June 27, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Staten Island, New York, USA:
I recently had a glucose tolerance test because I had been having bouts of low blood sugar and a strong family history of diabetes. The test revealed before the drink my level was 110 mg/dl [[6.1 mmol/L]; one hour after the drink, it was 300 mg/dl [66.7 mmol/L]; and at the end of the test, it was 52 mg/dl [2.9 mmol/L]. The doctor said this is not good, and right now just said to watch my diet and exercise, but I’m worried if I exercise it may go to low. He also say to try and eat six small meals a day., but I have to lose some weight. How do I lose weight if I have to eat even if I’m not hungry? Why would my blood sugar go so high, and within two hours drop so low?
Answer:
Your pancreas isn’t working right. It appears you did not have enough insulin at the start of the glucose tolerance test, and then the pancreas caught on and secreted too much.
Were you prepared with high carbs for several days before the test? The test can be abnormal if you weren’t properly prepared beforehand. How overweight are you? It’s likely you have prediabetes as defined in 2002. Lose weight, exercise, and monitor your glucose.
LD