Hot Showers and Type 1

I take hot showers, the hotter the better & I’m not going to stop. I’ve never noticed it making me high or low, but I’ve never tested to see the effect.

All I’ve been warned about was soaking my feet in really hot water because of neuropathy. The loss of sensation can cause burns. But, that would have to be some boiling hot water.

Blind–what!

How hot is hot? Would it be sad to test yourself in the bath?

There’s another one for the “You know you’re a diabetic when…” posting…

…when you have checked your blood sugar while sitting in a hot tub.

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. . . when you have terrible body odor because taking a hot shower or bath might blind you.

What we are forgetting here is another possible reason for becoming low in a hot shower or hot tub – who’s with you. Might make a difference. (And tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing)

I do drop from hot showers

I’ve never heard this but many years ago a diabetic co-worker told me that taking hot showers helped lower her blood sugar.

My Type 1 11-year-old has an immediate and significant blood sugar drop from a hot shower, but he is very insulin and glucose sensitive in all environments, more so than the average PWD. Everybody’s experience is different, so what might be a problem for some might not be a problem for you.

Try this experiment: next time you shower, check your BG before you get in, immediately after, and 30-60 minutes later. That should tell give you a rough idea of how much impact the shower has on your BG and how long it takes to show up. Then you’ll have the info you need on YOUR body’s reaction, and can plan appropriately in the future.

Good luck!

Do they think we’ll shrink? Obviously I don’t shower in boiling water, though I doubt I’d shrink after all these years.

Let’s see, if a PWD cuts herself doing dishes does that mean we are not excused from KP?

-C

I’ve heard that all housecleaning is very bad for PWD:) I’m getting a doctor’s note to turn into my insurance demanding that I must have a housekeeper!

FIRST…many PWD have some nerve damage, wheather they realize it or not. THAT also means you can not RELIABLY judge how HOT the water is, like a normal person. Nothing like a good very warm NOT HOT shower.

I had a friend loose part of a foot from frostbite. He protected his feet very well and was not out in the cold very long. He did NOT FEEL anything till much later. He did loose some weight though…lol. NOT!

(&( GOMER sez, go ahead and LOL…U could be next!

Laff!

True Jonathan…“WARNING! LIFE CAN BE HAZARDOUS!”

i hadn’t heard about this until this thread…but i did a little google searching and found this.

from diabeteshealth.com (http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/1996/05/01/610/when-does-insulin-start-working–many-factors-affect-absorption/):
The temperature of the injection site can strongly influence the rate of absorption: the warmer the area the faster the absorption; the colder, the slower. For example, regular insulin injected into a thigh peaks in the bloodstream at 90 minutes. If the leg is immersed in cold water, this time increases to 120 minutes, but when immersed in warm water, it falls to less than 40 minutes. The amount of insulin absorbed can also vary substantially. A warm thigh may absorb almost twice as much insulin as a cold thigh.

The practical implications of this are obvious. Taking your insulin injection and then taking a hot shower, sauna or going into a hot tub will increase the rate of absorption of insulin and may lead to an insulin reaction. Alternatively, going out into the cold with only thin slacks or hosiery can lead to the absorption of less insulin and serious high blood sugars. For most patients, the best advice is to avoid extremes of temperature at injection sites. Occasionally (and only after a thorough discussion with a physician), patients may use a hot shower to speed and increase the power of insulin.

i also found an article from 1993: http://www.springerlink.com/content/ul730u2634247078/?p=0de0fa0b99b949528981584e6cf95ac9&pi=6

there is a PDF link to download the actual article.

Thanks for posting this Faye!

I wonder if we could get insurance to pay for hot tubs… to help bring down high blood sugars a little faster :slight_smile:

I have a hot tub/shower in my main bathroom and I sit in the hot water for 20 minutes and I never have had any issues with my BG. Personally this sounds far fetched. You probably have a better chance at slipping on the bar of soap you just dropped then going blind temporarily from a hot shower because you are diabetic.

The hot tub coverage sounds like a plan- shall we start a petition?

As for the rest of it- I’m going to continue to bathe in the hottest water I can tolerate for as long as I am able to climb in and out of the tub. This is the one absolutely guilt free indulgence that I have left, and I intend to make full use of it!

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yeah, i understand the blood circulation/effects on insulin part, but going blind???

I know, I don’t get it either, just heard she lost her eye sight in the shower, but it came back later, might not be connected, but I think it helps to put these stories out. The feedback was great. I just took a hot shower to bring down my sugars the other day, (was out of Lantus for a few days), and it worked. So I will now be aware of when I take my injection and when I take a hot shower, about 1/2 to hour to wait is what I took from this discussion.

Thanx guys!

Okay this one is new for me. I’ve had diabetes for 19 years and i love hot showers i’ve always taken hot showers and nothing is wrong with me. Idk my water is soo hot that u can see little smoke from how hot it is. =) And i leave in the hottest state well actually the hottest city in this state!.