Possible reactive hypoglycemia?

[danb2]

Hi all,
I've generally felt quite fatigued for a while now and a friend told me to monitor my blood sugar over time after eating.

I gradually monitored my blood glucose after eating my main meal at 19:00 and found that it dipped to a minimum of 4.1 mmol/l. At this level I found my hands being quite shakey and I'm not sure what conclusion to draw from this. It seems strange that my blood glucose is low just a few hours after eating. I'm also not sure why it increased from 4.1 to 4.7 as I did not eat or drink anything other than the main meal in this time.

19:00 - ? (time of eating main meal)
19:30 - 8.7
20:00 - 7.7
20:30 - 6.1
21:00 - 5.3
22:15 - 4.1
22:40 - 4.7

I plan on going to the doctors next week but in the meantime does anybody have any suggestions as to what this could be or advice on how to deal with this?

Thanks,
Dan.

 

[Circuspony]

I don't think 8.7 within 30 mins of eating a meal means diabetic. Still processing the food.

 

[DCUKMod]

I'd agree with @Circuspony , @slaxxfb . In fact, I'd say all those readings were quite normal.

@danb2 - 4.1 is quite a usual reading for someone without diabetes, and indeed for some very well controlled T2s who don't take any meds. I'm often in the low 4s or 3s and am fine. I actually don't feel uncomfortable at those numbers.

Depending upon what was eaten, non-diabetics can meander into blood sugar double figures, but not usually for the hours and hours exhibited by those with impaired metabolisms. Their healthier bodies usually snap the numbers back into place quite promptly.

Could I ask if you felt fine, then tested, then felt a bit odd afterwards, or did you feel odd before testing? Our hormones can do odd things if we see something unexpected.

I think it would be helpful to know what was in the meal you ate, before this round of testing as that would influence, in most people, what the numbers looked like.

If you are concerned about the prospect of diabetes or reactive hypoglycemia (RH), then a chat with your doc is a decent way forward, in the first instance.

I'll tag my colleague, @Brunneria , who does have RH, for her comments.

 

[britishpub]

@danb2 what did you eat for this meal?

The BG response does not appear to be dramatically different to what someone without Diabetes might expect.

You should also take into account that BG Monitors are cheap bits of kit and notoriously unreliable. Even the one's the manufacturers have to put up for official testing can have a +/- 15% accuracy, so the one's they actually sell the public could easily be even worse.

The 4.1 and 4.7 readings could easily be exactly the same in reality when you take the allowed variance into account.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Those numbers are perfectly normal in my opinion and reflect what a non-diabetic might encounter after eating a "normal" mean with carbs in it..

 

[slaxxfb]

@Circuspony and @DCUKMod ah, i was of the impression that non-diabetics never get to the high numbers, sorry! thanks for informing me. have deleted my comment to prevent misinformation.

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Circuspony and @DCUKMod ah, i was of the impression that non-diabetics never get to the high numbers, sorry! thanks for informing me. have deleted my comment to prevent misinformation.

Oh but they do! Their secret is they are as near as dammit back to base close to the 2 hour mark

 

[slaxxfb]

Oh but they do! Their secret is they are as near as dammit back to base close to the 2 hour mark

rated Funny because that frustration is so palpable and so relatable, lol. now i see :O

 

[Circuspony]

rated Funny because that frustration is so palpable and so relatable, lol. now i see :O

Don't worry - if you were 9+ after 2 hours we'd all be asking what you'd eaten and then probably suggesting a Drs appointment. Glucose meters are more of an indication than an absolute - you need blood tests for that.

Btw - coffee can make me feel wobbly and I have often tested expecting a v high BG result (I'm T1 so that's 13+ for me) only to see something normal on the meter. Then I remember that perhaps the coffee 90 mins before was a little strong .....

If you keep feeling a bit off though it is worth a GP call.

 

[Circuspony]

Fatigue can equal vitamin D deficiency btw

 

[Lamont D]

As a RH er. I would be pleased with those readings.
That is a normal response to a meal for a non diabetic.

The symptoms you describe could be anything, as with a lot of issues with endocrine system. If you are uncertain ask your GP.

It is definitely not RH.

Oh yeah, because of my weak initial insulin response, I have gone from 4mmols to 13mmols within an hour and crashed two hours later at 2.9., as the overshoot of insulin takes effect. And I have normal hba1c and fasting levels!

But I'm weird!

 

[Emile_the_rat]

Have to agree with @Lamont D , know that feeling too well.

OPs blood sugar seem pretty good, I would have been pleased as well with those readings.