Sexual Problems

[Yasminion]

Hi All,

Putting this in this section as technically it's exercise.

I am a 25yr old mum and was diagnosed with T1D on 14th February this year.

I've had troubles with getting "in the mood" or "ready" for intercourse for a while, but it's gotten 10x worse since diagnosis. My mind isn't in the mood, my body doesn't respond to anything either and it's a strain on my relationship. We've been together seven years (today) and have lots of ups and downs, but this never use to affect me.

Anyone have any tips on how to increase interest and body response again with T1D?
I've tried my doctors and they didn't care, just told me my bloods were fine a couple months ago in regards to hormone levels so I need to get a private therapist to sort me out. Not very helpful when we're not in a great financial position.

Thank you. Kind regards,
Yasmin

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Yasminion

I have two suggestions which might help

Know your levels beforehand.
It could be that you are worrying about your glucose levels and cannot focus on the intercourse, or prospect of it. Knowing what your levels are can be really helpful having a snack if necessary. You can always correct afterwards. You could talk to your team about getting a Libre sensor, so that you can see how your levels are behaving between tests.

Plenty of jelly. T1 can cause dryness and so can make intercourse painful.
Using plenty of jelly can really help.

Also are you able to talk to your partner about this? It could help if he understands your concerns and worries.

It is very early days since your diagnosis. How are you managing otherwise.
If you haven’t done so you could introduce yourself in the Newbies section.
Let us know what insulin(s) you are on.

 

[Yasminion]

Welcome to the forum @Yasminion

I have two suggestions which might help

Know your levels beforehand.
It could be that you are worrying about your glucose levels and cannot focus on the intercourse, or prospect of it. Knowing what your levels are can be really helpful having a snack if necessary. You can always correct afterwards. You could talk to your team about getting a Libre sensor, so that you can see how your levels are behaving between tests.

Plenty of jelly. T1 can cause dryness and so can make intercourse painful.
Using plenty of jelly can really help.

Also are you able to talk to your partner about this? It could help if he understands your concerns and worries.

It is very early days since your diagnosis. How are you managing otherwise.
If you haven’t done so you could introduce yourself in the Newbies section.
Let us know what insulin(s) you are on.

I don't really worry about my levels, ever really, I tend to just stress about everything else in my life (always been like this, not sure how to sort it). But I have asked my DSN for monitor and they're looking into it for me, yay!

We use lubricants, however my body is sensitive to creams and whatnot so they usually sting or make me sore, it's horrible. We've tried practically everything available.

I've spoken with my partner and he's understanding most the time, but he thinks it's something I can control which I can't, so that's tough.

I'm getting on fine otherwise since diagnosis, thank you. My only problem is I use to love just eating/snacking constantly and now I have to count carbs first. Gutting!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

Something which helped me recently in this department is getting regular exercise..... Mostly just a brisk daily walk. It helps you to cope with the everyday stresses which puts you into a better frame of mind to be intimate but also makes you feel more confident and confidence is sexy. Maybe your partner would walk with you, perhaps after your evening meal. Obviously it doesn't make an immediate difference but after a week or two I found a noticeable change in both my physical and mental attitude. It is also really good for your diabetes but you will probably need to keep a check on your levels and most likely reduce your insulin doses.
Apologies if you already do this, but just speaking from experience of what made a difference for me. I think the pandemic has also had an impact on most of us as regards our mental wellbeing and that can definitely impact on your attitude to sex, so I imagine it is a combination of things rather than just your diabetes.

 

[Yasminion]

Hi and welcome.

Something which helped me recently in this department is getting regular exercise..... Mostly just a brisk daily walk. It helps you to cope with the everyday stresses which puts you into a better frame of mind to be intimate but also makes you feel more confident and confidence is sexy. Maybe your partner would walk with you, perhaps after your evening meal. Obviously it doesn't make an immediate difference but after a week or two I found a noticeable change in both my physical and mental attitude. It is also really good for your diabetes but you will probably need to keep a check on your levels and most likely reduce your insulin doses.
Apologies if you already do this, but just speaking from experience of what made a difference for me. I think the pandemic has also had an impact on most of us as regards our mental wellbeing and that can definitely impact on your attitude to sex, so I imagine it is a combination of things rather than just your diabetes.

Thank you, I'll try doing some walks!