January 25, 2004
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK:
I am 24 and female and am hoping for some insight! I wrote to you a couple of years back as I had a routine blood test which found a blood sugar level of 7.8 mmol/l [140 mg/dl] (fasting). I wrote to you then and you expressed that I needed a second test with a value of 7.0+ [126+ mg/dl] to confirm a diabetes diagnosis, if I remember correctly. The second test came back normal with a value of 4.4 mmol/L [72 mg/dl]. I often feel dry-mouthed (as opposed to ravenously thirsty) but have no other symptoms apart from tiredness. However these symptoms wax and wane rather than getting progressively worse. Does the fact that I had a high value once mean that I am on my way to getting diabetes or even have a higher risk than the average population? (There is no history of diabetes in my family.)
I don’t want to bother my doctor unnecessarily. I am very interested in why I may have had a high blood sugar once – is this suggestive of any pre-diabetic condition/”sputtering” pancreas, etc.? I am sure I am being over-dramatic but I don’t want to ignore something that could turn out nasty later on.
Answer:
I believe the best way to handle this and answer your question is to undergo an oral glucose tolerance test. This test is probably the most sensitive for the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. It will also tell you if you have pre-diabetes (also known as impaired glucose tolerance). The results from such a test would allow you to focus on a lifestyle that might prevent the onset of diabetes or allow you to allay your fears.
I am not sure why you had a high sugar previously. Maybe it was associated with an illness or medication. This is not a rare event. I have had other people ask this same question.
JTL
