Somewhere in this thread, I noticed someone mentioned how difficult it is to find any information on mood swings and diabetes. I have searched a few times and for whatever reason I found this exchange today, much to my relief. My husband and I have been married for 15 years but together since high school over 20 years ago. A few months after our first child was born about 10 years ago - he developed suddenly diabetes. Without getting into the details and confusion, it was not clear if it was Type 1, Type 2 but he is insulin dependent. To his credit he immediately adjusted his lifestyle and is under tight control, but of course it is virtually impossible, even being very vigilant, to avoid all lows and highs. He visits his 2 doctors regularly, follows a good diet (most of the time, we are all human) and is very aware of the long-term effects to avoid. However, since being diagnosed and even more so over the last 5 years it seems to me that he has very severe mood swings, is irritable and impatient - a completely different person than the one I married. We now have 3 children and I can only explain the drastic personality shift on his diabetes. I can see his lows and I sympathize with those who say their husband is defensive and angry at the suggestion that he check his bloodsugar. I also am concerned that he is able to detect them less and less. Last night though, I am certain that it was a sudden increase that was the reason for his mood - I could hear his mood change in the way that he spoke to the kids and basically fell apart. I convinced him to check his blood sugar being certain it was low, but it was high.
I am less and less tolerant, and more and more angry, he refuses to acknowledge it, and none of this is good.
Does anyone else have this experience? Or maybe, he really is a different person now and there is no link.
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I was recently (six months) dianoysed type 2 diabetes. I too have mood swings, depression, crying without cause. My daughter who is a nurse noticed it and accompanied me to my doctor whose only solution was to increase my Xanax for panic attacks. Apparently there isn't a lot of research on this side effect of diabetes, it is bad enough to have check my sugar level numerous times daily and carry around an emergency kit of insulin for the highs and glucose tablets for the low levels. That is enough to cause a certain amount of anger and depression. I made an appointment with a counselor to discuss my feelings about the limititations this puts on my life. My best wishes and prayers to you and your husband because this isn't an individual disease, it effects everyone who loves you.
Annie
Thank heaven finally after fifteen years I have found the asnswer to what I have been looking for. Diabetes does come with personality change, mood swings and a general not understanding that the diabetic paerson has been outragious, rude,unpleasent, hateful and spiteful. All these things I have experienced swince my dear husband became diabetic. The first I notice years ago was when he screamed abuse at me over something trivial, I had never been spoeken to by him like that before and a rather nasty argument took place. That was the beginning after that I truly though that he may have had a rather nasty mental illness, but I insisted that he go to see his doctor after rpeated bouts of getting up and going to the toilet in the night and being thirsty. Low an behold he was told that he was diabetic and then the nightmare began and has only got worse I am afraid.
Various medications because he till not toe the line and cheack his blood or basically diet. I am to walking on eagg shells now and I too lie low and try to escape his eye when he is in a visciousw mood. What can be done, I am now in my sixties and honestly feel at the end of my tether with all this bad behaviour, then loving, then acussing me of starting an argument, not even remembering I just try these days to get by. Now I have a man that only worries about his health, does not even mentions mine, where has my lovely man gone. I am still in there with a fight, but goodness me we careers because that is what we are, need a medal.
So yes mood change does take place at regular intervals and the doctors do lie when they say, there is not such a thing as a bad mooded diabetic.
Thank heaven finally after fifteen years I have found the asnswer to what I have been looking for. Diabetes does come with personality change, mood swings and a general not understanding that the diabetic paerson has been outragious, rude,unpleasent, hateful and spiteful. All these things I have experienced swince my dear husband became diabetic. The first I notice years ago was when he screamed abuse at me over something trivial, I had never been spoeken to by him like that before and a rather nasty argument took place. That was the beginning after that I truly though that he may have had a rather nasty mental illness, but I insisted that he go to see his doctor after rpeated bouts of getting up and going to the toilet in the night and being thirsty. Low an behold he was told that he was diabetic and then the nightmare began and has only got worse I am afraid.
Various medications because he till not toe the line and cheack his blood or basically diet. I am to walking on eagg shells now and I too lie low and try to escape his eye when he is in a visciousw mood. What can be done, I am now in my sixties and honestly feel at the end of my tether with all this bad behaviour, then loving, then acussing me of starting an argument, not even remembering I just try these days to get by. Now I have a man that only worries about his health, does not even mentions mine, where has my lovely man gone. I am still in there with a fight, but goodness me we careers because that is what we are, need a medal.
So yes mood change does take place at regular intervals and the doctors do lie when they say, there is not such a thing as a bad mooded diabetic.
I was praying for answers, wisdom and found this site. I feel like you all are extended family now. As a newly wed, sixty yr old female I was beginning to wonder if I had made a tragic life mistake. Now I am willing to fight a good fight of faith for my husband....and pray more every day. He is a good man, a loving man, and has been thru a lot. He deserves the freedom from this horrible disease.
I am so thankful I found this site. I too deal with my Mother having mood swings. All my life I admired her because she was such a strong woman, would help anyone, and would listen to people's problems. Now she, at 88yrs old, and being a diabetic for 30yrs., has changed so much. she has been living with me for 7 yrs but in the last 2 yrs. after she broke her hip, she has had some extreme negative moods. I am trying so hard to not be disrespectful to her when she has one of these spells. She will be self-condemning, name calling, cursing at me, wanting to die, etc. I just have to be kind and just let her get thru it. A little while later I can say something to her and she will be just as kind as can be. It is a hard up and down lifestyle for me and my husband. We are stressed a lot because we never know when she will go into one of her bad moods. I had been trying to excuse these episodes away because of her diabetes, now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this. She has become extremely anti-social even to her own grand & great grand children. I took her for blood work this morning, afterwards I tried to get her to go to McDonalds or any easy in-easy out place to get some breakfast. She got so mad because I wanted her to get out of the house and see something else besides the tv and her room walls. I just don't know how to help her get our of this negative mentality. I pray a lot and try to just sing praises to God until the bad times pass. AGAIN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS SITE!!! It has helped me understand what is happening to my Mother.
Marie.....My son is 40 and has type one diabetes. He developed diabetes in college. Now married for 13 years and 2 children later he has so much difficulty with sleeping and mood swings. He takes care of himself but finds it hard to stay asleep at night. so....he is tired during the day and can be grumpy. I wish there was a way to him to sleep through the night. Any suggestions?