You may have noticed your symptoms always seem to be worse during your period.
Good observation!
Increased levels of progesterone and estrogen could be causing increased insulin resistance in your body. These two hormones interact with the insulin hormone temporarily, throwing your normal glucose sensitivity out of whack.
What Happens to Your Diabetes During a Period?
Not all women experience higher blood glucose levels during menstruation, and strangely enough, some women are faced with extremely blood glucose low levels. Many have difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels for about 3 to 5 days during their period. They may even notice higher numbers a few days before their period starts or after it ends. Like the period, itself, these symptoms can be consistent for months at a time and suddenly start varying for very few reasons.
Stronger premenstrual symptoms may occur such as:
- Irritability
- Bloating
- Tenderness
- Sugar Cravings
What Can You Do to Take Back Control?
It’s more important than ever during your time of the month to keep a regular record of your blood glucose levels. Be sure to check your numbers daily and record them so you can see when they start to peak and level out.
Don’t give in to your cravings: try your best to avoid eating simple carbohydrate-rich meals or snacks. Stick to treats with lots of protein, resistant starches, and complex carbs. This includes:
- Nuts and Nut Butters
- Veggies; Baby Carrots and Celery
- Boiled Egg
- Blueberries
- Banana
- Vegetable Soup
You may also need to play around with your daily insulin injections to compensate for the variability in your blood sugar levels. Your doctor will be able to provide the best advice for how to adjust your insulin
[expand title=’References‘]
Diabetic Connect. URL Link. Accessed April 4, 2017.
Periods (Menstruation) and Diabetes. URL Link. Accessed April 4, 2017.
American Diabetes Association. URL Link. Accessed April 4, 2017.
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