August 6, 2001
Aches and Pains
Question from Simi Valley, California, USA:
I’m 16 years old, have had type 1 diabetes for almost 11 years, and have been on an insulin pump for four years. Every time I have my period, I have severe cramps, almost to the point where I don’t even want to get out of bed, and my blood sugar tends to run extremely high during that time (I have trouble even keeping it below 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L]). Could these severe cramps somehow be associated with my diabetes? And if they are, is there anything besides pain killers that I can do about them? Are there any special tricks that I can use to keep my blood sugars down during that time of the month?
Answer:
If your periods are predictable, you could take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as Alleve, (naprosyn) 250 mg three times a day starting two days before your period and continue for the first couple of days after the period starts. You may take it up to four times a day if needed.
I hope this will help the anxiety and pain and helps the glucose. Be sure to discuss this with your physician.
LD
