Hypoglycaemia in non diabetic?

[ladybird64]

Morning folks. I've a rather odd question but thought maybe someone here might be knowledgable?

A friend of ours (non diabetic) visited us, while he was here (and post eating) he complained that he was feeling very unwell, shaky and just "ill". Out of curiosity, I checked his bg and it was 2.1 - panic stations! We insisted he have a banana, waited a while and retested, by which point he felt considerably better - it was 5.0.
I should have double checked the original result but it tied in with what I know of hypoglycaemia and he really did feel very unwell. Any thoughts on this?

He does take meds for a medical condition, including slow release morphine, but this had never happened before.

Thanks.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Morning folks. I've a rather odd question but thought maybe someone here might be knowledgable?

A friend of ours (non diabetic) visited us, while he was here (and post eating) he complained that he was feeling very unwell, shaky and just "ill". Out of curiosity, I checked his bg and it was 2.1 - panic stations! We insisted he have a banana, waited a while and retested, by which point he felt considerably better - it was 5.0.
I should have double checked the original result but it tied in with what I know of hypoglycaemia and he really did feel very unwell. Any thoughts on this?

He does take meds for a medical condition, including slow release morphine, but this had never happened before.

Thanks.

Hi Lb, it must of been quite scary at the time and I hope he managed to recover well, best thing for your friend to do is to see his GP. Here's a couple of links for non diabetic's , https://www.drugs.com/cg/non-diabetic-hypoglycemia.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Hypoglycaemia/Pages/Causes.aspx

 

[lindisfel]

Sounds like he possibly has induced (by meds) reactive hypoglycemia? D.

 

[Brunneria]

Yes, he needs to see his doc.
Do you know if he has these 'turns' regularly?

We can all go 'low', even perfectly healthy non-diabetics, and we usually pass it off as being ravenously hungry. Eat, and then forget about it.
But if it happens more often than once-in-a-blue-moon, and he has other medical conditions, and is on meds, then his doc definitely needs to know about it.

 

[kokhongw]

Reactive hypoglycemia is the term use to describe this rather commonly ignored/dismissed condition...you could check out this part of the forum
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/reactive-hypoglycemia.70/

 

[Daphne917]

I used to suffer from hypoglycaemia when I was younger but it was usually when I'd had something like Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast or had not had anything to eat for 4 hours or more. It was the only time I could eat a whole Mars bar at once - even though they were too sweet for me! I used to eat something like a banana mid morning to stop it happening.

 

[Freema]

morphine can lower ones blood glucose, and so can alcohol.
I used to get reallt low if I drank wine or beer on an empthy stomach when young... in some cases so serverely that I had to sleep and couldn´t keep awake, didn´t know it was dangerous at that time, but later found out that I didn´t have to sleep at half the party it just I ate some sweets ...made my brain wake up again.

 

[fumanchu]

Can I ask how long after eating, this normally would happen? Going too low and feeling weird, I mean. I realise this is an old thread but I've been having this happen to me lately and I'm not diabetic but I am on steroids and have another health condition.

 

[Lamont D]

Can I ask how long after eating, this normally would happen? Going too low and feeling weird, I mean. I realise this is an old thread but I've been having this happen to me lately and I'm not diabetic but I am on steroids and have another health condition.

Hi, there.
I have a type of Hypoglycaemia that results in Hypoglycaemia episodes between 3 and 5 hours, depending on how carb laden my meal was.
There is no normal in Hypoglycaemia, there is no way you can predict timing of hypo.

You can have symptoms of hypoglycaemia without actually going too low.
The reason is that quick drops in blood glucose cause the symptoms.
Quick spikes can also cause similar symptoms.

There is false hypos that most diabetics get. The symptoms are when used to high glucose levels are reined in and instead of high blood glucose levels,you get lower readings and the symptoms.

Unless you record your glucometer readings and see how the symptoms are caused, we are only guessing!

 

[Brunneria]

Can I ask how long after eating, this normally would happen? Going too low and feeling weird, I mean. I realise this is an old thread but I've been having this happen to me lately and I'm not diabetic but I am on steroids and have another health condition.

Hi,

Sorry to hear you are experiencing this.

Do you have a meter to check your blood glucose levels?
If so, you may find it informative to track the highs as well as the lows, since steroids are notorious for raising blood glucose. They may also, if used long term, increase your risk of developing diabetes. Actually, there is a type of diabetes known as 'steroid induced diabetes', so it is something worth checking out.

Some posters have mentioned needing blood glucose medication when on steroids, which they no longer need once the course of steroids is over, so maybe you could have a word with your doc to see what is happening to your blood glucose through the day, especially after your steroid doses.

Please let us know how you get on?

 

[fumanchu]

Thanks Lamont and Brunneria. I'm on low dose steroids for life and starting to have odd issues that I think are BG related, but sometimes it's hard to tell if it is low BG or low cortisol. Latest funny turn was coming home on the bus aftrer a day out walking in hot sun. We had only had tea and a scone at 11am, and at around 3pm I went dizzy, couldn't get air into me, got sweats, and took one of my diabetic hubby's glucose tabs plus my steroid. Within 10 mins I felt better - and the steroid doesn't work that fast so I'm thinking this must have been low BG - caused by our own stupidity in not eating more sensibly! But it has been happening a few times recently and I never used to have probs before with BG. I am going to start using husband's meter to keep an eye on this.. . I really don't want diabetes!

 

[Lamont D]

Thanks Lamont and Brunneria. I'm on low dose steroids for life and starting to have odd issues that I think are BG related, but sometimes it's hard to tell if it is low BG or low cortisol. Latest funny turn was coming home on the bus aftrer a day out walking in hot sun. We had only had tea and a scone at 11am, and at around 3pm I went dizzy, couldn't get air into me, got sweats, and took one of my diabetic hubby's glucose tabs plus my steroid. Within 10 mins I felt better - and the steroid doesn't work that fast so I'm thinking this must have been low BG - caused by our own stupidity in not eating more sensibly! But it has been happening a few times recently and I never used to have probs before with BG. I am going to start using husband's meter to keep an eye on this.. . I really don't want diabetes!

Hi, that's why a food diary is important and blood glucose testing.
Despite how you feel and recognising the symptoms, you still have no idea what is happening, it could be any of your hormones creating the imbalance.
High glucose! High insulin, high cortisol, high whatever!
It could be your thyroid!
Only tests can give you a true diagnosis.
It could have been a lack of food.
But knowing that something is not right and getting sorted is important.
So, keep testing and let us know how you are doing.
Maybe a visit to the GP, if you find something is

 

[fumanchu]

Gotta wee notebook here beside me and will do that. ty xx

 

[Robbity]

Many years ago as a non diabetic suffering with chronic migraines, on a few rare occasions I got what I now understand to be migraine induced hypos and I'd not only start getting my usual migraine symptoms but also feel extra cold and shaky and have this really strong/compulsive craving for sugar, and would end up spooning it out of the bowl or packet. Since they'd brought out better meds for managing chronic migraines, I've never had these episodes again.

I've only discovered this connection since I've had T2 ,and have been intrigued that my body instinctively knew what to do to fix things - even though I actually found scoffing the sugar rather repulsive!

Robbity

 

[fumanchu]

They do say "listen to your body" ...