Possible Hyperglycemia symptoms..should I be concerned?
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Alright so a quick background on me. I'm 24,and blood sugar issues run on my mom's side of the family real bad. My grandpa has Hypoglycemia,and my aunt has Hyperglycemia. For awhile now,I've been having alot of health issues that doctors can't explain..I get frequent headaches,trouble concentrating,I constantly feel spaced out,feelings of irritability,and perhaps my worst symptoms are the dizziness,and shortness of breath. Plus I notice that it constantly feels like my heart is pounding out of my chest. So I decided recently to start monitoring my blood sugar,and boy am I surprised at the levels of sugar in my blood. What is odd,is in the morning when i wakeup,my blood sugar has been averaging around 180. And 2 hours after meals,my sugar averages around 211. Is this a concern I should bring up to my doctor? And could this be an indication of Diabetes? Any advice would be greatly appriciated
0 likes, 15 replies
micksmixxx QueenOfTheReich
Posted
Dear QueenOfTheReich,
Assuming you carried out the testing correctly, that the test strips were within their use-by date, and the blood glucose meter is calibrated, then yes you should inform your doctor, as ANY TIME your blood glucose level reaches 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciLiter) this provides sufficient evidence for your doctor to diagnose diabetes.
Your doctor WILL, of course, need to test your blood glucose for him/herself so that they can be sure that the test was carried out correctly. For instance, did you make sure that you washed and dried your hands immediately prior to testing? There are a number of contaminants, such as remnants of food or drink, various creams/moisturizers/emollients, scents/perfumes, and the like that can affect the results obtained, as can whether you have any pre-existing medical condition(s) or whether you're taking various types of medications which are known to cause a rise in blood glucose levels.
QueenOfTheReich micksmixxx
Posted
Everytime I have taken a blood glucose test,I definetly make sure I wash my hands..I've had 5 blood glucose readings above 200,and 2 of those were 300 or more. I went to my doctor a few days ago,and told him my numbers I have been getting on my blood glucose monitor. He ordered me to get an A1c blood test (which I already took the same day),now I just have to take the glucose tolerance test. If I am diagnosed with a former of Diabetes,my doctor said he'll start me on a treatment plan. I'll keep everyone updated on the results of my A1c test,and my glucose tolerance test
micksmixxx QueenOfTheReich
Posted
Dear QueenOfTheReich,
Thank you for your response, ma'am.
It's good to see that you're, apparently, testing correctly. It's surprising the number of times I respond to people, both on here and other diabetes forums that I'm a member of, who don't know of the various compounds that can cause blood sugar (glucose) levels to be incorrect.
I may not know you personally, and that's a cruel twist of fate that we were born on different continents, but I'm truly glad that you've been to see your doctor. He's done exactly the right thing by requesting you to have a HbA1c (A1c) test carried out. This test will show an 'average' of what your blood sugar (glucose) levels have been like over the previous 3 months, with a slight bias towards the latter 6 to 8 weeks of that time.
It's good that your doctor is also having an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) carried out as the HbA1c can't show if, or when, during the day your blood sugar level rises or falls. The OGTT will. (I'm assuming that your doctor has informed you that you'll need to fast on the night before your test is to be carried out. This is because your first blood draw will offer a 'baseline' number against which further blood draws will be compared. You'll then be given glucola, the sickly sweet compound that you'll be requested to drink, and then have your blood drawn at hourly intervals thereafter ... the number of hours will depend on what your doctor has requested.)
The results of these two tests will show your doctor whether your blood sugar level is always high, or whether you have glucose intolerance, which causes a 'spike' in your blood sugar levels after you've eaten. This MAY affect your doctor's decision as to which medication(s) to start you off on. (There are a number of different medications ... oral, inhalable, and injectable ... that work in very different ways.)
As I say, i may not know you personally, ma'am, but I would be genuinely interested if you did let us know the results of your tests ... AND which medication(s) your doctor starts you off on, if you are found to be diabetic.
I notice that MtViewCatherine has been mentioning thyroid problems, and that you've been mentioning that your grandma has been suffering with hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid). It WOULD be good to mention to your doctor that your grandma does suffer with hypothyroidism as diabetes and hypothyroidism very often go hand-in-hand. (I've been a type 1 diabetic for more than 36 years now, and it's only in the last 10 years or so that it's been discovered that I also have hypothyroidism.)
MtViewCtherine is correct in stating that hypothyroidism can go undetected for decades. Diabetes, too, can go for years before it is detected, so IF you are found to be suffering with diabetes, you MAY have had it for years.
I truly do wish you well, ma'am, and hope that your tests aren't as bad as you might believe them to be. In any case, IF you are found to be suffering from either, or both, of the conditions, the sooner you begin treatment the better.
Lots of Love and Light.
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 about 40 years now.
QueenOfTheReich micksmixxx
Posted
Well,i got the results of my A1c test today..it came back at 5.6. However,i still have to take the glucose tolerance test (which I'm not looking forward to). I'm really confused because the doctor saw my A1c count results,and said I was fine. However,I keep a journal of all the results from my blood glucose meter,and my fasting level s range from 180-300. In fact I did a before dinner reading,which said 107. A few hours after that,I did a reading..the result was 244. It literally does not take much to make my blood sugar spike..I don't know what to do,my current doctor says I'm fine..because of the A1c results. But I'm still getting high numbers. Should I see a different primary care doctor,or call a Endocrinologist(I think that's what they are called). I just don't like when a doctor says I'm fine,when I know my body and I know something isn't quite right..this case being my high blood sugar numbers. I'm just confused,I don't know what to do..
MtViewCatherine QueenOfTheReich
Posted
Queen, when you test your blood sugar at home, you should be testing in the morning before you eat (fasting) and two hours after you eat. If you check right after eating, it's normal to be less than 250.
micksmixxx QueenOfTheReich
Posted
Dear QueenOfTheReich,
Thank you for your response, with regards to your HbA1c test result, ma'am.
Your doctor IS correct when he states that "you're fine" in that a HbA1c level of 5.6% is in the 'normal' range, albeit at the top end of the 'normal' range.
As I explained earlier, your HbA1c level shows an 'average' of what your blood sugar level has been like over the previous 3 months. It does NOT, however, show when your blood sugar rises and falls again throughout the day. In that respect, your doctor is doing exactly the right thing by requesting you attend for an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT ... also called a Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), by the way) This will show whether you are glucose intolerant, which IS a precursor to the development of type 2 diabetes. From the figures you've quoted ... before dinner 107 mg/dL and a few hours later 244 mg/dL ... this is what I suspect MIGHT be the case. Having said that, I am NOT a doctor and it would be against the law for me to make an 'unofficial' diagnosis. (It MUST, by law, be a practising medical doctor that makes a diagnosis of diabetes. It would be s/he, after all, that would be writing the prescriptions for whichever treatment s/he deemed necessary.)
I woudn't 'jump the gun' and start searching for another doctor, or more specifically an endocrinologist, just yet. Wait until you've gone through the OGTT and see what the results say then. If you're still not happy then, do seek a second opinion.
A non-diabetic's HbA1c level, by the way, would be 5.6% or lower.
A pre-diabetic's HbA1c evel would be between 5.7% and 6.4%.
A diabetic's HbA1c level would be 6.5% or higher.
As you can see, your HbA1c level of 5.6% is just 'shy' of the starting of pre-diabetes.
I truly do hope, ma'am, that you'll stick with it for a while and do keep letting us know how things turn out.
By the way, has your doctor suggested cutting back on the amount of carbohydrates that you imbibe ... either eat or drink?
Are you able to take any exercise? I don't mean signing up to a gym membership or anything like that. I'm thinking more along the lines of walking, swimming, yoga, etc.
Both of these things would help your body to better utilise [utilize, as I believe that you must be one of my American cousins, seeing as you're talking in mg/dL. That measurement system isn't used in many countries in the world) the insulin that your pancreas is producing. Exercise uses up more of the sugar (glucose) from your bloodstream. (Insulin is required to 'unlock' the body's cells so that glucose can enter them, where it's used to create energy.)
I wish you well, ma'am.
Lots of Love and Light.
Mick
x x x x
x x x
micksmixxx MtViewCatherine
Posted
Hi MtViewCatherine,
Two hours post prandial (after eating) it's 'normal' to be 140 mg/dL or less. ANY TIME it reaches 200 mg/dL is sufficient evidence for a doctor to diagnose diabetes mellitus.
MtViewCatherine micksmixxx
Posted
Thanks Mick, I'm sure you're correct. The numbers I used were the numbers the docs told me to watch for with my mom when she was fully diabetic. I've been able to control her blood sugar with diet. It would have been helpful to know the healthy ranges. Thank you for the clarification.
micksmixxx MtViewCatherine
Posted
Dear MtViewCatherine,
I guessed, ma'am, that either yourself or someone that you cared for is/was diabetic as those are the sort of guidelines that a doctor might give to someone that is. The figures I provide are for someone that isn't diabetic. (Honestly, I wasn't trying to 'have a go at you'. I understood that you or someone that you care for might be diabetic.)
I don't know if this would be of interest to you, but the following is something that I regularly post to the questioners on Yahoo! Answers in the Diabetes section:
For a non-diabetic, the fasting (after not eating overnight) blood sugar level should fall in the range 70 to 99 mg/dL (milligrams per deciLiter) [that's 3.9 to 5.5 mmol/l (millimoles per litre) if you're in a country that uses the International Standard for blood glucose measurement.] (Some laboratories now accept 65 mg/dL [3.6 mmol/l] as being the lower accepted level.)
Two hours post prandial (after eating) a non-diabetic's blood sugar level would not normally rise above 140 mg/dL [7.8 mmol/l]. I say normally as there are occasions when blood sugar levels could rise higher than this figure, such as if the person being tested had an infection at the time of testing (infection can cause blood sugar levels to rise0; if the person being tested was taking certain types of medication(s) which are known to cause a rise in blood sugar levels (these would include, but are not limited to, various types of steroids, such as the types used in the treatment of asthma); if the person being tested already suffers with a comorbid medical condition (there are a number of different medical conditions that can cause a rise in blood sugar levels, but some of the more common ones include PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome (sometimes called Syndrome-X).
A fasting blood sugar level of between 100 and 125 mg/dL [5.6 and 6.9 mmol/l] could indicate pre-diabetes, but these levels would need to be confirmed on several different occasions.
A fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL [7.0 mmol/l] on two or more occasions indicates diabetes.
Two hours post prandial a blood sugar level of between 141 and 200 mg/dL [7.8 and 11.1 mmol/l] indicates the possibility of pre-diabetes.
A two hours post prandial or a random blood sugar test level of 200 mg/dL [11.1 mmol/l] or higher is sufficient evidence for a doctor to diagnose diabetes.
A HbA1c blood sugar test checks the overall blood sugar control over the previous 3 months, with a slight emphasis on the latter 6 to 8 weeks of that time. A non-diabetic's HbA1c level would be 5.6% or lower [that's 38 mmol/mol if you're in a country that uses the newer IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry) levels].
A HbA1c level of between 5.7% and 6.4% [39 and 46 mmol/mol] indicates pre-diabetes.
A HbA1c level of 6.5% [48 mmol/mol] indicates diabetes.
I'm gald, by the way, that you're doing, or did, as I'm not sure whether your mom is still with us or has passed over, such a good job of caring for your mom.
Lots of Love and Light.
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 about the last 40 years.
MtViewCatherine micksmixxx
Posted
Hi Mick, that was super helpful. I've been caring for my mom and was able to get her off all the injections and pills with a strict diet. She had not been previously at risk, and went into diabetic ketoacidosis, but we never figured out why. Probably a combination of undetected stroke, without drinking for several days and while on a medication known to cause diabetes.
The doctors said she would never be off diabetes meds and probably never off insulin. I was fortunate to have had a good friend who was always talking about his diabetes dietary concerns, so I knew a lot and was able to help her upon release from hospital. I was shocked that with a very strict diet, in only two months, I was able to get her onto pills and after another month of a very strict diet, her blood sugar was level and low enough that her blood sugar was too low even with the pills. I gradually let her have more fruits and then ice cream and she's been fine. Now, even a year later, she can eat pancakes, fruit, chocolates, whatever, in moderation.
It's been such a great gift for her as she is near entering hospice now, and has been able to eat without getting constantly poked. The clean diet also helped get off the other miscellaneous meds she was on (a dozen or more while in hospital), and we've worked with herbs, acupuncture and TCM. She takes no pain meds and although her heart is giving out, as well as her mind, she has the best quality of life and best mobility possible.
micksmixxx MtViewCatherine
Posted
Dear MtViewCatherine,
Thank you for coming back to me, ma'am. I truly do appreciate you filling me in with the details about the way you've been caring for your mom.
YOU, ma'am, have done a wonderful job in caring for your mom. This is evidenced by you being able to control her diet to such an extent that she was first able to come off insulin, and then again when she was able to come off oral medications. (Some doctors call this a reversal of type 2 diabetes, which is NOT something that I agree with. Just you start to allow your mom to eat the way she used to, especially if she's still taking the medication(s) which MAY have been the cause of her onset to diabetes and I'm afraid that all of your hard work WILL be undone. Her blood glucose levels would very quickly soon return to the diabetic range.)
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is not so common in someone that suffers with type 2 diabetes as it is in those with type 1. This is because in type 2 some insulin is still being produced by the pancreas, which tends, in the main, to cause the sufferer to develop Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Non-ketotic Syndrome (HHNS, though also called HONK in some organisations [organizations]). This is NOT a lesser condition. The person can still become extremely ill, lapse into a coma, and even die if treatment isn't offered soon enough. (The treatment would include being admitted to hospital for emergency medical care, and having to have a continuous infusion of insulin and a saline drip utilised [utilized].)
I may not know you personally, MtViewCatherine, but I'm truly sad that your mom is entering the stage where she will require hospice care. I'm sure you understand that there are advantages to hospice care, such as staff being available 24 hours a day. It's not like it's down to one person, you, to do all of the caring AND 'taking so much on' yourself. Believe me, whilst I was working I witnessed the damage that can be caused to carers. (I used to be a specialist social worker for people suffering different types of dementia.)
Your extremely sensible attitude towards your mom's diet has been proved in that she CAN eat the occasional treat without causing unnecessary 'damage' to her internal organs, which is what causes the diabetes-related complications that befall many diabetics. (Chronic (long standing) higher than 'normal' blood glucose levels causes damage to internal organs, blood vessels, and nerves, which is why diabetes-related complications occur.)
I do hope, ma'am, that when your mom does actually enter hospice care that you will take more care of yourself. You certainly deserve to do so, with the care that you've been offering your mom for so long.
Be well, MtViewCatherine.
Lots of Love and Light.
Mick
x x x x
x x x
MtViewCatherine QueenOfTheReich
Posted
Hi Queen, thanks for posting! I help my mom with her diabetes. Great that you checked your blood sugar. 180 in the morning, (assuming that's fasting and you don't eat at night), is pretty high blood sugar, and is certainly reason for concern. Fasting blood sugar should be between 80-100. The good news is that this is only moderately high, so you certainly want to do something about it, but you should have a lot of options no even time to reverse your condition with lifestyle changes, if you choose to try. Your blood sugar being high is definitely of concern for diabetes, and you surely want to talk to your doc about it.Youll want to ask your doc to check your fasting blood sugar and your A1c, so you get a better picture.
As for the heart palpitations, shortness of breath, those can be indications of hypothyroidism, or worse, a heart condition. Ask your doctor for a full thyroid panel in your next blood test.
If you're due for an annual physical, you can get the thyroid and glucose tests done with your regular annual blood work. That way you get a full picture of your health and conditions.
In the meanwhile, while waiting to see your doc, you can do some research on healthy diet and nutrition, and see if you can make diet and exercise changes that make you feel better and level out your blood sugar levels. Just because your Micky members have certain conditions doesn't guarantee that you will. Medical problems aren't ways genetic, they are sometimes related to lifestyle habits found throughout families. And even with genetic components, you are not doomed, because diet and lifestyle changes can certainly make a huge difference in health.
You're young, your body is strong. Don't be afraid to get information and use the Internet, your doctor and other resources to get help to improve your health. You have a lifetime to look forward to and you'll want to be healthy as possible throughout your life. Diet and exercise can really help your health.
Good luck!
QueenOfTheReich MtViewCatherine
Posted
Well that's interesting that you mention Hypothyroidism,because my grandma was diagnosed as having an underactive thyroid function,and she said alot of my symptoms sound like what she has,and to get my thyroid function checked. If the test results for Diabetes come back negative,I'm definetly gonna ask my doctor about getting tested to check my thyroid function
Even if I do test positive for Diabetes,I'm still asking my doctor if I can get a thyroid function test
MtViewCatherine QueenOfTheReich
Posted
Hypothyroidism can go undiagnosed for decades. The treatment is extremely difficult and thyroid disease is thought to be at epidemic levels. It doesn't hurt to have it checked out.
QueenOfTheReich MtViewCatherine
Posted
My grandma said I hit every single one of her symptoms of Hypothyroidism..honestly I just want to know what is causing my body to feel icky. Sucks when you have a primary care doctor who doesn't believe you when you say you are sick..I'm really thinking about finding a different primary care doctor. Whether it's thyroid issues or even Diabetes,I just wish at least one doctor would help me find out why I'm feeling sick all the time..