June 20, 2003
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Hypoglycemia
Question from Aliso Viejo, California, USA:
My 23 year old girlfriend has had hypoglycemia since she was an infant. Whenever she does not eat enough or eats food with too much sugar or carbs (white rice, white bread, etc.), she often describes it as if her brain was being electrocuted.
She absolutely refuses to see a doctor and says they don’t believe in hypoglycemia. For the past five years, she has been living her life based on information from two books she read, written 10-20 years ago. I am concerned because I don’t want to see her in pain, or even worse, get brain damage. What should I do?
Answer:
You should try to get her to see an endocrinologist. If she is passing out and having seizures, she needs to have a thorough evaluation. You can pass out and have seizures from true low blood sugars, from neurological causes, or from cardiac causes with normal blood sugar. Some of these disorders can lead to serious problems (including sometimes death) if not properly diagnosed and treated.
TGL
