Think I might have this?

Good morning all,

I'm so pleased to have found this site and have been busy reading the threads with interest.

Apologies in advance for my long winded story, but I think I'm more likely to get confirmation here than the doctors if I do have this!

I'm 42 female, fairly slim (9 stone ish) and a few weeks ago (on return from holiday) I started to have some symptoms.

First one occurred after dinner & a drink - I felt dizzy, started hyperventilating (usual tingly lips and hands) and felt faint. Took me a couple of hours to recover and it wiped me out.

A week later i had sudden chest pains/pressure and I felt sick and dizzy. Went home (had been in the cinema) and felt awful all night. Had trouble breathing but by the morning I was fine again.

I was then ok until a few days later when I spent the day feeling dizzy, blurry vision, hyperventilating, feeling so faint I had to keep lying down and my chest pain/heaviness came back. Started on the right top breast side - very intense and moved over to the left. Skin was sore to touch.

Was scary that time so I ended up going to the doctors who did an ecg but couldn't work out what was wrong. Blood pressure test I nearly fainted (I usually feel like that) He sent me straight to A&E who then did more ecg's, blood tests etc. Everything came back ok. Two doctors came up with possible 'arythmia' and 'vaso vagel' but I'm waiting to go for a 24 heart test to rule these out.

Now during the bad day I couldn't stop peeing. They didn't ask me anything about food/diet (except I said I eat quite healthily), but I did mention about my high sensitivity to adrenaline (if I drink too much alcohol I hyperventilate and when I was younger I was told I had low blood sugar and had to eat regularly as I would often suffer episodes where I couldn't move or talk but that went when I became an adult.

Took me a week to recover from that day - was shattered and weak.

So I started wondering if it was all related to my blood sugar levels and found a link between that and also the release of natural adrenaline when it gets too low (which is what's might have caused my hyperventilating)

What I don't understand is why I've suddenly started having it. Why I had the chest pain (which felt bruised after for a few days) - is that common? (Can't see anyone mention it)

Diet history - been on WW for a couple of years. I cook everything from scratch usually and quite healthy. Lots of lean protein, low fat cheeses, some fruit, spiralized veg or squash instead of carbs and little bread. Stopped losing weight after I put some on after Xmas and went on a low carb diet (ketosis). Felt great BUT my skin flared up badly (rosacea and dermatitis) due to the extra dairy (I'm dairy intollerant ) so I came off it when I went on holiday. Was fine on holiday and the issues started 3 days after going back to my 'diet' again.

Phew. So that's my history really and I'm not doing anything that I haven't been doing (eating) for a few years so I can't see why it's occurred.

I plan to go to the doctors soon and want to ask him about this but I don't want to sound like I've just Googled it and decided that's what I have BUT it's the only thing that makes sense!

Have ordered a monitor today so will start checking my levels in the meantime.

Thank you for your time and again, so sorry for the horrifically long post

Lazybones said:

Unless someone reading your posting can say for certain that they can identify with ALL your various symptoms, then in reality none of us can for sure tell you what is the root cause of your ongoing problems.
You really need to see someone who is medically quialified and able to offer you whatever tests that they think necessciary to proove their diagnosis, so I would advise an early appointment with your own GP.
Just a thought but having just returned from holiday, is there and possibility that you've picked up a virus or something else if you've recently gone to some tropical, african, or south american country.
You are showing some 'erratic' symptoms that we diabetics commonly come across in our daily lives and at this stage you might well want to visit one of the local pharmacies that can do a 'random' test on you blood glucose levels (this isn't a definate diagnosis - only a possible guide) or perhaps visit a well woman walk in clinic if there's one close to you'
I'm sorry I can't be of more help - Please let us know what the outcome is.

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Hi!

It was only Spain and they checked for viruses etc. I wasn't ill and didnt feel unwell as in a bug type of illness. I was initially worried I might have a DVT as you can get them on short flight and without a visible clot - which is the other reason I went to the doctors about it (my sister had one and she made me go, ha ha).

It was more that I wondered if my symptoms were generally quite common with RH. I understand no one can diagnose me on here but from what I've read, doctors don't seem to know a lot about it

azure said:

Did they test your thyroid? That can sometimes cause palpitations like you described. There are other causes too.

Your mention of chest pain is concerning. It's great you've had initial tests but if it was me, I'd be pushing for some more reassurance and further tests if necessary.

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Thank you. I'm not sure what they tested for except heart attacks and whatever they normally check with 3 blood tests (I need to find out somehow )

I did have a convo with a women who is diabetic and she said that she can get chest pains with pressure when she goes hypo - something to do with everything rushing to the heart area to protect it?? No idea, but can't link it online.

Bluetit1802 said:

You have made a good choice to buy your own meter, which may help you find out more about your blood glucose levels. You need to test regularly throughout the day, particularly after meals, initially every half an hour after first bite for 3 or more hours.
If you record these levels alongside a food diary and find something amiss, you can show these to your doctor.

Hopefully the 24 hour heart test will show something up that can be treated.

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Thank you. I'm hoping nothing comes up with my heart but it's best to get it checked anyway just in case. Felt such a fraud having everything tested when it really wasn't an emergency But I guess they like to be safe where chest pains are concerned!

Good morning,

I got my meter and starting testing last night.
Levels seemed fine but then I've been eating healthy and quite low carbs anyway (as I do in the week normally)
B4 dinner was 5.9 then after eating, 8.1

This morning fasting reading was 6.1

I changed my breakfast and had some wholemeal seeded bread with jam to see if it made a difference and immediately it shot up to 16.2 reading.

My right hand has been slightly shaky for the last few days but after eating breakfast, both hands were shaky.

I did another reading after the last one within a minute and it dropped to 10.2 so I presume it's normal to shoot up so high after eating sugar?

Hello. I took the first reading within a few minutes of finishing breakfast.

The second was about a minute after that.

Yes my hands were clean and I used a different finger to do the second test.

azure said:

@Piggles_ How long after eating are you testing - how long after the start of the meal?

If you got two reading approx 6mmol apart within a minute, it's likely one (or both) of the readings were wrong. Did you wash your hands before testing?

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Ps I can do another test the same afterneatinf something sweet at lunch. I don't usually have jam but I really wanted to get an idea of how sugars are effecting me as I do eat them when I'm out or go for a meal etc. I tend not to have them at home much.

azure said:

Ok It would be better to leave it a while before testing. The 'after meal test' is usually done two hours after the start of the meal as that's when your blood sugar should be back to normal. But you can also do extra tests eg at one hour after.

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I just checked again and it's down to 6.8 - so quite normal.

Is it normal to shoot up to 16 straight after eating though? That's when both hands started getting shaky.

Ok thank you. I will keep an eye on it then and test at 2 hours.

Kaz261 said:

Hi Piggles, I have confirmed RH and do experience a fast spike in blood sugar levels after eating carbs/sugar. My peak however is usually an hour from first bite, not minutes! Did you continue to test beyond the 2 hour mark? If I were to spike to those levels, I would hypo around the 3 hour mark. It's worth testing every half an hour up to 4/5 post meal to get a better picture.

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Hello, thank you. My levels seem to go down ok but I haven't had the same episodes as I have and they are sporadic.

I'm due to go for a 24 hour ECG monitor and 24 hour blood pressure tests mid July as I'm still getting a shaky hand (mainly my right one) and I often feel light headed even when the test shows a normal reading.

This morning was quite high though for a fasting reading (7.6) ? But 2.5 hours later it was only 5.3 but I still feel shaky and just not quite right.

I have to often go lye down as it feels like my heart is racing but my pulse is normal (63/97) so it's just frustrating having symptoms but without anything to explain them. I was convinced it was my blood sugar levels causing issues but now I'm not so sure.