How does blood glucose affect the way I feel?

First, the myth busting. Anyone who doesn’t check their blood glucose because they can “feel” what level they are at are kidding themselves. None of us are that good, and the way a given glucose level affects you on Monday won’t be the same as it affects you on Wednesday.

That said, there are a few general rules. Let’s start with high glucose. The first symptoms of high blood glucose are generally felt by your loved ones, not by you. For example, I personally don’t feel a thing when my blood glucose is a little high. But my wife sure does. According to her, I get “pissy” when my blood sugar is above 200 mg/dL.

If I go over 300 mg/dL even I notice that I’m… uh… irritable.

Above 400 mg/dL I start getting sick to my stomach.

Above 500 mg/dL every part of my mind and body feels like crap and I just want to die.

Other common effects of high blood sugar may include blurry vision, big-time thirst and hunger, and running to the bathroom to pee…. a lot (both frequently and volume).

On the low end, especially if your blood sugar is dropping rapidly, the body sends out a series of warning signs to alert you to the trouble. These commonly include shaking or shivering, excessive sweating, hunger, dizziness, and feeling like you are in an elevator whose cable’s just snapped.

It’s miserable.

But it can save your bacon.

If you’ve been low and are “rebounding” following treatment, you’ll experience great fatigue, soreness, and a bit of mental fog. Sort of like a hangover. Well, a hangover following a fist-fight with a gang of sailors that you lost.

The reason our bodies and our minds give us trouble outside of the normal range is because it’s unhealthy for glucose to be too high or too low. When you are high your blood is toxic to your tissues. When you are too low, your brain is suffocating, deprived of the glucose that keeps it running.

Of course the best way to avoid all these nasty side effects is to keep your blood sugar in target as best you can, most of the time.