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Blood sugar during menstrual cycle

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drahawkins_1973

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,

A quick question for the ladies.

I've just had my first period since being diagnosed Type 1 a few weeks ago. Two days before my period I was having trouble keeping my sugar levels up and they kept dropping low despite constantly eating. Then since the day my period started I've been running high. Having read through some threads this seems to be the opposite to what most people experience. Does anyone else have a similar problem?

I've only just started getting regular blood sugar readings as it took me a while to get my Levemir dose to a sensible level and so its obvisouly not a good time to be changing this when I dont really know how my body will be over the next few days. My consultant told me to just run a little high for a few days until I get used the patterns but thought I'd see if this is unusual.

Thanks
Andrea
 
hi andrea,
I've havent personally experienced this. the only thing that tends to happen (and probably happens to lots of women...) is that I get a serious chocolate craving which I admit, I give in to and then just bolus for it (mmmm.....chocolate...). 😉

I'd suggest maybe seeing if the same thing continues to happen over the next 3 - 4 months so you can figure out if its just a one off or an actual 'thing'. I have never heard that T1 diabetes should have any effect on the menstrual cycle, and I've never been denied any form of oral contraception on the basis of being a T1....it may just be a one off ? 🙂

C.
 
I'm officially past all that now (doing a virtual jig) but yes, the same thing used to happen to me, I'd get low beforehand then shoot up for the first day or so. Adding it up. I had some of my worst hypos when I was due on.
 
I tend to be high for the day or two before then drop rapidly as my period starts. Unfortunaly not predicably enough to adjust insulin though, so far my attempts at correcting the high beforehand just leaves me even lower!
 
If it doesn't settle down, how about trying depo-provera injections? You have one every 12 weeks and never have a period while it lasts (apart from a bit of spotting now and again).
 
I stay normal during that time of the month but I turn into the chocolate/any thing sweet monster (it's not pretty especially when I'm ratty)

Maybe you are up & down as you are newly diagnosed?

Hope things improve next month
 
I not only have issues going higher 3/4 days before and low when I come on, I also have a couple of high days when I ovulate. It's taken nearly 9 months to get my pump settings sorted for this.
 
yes I also find i'm higher around a week before I'm due on, for a few days, then go stupidly low about 2-3 days beforehand. then it normalises. i just have to cope as each day goes by as it's too unpredictable to change my pump settings .

the joys of hormones!! hope you manage to work it out 🙂
 
Thanks for all the replies!

I guess I'll just keep a note of my numbers ad see what happpens next month. My only worry is that we'll be going on holidays when my next one is due and so I'll probably have the extra factor of the weather having an effect...if its not one thing its another eh 🙂 !!!

But it's really great to have these forums where you can chat to poeple so thanks for thaking the time to reply
 
If you're on oral contraceptives, you can start a new pack as soon as you finished the one before/during your hols to have an extended month. I was told about that one at a family planning clinic.
 
I do find my levels are affected at that time of the month, I tend to go hypo more often which I put down to raised body temperature. I still haven't figured out 100% how to deal with it and I've been Diabetic for near 20 years...!
 
I get a bit resistant in the lead up. Then I drop quickly and become extremely sensitive to insulin.

I use an App called P Tracker that calculates due dates, which I put in to my insulin diary each month so I know when to reduce my levemir & my novorapid ratio.
 
God knows, I wish I could figure this out sometime...I have trouble every month, usually high for a couple days before at least but then sometimes the first day or so too. Have never quite got it right yet.

Total pita.
 
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