon; hey, sometimes I even see this when I am awake if I am low enough!!) LOL.
God Bless,
Brunetta
All the time it is like a roller coaster that can take a turn in no time at all, there is a good side to it can help you learn some control as well or let you know when something is wrong.
The tighter your control the more open you are to lows, especially if you use injections. I had pretty servious hypo unawareness when I controlled with MDI’s. Now that I’m on the pump it’s improved slightly, but it took 6 mos to a year to do so. I used to not feelling a low until it hit the 40’s. Now, I typicall feel it when it’s in the 50’s or 60’s. Not a vast improvement, but better. The pump has really helped me limit my lows… and highs for that matter. I’ve got a great formula right now. 
Yup definitly get crabby when my BS is high or low