April 14, 2002
Behavior, Family Planning
Question from Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA:
I am 27 years old, have type 2 diabetes, and when I am pregnant, I take two insulin shots a day. I am currently pregnant, also have depression, and I know that pregnancy can cause mood swings, but when I am not pregnant and my sugars are high, my fiance cannot stand to be around me, and I can barely stand being around myself. Can diabetes cause mood swings? I need to know this because my mood swings are breaking up my previous relationship. I just want me and my fiance to be educated and help us both understand the mood swings that I am undergoing.
Answer:
Diabetes can change your behavior. Severe hypoglycemia can cause weakness, lethargy, incoherent speech and loss of consciousness. Hyperglycemia usually makes people feel generally ill (very high glucose can lead to coma as well). However, I do not think that diabetes leads to the type of mood swings that you are describing.
If you are feeling very emotional, then check a blood sugar to see what it is. If your mood correlates with your blood sugars, then this is more incentive to maintain good control. If you are truly depressed, then that needs to be addressed by a specialist.
OWJ
