is this diabetes?

Question

im a hypochondriac and haven't been feeling well for about a year, so i bought a home blood sugar testing thing. after not eating for 14 hours it read 137. could this be diabetes?

Answer 1

any fasting sugar over 120 for three consecutive tests is a definitive diagnosis of diabetes.

Answer 2

Algore, even if you are a hypochondriac, you can still get sick. First of all, if you have not been feeling well for a year, you need to go to a doctor.

As far as diabetes goes, the test you took cannot tell you whether or not you have diabetes. There are 2 important symptoms of diabetes: being thirsty all the time and having to pee a lot more than usual. Do you have these symptoms? Even if you don't, you could still have diabetes. If your number is 137 after a few hours of not eating anything, it is a bit too high. But you went 14 hours without eating - that's where the test went wrong. For healthy people and diabetics, the longer you go without eating, the lower your numbers will get. If you go too long without eating and your numbers drop to a certain point, the liver kicks in and shoots out some glucose (sugar), which will raise your numbers, making it look as if they are too high. This happens to many diabetics when they sleep - so when they wake up their numbers are higher than usual - this is called the Dawn Phenomenon.

If you want to try that test again, eat a meal and wait 3 -4 hours; then your numbers should be back to normal. They ideally should be between 80 and 120. But I really suggest you go to a doctor. There is a simple blood test called A1c, and it will show how your glucose levels have been doing for the past 3 months. Also, if you want to know faster, you can go to the doctor early, having had nothing to eat or drink since midnight the night before, that's all. He/she will give you a small amount of sweet-tasting syrup, after giving you a blood test to see what your numbers are. Then they will check your blood one hour after drinking the syrup, then two hours after and three hours after drinking the syrup. This will show them how your body is breaking down the sugar. If you fail this test, they will then order the A1c test for a definite diagnosis.

So, please do not starve yourself again, because it puts your system out of whack and the results of a test like you took will be messed up The longest you should ever go without eating is 4 hours. But the very best thing to do is go to the doctor and tell him/her you are 1) worried you have diabetes and 2) you have not been feeling well for a year. Sometimes the 2 can go together and sometimes it's 2 separate things.

And don't worry about anyone calling you a hypochondriac - only you know how you feel, and it's better to get checked out and hopefully find out you are OK than keep on worrying. Good luck.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

That is not diabetes. If you are really concerned, you should talk to your doctor. Usually, with a diabetic, if you don't eat for as long as you say you didn't, your blood sugar number would be MUCH less than 137. My brother and my dad have diabetes and if they didn't eat for 14 hours, they would get very sick from a low blood sugar. But since you were 137, I think you are fine. Don't worry too much about it.

Answer 5

THis may be the onset of type 2 Diabetes (which I have).....137 is not that high (should be between 80 - 120). Other symptoms is constant urination, tiredness, and thirsty all the time. It would be best to sonsult your Dr about your symptoms....I god a staph infection in 2000 on my leg and it started going upwards toward my heart....my sugar level was 625 (WOW) and I was put on 2 weeks bedrest with my legs elevated....I was also 310 lbs (lost 110 lbs in 11 months), got my sugar levels under control and I take meds and insulin shots every night. I hated it at first, but I feel better than I ever have now....dont over worry about it...just watch what you eat and EXERCISE....first night I tried sit ups, I didd 20 and thought I was gonna die...I got up to 200 in 3 months and feel like a million dollars. I have a pic of me at 300 lbs on my myspace site (www.myspace.com/donniemills) and also pics of me now....what a difference it made! Good luck and my prayers are with you!
Peace & Health!
Donnie Mills

Answer 6

I wouldn't freak out or anything but you can never be too sure until you GO TO A DOCTOR!
Ask your doctor! Tell your doctor you haven't been feeling well the last year and you might be worried you have diabete's. I am sure the doctor would be more than happy to test you for diabetes.

Answer 7

That is an elevated fasting blood sugar, though I can't say what it means without knowing what else was going on when it was taken. See your doctor and get a fasting blood glucose level or two, if they are elevated to that level, then you can be diagnosed with diabetes, yes.

Answer 8

Are you nuts?? Not eating for 14hours is insane. You need to go to the Doctor and have them run a hemoglobin A1C this will show what your blood sugar levels have been running for the last few months.

Answer 9

Probably not, but go to your doctor and ask for their opinion and get an official blood test done. If it's diabetes, you'll definitely need treatments so don't let it go if you suspect that's what's wrong.

Hope all goes well.

Answer 10

fasting plasma glucose test
http://www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes/pre-diabetes-symptoms.jsp

Diet Guidelines
http://www.diabetes911.net/readit/chapter10.shtml

Blood Sugar Management
http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/blood_sugar_management/