Re: MARGO and BELLE Re: (Long)I am SO CONFUSED and FRUSTRATED Lab Results from IGTT are normal??? VERY long
From: Margo (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 8 May 2000 22:13:50 -0500 (CDT)
Judy, I asked by brother in law who is diabetic what is considered low
blood sugar for him. He said anything less than 70-75 is low blood
sugar for him. When I told him I dropped down to 45, he said he would
be "freaking out by that point" and eating everything with sugar in
sight. Ok... then how is that "normal"?? I posted my question on the
women's health forum and one doctor said I had "reactive hypoglycemia"
which needs to be treated by low carb diet (gee something new
huh?)another said that b/c my ratios (of insulin to glucose)
were"normal", that I was "normal" and not insulin resistant. How can
you get such a spike in blood sugar (188) which is beyond the range
posted as "reference points" on the results I have and then have it
plummet to 45 (which is below the reference points) and be "NORMAL"? How
is that not insulin resistant? Isn't my body producing too much insulin
which is why the low blood sugar happens in the first place? All that
CANNOT BE NORMAL! Having daily hypoglycemia and not being able to lose
weight CANNOT be normal!
UGH! I should have gone to medical school! (ok sorry.. enough of my
rantings). Judy I can totally relate with you and those awful
hypoglycemia attacks. Hopefully Belle will be able to shed some light
on this. I need some advice. I have no idea what to do now. How can I
get help for this if no one will listen? How am I ever going to feel
better at this rate?
At Mon, 8 May 2000, Judy wrote:
>
>Margo:
>I'm so sorry for your frustration, sweetie. I really empathize (as
>you'll see below) so I've taken the liberty of asking Belle's input.
>
>BELLE:
>I truly hope you don't think I'm rude for flagging you on this message:
>You simply are such a voice of Wisdom (capital "W" there) that I'm
>hoping you might have mercy and offer some insight.
>
>Margo has voiced something which has frustrated me as well, and which
>I've had similar experiences with. Even when I've felt my worst, blood
>tests have always come back marked "normal" and I've always wondered how
>the heck it could be. (As I was a child I had terrible hypoglycemic
>edisodes on a regular basis. My mother took me for a blood test and it
>came back "normal: NOT hypoglycemic." (Could have fooled me: I spent
>more time cold-sweating, shaking and lying down than any kid should.
>Only when my mother basically *ignored* the "normal" diagnosis, took
>charge, and treated me like a hypoglycemic did I improve. SHE taught
>how to stabilize my blood sugar: The doctor dismissed us.) I wish I
>could say that was an isolated incident, but as an adult--with blatant
>PCOS symptoms-- my PCOS bloodwork comes back "normal." Just last month,
>I had a standard blood test (not GTT, but one which nonetheless required
>a 12 hour fast): I was feeling genuinely ill by the time of the blood
>draw: shaky, weak, moody, foggy-brained and freezing. I was so "out of
>fuel" that my nails were actually purple, and the nurse commented on how
>"icy" I was. Crappy as I felt, I was excited: I thought, "This is
>perfect! Now they'll finally see what I've been telling them about!!"
>The blood work--everything from thyroid to glucose level-- came back in
>"normal" range.
>
>Can you help us understand this?? I know there must be a logical reason,
>but when the one feels this ill and sees a "normal" stamp, I'm sure you
>can understand our incredulous reactions. I'm struggling to retain some
>semblance of faith in this diagnostic tool...
>
>Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this, Belle! Please, I beg
>you, educate me and Margo. :=)
>
>--
>Judy
>
>At Mon, 8 May 2000, Margo wrote:
>>
>>I have no idea what all this means. I just got a copy of my IGTT
>>(Insulin Glucose Tolerance Test) and was pronounced by the nurse to be
>>"normal". The last hour of the test I felt like I was low blood
>>sugaring so badly that it wouldn't even be funny. I got the sweats and
>>the shakes then got dizzy, got the mental fuzzyness and word slurring
>>and I was freezing cold. I looked so awful that the people at the lab
>>stopped the test so I could eat my protein bar and not faint. So... how
>>can the numbers be "normal" if I feel that crappy? Even the number range
>>on the results sheet state 70-125, so how can 45 and 66 respectively be
>>"normal" glucose levels? When my diabetic brother in law gets blood
>>sugar that low he eats stuff that has sugar in it. So what do all these
>>numbers mean?
>>
>>Here is what they are (if anyone could shed some light on this I'd
>>greatly appreciate it)
>>
>>Fasting glucose = 89 (after which I was given sugar drink)
>>1/2 hr glucose = 188
>>1hr glucose = 136
>>2hr glucose = 102
>>3hr glucose = 45
>>4 hr glucose = 66
>>
>>Fasting insulin = 13.7
>>1/2 hr insulin = 105.6
>>1 hr insulin = 103.1
>>2 hr insulin = 75.3
>>3 hr insulin = 18.5
>>4 hr insulin = 8.6
>>
>>I have no idea what these numbers mean and if I am insulin resistant or
>>whatever. I still don't feel right. What the heck is wrong with me????
>>I am so frustrated I want to scream! Any help is appreciated
>
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