Can low blood sugar lead to diabetes, or can the symptoms be confused with one another?
Oct 15, 2009 | Diabetes Excessive Thirst
Hi, I’ve had low blood sugar in the past and I looked up the symptoms for diabetes and I have:
Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Increased fatigue
Irritability
Just wondering if the sypmtoms are the same, or if my low blood sugar could eventually lead to something else. Or maybe I’m just paranoid, lol.
I’m a young teen if that helps.
Diabetes and low blood sugar are totally opposite of each other, but it is very common for a diabetic to have bouts of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) when they take too much insulin, don’t eat when they should, and a variety of other reasons. Low blood sugar can cause nausea, sweating, shakiness, confusion, passing out, coma and even death. Many people that were hypoglycemic for many years find themselves being diagnosed with diabetes later on. Seems like for some (me included) that hypoglycemia can be a prelude to diabetes. You do have some symptoms of diabetes and you should be checked by a doctor to be sure. A person can be hypoglycemic and not have diabetes. My husband has had it most of his life and some times it is very bad, and he can have multiple low blood sugar episodes a day if he isn’t careful to eat like he should. Here are some more of the most common symptoms of diabetes. They are symptoms for both types of diabetes.
Constant thirst
Frequent urination
Constant hunger
Irritability
Blurry vision
Itching skin with no rash
Reoccurring yeast infections in women, itching penis in men
Frequent boils
Leg cramps
Burning tingling sensation in hands, feet, arms, or legs
Slow healing wounds
Headaches
Nausea or vomiting
Get tested ASAP
October 15th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Diabetes and the symptoms you described are as a result of high blood sugar. Low blood sugar causes shakiness, weakness, and a cold/clammy feeling. If you have the symptoms above you need to consult your doctor as they may be a result of something else.
References :
I’m an RN.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Diabetes and low blood sugar are totally opposite of each other, but it is very common for a diabetic to have bouts of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) when they take too much insulin, don’t eat when they should, and a variety of other reasons. Low blood sugar can cause nausea, sweating, shakiness, confusion, passing out, coma and even death. Many people that were hypoglycemic for many years find themselves being diagnosed with diabetes later on. Seems like for some (me included) that hypoglycemia can be a prelude to diabetes. You do have some symptoms of diabetes and you should be checked by a doctor to be sure. A person can be hypoglycemic and not have diabetes. My husband has had it most of his life and some times it is very bad, and he can have multiple low blood sugar episodes a day if he isn’t careful to eat like he should. Here are some more of the most common symptoms of diabetes. They are symptoms for both types of diabetes.
Constant thirst
Frequent urination
Constant hunger
Irritability
Blurry vision
Itching skin with no rash
Reoccurring yeast infections in women, itching penis in men
Frequent boils
Leg cramps
Burning tingling sensation in hands, feet, arms, or legs
Slow healing wounds
Headaches
Nausea or vomiting
Get tested ASAP
References :
diabetic 16 years
October 15th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Diabetes and low blood sugar are exactly opposite of each other.
BUT . . . diabetics often get low blood sugar attacks called HYPOGLYCEMIA.
Your symptoms sound like diabetes, not low blood sugar.
Ask you doctor to to a test called HbA1C (or hust A1C). This is a simple blood test that can be done in the doctor office in 5-10 mionutes IF he has the material. otherwuise, he will need to take a blood sample and send it to a laboratory for 2-3 days.
A NORMAL A1C reading is between 5 and 6. If this is your reading you probably do NOT have diabetes.
If the reading is greater than 7, the doctor should order a second teste called Glucose Tolerance Test. this is a more complicated test, and requires you to be in the doctor office for 3-4 hours.
But this test is definitive. If this test says that you have diabetes, then you DO have diabetes, and you need to start treatment immediately.
IF the A1C is above 7, but the Glucose Tolerance Test is negative, then you may have HYPERGLYCEMIA. In this case you need to get more exercise and watch your diet. No more sugary food and colas — artifical sweeteners only. no cakes, pies, doughnuts, candybars, and ice cream. Eat less bread and pasta. eat more broccoli and salads.
The doctor should re-do the A1C test in 5-6 months, and hopefully you’ve got the raeding down to between 5 and 6.
References :
October 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Hypoglycemia can reverse at a moments notice and become Hyperglycemia for some people. My sister was warned of this a long time ago. But she is fortunate enough it hasn’t happened to her.
Hyperglycemia is commonly known as Diabetes.
Your symptoms are correct with going Hyper!!
Get your mom to make you an appointment for complete physical exam with blood draw to rule out any changes in your Hypoglycemia! The other disease that has the same symptoms is thyroid problems!
References :
October 15th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Low blood sugar levels are very dangerous as you can black out . Please have it check out
References :
October 15th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Yes, low blood sugar, or reactive hypoglycemia can eventually lead to diabetes. This happened to me and to my mother.
We both were reactive hypoglycemics for decades, (tested, and proved in lab tests), and both now have type 2 diabetes and both on insulin to control it.
Its actually not all that uncommon. I recommend that you get an HbA1c test, and also a Glucose Tolerance Test to see what your blood sugar is like now, and how you react to carbs. Things may have changed, and with those symptoms, its quite possible that you are now diabetic.
If you have diabetes, then you are no longer hypoglycemic, although you can have a hypoglycemic low from too much insulin and not enough food, but its not the same thing. When a diabetic has hypoglyecmia its a reaction to injected insulin or oral drugs or not enough food for the amount of insulin used.
The hypoglycemia I had when I was younger was part of insulin disfunction. If your insulin is ineffective your pancreas makes too much of it, and the end result is low blood sugar.
After years of this, your pancreas can burn out early, which can lead to diabetes. That’s the current theory anyway.
Get tested as soon as possible. By the time you have symptoms with type 2, you can already have extensive nerve damage. Do not delay, get tested asap.
References :