I don't doubt anxiety may be a factor, but surely it cannot cause someone to become emaciated or have an abnormal ECG test. But perhaps it can cause fluctuating blood sugar! I've had anxiety since my teens and didn't experience any progressive worsening of my mental health prior to this... Rather, my GP telling me that I am at risk at this weight (of cardiac problems, she said) has brought on a lot of anxiety.
Undiagnosed but high blood sugar
- Thread starter Ballofwool
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BooJewels
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I think one of the things that can cause anxiety (I use the term loosely) is indecision and worrying about what to do in any given situation. Now you've decided to discuss this with your doctor, make an appointment and the fact that you're making a positive move to address it, will take at least one weight off your shoulders and be the first step to getting some answers. It's surprising how therapeutic just making a decision can be - and you've now taken that first important step.
I think there's probably something more at play here, I doubt anxiety alone could manifest itself quite so physically.
I think there's probably something more at play here, I doubt anxiety alone could manifest itself quite so physically.
DeejayR
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Agreed. You seem to be a rational person and able to assess your own condition if you have enough information. That's something we've been calling for recently -- less advice from the NHS and more information so we can make our own choices.
Please stay with us and keep us informed!
Hi everyone,
Just a quick update. I went to my GP yesterday morning because I was suddenly having symptoms of circulation being cut off (I.e. Areas of my foot were blue and mottled with some bright white patches and my leg ached). He advised me to go to A&E.
When I arrived, I was told my blood pressure was 143/91 and my pulse was well over 100. They then tested my blood sugar and found it was 2.5 mmol. I did not feel any "low blood sugar" or "hunger" at this point. So it was lucky they tested me. They force-fed me sugary syrup and sandwiches. It went up to 7.4 when re-tested 15 minutes later so emergency staff were happy. It took them 8 hours to complete tests on me, cardiac-related blood tests did not show anything abnormal so they sent me home. My BP is still above 140/90. No closer to any answers, but very curious. I wish I had not wasted 8 hours in A&E!
Just a quick update. I went to my GP yesterday morning because I was suddenly having symptoms of circulation being cut off (I.e. Areas of my foot were blue and mottled with some bright white patches and my leg ached). He advised me to go to A&E.
When I arrived, I was told my blood pressure was 143/91 and my pulse was well over 100. They then tested my blood sugar and found it was 2.5 mmol. I did not feel any "low blood sugar" or "hunger" at this point. So it was lucky they tested me. They force-fed me sugary syrup and sandwiches. It went up to 7.4 when re-tested 15 minutes later so emergency staff were happy. It took them 8 hours to complete tests on me, cardiac-related blood tests did not show anything abnormal so they sent me home. My BP is still above 140/90. No closer to any answers, but very curious. I wish I had not wasted 8 hours in A&E!
DeejayR
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Phew, close call by the sound of it.
At the risk of being shot down I wonder if you've considered talking to a "holistic" practitioner -- someone who deals with the whole you? Hard-pressed (I'm being kind) GPs and hospital staff tend to concentrate on one symptom at a time and may miss the big picture.
At the risk of being shot down I wonder if you've considered talking to a "holistic" practitioner -- someone who deals with the whole you? Hard-pressed (I'm being kind) GPs and hospital staff tend to concentrate on one symptom at a time and may miss the big picture.
Indeed! I wonder how I would know if this was to happen again... I had eaten breakfast before going to A&E and ate a banana and sugary tea before the low blood sugar test. Presumably I could fall unconscious. The nurse commented that at this point (2.5 and below), people generally feel very confused... I was unaware I was confused, if I was!
BooJewels
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I'm sorry to hear that you had such a horrible experience, I hope they can get to the bottom of it quickly for you.
I hope that he won't mind, but I'm going to tag @nosher8355 as he has Reactive Hypoglycaemia and I wondered if he had any ideas on your wildly fluctuating BG - I don't know enough about it to comment myself, but it was the one idea that popped into my head, hearing that you dropped so low after eating. I think Brunnaria has it too, bus she's already posted here, so is likely to get an alert that you've replied already.
I hope that he won't mind, but I'm going to tag @nosher8355 as he has Reactive Hypoglycaemia and I wondered if he had any ideas on your wildly fluctuating BG - I don't know enough about it to comment myself, but it was the one idea that popped into my head, hearing that you dropped so low after eating. I think Brunnaria has it too, bus she's already posted here, so is likely to get an alert that you've replied already.
If you had not gone to hospital you may well have died. You now have a lead to follow - i.e., the cause of unexplained LOW sugar
levels.
That's a scary thought - I certainly didn't have any warning signs and I only went to A&E because my GP was concerned about a "blood vessel spasm" in my foot, which is why it was turning purple and white apparently!
I was planning to test my blood sugar when fasting for 24 hours to see what the effect is, but now I think that might be ill-advised.
Will my GP be able to access the results from the hospital?
Until the 2.5 is explained - and believe me - in your particular circumstances it MUST be investigated. Even non-diabetics would not drop this low after fasting. Remember 5-6 is normal - you were half that figure. I cannot understand why members have not focused on this. I think I would have lost consciousness at 2.5 because I feel faint at anything below five. Yes, the doctor will be able to gain access to the details and speak to the Registrar on duty at the time.
Ok, thank you! I will take this up with my GP. For now I think I will try and eat every few hours in the hopes it will prevent it happening... I'm trying to gain weight anyway! I suspect what happened is that it dropped after the roast dinner and I merely missed the drop when testing. This would explain why it was not rising at all after the meal.
The A&E doctor did say I should follow up with my GP about my low weight, and again questioned if I have an eating disorder, but when I said I didn't then he did not seem to think it was of great concern!
BooJewels
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Such a low after eating is certainly a cause for concern, I too would be very poorly at much higher levels than that.
An A&E visit will generate a report to your doc, so he should get all the details. I would suggest you follow it up with some urgency - if I'm understanding correctly the doc didn't know you were so low when he sent you to A&E? Surely he would have taken action if he'd known.
Maybe try eating slower releasing foods, more protein and fat and less fast acting carbs - they may cause BG to rise rapidly, then plummet again.
An A&E visit will generate a report to your doc, so he should get all the details. I would suggest you follow it up with some urgency - if I'm understanding correctly the doc didn't know you were so low when he sent you to A&E? Surely he would have taken action if he'd known.
Maybe try eating slower releasing foods, more protein and fat and less fast acting carbs - they may cause BG to rise rapidly, then plummet again.
I would respectfully suggest that your blood levels could NOT have dropped after a roast dinner. If they did then this possibility has never been discussed on this Forum all the years I have been a contributor. Perhaps you are not using your meter properly or it may be defective?
I certainly understand your scepticism, and I got that idea myself... But how can one use a meter wrongly? If not enough blood is used then it just gives an error message. Also how did the A&E staff find a reading of 2.5 after I had eaten that morning?
It does seem to make very little sense, but that is most definitely what happened! Even if my meter is totally broken, why would it give consistent results one hour after breakfast on different days?
Apologies, we seem to be typing simultaneously and the forum is behaving oddly for me this morning, I've lost two posts I made earlier in the thread and just found myself on Twitter.
I just found your posts that were before mine - oops! They didn't appear to me straight away. Apologies if I have posted the same thing!
@BooJewels has suggested "Reactive Hypoglycaemia" suggest you follow that idea cos I am out of my depth now - could cheat of course and Google it ha ha ha.
