I have seen discussions about stress and high blood sugar many times, on the diabetes sites. My impression is that stress does cause high blood sugar for almost all diabetics. I do know, however, that stress does not have that effect on all diabetics. I have faced many very stressful situations during my 65 years of diabetes, but my blood sugar was not affected. There are many things that can cause my blood sugar level to rise, but stress is not one of them. I am a very relaxed and calm individual and I rarely lose my temper. I think my basic personality keeps my blood sugar stable when I experience stress. This is one of several reasons why I have maintained an A1c below 6.0 for so many years.
Another closely related topic is excitement. I don’t think that is a form of stress, what do you think? Excitement can cause my blood sugar to drop. I have to test frequently when I am excited. My Dexcom CGM is especially useful when I am excited. I eat glucose tablets when I experience situations that cause me to become very excited. Do any of you have lows when you are excited?
not from excited i get lows but i have highs when under stress or depressed or angry,i try not to be in that state but sometimes it just gets the best of me!
For me it is almost as bad as eating a wonderfully delicious caramel and fudge sundae. Stress is my biggest enemy. My sugars can be very normal in the FBS and I get an upsetting phone call, and through the roof they go. Or if for instance, I am battling a problem or worried, up into the high levels it will go. Somedays I think if I could remain calm, and eat a sundae, I’d be a lot better off. NOT
Hello Sire:
The word “stress” as it is commonly used today is badly mistaken (IMV-fwiw).
Stress is what happens to our bodies against our will; breathing, heart rate, the adrenaline system. The “involuntary systems” of the body. If those are not triggered, tripped, activated strongly by whatever events then it is not actual stress
Put another way if an event does not get our hands actually shaking, our heart rate increased extremely rapidly, our breathing increased meaningfully and difficult to control… when we almost got run over by the imbecile driving too fast oblivious to his surroundings while texting in the in the parking lot for example… that is actual stress. There is a critical difference between life and death events, and not loving ones bosses. hating something about ones parents, having too much work, etc.
When stress horemones adrenaline, epinepherine, cortisol, etc. are released into the bloodstream by the bodys adrenal system, etc. they guarantee higher sugars period. If not released the body has not reached the “fight or flight” standard of stress.
As for excitement… interesting distinction. Are we talking about events which occur rapidly, or out of the normal/expected sequence? Or are we talking about sudden life altering events. I hypothesize the DROP you get via “excitement” is caused by increased blood flow of such events carrying the insulin into the blood stream more rapidly than normally absorbed. mild excitement might not pull the “adrenaline trigger”. No proof at all but a theory that I like ; )
If you can neutralize the effects of adrenaline in your bloodstream, I’m gonna study with you for real.
If it does not happen ever to you, I truly want to spend some time… As always merely my opinion, i could surely be mistaken.
With the utmost genuine respect as always,
Stuart
Hello Cathy:
A “sundae sedative” ehhh… -lol-
Stuart