DiabetesandTheMenopause
Youmightbethinking“What’stheconnectionbetweendiabetesandthemenopause?”
Well,forladiesreachingthatcertainage,itcanbevery Glucovatetraumatic–especiallywhensomeoftheeffects experiencedcaneasilybemistakenforthosewehavetobeawareofwhenmanagingourdiabetes…
Foradiabetictakingmedication,keepingbloodsugarsattherightlevelisabalancingact.Ifsugarlevelsdroptoolow, becauseofnoteatingenoughorattherighttimes,yousufferahypoglycemiaepisode(sometimescalled‘hypo’for short).Forme,thisusuallymanifestsitselfasshaking;irritability;sweatingandafaint-headedfeeling.
Ifyouarediabeticandhaveeverhadlow-bloodsugaryoumayrecognizesomeofthesesymptoms,amongstothers.A quick‘glucosefix’usuallysettlesitwithin5-10minutes.
Now,comparethattosomeofthesymptomsofstartingthemenopause;hotflushes[Icallthem‘power-surges’;)]–similartothesweatsofahypo;moodswings–akintotheirritabilityyoumightexperienceduringahypo.It’sveryeasy toconfusethesymptomsyouarefeeling.
WhenIfirststartedthemenopause,Ifrequentlyconfusedwakingat2a.m.inthemorninginacoldsweatasahypoand tookaquicksugarboosttosettlemyself.ThatpushedmybloodsugarlevelsupwhenIdidn’tneedit.Notagoodidea!
ItwasonlyaftervisitingmyDoctortotalkaboutthesefrequent,unexpectedhyposIdiscoveredIwasstartingthe menopause(Iwasinmylate40s,soitwasratherunexpected,normallyitdoesn’toccuruntilearly-to-mid50s).
Ifyouarealady,withdiabetescontrolledbymedication,andyouareinyourearly50sandyoustarthavingfrequent, unexplainedhypos–checkyoursugarlevelsbefore‘treatingthecondition’.AndgetyourDoctortocheckyour symptoms.Youmaybeconfusingsymptomsofdiabetesandthemenopause.
Andguys;ifyourladynormallyhasgreatcontrolofherdiabetesandsuddenlyseemstobeshowingthesamesymptoms whenshewasgettingherdiabetesintobalance(ifyouknewherthen)pleasebesupportiveandunderstanding,she’s goingthroughonehellofanexperience,butIpromise,shewillcomethroughandbehernormal,lovingandcharming selfonceagain.