Hi i am new to this form. I have been ill
for the past few years but keep getting
nowhere. Anyway i think i may have
hypoglycaemia, i have symptoms; shakey,
sweating, weak, fast heart rate, nauseaus,
dizzy, faint sometimes actually do. I was
testing my blood sugars before and found
that in the mornings it was usually around
2mmol but havent tested in a while as doc
said the fasting labs were normal. Had two
tests 72 hour fast to determine if it was
fasting hypoglycaemia, thing is my blood
sugar dropped to 1.2mmol at the end but
despite doc notcing i had symptoms didnt
take venous sample and gave me glucose,
therefore my doc says as the lowest venous
sample was (initial sample 6.2mmol) (day 1
low 4's high 3's) (day 2 high 3's low 2's)
(day 3 high 2's low 1's) 3.7mmol recorded
on computer i dont have fasting
hypoglycaemia. Also from the test it
showed low insulin, but grossly ketotic
but apparently thats normal.
Anyway had another test glucose tolerence
test;
fasting 5.2mmol as roughly
(6.2,6.9,5.2,5.4,3.4,4.1,6.9)
and from that doc said that as my blood
sugar didnt drop to below 3mmol i was not
hypoglycaemic depite again having
symptoms.
it seams that if my blood sugar drops
after a little while it goes up hence the
looking normal as on the random fasting
tests i have checked it and it is about
2mmol then hour later its 4.3mmol.
What do you think? is this right? also i
keep fainting and or feel like im going
to faint and i was told that it couldnt be
hypoglycaemia as i would have had a
siezure and gone into a coma-is that
right?
please post back im despirate., thanks.
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Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1620 Location: ,
Posted: 04-19-08 08:37am
No, that's not right. You will typically
faint and stay out for a few minutes at
most, NOT go into a coma. That's
ridiculous, that only relates to diabetes
(diabetic coma, look it up). What are
those readings? We don't go by those here
so I don't know how to read them.
|
jen77
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Apr 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 04-21-08 08:51am
Stan Stepanic
wrote:
What are those readings? We
don't go by those here so I don't know how
to read them.
72 hour fast initial starting point 111.6
day 1 ranged around 70's to 50's
day 2 ranged around 50's to 30's
day 3 ranged around 30's to 20's
the result the doctors missed due to not
taking a venous blood sample before giving
me glucose was 21.6.
What do you think my doctor says; that
because in the GTT the blood sugar level
didnt fall below 54 then i do not have
hypoglycaemia. Does that sound right?
Furthermore as the 72 hour fast level of
21.6 was not recorded on the computer he
says that i was not hypoglycaemic (again
he stated that if i 'really was that low'
i would have been in a coma and would have
needed to be given iv glucose) at that
point in time i had symptoms (very weak,
shaking and clammy as noted by doctor,
drousy, dizzy, pale, fast heart rate,
nauseaus, blurred vision)
What do you think? thanks.
|
Stan
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 1620 Location: ,
Posted: 04-21-08 10:50am
I've heard that getting towards 60mg is
bad, not 50. 50 is bad for DIABETICS.
It's different for us. It sounds like you
have hypoglycemia, or at least
potentially. How often were they taking
your sugar there? You just gave the
numbers but not the times.
|
jen77
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Apr 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 04-21-08 11:06am
Stan Stepanic
wrote:
I've heard that getting
towards 60mg is bad, not 50. 50 is bad
for DIABETICS. It's different for us. It
sounds like you have hypoglycemia, or at
least potentially. How often were they
taking your sugar there? You just gave
the numbers but not the
times.
72 hour fast when the blood sugar level
dropped below70 it was monitored evry 2
hours via monitor the venous sample needed
to be taken. But this was not really
achieved as they struggled to get the
bloods off and the ward was busy so not
all potential results were taken.
GTT wast the prolonged 5 hour one (i think
it was something like 9am, 9.30, 10.30,
11.30, 12, 1, 1.30, 2)
|
VictoriaGB
Supporter
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 103 Location: Wales, UK
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 04-26-08 09:18am
jen77
wrote:
Stan Stepanic
wrote:
I've heard that getting
towards 60mg is bad, not 50. 50 is bad
for DIABETICS. It's different for us. It
sounds like you have hypoglycemia, or at
least potentially. How often were they
taking your sugar there? You just gave
the numbers but not the
times.
72 hour fast when the blood sugar level
dropped below70 it was monitored evry 2
hours via monitor the venous sample needed
to be taken. But this was not really
achieved as they struggled to get the
bloods off and the ward was busy so not
all potential results were taken.
GTT wast the prolonged 5 hour one (i think
it was something like 9am, 9.30, 10.30,
11.30, 12, 1, 1.30,
2)
Hi Jen,
The 72 hour fast is done to check for
fasting hypoglycemia. When your blood
sugar drops below 2.4mmol/l a sample
should be taken which will be sent to the
lab (more accurate than a blood machine).
Until your blood sugar drops low enough,
they won't take a sample to send off,
despite any symptoms you may be
experiencing.
However, when I had this test done it was
over the weekend. The staff working knew
nothing about hypoglycemia, and insisted
on trying to feed me every day despite a
notice on my door saying "Do Not Feed".
These tests typically go wrong and in this
hospital at least, rarely went right - the
specialist in charge of me left 'me' with
the instructions as he knew the staff
would be useless.
Unfortunately if your very low blood sugar
wasn't recorded properly it was a complete
waste of time. For a diagnosis the
specialist will need the low blood sugar
reading back from the LAB, regardless of
what was recorded during the test on a
glucose machine - the final reading of
<2.4mmol/l must be sent to a lab for
confirmation.
You probably know all that already
It would be worth giving it another shot,
as painful as the test is. It sounds like
you have fasting hypoglycemia which
seriously needs to be investigated as to
the cause. Ask for another test as you
feel the previous one failed despite very
low readings - I'd be shocked if any
doctor refused you given the readings
recorded. During the test, make sure you
shout and stamp until that blood sample is
taken at <2.4mmol/l and sent to the
lab. Don't take any glucose until they've
taken the sample (not a blood reading, an
actual sample to send off). If you're in
the UK, trust me the ward staff can be
absolutely useless!
And again if you're in the UK, it would be
worth getting a referral to see a private
specialist for a consultation. From there
the NHS will resume but you'll be pushed
up the list for the fasting test rather
than waiting for months. You may already
be private but if not, I recommend doing
it that way
As for the readings (2.4 etc), these are
mmol/l units used in the UK. For mg/dl
just multiply by 18. 2.4mmol/l is 43mg/dl.
My husband is type 1 diabetic and
American, so I'm pretty fluent with
conversions
And the coma business, is rubbish. It
doesn't sound like that doctor
understands/recognises hypoglycemia as a
condition other than a diabetic hypo
(believe it or not a lot of doctors don't
yet, I was lucky to find one who did).
|
VictoriaGB
Supporter
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 103 Location: Wales, UK
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 04-26-08 09:25am
It's also normal for your blood sugar to
raise a little as you mentioned, mine will
usually go back up to 3.6/3.8mmol/l.
It's possible to have symptoms without the
low blood sugar, but if you record
2.0mmol/l in the mornings that's a sure
sign of fasting hypoglycemia. Was your GTT
a fasting test?
It's tricky to catch a reading that the
doctor can use for a diagnosis, but you
have to keep pushing.
|
jen77
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Apr 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 04-27-08 04:27am
Thanks for replying victoriaGB. I am
pleased to find someone who has had a
similar situation to me. I too am in th UK
and like you the ward staff hadn't go a
clue i had to tell them when and what
tubes to put the blood in. I felt like
walking ot crying during that test as
noone was listening to me when i said my
BS is 2mmol and i need bloods off, in fact
this one nurse said she was too busy and
id just have to ignore it! Then as i said
before the last cappillary blood test i
got was 1.2mmol and very symptomatic, and
the registrar said ive nearly finished the
test so theres no point to which the
charge nurse on the ward said that the
result wasnt accurate as at that level id
be unconcious and having a fit therefore
its more likely to be a level around
4mmol! And just to make matters worse a
health care assistant who was just going
by said that my levels have been good as
as im diabetic (which im not). It was a
total shambals. And as a result my
consultant has totally ruled out
hypoglycaemia saying that as there is not
a blood glucose value under 3mmol venous
blood on the computer then the results
recorded need not be taken account for
despite my saying that some of the
capillary bloods eg 1.2 etc wernt actually
taken, but he still wouldnt have it.
Furthermore this is only one part of my
problem (i have weakness, cant exercise or
i collapse, very tired, cold all the time,
weight loss, nausea, and dizzy spells) i
think it is addisons disease and again the
test was messed up so again no propper
results. In fact the consultant said to
try and burn myself out so that things
would be obvious. Im loosing faith
quickly, ive thought of private consults
but a-its the money as i should be able to
have good treatment on the nhs, and b-i
would end up with the same consultants.
Also its come to the point where 5doctors
and nurses arnt able to cannulate me as im
too dehydrated or something and so getting
bloods off is impossable, therefoere
repeating the 72 hour fast would be even
more difficult. What do you think, what do
i do? please post back thanks,
|
VictoriaGB
Supporter
Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 103 Location: Wales, UK
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 04-27-08 05:12am
Change doctors, if you've seen them all
then change surgery! You need the positive
fasting test for the cause of this to be
investigated. Unfortunately, you need that
72 hour test as it's what doctors use for
diagnosis. And you need the diagnosis so
you can get to the bottom of what's
causing it.
Was you under an endocrinologist at the
hospital?
I requested to see a specialist
(endocrinologist), my surgery faxed a
letter over to my nearest BUPA (Spire as
it is now) and I got in to see someone
pretty quickly. It cost me £80 for the
consultation. From there I didn't wait
long before I had the 72 hour fasting test
on the NHS - the initial consultation
pushes you up the waiting list and any
further treatment can be done on the NHS,
quicker. Depending on where you are in the
UK the cost may vary, but I'd say around
£100 would cover it.
For me the consultation cost was worth it,
I had a diagnosis in a few weeks rather
than waiting on the 18 month list my own
doctor had put me on just to see someone.
By coincidence, that someone happened to
be my district NHS endocrinologist so he
took me on personally and saw it through.
If you still don't want to go private,
start 'doctor shopping'. It's tiring, but
I saw dozens of doctors before one finally
said "wow, 2.4 is a low blood sugar, we
should get you seen to!"
Explain to any new doctor that you have
recorded blood readings as low as
1.2mmol/l, and the fasting test failed due
to incompetent staff - so could you please
have the test again as this is a disabling
condition.
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