Colder weather, lower blood sugars

[diatribe]

Recently the weather got quite a bit cooler here and despite a similar diet I have noticed that my blood sugar levels are generall much lower. Before eating I am typicaly 4.7-5.5 m/mol and after eating 6.1 m/mol. Prior to this these ranges were typically 5.6-6.3 before eating and up to 7.7 after eating.

Yesterday I had a huge cake to try and boost my sugars which had been falling throughout the day after eating my normal "T2" diet. The result was that it was about 5.7 m/mol. In the past it would have been at the 7.7 or higher level.

I am pleased my blood sugar levels are generally looking quite good, however what I don't like (as was the case when I was first diagnosed) is rapidly dropping sugar levels. Even during the hot weather I had a few cases where my reader was suddenly in the danger area.

I have two diabetic health visits in the next six weeks, so I will also discuss it there.

 

[Inka]

What medication do you take @diatribe ?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Basically your body is burning off fuel (food) to keep you warm hence the lower blood sugars. Most people with diabetes find this happens.

 

[Jenny65]

Interested in this I had a google and found this online

For many people with diabetes, as the temperature drops, blood sugars rise. That's because when snow, ice and cold weather keep you inside, you may exercise less and eat more.

Now I wonder if with the increase in fuel costs, peoples homes will be colder so may not be the case

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Interested in this I had a google and found this online

For many people with diabetes, as the temperature drops, blood sugars rise. That's because when snow, ice and cold weather keep you inside, you may exercise less and eat more.

Now I wonder if with the increase in fuel costs, peoples homes will be colder so may not be the case

But then again many people work outside or spend a lot of time outside. Not everyone sits on the article doing nothing all day and stuffing their faces.

 

[rebrascora]

I was under the impression that many of us using insulin need more basal insulin during the winter than in the summer. If I am cold I usually find I am more insulin resistant and when I am warm I am more insulin sensitive. So a hot shower will drop my levels rapidly as will working outside with too many layers on but conversely sitting at home on my backside huddled up because I refuse to turn the heating on just yet will slow my metabolism down and lead to rising levels which need more insulin. 🙄

 

[Inka]

Or, of course, our lovely diabetes will keep us on our toes but doing one thing one Winter and the complete opposite the next 🙄

 

[harbottle]

Recently the weather got quite a bit cooler here and despite a similar diet I have noticed that my blood sugar levels are generall much lower. Before eating I am typicaly 4.7-5.5 m/mol and after eating 6.1 m/mol. Prior to this these ranges were typically 5.6-6.3 before eating and up to 7.7 after eating.

Yesterday I had a huge cake to try and boost my sugars which had been falling throughout the day after eating my normal "T2" diet. The result was that it was about 5.7 m/mol. In the past it would have been at the 7.7 or higher level.

I am pleased my blood sugar levels are generally looking quite good, however what I don't like (as was the case when I was first diagnosed) is rapidly dropping sugar levels. Even during the hot weather I had a few cases where my reader was suddenly in the danger area.

I have two diabetic health visits in the next six weeks, so I will also discuss it there.

My BG has recently been < 5.6 before eating and generally < 6.5 after eating, usually < 6.0, including meals with potato.

I did wonder about the cold weather affecting levels, but it seems that it's warm weather than can lower it.



This was thursday - the 10:34 was after I'd been at work since 9, the 14:06 was after lunch and a walk, the 4.8 was after some afternoon snacks, 18.27 before dinner and and the 20.44.

I don't do the 2 hour pre and post stuff these days as I've already checked out my meals, but I sometimes just get 'interested' in what is going on. Seeing low figures last week made me do a bit more testing here and there. In fact, I go for months without testing and then go through a phase of doing a fair bit.

The 10:34 is interesting, as around that time I'm normally over 6 - my libre graphs from the devices I've used over the last year show a trend from the 5s to the 6s, sometimes into the 7s around the time I go to work (Around 2-3 hours after I've got up.) and it usually drops down to the fives by lunchtime.

In general, I find stress causes it to go up more than food.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I was under the impression that many of us using insulin need more basal insulin during the winter than in the summer. If I am cold I usually find I am more insulin resistant and when I am warm I am more insulin sensitive. So a hot shower will drop my levels rapidly as will working outside with too many layers on but conversely sitting at home on my backside huddled up because I refuse to turn the heating on just yet will slow my metabolism down and lead to rising levels which need more insulin. 🙄

Then again I spend a lot of time indoors during the summer as can not stand the heat and I use more insulin.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Prior to this these ranges were typically 5.6-6.3 before eating and up to 7.7 after eating.

Yesterday I had a huge cake to try and boost my sugars which had been falling throughout the day after eating my normal "T2" diet. The result was that it was about 5.7 m/mol. In the past it would have been at the 7.7 or higher level.

Those sound like great levels @diatribe

It’s always a bit discombobulating when the goalposts shift and things don't behave as you’d normally expect.

If you are taking meds for your diabetes it might be worth contacting your GP to ask about adjusting doses in the light of the changes to your levels?