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Does CFS cause inconsistent blood sugar issues?

Basilico

Florida
Messages
948
My husband has CFS. He is in in his early 30s, was fit and athletic for his whole life - he was a bodybuilder until CFS (specifically PEM and orthostatic intolerance) forced him to take a long hiatus from the gym. He has always eaten extremely healthy and is overall very lean.

About 2 years ago, almost by accident, we learned that he was pre-diabetic. His fasting glucose was borderline but always within range (high 90s to 99), but the glucose tolerance test showed that he had insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. We were shocked, as were his doctors since he didn't have any risk factors.

We made some small changes in his diet, and whenever possible walk 20-30 minutes after eating, which made a big difference. He bought several glucose monitors and regularly checks his glucose to keep tabs on it.

Something we've come to realize is that his pre-diabetes comes and goes. He often has periods of time - months - where he can eat carb heavy meals without exercise and his glucose raises and lowers perfectly. His glucose will be predictably erratic during periods of time where he's in a CFS flare (a period of time where he's feeling extra crappy and more prone to PEM, so he is careful to eat lower carb since he often isn't capable of walking even 20 minutes during these periods). His blood glucose is also predictably erratic if he hasn't slept well the night before.

I know from his endocrinologist that it is normal for blood sugar to be less controlled when people are sick or haven't slept well, but my understanding is that there is always an underlying problem (it is just more or less kept in check with drugs and dietary interventions). I can't seem to find anything about prediabetes that can exist one day and then disappear. At this point, we understand that his blood glucose issues are probably related to his CFS and is not strictly a metabolic disorder.

Are there others on this board who have similar blood sugar issues that aren't constant?

When his blood sugar is too high or doesn't lower properly, he often doesn't feel it, so I think it is likely there could be a lot of people with CFS/ME who have similar issues but have no idea.
 
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Plum

Senior Member
Messages
512
Location
UK
I have similar issues. I have been much more in control of my blood sugar imbalances (pre-diabetic) since I was diagnosed with a serious allergic disease on top of my ME - I have had to cut out a lot of foods which I am allergic to, and since doing so I've been doing better. I find during a flare/relapse etc of my ME, that I am more hungry - I assume it's because I need more nutrients as my body is dealing with more than normal. I've not tested my blood sugar during this time.
 

belize44

Senior Member
Messages
1,662
I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia back in the eighties, but still have fluctuations in blood sugar. I have often wondered if it has to do with inefficient metabolism of food. Not sure at this point.
 

Ruthie24

Senior Member
Messages
219
Location
New Mexico, USA
I have noticed that my episodes of hypoglycemia seem to occur in clusters. I can go for weeks or months with no episodes and then suddenly start having lots of issues for several days or weeks. They also seem to occur during flares in my ME/CFS and dysautonomia.

I think Ron Davis mentioned at one point in one of his videos something about patients not being able to metabolize glucose correctly.
 

JamBob

Senior Member
Messages
191
Something we've come to realize is that his pre-diabetes comes and goes. He often has periods of time - months - where he can eat carb heavy meals without exercise and his glucose raises and lowers perfectly. His glucose will be predictably erratic during periods of time where he's in a CFS flare (a period of time where he's feeling extra crappy and more prone to PEM, so he is careful to eat lower carb since he often isn't capable of walking even 20 minutes during these periods). His blood glucose is also predictably erratic if he hasn't slept well the night before.

Stress can have a major (negative) impact on blood sugar levels. If he has PEM and flares he is likely feeling physically stressed which would increase cortisol and send his blood sugars high and make it harder to bring them down.

Also if he has PEM his activity levels would likely be reduced which would have a negative impact on insulin sensitivity.
 
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leokitten

Senior Member
Messages
1,542
Location
U.S.
I had a very similar experience and I am in complete agreement that there is something to watch here. Before ME I always had a normal fasting blood glucose and have always been very athletic and thin. Right after the initial major flu illness and crashing into ME my fasting blood glucose went to 95-100 and and stayed there even though I have a great diet and nothing else changed.

All three major labs Stanford/OMF/UCSD, Univ Bergen, and Univ Melbourne describe a glucose metabolism blockage in their metabolomics results and Melbourne stated that patients had significantly higher fasting glucose than controls.
 
Messages
15,786
Genetic mitochondrial diseases can cause both ME symptoms and diabetes. So that could explain a link between flares of both. But there's probably other possible explanations as well :p
 

ryan31337

Senior Member
Messages
664
Location
South East, England
Yes, another echo from me on all points.

Massive variation over the years, in better periods it was little more than a bit of slowdown after eating a carb heavy meal. In worse periods after eating it was total inability to maintain orthostasis due to cardiovascular issues, couldn't think/stay awake, insatiable thirst & peeing etc. It also seemingly had a hand in ruining my sleep during these times too, waking at 3am cold & alert often.

I was able to spot these swings coming to some degree by awareness of urination habits too, I would go for several months sleeping through the night without needing to pee, to then suddenly switching to needing to go at 5-6am, without any change to drinking habits. I do have low aldosterone so perhaps this has some relevance to this, certainly erratic blood sugars are noted in POTS patients too for not fully understood reasons.

Keto diet has completely reversed these problems for me.
 

Basilico

Florida
Messages
948
Thanks for all the replies, it's interesting to hear how many other people are having or have had similar issues.
 
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