early symptoms of hypoglycemia

Diabetes
1

Hello

My main issue at present is adrenal insufficiency, but I have been having issue of lower than normal (for me) blood sugars about 2-3 hours after eating.

My fasting sugars are 5.2mmol - 5.3mmol (93-95). After eating, they go up a bit...as is normal...but then they drop to 4.7mmol (84). This isn't what I would consider hypoglycemia, except I start to feel shaky and have cognitive issues (akin to tunnel vision, hard time with memory and doing tasks or finding words).

Is it reasonable to assume that every person has a different level of sensitivity to sugar drops, or that one person might feel symptoms of being low at 4.7, while another might not feel symptoms until they get to 3.9?

I have an appointment with my internist in a few weeks...I want to bring this to his attention but I am pretty sure he's going to look at me like I'm an idiot...

2

Ps., the symptoms resolve completely is I eat something when I get shaky, etc

3

Your completely different than I am about the food and BS. I suggest that you vary the kind of food you eat. For me white bread or white rice is a guarnteed 40 point spike. All veggies and test all meats and test and then mixes.

You fail to mention any medication If your Dr looks at you like your an idot get a new doctor. I have gone through several, some Dr's think they know and a few actually do know. My last ex Dr believed the hype from the drug companies and would not even look at the chart of my blood sugar.

I do not know why your going to an internist I go to an endocrinologist. 

You have some time. Open a EXCEL spread sheet and record the time and BS value.  Provide that to your Dr. Really hard to argue with facts. 

My Dr makes all of the decisions based on my A1C (USA) so I have not taken after meal tests in a couple of years. I know what is going to happen so why pay for something I already know.

Wish you well you certainly are not reacting like my body does with food.

4

My fasting sugar is 80 and so I have low blood sugar.   My doctor told me to eat a protein every 2 hours and especially at bed time good luck

.

sandy

5

I guess no two people in the world are exactly the same.  I was told to try to eat at the same time very day.

6

Hi

I was told to eat Every 2 hours a protein. I always felt hunger pains. No more now

7

Same here...

8

Dear sandy99330,

I can assure you, ma'am, that your fasting blood sugar (glucose) level is NOT hypoglycemia.  If your doctor says that it is, you desperately need to find another doctor as the one that told you that is absolutely, 100% incorreect.

A non-diabetic's fasting (after not eating or drinking overnight) blood glucose level should be between 70 and 99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciLiter) [that's 3.9 and 5.5 mmol/l (millimoles per litre) for those using the International Standard for blood glucose measurement], though some laboratories now accept 65 mg/dL [3.6 mmol/l] as being the acceptable lower limit.

9

Dear adrianne75629,

I can assure you that what you are experiencing is NOT hypoglycemia.

A non-diabetic's fasting (after not eating or drinking overnight) blood glucose level should be between 3.9 and 5.5 mmol/l (millimoles per litre) (that's 70 and 99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciLiter) [that's for those using the American Standard for blood glucose measurement], though some laboratories now accept 3.6 mmol/l [65 mg/dL] as being the acceptable lower limit.

People who feel symptoms of hypoglycaemia at such high levels are normally those that are diabetic who's blood glucose (sugar) level has been running high for an extended period of time OR those that are truly hypoglycaemic.  Even then, none of your readings ... or the readings that you've given here ... are within the realms of hypoglycaemia.

If your doctor were to look at you as though you are "an idiot", you seriously need to find another doctor.  NO doctor should ever consider their patient's symptoms reflecting on their cognitive (thought processing) abilities.

Youi SHOULD tell your doctor the symptoms that you're experiencing as s/he MAY well send you off for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).  This will determine whether or not you are having true hypoglycaemic episodes.  If it does turn out that you are hypoglycaemic, you MAY be required to undergo further testing in order to determine which type of hypoglycaemia it is that you have.

The most common type of hypoglycaemia is called Reactive Hypoglycaemia, which occurs when the pancreas overproduces insulin in response to food and/or drink intake.  It's this type of hypoglycaemia that is treated by you breaking down your food intake to smaller, but more frequent meals throughout the day ... usually 5 or 6 smaller meals that contain fewer carbohydrates, but also include a greater proportion of fat or protein.  (Fats and proteins slow down the absorption of glucose, which we get from the breakdown of carbohydrates during the digestive process, which, in theory, should prevent the hypoglycaemic episodes from occurring.)

A much rarer type of hypoglycaemia is called fasting hypoglycaemia.  This type is normally due to an insulin-producing tumour which MAY require surgery to put right.

I wish you well when you meet up with your internist in a few weeks time.

 Mick

x x x x

 x x x

P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the 'x's'.  It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've used for some 30-odd years now.