Diabetes Talking

Question:

This sounds a bit like a condition called "reactive hypoglycemia". Ingestion of a relatively large bolus of sucrose (e.g. eating ice cream) may cause an oversecretion of insulin which results in low BG fairly quickly.  In your case, this may manifest itself as sleepyness. Reactive hypoglycemia isn’t diabetes but it is a sign that your body responds to a large ingestion of sugar in a specific way.  You might be able to enjoy your ice cream desert (goodness knows I do) by choosing no-sugar or low-sugar varieties (some that are currently available are quite good IMHO). Cheers – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? Tom

Response:

In my case…..thirsty, thirsty, thirsty, dizzy, and my feet felt so dry…..of course the thirst and dizziness are classic symptoms. The diabetes was ruining the nerves in my feet, and now I don’t have much feeling in them anymore.  I know they are there, but loss of feeling is terrible.  Otherwise they are okay, but do bother me at night. There is nothing to getting a blood glucose test….pleas have it checked out, as you won’t be sorry. Rosalyn Bradley

Response:

Anyway, the point I’m making is not that I think the original poster has diabetes, but that he should be taking his postprandial fatigue seriously. It may well be nothing, but it can’t hurt to get it checked out.

I doubt if it is nothing, but it probably isn’t diabetes either (though agreed, he should get checked). Do some searches for "metabolic syndrome".  It is characterized by hyperinsulinemia.  Sometimes blood sugars can be elevated and it can lead to Type 2 diabetes, but it is possible to have this without blood sugars ever being abnormal. Here are the criteria– http://www.ahaf.org/whatsnew/H_Metabolic_Dec_2002.htm http://www.cacr.ca/news/2000/0009reaven.htm BL

Response:

I don’t think you could reasonably deduce fatiue alone as a symptom of diabetes. Other symptoms would generally be there as well.

Generally, though perhaps not to a degree that one would particularly notice them. I was diagnosed in September after getting a general check up which included some blood tests. I went for the tests not because I suspected there was anything wrong with me; I went because I was about to start on an exercise program and wanted to check the general state of my health before I started. I expected to be told that I need to get my cholesterol and BP down. In retrospect I realised that I’d been experiencing thirst/polyuria and fatigue for approximately two years. Even if a doctor had specifically quizzed me on diabetic symptoms before diagnosis, the only thing I would have been able to report would have been the fatigue. I’d only experienced polyuria intermittently during the two years preceding diagnosis. The mid-afternoon fatigue was a regular occurrence, but not severe enough to prompt me to visit a doctor – though in retrospect it was fairly severe and I *should* have questioned it. I’m just stupid sometimes I guess Anyway, the point I’m making is not that I think the original poster has diabetes, but that he should be taking his postprandial fatigue seriously. It may well be nothing, but it can’t hurt to get it checked out. It may well be the result of other things.

Indeed. A simple blood test which takes 2 minutes should give the answer.

Agreed Cheers, John Carney.

Response:

I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? Possibly. Postprandial fatigue was the most prominent of my symptoms before diagnosis.

High blood sugars after eating put ME to sleep in no time, so as I see it, it’s a classic symptom of SOMETHING not being right.  Get yourself checked out. Absolutely Beav

Response:

I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes?

If you`re worried about something healthwise (and you must be or wouldn`t have posted) then my advice, fwiw, is get to your doc for a checkout, asap. I hope there`s nothing wrong, but you need knowledge more than you need hope. Al. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Possibly. Postprandial fatigue was the most prominent of my symptoms before diagnosis. High blood sugars after eating put ME to sleep in no time, so as I see it, it’s a classic symptom of SOMETHING not being right.  Get yourself checked out. Absolutely Beav

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think this is what the poster meant: http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf You don’t need to have a physical, just have your blood tested. Also do a Google search for: diabetes symptoms www.google.com Here’s one (look at type 2 diabetes): http://www.diabetes-and-symptoms.com/index.php3 The problem you described is NOT a classic diabetes symptom. I’m sorry John, but fatigue IS a classic symptom of diabetes. He said he got sleepy after eating. That happens to almost everybody even if they don’t have diabetes. True, but the fact that it is bothering him enough to go looking for answers suggests that it is unusual for him to feel this way. So it’s probably a recent development and much more severe than a pleasant drowsiness. He also said he ate the desert at night and he didn’t say how much he ate. I don’t see how either of these points is relevant.

My point is, maybe he is eating a larger desert than he was before and that’s what’s making him tired. He didn’t say. One person just posted that his blood pressure was up. Someone asked if he was eating more salt and the person said yes. High blood pressure is a symptom of diabetes but he probably doesn’t have diabetes if the high blood pressure is caused by eating too much salt. Eating too much and falling asleep happens to a LOT of people that DON’T have diabetes. If his desert is the same size and he is eating it at the same time and just recently he has started to get tired, I think he should have his blood tested. Does he get tired after breakfast or lunch though? Does he get tired if he eats this desert at 2pm? Maybe he’ll add some more info.

Response:

My point is, maybe he is eating a larger desert than he was before and that’s what’s making him tired. He didn’t say.

Then why didn’t you raise any of this in your original reply instead of telling him emphatically that his problem wasn’t a "classic diabetes symptom"? My point is that what he was describing *could* be a symptom of diabetes and that instead of simply dismissing it, he should get checked out – especially seeing as he hasn’t had a checkup in a couple of years. One person just posted that his blood pressure was up. Someone asked if he was eating more salt and the person said yes. High blood pressure is a symptom of diabetes but he probably doesn’t have diabetes if the high blood pressure is caused by eating too much salt.

I don’t think that poster was asking if his/her BP was a symptom of diabetes. I agree that often people asking questions need to provide more information (though frequently they won’t know what information to provide), but you didn’t *ask* for more information – you just flat told him that what he was describing was not a classic symptom of diabetes, which is an extraordinary statement in light of the incredibly small amount of information given. Eating too much and falling asleep happens to a LOT of people that DON’T have diabetes. If his desert is the same size and he is eating it at the same time and just recently he has started to get tired, I think he should have his blood tested. Does he get tired after breakfast or lunch though? Does he get tired if he eats this desert at 2pm? Maybe he’ll add some more info.

Maybe Cheers, John Carney.

Response:

I don’t think you could reasonably deduce fatiue alone as a symptom of diabetes.

Of course not. Other symptoms would generally be there as well. It may well be the result of other things. A simple blood test which takes 2 minutes should give the answer.

Agreed.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think this is what the poster meant: http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf You don’t need to have a physical, just have your blood tested. Also do a Google search for: diabetes symptoms www.google.com Here’s one (look at type 2 diabetes): http://www.diabetes-and-symptoms.com/index.php3 The problem you described is NOT a classic diabetes symptom. I’m sorry John, but fatigue IS a classic symptom of diabetes. Cheers, John Carney.

I don’t think you could reasonably deduce fatiue alone as a symptom of diabetes. Other symptoms would generally be there as well. It may well be the result of other things. A simple blood test which takes 2 minutes should give the answer.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think this is what the poster meant: http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf You don’t need to have a physical, just have your blood tested. Also do a Google search for: diabetes symptoms www.google.com Here’s one (look at type 2 diabetes): http://www.diabetes-and-symptoms.com/index.php3 The problem you described is NOT a classic diabetes symptom. I’m sorry John, but fatigue IS a classic symptom of diabetes. He said he got sleepy after eating. That happens to almost everybody even if they don’t have diabetes.

True, but the fact that it is bothering him enough to go looking for answers suggests that it is unusual for him to feel this way. So it’s probably a recent development and much more severe than a pleasant drowsiness. He also said he ate the desert at night and he didn’t say how much he ate.

I don’t see how either of these points is relevant. Again, the very fact that he is asking questions implies that this energy crash is atypical for him. There’s not enough in his post to draw any conclusions.

Agreed. You can’t rule it in *or* out as a symptom of anything. If *I* had thought to get myself checked out when I started experiencing *unusual* mid-afternoon energy slumps, I would have caught my diabetes at least 18 months earlier than I did. Cheers, John Carney.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I think this is what the poster meant: http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf You don’t need to have a physical, just have your blood tested. Also do a Google search for: diabetes symptoms www.google.com Here’s one (look at type 2 diabetes): http://www.diabetes-and-symptoms.com/index.php3 The problem you described is NOT a classic diabetes symptom. I’m sorry John, but fatigue IS a classic symptom of diabetes.

He said he got sleepy after eating. That happens to almost everybody even if they don’t have diabetes. He also said he ate the desert at night and he didn’t say how much he ate. There’s not enough in his post to draw any conclusions. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Cheers, John Carney.

Response:

I think this is what the poster meant: http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf You don’t need to have a physical, just have your blood tested. Also do a Google search for: diabetes symptoms www.google.com Here’s one (look at type 2 diabetes): http://www.diabetes-and-symptoms.com/index.php3 The problem you described is NOT a classic diabetes symptom.

I’m sorry John, but fatigue IS a classic symptom of diabetes. Cheers, John Carney.

Response:

I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes?

Possibly. Postprandial fatigue was the most prominent of my symptoms before diagnosis. Get yourself checked out. Cheers, John Carney.

Response:

This can be a sign of diabetes. The only good way to find out is to get your doctor to do/arrange a blood glucose test. Henry Mydlarz Melbourne Australia

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? Tom

Response:

Or old age !!! — "You haven’t lived until you’ve died !"

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? Tom

Response:

I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes?

So make an appointment for a check-up and bloodwork and see what’s going on. Kosta, T2 www.oznik.com

Response:

I think this is what the poster meant: http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf You don’t need to have a physical, just have your blood tested. Also do a Google search for: diabetes symptoms www.google.com Here’s one (look at type 2 diabetes): http://www.diabetes-and-symptoms.com/index.php3 The problem you described is NOT a classic diabetes symptom. John C

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – thanks but my teeth are fine! I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? *Maybe*. Hit the www.ada.org website and poke around…

Response:

thanks but my teeth are fine! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? *Maybe*. Hit the www.ada.org website and poke around…

Response:

I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes?

*Maybe*. Hit the www.ada.org website and poke around…

Response:

I haven’t had a physical in two years.  I’ve noticed lately if I eat a desert at night it makes me fall asleep in my chair, I can’t hardly stay awake, is that a sign of diabetes? Tom

Response: