My endocrinologist is unsure of whether or not I am truly hypoglycemic. I have to test my blood sugar only when I feel low. I go back in April. I have many symptoms of low blood sugar. If it is not hypoglycemia, what could it be? I sometimes drink coffee in the morning. Could this cause low blood sugar? Can hypoglycemia turn into type 1 diabetes?

True hypoglycemia is defined when the blood sugar is actually lower than 50 mg/dl [2.8 mmol/L], but symptoms can also be present at higher values. In a female adolescent, this might be relatively common and should be investigated to better interpret it. Some coffee in the morning doesn’t cause hypoglycemia even though the adrenergic response to caffeine might resemble hypoglycemia in hyperresponsive subjects. In the pre-clinical phase of type 1 diabetes, sometimes hypoglycemic episodes may be present and are secondary to the inappropriate release of insulin and proinsulin from the damaged beta cells. Ask your endocrinologist for further investigations.

MS