August 12, 2001
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Federal Way, Washington, USA:
The same doctors have told me I have hypoglycemia and diabetes. If I have hypoglycemia, how come my meter keeps reading my blood sugars between 121 and 173 mg/dl [6.7 and 9.6 mmol/L]? Yes, sometimes I’m lower then that, and when I’m lower then 100 mg/dl [5.5 mmol/L], I feel cranky, shaky, and dizzy, and when I’m high (even if I’m still in the 100s mg/dl [5.5 mmol/L]), I’m hungry, thirsty, and I am always going to the bathroom. Do I have diabetes or hypoglycemia? What I should do?
Answer:
Based on the results you describe, I think you have neither diabetes nor hypoglycemia. In fact, based on readings you report, it looks like your blood sugar values are in the normal range.
In order to exclude both diabetes (or impaired glucose tolerance) and hypoglycemia, you might want to ask your doctor to perform an oral glucose tolerance test, prolonged until the fifth hour after the glucose loading.
MS