Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Is it a side effect of taking estrogen to possibly develop diabetes?
I was just in the ER and they told me I may be developing onset diabetes.

Hi Ayysinspace,

Generally speaking diabetes is diet triggered. Relating to how your body processes sugars. If you're concerned it may be worthwhile to have a full blood test done, which should give you a good over view of all your proteins, enzymes etc.

Huggs
Catherine

I've never heard about this and haven't personally had issues with high glucose or hgbA1c levels due to estrogen.  That's just me though and I'm not expert on hormones.  The best advice I can give is to be careful of sugars and carbs (which turns into sugar).  Did the ER doctor say it could have this impact?  Have you asked your endo?   

I had no change in fasting glucose. Never had an hA1C done. I don't know if one could detect diabetes while the other doesn't but you likely have at least 1 of these in your endo's blood tests.

HRT and decreased stress in my life due to finally facing my Dysphoria actually improved my blood sugar. I have not been on any meds for it for 16 months now and it used to peak over 650. It is a nice and steady 120 now which is elevated, but slightly over the norm.  :)

The ER doctors kind of ruled out it being the hormones.
I think it could of been spiro that caused it.
I felt fine with my gel and pill treatments heck i use to suffer from hypertension but HRT fixed that!
I think since spiro also decreases blood pressure might of been the cause.  That and im sick they are going off my white blood cell count
Which was really high they said.
Today I've been just fine eaten oreos had sugar pops and had an egg for breakfast and no negatives but i did stop the spiro.
For my endo to prescribe me something that sure mildly gives feminizing effects but lower my Blood pressure to below normal isnt a safe thing to do in my book.

I'm not sure about anyone else but my doctor has checked my blood sugar every time since I began HRT. That to me means there is the possibility of blood sugar levels changing due to HRT.

The answer is pretty much yes. I was told that E, specifically 17beta-estradiol can make you more insulin insensitive. This is probably why some women get gestational diabetes when they are pregnant.

Your doctor will answer better of course. I am seeing mine next week so I'll see what he says.

It should be noted that anything to stress your body can trigger diabetes. So any sudden changes to hormonal levels can do it. Even high T levels can bring on diabetes. As they say, everything in moderation.

Yeah, I was worried about this very thing since I am at risk for it. But, fortunately, my endo also specializes in things related to diabetes, so she keeps an eye on this.

Quote from: ImagineKate on September 15, 2014, 03:04:02 PM
The answer is pretty much yes. I was told that E, specifically 17beta-estradiol can make you more insulin insensitive. This is probably why some women get gestational diabetes when they are pregnant.

I read the opposite from a doctor specialized in hormones that estradiol can make you more sensitive to insulin (and increase its production, I think) so is beneficial.  ??? She wrote a whole book about it which I have.

My personal take on it, based on everything I've come across so far, is that it is especially carbs that bring on diabetes, as carbs increase insulin secretion and too much will eventually make the cells desensitized to it, force pancreas to produce more and more insulin until it can no longer produce any. Some have even cured their diabetes by eating less carbs, no medications, just changing their diet. :)

Quote from: KayXo on September 16, 2014, 12:42:29 PM
My personal take on it, based on everything I've come across so far, is that it is especially carbs that bring on diabetes, as carbs increase insulin secretion and too much will eventually make the cells desensitized to it, force pancreas to produce more and more insulin until it can no longer produce any. Some have even cured their diabetes by eating less carbs, no medications, just changing their diet. :)

This is how I manage my diabetes. Hitting the gym hard nearly every day and eating smaller portions and more green veggies.

I use to be 325 pounds, alcoholic did drugs and smoked. I had chest and neck pains since I was 18 almost continuously. I was on the highest oral meds and my sugar was 145 fasting and they wanted to go to injections. I had a diabetic ulcer with bone exposed. I had 3 or so x-rays and was taking cipro antibiotic for a long time. My legs were dark and my feet darker and feet joints dark, I was 35 years old with a 6 or 8 month old. I went to 180 by exercise and diet change. I stopped drinking and drugs and my diabetes went under control. I have been  5.0 to 5.3 hA1C since. I still had chest and neck pains though.

HRT at age 50. I have had a hA1c of around 5.2 for 13 months and my PA said I no longer have diabetes and I weigh 214 pounds ( I am exercising to get to 180).  I still have diabetes because I still have a bit of vascular issues on my shins (brown) but improving since the addition of progesterone but that may be coincidence.  Further, my eyes get blurry if I eat the wrong stuff and I feel like crap.  Although, 3 days after I started HRT I never had another chest or neck pain. Also, I noticed the tingling feeling in my fingers went away and my feet felt better by still have some foot nerve damage, but improving. I had hand and foot tingling since 11.

So for me I think I caused a  lot of damage to my body that has taken many years to repair. Sad but at 52 I feel and am in much better body condition than at any time in my life from 11 to 50, I just need to drop a few pounds. I think HRT, therapy and Susan's has help me phenomenally physically and mentally. (just my 2 cents. )

I'm a type 1 diabetic (from before HRT) and I'm under pretty intense monitoring due to being on a drug study and I need to keep a diary with all my glucose/insulin levels and meals/exercise.

I can definitively say that the effect of HRT in my case is very very low, statistically insignificant if any.

I'm type II diabetic, thanks to family genetics. It started at about age 55. I was not overweight, always exercised and ate very well. Since starting HRT, my blood sugar has not changed. I blood test a couple times a day and I'm diligent about eating low carb and exercising.