Low Blood Sugar?

Question

When you go to the doctor to be checked for hypoglycemia or diabetes, is it better to go on an empty stomach when you're feeling the symptoms of low blood sugar? I went on a full stomach and all they could tell me was that my sugar was 103 and that I just have a high metabolism and I need to eat more. I eat all day long as it is! Whenever my sugar has been tested when I'm feeling the symptoms, I've been between 34-23. The doctor took my blood and ran some labs, and everything came back normal. So, if I'm still experiencing all the symptoms when I'm doing what she told me (taking vitamins, eating more, eating smaller, drinking juice, etc), is it possible that because I was tested on a full stomach that it was overlooked? Or can you see hypoglycemia/diabetes no matter what?

I would like to add that while I'm eating "more", I do include very healthy "more". I snack on fresh fruits, mainly apples and bananas, sometimes grapes, blueberries, and strawberry. I eat fish or soy products with every meal (I'm pescatarian). I make sure to include beans to boost my protein intake. I eat a lot of nuts, and a lot of salads. I eat a lot of yogurt too. I rarely overeat. I eat until I'm full, and then I have desert which is mostly a fresh fruit of some sort. So, if I've added vitamins, and increased my intake of healthy fruits and vegetables, why am I still having to scarf down a Hershey's bar to correct my symptoms? LOL I told the doctor all of this and all she said was "its just a high metabolism". I think I'm getting a second opinion.... dealing with this is getting out of hand. Thanks for your answers! Anyone else have anything to add as well?

Answer 1

Yes, if you get tested on a full stomach that may make hypoglycemia harder to diagnose. I don't think your doctor is necessarily "an idiot," since the indicated thing for him to do if someone reports hypoglycemia is to run a variety of lab tests, including the GTT (glucose tolerance test.)

So, if he ran those tests on you, he isn't necessarily an idiot.

However, if your labs came back normal, you are eating more, and you are still having symptoms, then you probably need to see a dietician to discuss whether or not you are getting enough daily calories in your diet to prevent hypoglycemia. If you eat the wrong kinds of foods, you can "eat more" and still have hypoglycemia.

Plenty of times, people think they are "eating more," but when a dietician analyses their diet, their daily calorie intake hasn't gone up enough!! This is because they aren't eating the right kinds of foods.

From http://www.answers.com/topic/hypoglycemia-prevention
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Reactive hypoglycemia

The onset of reactive hypoglycemia can be avoided or at least delayed by following the same kind of diet used to control it. While not as restrictive as the diet diabetics must follow to keep tight control over their disease, it is quite similar.

There are a variety of diet recommendations for the reactive hypoglycemic. Patients should:

* avoid overeating
* never skip breakfast
* include protein in all meals and snacks, preferably from sources low in fat, such as the white meat of chicken or turkey, most fish, soy products, or skim milk
* restrict intake of fats (particularly saturated fats, such as animal fats), and avoid refined sugars and processed foods
* be aware of the differences between some vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots. These vegetables have a higher sugar content than others (like squash and broccoli). Patients should be aware of these differences and note any reactions they have to them.
* be aware of differences found in grain products. White flour is a carbohydrate that is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, while oats take much longer to break down in the body.
* keep a "food diary." Until the diet is stabilized, a patient should note what and how much he/she eats and drinks at every meal. If symptoms appear following a meal or snack, patients should note them and look for patterns.
* eat fresh fruits, but restrict the amount they eat at one time. Patients should remember to eat a source of protein whenever they eat high sources of carbohydrate like fruit. Apples make particularly good snacks because, of all fruits, the carbohydrate in apples is digested most slowly.
* follow a diet that is high in fiber. Fruit is a good source of fiber, as is oatmeal and oat bran, which slows the buildup of sugar in the blood during digestion.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

well, as a laboratorian, I can tell you there are a few tests out there that will determine diabetes. one is a 3 hour glucose tolerance test, where you get your blood drawn fasting, then you drink a bottle of "glucola" that has 100 grams of glucose, then they draw your blood 1, 2 and 3 hours after you finish the drink. it shows how your body is metabolizing the glucose. another test is called hemoglobin A1C, which will giv an average of what your glucose has been over a period of about a month. just having your blood drawn one time non-fasting isn't going to determine whether or not you are diabetic. the hgba1c is the first thing the doc should order.
then after that, if they are abnormal, they can do other tests to determine how much function your pancreas has and whether or not you would need to be insulin dependent. I actually would get a different doctor if you are having blood sugars dropping down into the 20's, that is waaaaaaay too low. I get hypoglycemic (not diabetic, I had gastric bypass and if I eat sugar, my sugar will drop way low after about an hour) 23 is very dangerous, you can end up in a diabetic coma and die. really, get a different doctor, they arent all great at givng the best advice. if you are having that low, you probably are diabetic, symptoms are that, excessive hunger and thirst, and unexpected weight loss.

your doctor is an idiot, I would just like to add that. really, get another doctors opinion, talk to an endocrinologist

Answer 5

1. I agree that you need to see another doctor. If they are not listening to you they can't help you.
2. With a 103 after a meal you are not diabetic and do not need a glucose tolerance test.
3. With any reading below 60 you may be hypoglycemic. Next time you visit a doctor make your appointment 1st thing in the morning and go in without eating anything. That would be a fasting blood test and it will determine if you are hypoglycemic. If you only get the symptoms 1-2 hours after a meal your hypoglycemia may be only in reaction to food. In that case have something sweet about 1 hour before your blood test(fruit is sweet)

Answer 6

A high metabolism isn't going to cause hypoglycemia. if your pancreas is functioning properly, your blood sugar will stay within normal range, which non-fasting is 70-140. No matter how much you eat. you can eat a whole bag of candy corns and it will stay normal, you can eat nothing for a day and it will be normal. if it ever goes out of range, you have something abnormal happening, I guarantee you that. T.Mcgee is correct pretty much on everything she said. The doctor is an idiot. for god's sake, what doctor doesn't understand even the most basic endocrinology??? You really should get a second opinion, don't leave the health of your kidneys in the hands of a doctor that obviously doesn't know anything about diabetes. Who knows, maybe you don't have it, but don't take a chance, your health will deteriorate little by little the longer you wait.

Answer 7

You need to ask the doctor for GTT. That is Glucose Tolerance Test. It is done on fasting basis. You get to get a blood draw, drink the nasty syrup, and be tested again for over about 3 hours maybe longer.

That is the standard for diagnosing either Hypo or Hyper Glycemia!

Yes, if you go in and are in fasting state when they do the blood work, it should be lower than 60 to be labeled Hypoglycemic.

Don't let the doctors get away with calling you a "dizzy redhead or blonde or whatever else derogatory they might think up.

Answer 8

With the newer types of insulin these days, diabetic diets aren't necessarily as restrictive as they used to be. Read here https://tr.im/rUtHb
As with any medicine or diet change, you should discuss it with your doctor. Fruits, both fresh and dried, have a natural sugar in them that will raise blood sugar levels, so be careful about eating too much. Not sure about the nuts. Moderation is always the key. I've been diabetic for 18 years and just recently changed insulin types. I love it because it gives me more freedom in when and what I eat.

Answer 9

The same thing happened to me I use to have these black out spells and its from hypoglycemicema. My doc. kept running test on me and every thing kept comeing back that I was fine. But I kept haveing the spells. I had a spell one day and me friend called the ambulance and they checked my blood sugar it was really low they said I was hypoglycemic. the thing about it is that its the opposite of diabetic. But you treat it the same way cut down on your sweet and sugar intake and start eating more protien when you fell your symptoms comeing on eat peanutbutter this helps because of the protien.

Eating thing that are sweet and high in sugar causes yor blood sugar to go up yes but 30 mins later it will drop below normal and this will cause you to either black out or feel dizzy

When I have a spell I start feeling really hot the cold then hot and then my hearing getts muffeled and then i black out.

I hope this helps