• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Dizzy, shaky, lightheaded, weak, sleepy after EVERY meal - am I diabetic? Please help!

P

Pastures11

Newbie
Messages
3
I am new here and really hopeful for some much-needed advice. For as long as I can remember, within 30 mins of eating a meal, sometimes immediately on eating, I get a sense of faintness, lightheadedness wash over me. It then develops into dizziness, sweating which does not generally then dissipate for the remainder of the day. I feel as though I come very close to fainting but never have actually fainted. Usually when i get home and eat a larger meal including some carbs, it subsides UNTIL the next day. Quite often, I wake during the night dripping in sweat and wake up often feeling very tired.

I have had many tests done on the NHS - nothing really showing up - low but not deficient B12 (I am treating this); low magnesium (I am now supplementing); deficient Vitamin D (now reversed by medication). Yet the dizziness continues on eating. I am getting quite desperate and any help is so very gratefully-received.

Thank you in advance for any guidance. I am at a loss and feeling pretty rotten almost DAILY.

Chris
 
Have you had your thyroid tested @Pastures11 ? And have you had a test for diabetes? I'm presuming you have as you say you've had a lot of tests.

There's a condition linked to blood pressure that can cause fainting after eating called Postprandial Hypotension. Has that been ruled out?

If you're concerned that you might have diabetes, then you could check if that was tested for, and, if not ask your surgery to do a test for you.
 
Pastures11 said:
Many thanks Azure

My glucose gets came back normal as did my thyroid results. I am just not sure where to go next?!
Click to expand...

Ask about the Post Prandial Hypotension in case that hasn't been ruled out. It's specifically linked to,eating. You could have a Google and see if the symptoms seem to fit.

I'm not saying it is that but it might be worth asking about.
 
Is it after eating the same food? Like wheat, bread, sugar, starchy carbs?

Could be a food intolerance
 
I agree with @Kristin251
If it's always the same food it could be a food intolerance my friend got those symptoms when she drinks milk or yogurt.
 
Many thanks all . . . no it is the same after most foods - certainly worse after bread but otherwise I eat pretty healthily . . . Take today for example, for lunch I ate eggs, salad, nuts and seeds . . . . all pretty healthy but 1 hour later . . . shaky, hot sweats, shaky and feeling lightheaded. Oh I am just so fed up of it!
 
Welcome to the forum @Pastures11. The symptoms sound like diabetes, especially the night sweats. Intense inssessant thirst, weight loss and lethargy are sign to watch for. Keep up tests to ensure you can rule diabetes out.
 

You may want to check out the thread for reactive hypoglycemia and see if that fits what you are experiencing.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/reactive-hypoglycemia.70/

If possible it would be good to have an extended Oral glucose tolerance test which includes insulin measurement. Otherwise just have the extended glucose tolerance test would give you a reasonably good idea of your post meal glucose response.

The general recommendation would be to avoid refine carbs and heavy carbs meals, as such meals induced excessive insulin responses that drives down the glucose level rapidly.

Hope that helps.
 
As others have said without data, we are just guessing.
There is a condition or a symptom of a condition called 'dumping syndrome'
This is when the glucose of your meal is used very quickly, which leaves the patient with no glucose, hence the symptoms and feeling ill.
It all depends what triggers the dumping!

I would ask for a referral to an endocrinologist who has experience of the conditions that could be effecting you.

Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes.

I was like you were for years until I got diagnosed!!!
 
When you get dizziness/lightheadedness/fatigue, have you tried taking in some nitrates (spinach, lettuce,green leafy plants,etc.) and seeing what happens? If you notice an improvement, it's likely your heart. These symptoms tend to happen to me in the morning time, and nitrates relieve them.
 

Hi and welcome @aswheeler77

Unfortunately, you have posted on a thread that hasn't been active in nearly 2 years, so you are unlikely to get a response from @Pastures11

You may do better asking your question to the forum membership by starting a new thread, in the Ask a Question section.
Hope that helps.
 
Idk how, but I tried to eat lettuce after seeing your post and it really works. Not at all, but pretty good.
Why does it happen and what should I tell to my doctor? (I have the same symptoms as OP)
Sorry for answering an old post.
 
Thanks for reactivating this post! I sometimes have these symptoms as well. Going to give lettuce a try!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…