I have noticed that when my son is stressed out at school, his blood sugars run in the 200s mg/dl [over 11.1 mmol/L]. On the weekends or when school is not in session, he seems much more relaxed and has better numbers. Does stress cause blood sugars to rise? Do higher blood sugars cause anxiety?

Stress may have varying effects on glucose, including raising the glucose, as you have noticed. There are also may be other factors involved in the higher glucose levels at school, such as if your son is less active and is sitting all day at school or what he eats at school. In addition, how we respond to stress affects the glucose including the food intake in response to stress. Speak to your son’s health care provider about making changes, such as insulin dosing, to avoid high glucose levels at school. If there are things at school that are causing stress, perhaps you could address those items with the teacher or counselor, to help not just the diabetes, but your son’s health overall.

LM