Menopause & Blood Glucose Levels

Hi gailannie,

Thank you for your reply.  I guess the site admins are just trying to cover their butts if their is a negative impact from any explicit information on this site.  As I am not in the UK, I may not be able to access this dr but am so glad there are some out there who can validate the blood sugar/menopause debate.  With no diabetes symptoms apart from erratic bgl's and no family history, I had just had a gut feeling that the diagnosis was wrong and it is all menopause related,particularly after the mountain of research I have done.  Just good to have it validated and know I am not on the path of a lifetime of meds etc associated with diabetes.  Thanks so much for your input.

I'm not in the UK either, just so you know.  

The reason posts like these are deleted is because of the amount of users trying to use this website to promote other websites, books, protocols etc. This is why we have the Private Message service if users do want to exchange these details.

http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

Regards,

Alan

There is a huge difference between trying to promote other websites, books and protocols,  and trying to provide a helpful response to a legimate question.  And there are plenty of other websites who do not have these restrictions.

We are here to help one another.  And a response that lists a source, may be just what that woman, and many others, need.  This policy is limiting the value of this website, for all women.     

 

 

I do agree and most women are nervous about using things for their problems.

Some of the information I have that I could be sharing has come from months and in some cases years of research.

Unfortunately a lot of women will not have the same time on their hands as I have.

But rules are rules.

So if anyone needs to know anything please private message me.

As I have been though the mill with perimenopause and checked by all and sundry even psychiatrist with no one ever suggesting that it could all be to do with being a woman. I have decided in my spare time I will help with anything I can so that others do not have to go through the same. If you are suffering sometimes very scary symptoms it is good just to know that you are not alone.

I wish I had found a forum such as this 10 years ago.

I totally agree, and I dont understand deleting, people can make up their own minds.

Thanks for the support!  I too, have done years of research on this issue.  It is difficult when you know of a good source that might help someone, yet you are deleated for mentioning it.  

Rules are created by people.........and sometimes they need to change.

And again, thanks for the support on this issue of deleating.  Hopefully someone will hear the message.

I am not familar with the private message service at all. As you said,  women need to know where they can possibly seek help, we are SUFFERING with this B,.S I am at my wits end with the barrage of symptoms

Hi Lennie,  I confess I am probably in denial about the Type 2 diabetes.  I did fasting blood sugars with the glucose tolerance test.  Fasting was 5.9, 1hr after glucose 11.9, 2 hrs after 12.3.  HbA1C was 5.7%.  I don't have any symptoms eg frequent urination, thirst, weight loss).  This was done 3 months ago, since then I have lost 6kg and have a BGL monitor, have never had a reading over 7.7.  (doing random checks throughout the day).  All the readings over 7 have been first up in the morning or after exercise (I don't understand this one as exercise is supposed to lower it, isn't it?).  Before bed is mid 5's then seems to increase overnight, that is why I thought it was associated with menopause.  I would appreciate your comments on this as I don't know any diabetics in our demographic (all the ones I know are old men).  Dr has asked me to have another HbA1C in April.  Since keeping a record of my levels, the lowest has been 5.1.  Am looking forward to any advice/input you can give me.  Thankyou.

Hello. glad to help because I have had it for 14 years now. I was having so manty symptoms I could not deny it mainly going to the bathroom constantly and thirsty, thirsty, the good news is diabetes can be very much controlled and you can live a long healthy life, my aunt had it almost 50 years. Now, as far as your VbA1c the 5.3 and 5.4 are considered borderline. So, the 5.9 is essentially diabetic, but its in very good control, I would LOVE to be at 5.9. the lowest I have ever been is 6.2 but thats because I do have a sweet tooth! LOl, but ok, anything in the 6's and 7s is diabetic. It is usually higher when you first wake up because blood sugars climb at night, many people eat a protein snack before sleep to help with that, and you need to coordinate your meds too, I used to take my metformin with cheese or peanuty butter without sugar and that helped. Now, yes exercise is fantastic for diabetes and I think almost as effective as medication, the higher numbers post exercise has happened to me too, thats usually due to a large intake of carbs prior to exercise, but usually it will come down pretty quickly, plus how long are you exercising, what are you doing, treadmill incline for 30 minutes will bring it down. As you know Diabetes is a complex disease and its chronic, you should make an appointment with a diabetic educator and then you can coordinate your food, exercise, medication, also, stress plays a huge factor in diabetes and really can have an impact on your blood sugar. Menopause does effect diabetes because its a hormonal change and a shift in it, so yes, menopause can have an impact but its not as significant as what we eat, exercise, and stress. I am seeing higher numbers when I stressed out over the multidude of symptoms I experience. I am trying to relax more.  Are you on medication? Or, are you controlling it through exercise and diet?

Weight loss is great, its so important for diabetics, since I got into peri weight loss has been pretty hard for me.

Good Morning, not on any medication, trying to control it with weight loss and diet.  I did see a diabetic educator once who seemed more intent on getting me a BGL monitor, the only thing she told me was that I didn't eat enought carbs (which Dr says carbs are a no-no), so found that really confusing.  Am under a lot of stress the past few months, eldest daughter is off to uni in a month's time, she suffers from anxiety and is moving to a large city quite a few hours away from home in our little rural area, have been really stressed about how she will cope, the financial costs associated and have taken on more work to help with the money.  I know I am under a great deal of stress, just never knew how it affected diabetes.  Top it all of with meno and ill elderley parents........  Did some research last night on what is considered diabetes in different western world countries (after watching a tv show about how the medical profession keeps shifting the bar on many illnesses to ensure further testing & procedures).  Numbers are so different world wide, seems irrelevant unless you have symptoms (which I don't).  Was pushed down this road after the regular 12 month testing for cholesterol, LFT etc as fasting test came back at 5.9 (here 6.0 is considered diabetic).  I have a gut feeling all this will pass when I get through menopause and all kids leave home, lose some weight etc.  Will keep on dreaming.  Thanks for your advice.

Don't wait for when, start now. You can lose weight now. I started losing weight about 2 years ago when I decided that I've had enough of these extra 30 lbs, I never before. I followed, a doctor online, who says exercise with fasting for at least 16 hrs, starting with your last meal ending at say 8:00pm, eating nothing after that you can drink water, and started counting the hours. No eaing in the morning only coffee or tea, no sugar, don't do coffee, 8:00am is 12 hrs wait another 4 and you have 16 hrs, then have lunch. At first I did 14 hrs, for 2 days, then I was able to do 16 hrs. Do this 2-3 times a week. I lost all the weight plus a few extra I had before. Hope this helps. xx

I have not heard of this method before.  My dr advocates the 2/5 diet, eating normally for 5 days of the week and keeping calories intake to less than 500 the other days.  I am curious about the exercise you do.  It seems that the exercise regime handed out by health professionals is the same for 20 year olds as it is for 50 year olds, and I find that I can't do some of the resistance exercises recommended.  What did you do?  Is just walking enough?  Thanks for the tips, will give this a go. xx

Not so much walking, as I found the elliptical machine to be the best since it was soft on the knees. I did it for  20 minutes, then 5-10 minutes on the bike for about 3 times a weeks for about 3 weeks. Later I did only 12 lifts of a 10 pound weight, but the way I did it was not like normal. It was like a taking a kettle ball and swinging it as high as I could. Squat down holding the weight at the edge with your two hands, towards the floor, then swing the weight as high as you can, and straighten your legs, on the upswing,then on your way down, gradually go back into the squat position. Stretch your arms out afterwards. Do this if you don't have shoulder or back disc problems. Which I do but I still did it because the weights were not that heavy. Later I went to a 15 pound weight but that was too heavy for me. xx

Swing the weight out I mean, and up. Later I read that it should only go to shoulder level and is what I do now. Sorry I forgot about that. So go only to shoulder level and back down.

I'm really wondering then if I could be borderline. I have been tested quite a few times as I'm always so thirsty. I can sometimes drink a pint and a half during the night (wake up thirsty).

At the moment it's not as bad for the going to the loo as it has been. I was having to go if I went out shopping for half an hour even though I went before I left home.

As I say I've been tested several times because of this and she tested me for it because I had horrible boil things keep coming up in my groin mostly very occasionally in my under arm area.

The trick on the elliptical and on the treadmill is to do interval training. By this you walk normal for about 6 minutes then on the 7th I up the anti for 1 minute at first in week 1 and 2 it was 30 seconds then 2 more weeks at 45 seconds and last 1 minute. Do this during the 20, I tell you it works like a charm. Hope this helps. xx