I am wondering if any other women have the issue with blood sugars that I do. During different times in my cycle I have a very hard time with high blood sugars. Then when my period starts, I battle lows.
Anyone else have this issue? I would love to hear suggestions on how to deal with it because I am failing horribly.
This is were keeping a blood sugar log is very important!
My hormones REALLY affect my sugars but also the rest of my body! 3 days before I start my period my insulin needs jump 40%! The days it starts at 11am I have to drop my basal rate by 30%. Three days into my period I have to drop my insulin again by another 10% back to normal.
Being on birth control has really helped keep this schedule exact.
You are not failing horribly, your body is doing exactly what it is supposed to do!! I don't feel like a failure when I start making the most awful onion smelling sweat (like what happened last month OMG it stunk.) I felt gross but knew that my hormones were kicking in differently and that I would have to really watch my sugars. Turns out that everything was working like normal- i just didn't have to raise my basal quite so high that weeks only 35% higher.
For you- you will have to find the day that you start and be sure to lower your basal/ injection by 20 or 30% the day you start or the night before. be extra sure to exercise the week before your period is supposed to start! I find this really helps keep my insulin needs during my period lower. For you it may do the opposite and keep your insulin needs closer to normal. Our bodies are SO amazing- they do great things!
I hope that this helps. but be sure to talk with your doctor and see about getting a CGM for studying your sugars around the time of your period- this could be a very useful tool for both of you to figure out your insulin needs over these days of hormonal fluctuation.
Up to one week prior to my period and during the first 3 days of my period I have very erratic blood sugar swings. For example, I got my period yesterday morning. My blood sugar was 400 the night before and was running high all morning. I doubled my basal rate and I was still running in the mid to high 100s all day. Then, in the evening and in the middle of the night, I was going down below 50. Now today I'm running in the high 100s again. My before lunch was 183. I just got a CGM last week so I'm hoping some patterns will at least emerge so I can figure out how to set my basal rates better.
LoL let me tell you- even after you figure out the hormone thing.... you can still get the flu the same time as you get your period and really feel like a mess up until you realize you have the flu and THAT is what shot your blood sugars up to 543
=p I look like i have had both eyes punched out and feel like i spent 3 minutes in the octagon. blah
I don't have the back and forth jumps like you guys, but definately in the first day or two my sugars skyrocket. For those of you on the pump. I have a different basal rate that I go to for that time of the month. That usually helps keep things in control.
I also find that I eat poorly that time- chocolate covered pretzles are Mandatory! So, I have to be really aware of my carb-counting.
Hope this helps. :)
I totally have this problem! High for 4 days before, low for 2-3 after it starts.
I usually just raise my basal and try to be more patient w/ myself. No great advice otherwise here. :P
When I start I use a thing called Temp Basal that mine diabetes docter told me tha I should use But than sometimes I have lows
I used to have alot of trouble with my sugars because of hormone changes around my period- i went on the pill to stabilize them and i dont have any problems anymore!! its great! I am on microgestin- some pills/methods do not affect your hormone levels enough to stabilize your sugars (for example the progesterone only pill did nothing and made me wicked Bitchy!)
Yes, but mine vary from month to month on whether they're going to high or low! One month I'll have to increase my basal rate, especially at night, and the next month I'll have to decrease it because of lows! It's so frustrating and feels like I'm playing a game with my body that I'll never win!!!!
I have recently had an islet cell transplant, three weeks ago tomorrow and I've been off insulin completely for 19 days! I feel better than I have in years and just pray that the success continues!! I haven't had a low in 19 days and it is wonderful!!! I actually feel rested when I wake up every morning!
I hope things get better for you...keep up the fight!!
Denise
That is me to a T.... I am trying to be better about tracking my period so I know when it is going to happen and then hopefully do a new basal (and maybe bolus) rate for it.
I absolutely share your problem. Generally, the week before my period, my sugars hover around 15 no matter what I eat or how little insulin I inject. Once my period starts, my blood sugars go through the roof and stay there no matter what I eat or how much insulin I give. If I got my period at regular intervals, it might be easier to handle but my periods are erratic. At one point, my endo put me on a birth control pill, hoping to regulate my periods and make it easier to adjust my behavior, diet, and insulin levels. That didn't work. Most of the endos I have seen said that it's pretty common for women to have spikes and lows during their menstrual cycles so you're definitely not alone. I just ordered a CGM and a new insulin pump and I am hoping that this will help with the PMS/menstruation craziness. So, you may want to see if a birth control pill could stabilize your sugars, you may want to have your doc run a battery of tests to monitor hormonal levels to see if there is anything out of the ordinary there (I did that, too), and you might just want to start writing down your dates of menstruation and blood sugars so you can try to predict and regulate it all. Sorry... I wish I could offer you an EFFECTIVE way to handle it. :(