Sugar Reaction...Some sort of "Diabetic" related reaction?

[Mona]

Over the last month or two, I have noticed that when I eat a large quantity of sweet in one sitting, I suddently get VERY tired. I have no idea how long this has been going on, but I finally was able to pinpoint it, by recognizing what I have just done to suddenly bring on the "tiredness", and it is because I have just eaten several pieces of fudge, cookies, or sweets. It is not a little tired..it suddenly feels like I have been up for 24 hours and I NEED to sleep NOW! Then after ahwile(I have not timed this, as I have just fnally reallized what the cause is) it seems to wear off.

I was kind of worried about it being a diabetic thing, but I thought diabetics NEED to eat to get blood sugars up when they feel the way I feel, so it can't be that?

Also, it just dawned on me yesterday, that a couple months ago I had my bloodwork done because I was feeling tired and run down all the time. They were checking for thyroid so he ended up also runnng other tests and I remember now, they called and said my blood sugars level was off. I can't remember if it was high or low, but I think high. I had not fasted, as I was not expecting to give blood samples. They had me fast and then retested, and said the next time it seems low but they attributed that to the fact that I had not eaten (because of fasting) so they thought it to be OK. Now I am wondering if maybe there is something??

Do/have any of you have/had this type of experience? I am not goig to go to the doctor just for this, but I will try to remember it next time I have to go for something else. In the meantime, I KNOW what they will tell me...change my eating habits, lose weight, and excercise! Since I quite smoking almost 9 years ago, I have really packed on the pounds...about 70! And I do have a MAJOR sweet tooth, but that's another thing...I have eaten this way all my life with the sweets...why would it be just starting to affect me in this way now?

 

[Jill]

Mona --

There's a test they can do that shows how your body has handled glucose / sugar over the past 3 mos, in addition to the one that says what your glucose level is at that moment. You should for sure have this looked into! Diabetes can really harm your body and most people have it for YEARS before they are diagnosed. Speaking from experience here as I just found out I have Type 2 diabetes two weeks ago. I see my doctor again on the 20th and will be getting a meter and who knows what else. For now, I'm dieting, taking medicine, and walking every day, and hoping my numbers are improving.

In hindsight, I can now realize that for the past several YEARS I have been tired or sleepy almost all of the time, short temper, and very moody. Almost right away when I started the medication, diet and walking, I felt better emotionally and had much more energy. It's been just 2 weeks and I am feeling a lot better.

Plus, my doctor suspects this was why I had so many miscarriages so far. I'm hoping dealing with the sugar issues will make it possible for me to finally stay pregnant.

Jill

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Before I was diagnosed diabetic, yes I had the very same extreme tiredness. Had dozens of tests but only had a slightly elevated fasting blood glucose so they refused to do an A1C. Couldn’t possibly be diabetes

: A non-diabetic no matter how much sugar they consume will never have readings above normal. If yours are higher than normal you are for all intents and purposes diabetic.

Go see your doc it’s nothing to fool around with. Everyday your sugars are higher than normal you cause a bit of damage and over time you will become a full blown diabetic a lot faster than if you take care of it now. If your doc doesn’t think it’s important fire the fool and find someone competent in endocrinology.

 

[Miniv]

Mona,

You may be in the early stages of Type 2 Diabetes. I would recommend going back to the doctor and telling him what you are experiencing.

By catching it early you can keep it under control with a combination of diet and oral medication. My dad developed it later in his life so I learned a bit about it through him.

MA

 

[Bassett]

Mona,

I would do as Jill mentioned go in and get an AC1 test. It will show what your blood sugar has been over the last 3 months. That way we can't cheat and eat good for a day or two before an appointment. We have to eat good for three months for the numbers to be good.

:

I, too have type 2 diabetes. 8 years this coming May. I was in denial I know for a long, long time. ( I know this is not what I have. This just wouldn't happen to me. I'm a good person. Why me? ) I had every excuse in the book for not being checked because it runs so heavy in my family and I just knew I had it and didn't want to deal with it. When I was first checked my level was 349, (should have been about 170-180 because of when I ate last). I felt tired and like I was drunk all the time and I didn't even drink.

: (But I DID know what feeling drunk was like). :bgrin I'm doing fairly well now. Was under so much stress, having to put my husband in the nursing home, it was out of control. Many things can make your blood sugar spike.

So please carry through and have another check. For your own peace of mind.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Jill,

I am so sorry you have been diagnosed. It is not fun to have, but you are taking things in stride and seem to be doing all the right things. I'm really hoping it helps you with your pregnancies. That would be so neat if your problems are solved.

There is also such a thing as gestational diabetes. Only shows up when you are pregnant. Then goes away. But most of the time these people will get it later in there life. Just be glad you are on oral medication and not shots.

Bad thing for me is I haven't been tested since last May because I DON'T have any health insurance since then. I will be 65 in April and have Medicare as of 04/01/07 so believe me I will be having it all done.

I always get tested every 3-4 months so am long ever due.

But hey you two please take care of yourselves. Always easier if you control it from the get go instead of letting it get out of hand. Take care.

:

 

[Mona]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will definately be making an appointment!

: One last question...this AC1 test...is this something I need to fast for? I am just wondering if I should be sure to fast before my appointment to make sure the test results will be proper??

 

[Robin1]

I had the AC1 test done about 2 weeks ago. My number was above the average but not to the point of being considered diabetes.

:

Robin

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will definately be making an appointment!

: One last question...this AC1 test...is this something I need to fast for? I am just wondering if I should be sure to fast before my appointment to make sure the test results will be proper??

Ask if they want to do a fasting blood glucose too. If so then yes fast but it's not necessary for just the A1C.

 

[CharmedMinis]

I've suffered from eating disorders and consequently major weight fluctuations for years, the result.........

My pancreas has been damaged and I'm slightly pre-diabetic, I'm already prone because it runs in my family.

Like you Mona, I have a HUGE sweet tooth!!!

Over a year ago now, I completely cut sugar out of my diet. I still eat natural sugars (honey, maple syrup), but no other forms of any refined sugars. It's hard at first, but after about a month you will feel soooo much better.

Just doing that has stabilized my blood sugar completely.

And on the rare occasion that I do slip and eat something with sugar in it, I almost instantly feel like crud and my blood sugar goes wacky. But I don't slip very often, I've found that things now taste too sweet if they have sugar in them. So now when I get a sugar craving, I go for a bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup drizzled on it.

FYI-- You can get a glucose meter on Ebay for $15-20, and test strips are cheaper through ebay too. That's where I get all my supplies, I check my sugar 2 or 3 times a day.

 

[wade3504]

I had been type one diabetic before my transplant in 2005. You will feel very tired when you have a high blood sugar, sometimes to the point of coma if it's high enough as I have experienced when I was younger. You need to keep on top of it and as Triggy said if your doctor is not concerned get another. An A1C test will test your levels for what they have been over the past few months not just at one given time. A body cannot stay healthy with high blood sugars. From the length of time I had diabetes which is about 30 years and the sometimes uncontrolled high blood sugars my body has paid for it. Catch it early. Other signs you might have is excessive thirst at the tmie it is going on. When I was diagnosed at 17 months my mother told me she knew something was srong when I wanted only water in a bottle and would unscrew the top and down it then want another.

 

[Mini Lover]

I have type one diabetes and when I was first diagnosed 8 years ago, I was always tired and slept in class. Parents didnt know what was wrong until I went to the doctors for an ear infection and mom mention my drinking and sleeping alot. I keep it undercontrol very well and have an Insulin pump. Once and a while I will have a high reading and it doesnt make you feel very well at all.

-Nicole

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Sounds like what I was told last year...early stages of type 2. Change my diet and so on. I do pretty well, no soda, 1/2 tsp of sugar in my tea now but my downfall is chocolate. I am an addict and cannot live without it SO I am careful to eat just a bit thru out the day, no binging and I do better. I am SO overdo for a check up...maybe I should also slink back but I hate going to drs and refuse pills when I can. Do go and have yourself checked. Usually it is best first thing in the morning with nothing to eat..no breakfast or tea/coffe either. Then they do a glucose test. Tastes awful.

 

[Bassett]

You can also get a meter Free from Bayer. My first one I got free from my doctor. 2nd one from Bayer. Also if your doctor writes your strips up as a prescription your insurance will pay the same as your medications but you do need a doctors prescription. I guess a lot of us have diabetes. Huh?

 

[RainSong]

I had gestational diabetes... the only sign I showed was a persistant sore throat! Because pregnancy causes you to drink more water a lot of the time, it's not quite as obvious a sign as it would otherwise be.

They've found that people who drink soda pop, esp. women, have something like a 50% (Or was it higher?) chance of developing diabetes. I cut soda out of my diet again just a few months ago, and it's already made me feel better. I'm not diabetic (I've had at least 3 actual tests say it, and I check my sugars myself sometimes) now, but chances are I will be later in life.

I was "barely" diabetic- my test results apparently only failed by a very slim margin. I was able to control it by diet, but I have a HUGE sweet tooth!!! I saw my sugars spike more then once from eating something like ice cream, and I was also able to pinpoint some foods that wrecked havoc all on their own (milk, mostly). I took care of my sugar cravings by keeping Hersey bars. I'd snap them into the small squares, and allow myself one a day. It's not even close to a serving, and didn't knock my sugars around much at all.

I'm with everyone else- GET TESTED ASAP. It's nothing at all to fool around with! I went back and had myself tested around the 6-week post partum time frame, and every time I've had blood work since, the Dr's have ordered a test for it LOL I make sure to tell them about it, too.

 

[BigDogs & LittleHorses]

That sounds somewhat familiar. I was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia about 8 years ago or so. I can't handle sugar the way I used to without a spike. Prolonged sugar = prolonged tiredness. Then came allergies which I never had.

I have recently made a significant discovery on my own... If I take calcium (carbonate) along with mangesium (citrate) at around 400 MG each once a day I often quickly get this amazing glowing feeling in my stomach up to my throat. It feels like I took some sort of narcotic! I am still playing around with the ratio of cal to mag. You're supposed to take them together as they balance each other.

More significantly, I seem to handle sugar better with the cal/mag combo. It's not so "spikey". Magnesium is used in all kinds of enzymatic processes in the body and apparently is wiped out by eating lots of processed foods and sugars. I read that nearly all Americans are deficient.

Give it a try, it's cheap and might help! Start dosing level slowly, if you are getting too much calcium you will get, err... plugged up and if you have to much magnesium you will be on the toilet all the time! Don't buy magnesium in oxide form though, it's poorly absorbed. Citrate or aspartate is the best.

Daryl

 

[lyn_j]

The hemoglobin A1C measure 3 month worth of blood response and gives a number ..... 6 between 5 and 6.5 is normal, I have been diabetic for 19 years type two . right now my A1C is 7.2 it has been as high as 15 which is horrendous, means my bloodsugars and any given time could have been over 500 which is pass out time.

Blood sugar levels over 160 or there abouts can cause extreme fatigue. if you are going for blood work go fasting as it will give you the current level as well as the A1C. 6.5 to 7.5 shows good control for a diabetic on medicine.

When you feel extreme tiredness like you could fall right to sleep it is likely your sugar is near 500 at that time. Your body can handle highs occassionally better than lows. Your brain requires glycogen to function and if it gets too low you can also pass out and have permanent damage. I have been down to 45 but at that point shaking vioulently and disoriented. Also if your blood sugar is too high your breath takes on a fruity sweet smell. Excessive thirst and frequent urination of almost clear urine is also a symptom of elevated sugar as is frequent yeast infections. you can also buy Ketodiastix and test your urine if you dont have a glucometer it will tell you if you are spilling sugar or protein.

Lyn

 

[Mona]

:new_shocked: WOW...all you folks are a real wealth of knowledge! Thanks so much for the information and sharing your personal experiences. I have made my appointment for the 19th. It is for 9:15am so is I will be sure to fast. Thanks!

 

[sfmini]

I have type 2 now, but years ago I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. You crave sweets/carbs, sugar goes up, you produce insulin, sugar goes low, you feel terrible, cranky, tired, dizzy, moodswings, crave sugar, feel better, then the cycle goes over and over. I had to give up fruit, sugar, milk, alcohol, then I was ok. Now I have type 2 which is the opposite of hypoglycemia.

Either way, get tested! It is nothing to mess around with and once under control you will feel better.

 

[dreammountainminis]

Please Have it checked throughly my mom was a diabetic for 14 years it caused her to get an enlarged heart and by the time the good docs aound my area discovered it and wanted to do a heart cathiterization(sp?) it was too late my mom was home from the hospital last dec for 6 days and passed away of a massive heart attack in my arms at home ....So please see some one that knows what the H_ll they are looking for..

Some of moms symptoms before she was diagnosed was extreme fatigue, very thirsty she would drink constantly , she would get the sweats...Take care and God bless ..