That just goes to show you how different we are. when I get stressed my BG goes up and up. If I am really stressed (as in trying to schedule a vacation I cant get my BG under 200 no matter how much insulin I take.
Typically stress hormones elevate blood glucose levels. These counter regulatory hormones include the following:
Epinephrine (adrenaline)
which is released from nerve endings and the adrenals, and acts directly on the liver to promote sugar production (via glycogenolysis). Epinephrine also promotes the breakdown and release of fat nutrients that travel to the liver and that are converted into sugar and ketones.
Cortisol
is a steroid hormone also secreted from the adrenal gland. It makes fat and muscle cells resistant to the action of insulin, and enhances the production of glucose by the liver. Under normal circumstances, cortisol counterbalances the action of insulin. Under stress, cortisol levels become elevated.
Growth Hormone
is released from the pituitary, which is a part of the brain. Like cortisol, growth hormone counterbalances the effect of insulin on muscle and fat cells. High levels of growth hormone cause resistance to the action of insulin.
Gluagon
Alpha cells of the pancreas secrete the counterregulatory hormone glucagon, which signals the liver to release more glucose. The glucagon response becomes impaired after 1 to 5 years of type 1 diabetes. After 15 to 30 years, the glucagon response is almost undetectable, and it is absent in patients with autonomic neuropathy. The difficulty is in distinguishing the loss of counter-regulation due to autonomic neuropathy from that due to the dampening effects of intensive glycemic control and recurrent hypoglycemia, called “hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure.” ("HAAF")
I do not know how counter regulatory hormones can cause glucose levels to go low but perhaps asking a endocrinologist might provide an answer.
Just a little I saw in google when I first searched the other day, almost all hits say BG goes up, but there was a blog site about stress ( and I don't remember the name of it off the top of my head) that said BG could go down. The way they were describing it, the above mechanisms were discussed and then it mentions an over production of insulin. Basically causing a reactive hypoglycemia event. This sounds like it would be possible for a type 2, maybe a LADA still in honeymoon status, but for someone not making their own insulin, I don't see it.
Still haven't run back across where I read that, but I did find a site about adrenal fatigue. Maybe if an insulin dependent person having adrenal fatigue, has injected insulin, then gets in a stressful situation, and insulin sensitivity increases...sounds plausible.
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