Information on menstrual cycle

Hello there, I'm wondering if anyone knows of any research articles or general information on Type 1 diabetes and the menstrual cycle? I've been Type 1 for 28 years and have horrific problems with my cycle!
I'd really appreciate any info anyone could point me in the direction of!

Hi Nicipici I'm sorry that you've not had any help yet but I don't think I can help you though as I have only been diabetic for 7 years (and most of those i was on medication to stop my periods) and my daughter's periods are still not settled into a pattern so it seems that you have much more experience of diabetes and periods than I do.
I hope that you get some help soon.
Caroline

hi nicipici....i am also feeling the effect of menstrual cycle the week before my period and during my period my blood sugars run high still havent quite figured out what to do yet????? for 2 weeks out of the months my sugars great.i have been type 1 diabetic for 27 years......hopefully get them sorted soon i am going to try changin my ratios for the 2 weeks .

My DAFNE nurse said that what happens varies from person to person so what you need to do for each time of the month is something you need to work out - this is why there are no guidance notes in the DAFNE book.

I do hope that notes may appear in the future after more research is done but for the record, even now, after 20 years of being diabetic, I still don't really know. With me being on a pill though, I've managed to identify that my levels raise about a week before my period starts. I wouldn't be surprised if what you need to do shifts considering I get different patterns each time I try to work out what it's doing.

If highs are consistant during that time across the day/night, I would put your BI up first instead of adjusting your ratios. Good luck with working it all out.

hi NIciPC

I too have the same problem and can't cope with it. There is a pattern, but I have to constantly change my basals to follow my hormones. At the same hospital as you and asked at our last meeting, but was told that hornones would be unlikely to affect BG control. Been to doctor to ask for the pill which I intended to take all the time i.e. without hhe week's break as I was a t a lecture where I heard that this is the best way to try to solve this. However, was refused it so think this will make me have to chuck DAFNE as I can't keep chasing the BI.
Wish they would discuss it though. No mention of it on course or the difficulty it would cause. It is awful transferring beteween the two BI's that work for me as there is a huge idfference between resulting in weeks out of control and feeling rubbish. I feel that I do need more insulin at some point in the month and about half that dose at the other point. It's hopeless. I wish they would give us an idea of a good book or research article which would be helpful.
Perhaps we should both mention it again at the next meeting if you are going. I don't know whetehr to go or not. Lew tme know if you are and perhaps we can think about mentioning it again.

take care,

Helen

Check insulin pumping books because they certainly acknowledge the need for a different regime for some women. I have the Walsh book: "Pumping Insulin" by John Walsh and Ruth Roberts. Quote: "Each woman needs to figure out her own pattern and be prepared to make these (dosing) adjustments to stay in good control". They acknowledge that some women need LARGE (my emphasis) adjustments in both basal and bolus rates. There must be papers out there. Helen

Golly, I don't think it's worth quitting DAFNE over this. If anything, DAFNE is the first step to working it all out!

If it's of any help towards figuring it out, it's taken me more than one hormonal time to work it out before even if I put my BI up two units at a time, I needed more than a week to find out my final dose (all because life gets in the way - and I'm still not sure I'm 100% there yet but my sugar levels have been much better since doing the experiment to find out). Make sure you compare each time!

I'm finding at the moment that I go from 11 - 9 (split dose on Levermir, morning - night) to 11 - 18 and this is for the whole week before my period properly starts. Once this week finishes I put it back down to 11 - 9 to prevent any hypos.

I recall the pre-menstrual time is the week before so I think it's happening because of that (thankfully I don't get PMS! XD). With me taking the pill, it seems to happen on the thursday night, about 4 nights before I finish the pills - this has been consistent each month thankfully (possibly due to the pill?).

On another related note, I found that before my this time last month, I was 11 - 9, but when I came off, I seemed to need 11 - 11 because my BG was still fairly raised which hints that it can change. I have been stressed out a bit lately which may be a factor to consider.

I shall continue working on finding my doses (and please don't use me as a generalisation because we know we're not all the same)!
Good luck everyone!

Hi All,

I agree with whoever said about the insulin pump books as I have read that too in them. They seem to accept that there are changes. there must be research papers also and if I find any I will let people know. If i even had just two basals that would be okay, but i have 3 which doesn't actually manage to cover the whole month. I still have gaps where things are really out of control and I haven't amanged to find a BI to cover these days.

good luck with it all everyone.

Helen

How has everyone been getting on? Ive managed to almost sort out the hormonal time bit, but I think that once Ive had the initial days of the period, my insulin demand seems drop as I come up to the time where I take the pill again - resulting in time shifts with hypos (it was hypos after dinner earlier and the last 4-5 days up to pill has been lunchtime hypos - today was at 12noon, "great fun"). Pre pill seems to be 8 or 9-ish morning and 9 night for BI, but yet again Ive ran out of time because first pill is tonight! I plan to take 7 tomorrow and I bet my body will decide it wants more insulin again with the pill taking (ARGH! Make your mind up! Lol!). Shall see what happens! Have any of you had this sort of pattern?

hi All,

Good luck with you Jo and trying to get things sorted. I am not on the pill and think that this is probably worse.
However, have you tried taking thepill continuously? Might be dangersous, don't know but that might stop the change in BI's. Might be worth thinking about.
Also, is everyone finding that there are lots of BI's not just 2? I have only got mine sorted for the week of my period and after that it is all hopeless. eventually end up about 10 units more about week 3, but going straing to this dose causes hypos and the step wise approach has me repeating the same wrong doses iover and over again which is really frustrating as you know it won't work.

Just curious if anyone else is finding something similar, or are you all going for one dose at the start of the month and another one fro thenext 3 weeks?