I have had type 1 for over 30 years, and I have recently been having Gallbladder issues. (I use a pump) I have also had quite a bit of recent trouble keeping my BG down. Are these related? It seems that my basal rate and my bolus amounts are not nearly enough. The constant adjusting is overwhelming. I am usually in the 5.9-6.3 HA1C range, but I fear it will be much higher in my next checkup.
Does anyone know of a link?
did you change your diet recently? If you swapped to lower carb and higher fat that could be it, both gallbladder and insulin wise. Especially if you ate low fat your entire life :-)
I had gallbladder issues prior to the T1 diagnosis. When I 1st met with my endo, he was interested that I had already had my gallbladder removed; there is supposedly a big link between diabetes and gallbladder issues. I just don't know the specifics….
As to the effect on your blood sugar - it's an educated guess. Gallstones cause quite a bit of inflammation in the gallbladder and surrounding areas where the stones get stuck. It would be likely that the body's inflammation plus the stress and pain of the attacks are making your BG harder to control.
The only way I could keep my gallbladder from flaring up was by having a no-fat diet. Don't know if you eat LCHF or not. If you don't, I'd suggest watching your fats in addition to your carbs to see if it helps.
I did a quick Google search on "gallbladder diabetes infections," and found this link to a National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse site.
I didn't read it carefully but it does mention an association of gallstones, diabetes, inflammation and infections. If you have an infection related to your gallbladder it would make sense that you'd have trouble controlling blood glucose levels.
Are you seeing a doctor about the gallbladder symptoms? Perhaps a visit with a gastroenterologist is in order. If you do, make sure to mention that BGs have been harder to control.
Good luck. Please update, I'm interested for personal reasons. Thanks.