My daughter, age 13 and type 1, has had some interesting mood swings since being diagnosed, about 8 months ago. She actually had them for a month or two before being diagnosed and was having other symptoms at the same time. However, knowing nothing about diabetes back then, the mood swings and other symptoms went right over my head. :rolleyes:

Anyway, like today, we're out and having a great time and then all of the sudden you can see her mood just change, for no apparent reason. I asked her to check her blood sugar and it was normal. This happens a lot and I used to chalk it up to her age but a couple of people have told me that this is typical of diabetics, that they can really be quite moody. I know that B.S. levels can affect mood but what about when they are having good control? Has anyone else had experience with this?

If interested, see new info in post 8 on page 2. Maybe not new to a lot of you but new to me.

My daughter, age 13 and type 1, has had some interesting mood swings since being diagnosed, about 8 months ago. She actually had them for a month or two before being diagnosed and was having other symptoms at the same time. However, knowing nothing about diabetes back then, the mood swings and other symptoms went right over my head. :rolleyes:

Anyway, like today, we're out and having a great time and then all of the sudden you can see her mood just change, for no apparent reason. I asked her to check her blood sugar and it was normal. This happens a lot and I used to chalk it up to her age but a couple of people have told me that this is typical of diabetics, that they can really be quite moody. I know that B.S. levels can affect mood but what about when they are having good control? Has anyone else had experience with this?
I am definately not as knowledgeable about T1 diabetes, but I will offer my opinion. I think that mood swings are more likely caused by dramatic shifts in glucose levels that any one particular reading. For example, she may have tested in the normal range, but if her glucose level had just recently plummeted or spiked that would definately contribute to her problem. I recommend you speak to her endo about this - it might make sense to test more often for a while in an effort to determine if glucose level changes might be contributing to her mood swings.

On another note, its also very likely that since her diagnosis her diet has changed dramatically. She may be having a reaction to specific foods she is now eating. Also, her response to various foods may have changed as her body chemistry goes through these dramatic changes. I recommend that you keep a detailed food diary for a while and look for patterns between specific foods and symptoms. You might uncover some surprises!

Finally, it could be the meds. You might want to research the specific meds she is on and see if that could be a factor. If it is, work with your doctor to determine if there is an alternative.

This is actually very typical with type 1 diabetics. I go through it myself. Diabetes falls into the category of chronic condition. The condition part is not as hard to deal with as the chronic part. This is something that stays with you day in and day out. Anytime you deal with something chronically, you stand a higher chance of dealing with depression. Depression doesnt always mean that you are down. It can also mean that you have the sudden mood swings. There are so many things you have to deal with as a young person with diabetes... death, the abillity to have children, the abillity just to be normal, etc. All of that goes through your head on a regular basis.

Another issue that is just as big has less to do with diabetes as it does with being 13. I am a firm believer that puberty is worse than menopause. I have a 12 year old and we honestly live hour to hour with the mood swings. Her problems could be one or the other OR they could be both. Diabetes is a lot to stack on the shoulders of a prepubescent girl. Good luck and I HTH

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure all of those reasons come into play, especially the blood sugar fluctuations that I might not be aware of before she actually tests her blood sugar. Hadn't thought of that and it's something I want to look into further.

Of course, being 13 has its own liabilities and assets, hormonal changes and what not. As for dealing with a chronic illness, I'm sure that plays on her emotions too whether she realizes it or not.

Have a friend who I mentioned all this to and she said that her brother is a type 2 and she can not believe how moody he becomes at times, and for no apparent reason. She said that she thought this was typical of diabetics but she didn't know why and I couldn't really put my finger on anything especially since her B.S. numbers appeared normal time and again at the time of her moodiness.

Her bad moods aren't too frequent but they are interesting to see happen. She'll just be happy as a clam and then the littlest thing, or nothing, will make her upset. And when you ask what's wrong, she usually doesn't know.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 12, and your post really caught my attention. I can't speak on behalf of all diabetics diagnosed around this already difficult age, but I will tell you how things are from my perspective with regards to moodiness.
Naturally, when diagnosed, I had my occasional 'blue' times (which my doctors told me I would have, since it is not an easy condition to deal with!) and, although I would never dream of telling anyone else how I felt, I often wondered 'why me' etc. as I tried to figure out why my life had to be so much more difficult than my friend's lives. Also, since I was always self medicating and completly responsible for my own care, I would become very irritated when someone would ask me 'how I was doing' or what my blood sugar was. To me, that was like them saying that they doubted my ability to take care of myself. If I had been in a good mood, and then became a little upset about something, and someone asked me what my sugar was, I would become even angrier since it felt it was an insult. Now that I have dealt with the condition for seven years and have grown up a bit, I don't quite react to these situations the same way. I have proven to others around me that I can, and do, take excellent care of myself and have proven to them that they don't need to worry about me. Perhaps I still get moody at times. I will occasionally still be hit with a wave of 'why me?' type feelings, but I have learned to deal with them and I know that there are far worse things a person could have than a completly manageable disease like diabetes. My advice to you, if I may offer some, is to be patient and supportive but not intrusive. Make sure she knows you understand what she is going through, but respect that she can take care of herself. Sometimes she may truely be moody for no reason at all. It may have absolutly nothing to do with diabetes or her age or anything else she is conscious of, so instead of asking what is wrong every time, just realize that she may be feeling a bit 'blue' and needs some time to sort through her feelings herself. She knows when she is moody and she knows to check her blood sugar (in case it could be a factor) so don't remind her too often of either of those things.
Also, please give her a pat on the back for me, from one diabetic to another, make sure she knows she isn't alone. :)

Excellent post Artemis_12 :wave:

:wave: Thank you for bringing this issue to the table by the way, I had often wondered if other diabetics felt as I did/do sometimes. Have a nice day Mommyof4!

Thanks for the reply artemis. Like I said earlier, these mood swings started before she knew she had diabetes. She definately had diabetes when the mood swings started but she didn't know it yet. I understand all the pressures associated with this disease and you're right about not pushing her. I certainly try not to do that but of course being a parent, I do carry some responsibility here. One thing that I find interesting about the mood swings is that she DOESN'T always seem to know when she's having one and that's why I, as her parent, ask her to check her blood sugar. I get concerned that she may be getting too high or too low and she doesn't realize it. I can see the mood changing but she can't. Maybe it's just her personality. But she's a great kid with a lot going for her and she handles things a lot better than I would, that's for sure. I haven't heard her complain once, if anything she feels empowered by being able to manage her diabetes on her own.

Don't know if anyone is still interested in this topic but I have new information.

Irritability, especially in type 1 children and teens, is a symptom of celiac. Celiac can happen before or after diagnosis and up to 10% of children with type 1 will get it. It is recommended that all children with type 1 be tested for celiac regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Other symptoms include diarrhea, bloating, nausea, muscle cramps, gas, weight loss, anemia, vomiting. A child may have some, all, or none of they symptoms. Irritability is one of the most prevelant and noticed symptoms (when not associated with high or low blood sugar).

So, for any of you out there who see the same irritabilty in your child that I saw in my daughter, please mention it to your endocrinologist and don't assume it's all part of dealing with the disease. It very well could be but you know your child better than anyone and you know if it could be something else. Especially when all is well one minute and then you see the mood change come on almost instantly. I hope this has helped someone.