October 22, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from LaMirada, California, USA:
I have not been diagnosed with diabetes, but I am at high risk since my mother and some other family members of my have it. The other day I woke up with my eyes almost swelled shut, and since then, I have been getting hives on and off. I get them all over my body and have been taking Benadryl to alleviate the swelling. I had been eating a lot of sweets for the days before this happened. Do you think this could be due to diabetes?
Answer:
I doubt this is related to diabetes. I would see your general physician. It sounds more like an allergic reaction, and if Benadryl isn’t working, you may need to do some testing to see what you are allergic to. For example, did you change laundry detergent recently? Some people develop generalized allergies to different laundry detergents or soaps.
TGL
Additional comments from Dr. Stuart Brink:
Eating sweets is not a sign of diabetes nor should it be related to use of Benadryl or having hives. If you have some concerns about having diabetes, you should discuss this with our physician and have it checked out.
SB
