Autism and diabetes. Are you autistic and have diabetes?

I am interested in finding out what our experiences are, as autistic people who have to navigate the health service.

I am high functioning asd and have kidney disease.

I struggle with remembering my medication.

I struggle with remembering to eat at regular times.

I also have a fantastic family network that helps me.

I know about kidney disease.My question is about diabetes.

I am looking at the research into ageing and physical health.

How is this affected by diabetes, if you are autistic?

My question is - do you have autism and diabetes or support somebody with autism and diabetes and is it easy to get health support?

Would love to hear from anybody who is autistic and has diabetes. The health news tells us there is a link between our autism and diabetes. I am not sure.

  • Nah but when I was researching my own condition that was one the health side effects that came up. We have a compromised immune system anyway due to autism

  • My support for both have been separate so far. My relevant care teams for checkups are in different locations. I finally got my ASD diagnosis in December 2020, and I've been diagnosed type 1 diabetic for over 30 years too. I can't tell if my diabetes team understand what my autism means when it comes to managing me, but I think they recognise the struggles over the years as being related. It's amazing how much gets dismissed as diabetes anxiety when you don't know you're autistic as well.

    Hope life is going okay for you.

  • I hope that you get sorted with diagnosis soon. Your support question is very interesting. Perhaps you could start a new thread with that question. 

  • Hello, I'm new on here but I have been Type 1 Diabetic for over 30 years. I believe I also have Adult Aspergers but am waiting for a diagnosis. However, as a diabetic who has highs and lows I do feel that these instances do affect my aspergers quite dramatically. It isn't just a change of mood from happy to sad but quite an unhealthy great big tumble into a very dark place especially when I am stressed. At the moment I am receiving support from the NHS for my diabetes and I do hope that the NHS can help with the Aspergers but I will have to wait and see. Has anyone had a combination of ASD and Diabetes suppport anywhere in the UK?

  • Cortisol, present when someone is stressed, can raise sugar levels. It is possible that being autistic may make you more prone to being anxious or stressed, therefore affecting sugar levels control, regardless of diabetes type. Exercise can help with counteracting this since it allows your body to use insulin more effectively, regardless of diabetes type (obviously, if you're taking insulin manually, you'll have to adjust your dose accordingly), so exercise can help your body cope with the effects of things like stress hormones.

    As for affects of diabetes on autism, low sugar levels and high sugar levels can have various symptoms that may help things like a melt down develop because of the discomfort that can be felt (if you're diabetic, you'll know what symptoms I'm talking about - the shakes, the mood shifts, etc). This is possibly no different to if you have an illness in general that isn't diabetes related, but I don't know for sure.

    As for the question about support - no, it's not easy to get support. Support for many health problems can be very poor in many places. It is common for the person with the conditions to get on with things on their own. Hopefully your local team will be better than that though if you feel you are struggling.

    Best wishes.

  • It wouldn't help at all, whether you're autistic or not ~ if you're not taking your medication you're going to die. What has that got to do with a cure though? 

    But if you are forgetful, as NAS39248, there are ways around that. But if you're looking for a cure and you have type 1, and you work with one of these doctors who cure diabetes, you are most likely not going to get a full cure so you will need some medication and  how you remember to take it would be part of their approach with you. 

  • Yes it would put you at at a disadvantage if you forget to take medication ie insulin, it can lead to unconsciousness, coma, then death. 

    If you are forgetful they can fit you with a pump like they use for children now 

  • Very interesting. What about those of us who are autistic and forget their medication? Does this not put us at a disadvantage if we have diabetes? I am not sure how reducing medication helps if you forget to take it in the first place. 

  • With type 1, people get their medication reduced dramatically,  and in type two it goes away altogether, along with many other so called incurable diseases. 

  • Sorry have to disagree about type 1 certain amounts of insulin can be gained by diet certainly but not enough to prevent death. Certainly healthy lifestyle and not being obese reduce the doses needed which is what is boosting these claims but in an otherwise active and healthy person it does not solve it. 

    Maybe one day they will but not yet.

  • Type 2 diabetes can be cured completely and type 1 can be made significantly better to the point that medication is reduced by at least half. 

    I don’t know the full protocol yet, I haven’t moved into that area yet and I tend to learn what I need to know when I need to know it, so I haven’t delved too deeply into it yet but I know people who are working with people to get rid of diabetes naturally and there are some great places to go to as well, although I think all the places I know of are in America. I’m sure the Tree of Life run programmes to get rid of diabetes and so does this place https://hippocratesinst.org/diabetes

    I can help people get rid of it, via a metaphysical approach, but I would have to have a consultation with the person etc.

    Basically, by adopting a whole foods plant based diet with meditation and stuff like that, just about any disease can be reversed, including what the mainstream doctors call untreateable and by eating a plant based diet, you would definitely get rid of diabetes, I’m just not sure of any particular suggestions yet, so I haven't moved into that field yet but I'm sure I will at some point. 

  • Hi blueray, I'm just curious how diabetes can be cured naturally?? My uncle has type 1 diabetes and if he doesn't take his insulin he ends up in a coma! I understand type 2 can be managed with diet and lifestyle changes but so far no cure?

  • I just listened to a podcast today on autism and diabetes! The doctor was saying that as with all health, autism and diabetes do have a connection but it's not straight forward and the medical profession isn't geared up to help autistic people with diabetes because they treat it the way they would anybody else but it doesn't work like that. He said, stress levels add to the development of diabetes and also to poorer diet choices.

    I'm autistic and I'm not diabetic and I do know that diabetes can be cured naturally. You can research it. But as the doctor says, with autism, it becomes more complex because if you try to treat the person like you would anybody else, you will be setting them up to fail. It takes a whole person approach, where diet is probably one of the least factors. 

    So stress is a big factor and a whole food plant based diet, with lots of raw greens is the best diet out there for optimum health. You have to take your mind off the problem and focus on the solution, which is major stress reduction, a better diet, fresh air, exercise, happy times etc, all the good stuff.