December 31, 2002
Pills for Diabetes
Question from Ferdinand, Indiana, USA:
I have type 2 diabetes, have been taking pills for three months, and my blood sugar is well under control. However, I am having bouts of light-headedness several times a week, usually in the evening. Typically this scares me and causes my heart rate to increase dramatically. This is new to me and did not happen when my blood sugar was not under control. The sensation is not like dizziness, it’s more like a fog that stays for 45 minutes and then passes. My doctor did not seem to think it was a big deal, but it has me wondering if there isn’t something else wrong with me. Any help?
Answer:
The first step is to determine whether the symptoms you are having are associated with hypoglycemia. To do this, you have to check your sugars when you get symptoms. If you have sugars less than 70 mg/dl [3.9 mmol/L] with symptoms, you need to address this with your physician and determine if medications or snack times need to be altered.
JTL
