Glucose 3.6 non diabetic teenager

Dontknowwhattothink said:

A recent blood test taken before lunch but a few hours after breakfast has come back with blood glucose level of 3.6.
GP has marked it as satisfactory. I am going to make an appointment but that is a low level isn’t it?

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3.6 is marked as low for diabetics on glucose lowering medication. Numbers in the mid to high 3's are not unusual in non diabetics, and are usually not problematic, so I'd agree with your GP.

Dontknowwhattothink said:

If she gets up early on one day the next she can’t get out of bed until mid morning or lunchtime so has significant fatigue.

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This doesn't sound like diabetic symptoms at all.
I hope she'll get to the bottom of this and finds a cause.

Diabetes is the inability to use glucose for energy either because we no longer produce insulin (T1) or the insulin no longer works as efficiently as it should (T2).
this means that our blood sugar levels are higher than they should be, low blood sugar is not a symptom of diabetes.
if someone with diabetes has low blood sugar levels it is caused by their medication.
The blood glucose monitors are not that accurate +/-15%. Which is why one off tests are not used for diagnosis, the Hba1c measures how much glucose has stuck to the blood cells over their lifetime, It's a sort of 12week average and the main test used for diagnosis.
If I were you I wouldn't be worried about diabetes on the strength of one test result.

I tend to agree with the others. It doesn’t sound like diabetes’ typical presentactions. That’s a normal fasting level, although lower than I’d expect just after breakfast. What was breakfast and how long prior?

Have they ruled out other issues? Long covid, low ferritin even if not anemic, low vit d or b12, (all of which need to be at the top half of ranges as bottom half is often symptomatic) thyroid, glandular fever for example as well as many others

Dontknowwhattothink said:

My daughter has been having symptoms for 2 years in the morning such as nausea, shakiness, palpitations, fatigue etc. she has been diagnosed with panic attacks and is taking antidepressants. If she gets up early on one day the next she can’t get out of bed until mid morning or lunchtime so has significant fatigue. She is constantly hungry and always craving sugar
A recent blood test taken before lunch but a few hours after breakfast has come back with blood glucose level of 3.6.
GP has marked it as satisfactory. I am going to make an appointment but that is a low level isn’t it?
Could this have been causing her symptoms all along?
HBa1c is fine, should I be worried about diabetes?
Thanks

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Another vote for a full work-up, including her thyroid (if it's wonky it could explain the palpitations and anxiety), vitamin D (extreme fatigue) and just about everything else. This doesn't sound like diabetes at all, but it could be just about anything else... Most of which could be easily solved with supplements, hormones or other help.

Do NOT give up before you have an answer. As a kid I was really unwell, and my mom was like a dog with a bone, but she didn't have the internet to look things up on, so didn't know what to ask for. I know she tried her damnedest though, and a kid needs an advocate like that: I did, and yours does. Turns out there was a lot more wrong with me than they bothered to test for, so, yeah... Get a full work-up. Vitamins, minerals, hormones, everything. The solution can be so ridiculously simple and life changing, but first the problem needs to be identified.

Good luck!
Jo

Dontknowwhattothink said:

Thanks for the replies everyone. All other things have been tested for but I will go back through all the results before the appointment.
Thanks again

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If you can/want to, let us know how it turns out. We're all rooting for you, and your little girl. Best of luck!