March 20, 2000
Hypoglycemia
Question from :
My daughter is 11 years old and has headaches everyday. She has been diagnosed with migraines and low blood pressure. Her headaches vary in severity. She will go pale, be dizzy and weak and her head will hurt. She also complains of her ankle stinging and joint pain. She has actually blacked out only once but has felt like she was going to other times. The one thing I have noticed that seems to help is if she eats frequently throughout the day. Also, if she is not feeling well and she eats or drinks something she is better in a short period of time. She has had routine (CBC) blood work and it has come back normal. I have even tested her when she wasn’t feeling well with a home test and she always tests okay. Is it possible she actually does have a blood sugar problem that needs to be looked into further and if so, what should be my next step?
Answer:
Your daughter’s problem could be related to low blood sugar — but is unlikely to be diabetes. It does, however, sound like a problem that needs to be discussed at length with your pediatrician and they may have some other testing to recommend to you. There are other serious causes of headaches that your physician will address — I would encourage you to discuss your concerns with your physician promptly.
MSB
