# Menopause and Diabetes



## Northerner (Jan 19, 2015)

Menopause presents unique challenges for women that have diabetes. The hormones progesterone and estrogen will impact how the cells of your body respond to insulin. After you go through menopause, hormone level changes can result in blood sugar level fluctuation. For people with diabetes, this may result in blood sugar levels that are unpredictable and difficult to control.

Menopause can make it harder to control your diabetes, but there are several things that women can do to better manage the condition. A healthy lifestyle involving regular exercise and a diet rich in healthy foods is a necessity in a diabetes treatment plan. Women should also check their blood sugar frequently, keeping track of symptoms and readings. 

Medical treatment can also help women to better regulate both their menopause and diabetes. If your blood sugar levels have increased, you may need to alter your diabetes medication dosage or try a new one. Your risk of cardiovascular disease will also be higher when you are dealing with both menopause and diabetes, so your doctor may also consider putting you on a medication that will help to lower your cholesterol. 

http://diabeteshealth.com/read/2015/01/19/8500/menopause-and-diabetes/


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## trophywench (Jan 19, 2015)

There is also the opinion that post menopausal women actually should have higher chol sterol levels than younger individuals, so maybe lowering the chol isn't such a brilliant idea ?

God knows it (the menopause) messes with your BG though LOL - even when your periods never did really !

You blokes .......  !


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## aob02 (Mar 24, 2016)

My bloods sugar levels seem to jump between extremely high more often and sometimes have gone very low. I just don't know what to do I was hoping that other forum members could share their coping strategies


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## Robin (Mar 24, 2016)

aob02 said:


> My bloods sugar levels seem to jump between extremely high more often and sometimes have gone very low. I just don't know what to do I was hoping that other forum members could share their coping strategies


Sorry, can't help, I was diagnosed post-menopause. ( I had two carefree years when I didn't have to remember to carry tampons round with me, before I had to start remembering to carry insulin pens, meters, etc.) but welcome to the forum, aob02.


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## trophywench (Mar 25, 2016)

Hi @aob02 - please introduce yourself in the Introduction section, and repeat your question there.

As we don't know anything about you - whether you are Type 1  or Type 2 etc, and whether you are on tablets or insulin - we can't actually offer you much assistance, even if somebody does know exactly what might help!


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## KookyCat (Mar 25, 2016)

Oh something to look forward to then .  Well I suppose I missed out on the combined joy of puberty and diabetes so it's only fair I get some special moments.


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## pinksha (Mar 25, 2016)

I am so pleased to see this mentioned, as I have in the last few months started this new phase of life.  My sugars, despite having a pump, have swung widely from high to low very quickly, as I guess have my hormones, much to mine and indeed my husbands dismay.   Also, never having had any babies and being referred by my Gp to a gyneocologist for other problems in 'that area' also to do with menopause, I know now, has been a bit of a shock to my system  Until I started researching this all a bit more I had rather naively expected to sail through with no problems, but no such luck.  To be honest, if this really does last another 10 years, I don't know what I will do (I am 46 by the way), Type 1 since I was 16.


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## Sally71 (Mar 25, 2016)

OMG don't mention hormones... We're at the other extreme at the moment, dealing with early puberty and also are all over the place, I can't get basal etc right at the moment!  A few weeks ago we had to increase everything by quite a lot just to get her down into single figures, now she's hypo every day and we're having to go back the other way again (I know the warmer weather might also be a factor in that). Have been fiddling with basal and ratios for what seems like ages to no effect, then this week she's suddenly started going a bit high again and we seem to have completely missed out the bit in the middle where we get normal numbers!  Aaaagh...  And she hasn't even started her periods yet...

Well obviously I won't be anything to do with it by the time she hits the menopause, let's hope they'be found a cure by then


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## pinksha (Mar 25, 2016)

Ah, bless her, it's bad enough as a grown women, never mind being a young hormonal teenager, I too hope there is a cure well before your daughter reaches the other end.


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## trophywench (Mar 25, 2016)

LOL Sally - you will have an idea what she'll be like and have to go thorough when expecting your grandchild(ren) and be able to help her!!!

I THINK (only think, nothing's ever positive about D LOL) that once her periods have settled down (took me till I was 35 and had been sterilised!!) the hormonal pattern also settles down and it's like the week 'before' when you need more insulin.  Then that stops - and you 'start'.  So, maybe - she's 'due on' right now?  (Get some supplies in, I should .....)


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## AlisonM (Mar 25, 2016)

I got diagnosed and started the change at almost the same time. Sigh, can you say roller coaster? In addition to that, I also had to have an odd form of diabetes and that complicated things even more. What a ride it was, I seem to have got through it though and things are much better controlled now.


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## Sally71 (Mar 25, 2016)

LOL TW - we are at VERY early puberty, only just beginning to get noticeable breast development, so periods shouldn't start for at least a year or two yet!  (I hope not anyway, she doesn't turn 10 until the end of May... )

But I think you are right, once it all settles down then the BGs become more predictable again.  But our consultant told me that in the meantime all bets are off, and things will be pretty crazy for at least 2-3 years.  We are only just right at the beginning of that - oh joy!!


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