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low sugar levels no CFRD
- Thread starter anonymous
- Start date
Even tho I dont have "official" CFRD I am "classified" as such only because of my hypoglycemic episodes. Even tho my sugars arent high, I have sugar crashes. Basically from not eating enough or properly. I tend to keep the crashes at a minimum by drinking apple juice throughout the day when I cant eat what I want or should. When we did the glucose tolerance test it showed that I am producing enough insulin. Possible to much for the amount of food I was eating at the time. All this talk from me is just to say that you can have sugar crashes without having actual diabetes as we think of it. Although the diabtetes doctor I consulted with (not CFRD spcialized) stated that anyone that has pancreatic problems she puts in the class of a diabetic. I found that interesting in a manner of speaking!
John, my husband sounds to be in the same boat as you. His is a bit more complicated though. In a 2 week monitoring period, his sugars would go from very low (about 50-70's) to extremely high (145-220's) with no pattern, rhyme or reason. The doctors are still stumped, wondering, taking. They apparently, have "never seen anything like this" and don't know what to do with him. According to them usually someone is really high consistently, or really low consistently... not both in one day with no pattern to eating habbits, sleeping, activity and so on.
Not that any of that helps you, but you are not the only CFer to have abnormal blood sugar levels and still not be considered as having CFRD. Have you sought a second opinion? Clearly not to insult your current doctor but just to talk to another medical professional (or ask you doctor to talk to aonther medical professional versed in CFRD) about your symptoms and treatment options? As more and more CFers grow older, there are things arising that are just puzzling to the medical profession about CFers. Doesn't hurt to try and talk to another doc.
Not that any of that helps you, but you are not the only CFer to have abnormal blood sugar levels and still not be considered as having CFRD. Have you sought a second opinion? Clearly not to insult your current doctor but just to talk to another medical professional (or ask you doctor to talk to aonther medical professional versed in CFRD) about your symptoms and treatment options? As more and more CFers grow older, there are things arising that are just puzzling to the medical profession about CFers. Doesn't hurt to try and talk to another doc.
6
65rosessamurai
Guest
Amazing, how if I hold off long enough, someone will ask the same question I've been wondering!
I rember as a kid, we used to have this giant camper to travel in. since it was only the second car, my dad would take the smaller car to work, leaving my mom this great big truck and camper combo for errands to run. Anyway, I remember a few occasions, I'd get soooo hungry, I'd look for ANYTHING to eat, and remember finding pure suguar and eating that! Not that I liked it, I was in need of anything (I must've been at least 10), but even after that, there were occasions that I'd shake, most was after doing something exhaustive like cleaning for several hours, or, even having too much coffee and nothing more than simple sugars with it.
I asked my doctor who's quite familiar with diabetes to test me, he found nothing. I figured it may have to do with how fast we CF'rs must burn up calories.
I usually will grab a candy bar, or some high sugar content food to get back up, again. But, I also try and keep in mind some of the symptoms regarding diabetes, which is drinking a lot of fluids, frequent urinating; how often, and possibly under what circumstances my blood sugar level drops. (I'm sure there are even more symptoms, this is just to list a few I know)
Since my family has a history of diabetes, and there are a lot of CF related cases with diabetes, I try to stay aware of the possibilities. Worst case scenario--no insulin shots--still hate needles!
I rember as a kid, we used to have this giant camper to travel in. since it was only the second car, my dad would take the smaller car to work, leaving my mom this great big truck and camper combo for errands to run. Anyway, I remember a few occasions, I'd get soooo hungry, I'd look for ANYTHING to eat, and remember finding pure suguar and eating that! Not that I liked it, I was in need of anything (I must've been at least 10), but even after that, there were occasions that I'd shake, most was after doing something exhaustive like cleaning for several hours, or, even having too much coffee and nothing more than simple sugars with it.
I asked my doctor who's quite familiar with diabetes to test me, he found nothing. I figured it may have to do with how fast we CF'rs must burn up calories.
I usually will grab a candy bar, or some high sugar content food to get back up, again. But, I also try and keep in mind some of the symptoms regarding diabetes, which is drinking a lot of fluids, frequent urinating; how often, and possibly under what circumstances my blood sugar level drops. (I'm sure there are even more symptoms, this is just to list a few I know)
Since my family has a history of diabetes, and there are a lot of CF related cases with diabetes, I try to stay aware of the possibilities. Worst case scenario--no insulin shots--still hate needles!
If your blood sugar levels are so low that you are shaky, sweaty and disoriented, a candy bar (chocolate) may not be the best option, it will work, but it takes much longer to metabolize than say regular pop, orange juice, a bowl of sweetened cereal, etc. The liquid sugars seem to work fastest for me to bring sugars back up.
thank you all for the info! I personally think it has indeed something to do with the extra need for calories/glucose in cf'ers. Normal diabetes just have low blood sugars because they shot too much insulin (which converts the glucose in some other stuff). Well I'm gonna ask my doc again about it.
John
John
serendipity730
New member
I have this problem too! They are really low blood sugars, I think the lowest ever was in the mid 50's. I have noticed that I get lows more frequently when I am tired. Anyway, the lows run in spurts with me. I will get a lot of them in like a month span and then not have the problem for a little while. I have had times when the low blood sugars are such a problem that I feel like I am going to pass out. I also do not have CFRD. I have been considered borderline before, but that was only based on one high oral glucose tolerance test.