QuestionQUESTION: Hello,
I am a 26-year old female. Over the past month I've been experiencing discomfort relating to hunger and eating. If I let myself get too hungry and then quickly eat, particularly a large meal, rather than feeling better I feel absolutely terrible. I feel sick, weak,shaky and have a rapid heartbeat. It also seems like I get very hungry quicker than I used to.
I am overweight and don't have the best eating habits. I went through a phase like this before and had a fasting blood glucose test. The doctor told me that my insulin level was "a little high" but that I was not diabetic or hypoglycemic.
Now that the symptoms have returned I'm not sure what to do. Is this a symptom of diabetes? Should I have another test?
Thank you,
Erin
ANSWER: It could be diabetes... a lot of people, esp overweight have disorders of sugar/insulin which isn't bad enough to "cause diabetes." If you can get access to a glucose monitor, checking fasting gives some info but eat a big meal and check 2 hours later... that would be your blood sugar peak and tells us how you are handling the sugar/food load. But your symptoms sound like hypoglycemia... your body is releasing insulin in response to eating but overshooting a little and you are dropping your blood sugar too low for a bit. Try drinking a little orange juice (or other liquid sugar load) when that happens and see if it stops it......
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Last night I sent you my 2-hour and 20 minute reading of 102. This morning my fasting number was 85.
What are your thoughts?
Thank you!
AnswerThose are very good numbers.... so there is not overt diabetes... but I still suspect that your blood sugar is droppingfor a bit prior to the food load.... try the little bit of juice when it happens and if it helps, you may try a little before you expect it to happen to see if it is prevented.... or.... check your sugar when you are in a full blown shaky episode to prove low sugar.
