Menopause with diabetes

New article just posted.

Surviving menopause

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“What about hormone therapy for women with diabetes? Several studies suggest that the use of hormone replacement therapy may help to improve the symptoms of menopause as well as improve overall glycemic control, Laine says. Women treated with hormone replacement therapy were shown to have higher levels of metabolism and increased insulin sensitivity. Women with T1D and preexisting heart disease should not receive hormone replacement therapy and should undergo careful monitoring by cardiology experts.”

Thought that was interesting.

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My mum has diabetes. After menopause, she started to lose hair, her teeth are very yellow and the general state of health has deteriorated :disappointed_relieved:

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@Cassy0110
That’s about the time it seems my health went sideways too. :face_with_diagonal_mouth:
Sorry, but I don’t have any revelations to give you, other than the usual: 1. Don’t smoke, 2. Exercise/lose weight, 3. Eat healthy. Things I have always done, so they don’t seem to have helped much. :pray:

Yikes, I am sorry @Cassy0110 and @Jan. I am post-menopausal by a couple of years and use MHT / HRT (estrogen patch, progesterone daily pill), which has helped me tremendously. I had terrible brain fog and poor temperature regulation through the night, which was disrupting my sleep in a major way – the MHT was a miracle.

I have changed estrogen dosages a few times and it has been fascinating to watch the effect on my blood sugar – it really does drive insulin sensitivity.

Pasting the quote below for my own reference later – I am hoping to try a GLP -1 agonist med for increased dawn phenomenon + post meal spikes and this seems like a good reference to argue for off-label use of it!

“It is not uncommon for me to prescribe a GLP drug such as Victoza, Trulicity or Ozempic for patients to use to help with post- meal high glucose as well as the weight gain that will come with menopause. I have used this in type 1 as well with the understanding that is an off-label use of this drug and dose titration will be slower. I also like to see patients’ CGM sensor data or glucose log data at least every couple of weeks so titration of their medications can be made earlier if needed.” (Michele Laine, Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) at the Florida Medical Clinic’s Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in Tampa, FL)

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Right about the time menopause started to hit is the same time my blood sugars started going haywire. And a very stressful year altogether. I never had sleep issues before menopause and menopause hit with a vengeance after a couple of years of being mildly annoying.

The things most useful
-A fan by the couch that has a remote control for easier on off on off on off …
-A freezer at work that you can either put your body next too when you open the door or step into.
-An understanding husband that knows you could hate him at any minute and get over it in another couple of minutes
-A car with a hot air vent you can make your husband sit in front of on a hot day, and not move for at least 15 minutes to get an understanding of why you can get so irritable in seconds
-An A/C in the bedroom with a remote control you can crank up for the few minutes when you wake up drenched in sweat from being hot, then a light blanket for the possible freeze after
-The ability to have a sink you can splash a ton of cold water on your face to cool off whether at work or at home. With the possibility of carrying a water bottle with you to pour over your head when it’s hot outside and you are running errands

And lots of chocolate…

I’m sure I can think of a few other things given time, but I think you get the picture for what some of us go through…then add blood sugar issues!

It was years ago, and I still remember it well…

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