April 25, 2001
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Chicago, Illinois, USA:
I am 31 years old and for the last several years I have experienced many symptoms which I belive can be either diabetes (which runs in the family) or anemia, which I was diagnosed with when I was pregnant and am no longer being treated for since the birth of my son 14 years ago.
My symptoms include excessive shaking for about 20 minutes after I eat. I get dizzy and feel faint at times, and sometimes my vision will get blurred but not like i cant see just like my eyes are adjusting. Extreme sleeping spells which comes in spurts and sometimes will sleep for a full day, feeling exhausted. I have been tested one time, but I was told the test that was given was not the proper way to test because I ate breakfast and was not even scheduled for this test when they did it.
Answer:
Your symptoms do not match those of diabetes (see Symptoms of Diabetes).
Your postprandial symptoms could conceivably be related in part to reactive hypoglycemia.
Finally, testing for high or low sugar can be done at any time of the day, if the time of the last meal is known. Some labs are insistent on fasting sugar levels, but obtaining a very low blood sugar at the time of your “excessive shaking” should help to either diagnose or exclude reactive hypoglycemia.
WWQ
