Blood glucose testing

[jyl]

A few times a year, I have these episodes where I get weak, dizzy, woozy. I have learned that if I quickly eat something, I feel better right away. Usually this happens if I haven't eaten for many hours, or not much. For example if I have just a small yoghurt for breakfast then forget to eat lunch, then when I'm riding my bike home at 3 pm I might, not always, get this feeling. It feels not unlike a "bonk" during a long bike ride when you aren't eating in the saddle.

My belief is that these are hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes. So I bought a fingerstick blood glucose tester to see what my blood glucose values are.

I'm hoping to test myself during one of these episodes, but since they are infrequent, I'm testing myself during normal days. So far, my fasting blood glucose is testing at 76 (first thing in the morning) and my between meals tests are similar values. I have not done a careful after-meal test yet, I gather I'm supposed to test exactly two hours after I start eating but I keep losing track of time.

Anything I should be looking for?. I think I want to see <100 most of the time, maybe a little higher after meals?

[sc_rufctr]

I admire your efforts but you really need to talk to a doctor and get checked out.
I don't want to jinx you but your issue may have nothing to do with your blood sugar.

If it is your blood sugar a fasting test will determine that for sure. Your doctor will probably want to do a liver function test as well.

FWIW... I loath going to the doctor. It's rarely good news as we get older.

[Vipergrün]

Probably not apples to apples, but my daughter is type 1 diabetic. If she registers 70 or less she is considered "low" and needs glucose tablets, etc, to get her levels up. We want her to be at 100, or close to it. She is extremely good at feeling the lows, which she explains as a tingly, heavy sensation in her legs and light in the head.

I agree with rufctr, don't play with this, see a doctor.

[Tobra]

Why don't you just avoid going hours and hours without eating?

I ALWAYS tell my diabetic patients that if they ever feel like that, they should eat something, or drink some juice right now, then check their sugar. Hypoglycemia is nothing to fool with. Sugar is what your brain runs on, your glucose drops too low, your brain does not work right. Too low, your brain quits working and you are all done, as in dirt nap all done.

[jyl]

Well, sometimes I get busy and just don't think to eat until the workday is over. Basically I am trying to figure out if my occasional episodes of (I think) hypoglycemia might suggest that I need to worry about diabetes.

[Tobra]

Probably not, are you fat, any family history? Try eating stuff with protein in it for snacks, cheese or nuts. Protein will tend to moderate swings in your BG because you have to do a bit of chemical prestidigitation to turn it into glucose, spreads out the availability of it.