accu Check

[arries]

I used to work in the hospital and as a result I had access to an accu check machine in the ICU, out of curiosity I had asked a nurse to check my blood sugar.  When my blood sugar was checked it read 30, and the nurses all looked at me and asked if I was okay, and they told me that patients here go into diabetic coma.  They told me to eat something, so had a box of girl scout cookes that I had enten then after about 30 minutes or so I rechecked it and it was I think around 80.  This happend all the time and after telling my doctor they did a fasting blood sugar, but it all was okay.  I know for a fact that I get lightheaded or tired if I don't eat and I always have to eat breakfast or I'll start to feel realy bad.  I've always been told to just eat several times a day, and that is usually what I do.

What causes Hypoglycemia, and is it something that I should be worried about in relation to other problems like hypertention, and headaches, etc?

Thanks

[TonyAlmeida]

Well - there is also one other thing you need to be aware of when using Blood Glucose testers ....

Depending on the ratio of new blood cells to old blood cells, you may get some interesting results when you test.

Older blood cells accumulate more glucose than newer blood cells.  Depending on the sample - if you have a large amount of new blood cells you may get a low glucose number.  If you get a sample with with a lot of older blood cells - the glucose number will be higher.  This is the reason why if you test one finger you may get a 114, test another finger right after that and you may get a 95.

It's a big reason why you should get an HbA1C every 3 months - to get the 3 month average.

[JDRF-Team-dm]

Dear arries,

Thank you so much for reaching out to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. While I am a volunteer, I am not a doctor and am unable to give you medical advice. I can give my own life experience. My Son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetis at 8. He is now 27.

I can explain to you about hypoglycemia, but the answer may be different depending on your condition. Have you been diagnosed  with type 2 diabetes, low blood pressure, or borderline diabetes? It could be possible that you have only the hypoglycemia. Eating several times a day can help because it occurs when your blood sugar falls below normal.The fact that your are experiencing headaches and fatique, both of which can be symptoms of hypoglycemia, I would recommend that you continue pressing for more testing to get a true diagnoses. This sometimes requires seeking a second opinion, perhaps a physcian who specializes in diabetes or hypoglycemia.

I would like to know how you are doing. Look for further comments on this thread. Please keep in touch and I wish you the best.

dm