Could I be any 'sweeter'?

[MarcoPoz]

OK--not sure if this belongs here or in the LTS forum--I'll let the Mods decide.

So I've been poz more than 18 years and have riden the rollercoaster of side-effects, health issues, emotional lissues and relationship issues.  I thought I finally hit a stable place after getting some help with depression and began to really 'feel' good.

Then it got worse.

I've lived with this strangeness that happens mostly in the late afternoons: dizzy, stooopid, sweating like a hot flash, stomach cramps, need to lay down, jittery, nasty moods, etc etc.  My docs have been a bit confused about it and typically wrote it off to HIV, meds or some other odd funkiness.

I thought--heck I'm old, I'm STILL a competitive athlete and probably push too hard.

Well, y'all none of that was IT.  I went to a doc appointment at the same time all these symptoms were going on and they finally got to 'see' it first hand---they FREAKED.  Blood pressure was scary high and I was about to pass out.

Enter the endocrinologist...

Turns out--the late afternoon 'spells' have been from hypoglycemia!  Taaadaaah--finally an answer.  Been monitoring symptoms, food intake and blood sugar and I'm a classic case.

So friends--make SURE you are getting your glucose checked and talk to your docs about ANY weirdness that might be going on.

Cool thing:  I can control this with diet and eating schedule!

Problem:  What is this half-Sicilian boy to do now that he can't just wolf down a plate of pasta whenever he feels like it?

[anniebc]

Hey Marco

I'm glad they have got to the bottom of things, it's very frustrating when you know there is something going on and nobody can find anything ...you start to question yourself..but it's good to hear you have everything under control..as for this:

Problem:  What is this half-Sicilian boy to do now that he can't just wolf down a plate of pasta whenever he feels like it? 

I can think of a few suggestion for you...BUT MY KIDS READ THIS FORUM...

Hugs
Jan

[Dale Parker]

Hey Marco: You should have used it to your advantage.  You could have blamed it on male menopause and bought yourself a Corvet and a 22 year old.  LOL
Glad you finally found out what it was.  I would have thought that hypoglycemia would be a fairly common condition with common recognizeable symptoms. I'm surprised it took that long to figure it out.

P.S.  I love pasta.  If you have leftovers please send them to me and I'll put them to very good use.

[Inchlingblue]

It's good you were finally able to figurer it out.

I'm curious, doesn't your regular blood work for HIV include glucose levels? Fasting glucose should be within a certain range (I think 100 is at the lower end) so if it's lower or higher it's an indication of either hypo or hyper glycemia.

[skeebo1969]

It's good you were finally able to figurer it out.

I'm curious, doesn't your regular blood work for HIV include glucose levels? Fasting glucose should be within a certain range (I think 100 is at the lower end) so if it's lower or higher it's an indication of either hypo or hyper glycemia.

I'm not sure if it is M..  I know my doctor has told me my glucose was a 91 at my last visit, however I am not sure if this was a separate test or not..

Thanks for sharing Marco.  I am glad they found the reason you were not feeling well.  I'm glad to hear it can be controlled by watching what you eat.  Will this always be the case though?  Just curious....  I worry about becoming diabetic in the future just because it seems to plague us positive folk.

Hope you are feeling better!

[Inchlingblue]

I looked at my lab report and the glucose range is 65-99 (so I was mistaken when I said above that 100 is the lower end!@).

Even if those numbers vary slightly from lab to lab, I think if one's reading is consistently below 65 or above 99 when fasting then it's a sign of something amiss.

I was just wondering what the OPs readings were in his regular lab work since that would have been a hint that there was a problem.

[MarcoPoz]

I looked at my lab report and the glucose range is 65-99 (so I was mistaken when I said above that 100 is the lower end!@).

Even if those numbers vary slightly from lab to lab, I think if one's reading is consistently below 65 or above 99 when fasting then it's a sign of something amiss.

I was just wondering what the OPs readings were in his regular lab work since that would have been a hint that there was a problem.

So I never really had a fasting glucose taken because my appointments have been spread out at different times of the day.  Here's the NEW issue:

Endocrinologist has me testing glucose fasting and after eating--and my levels are ALL over the map--something is definitly amiss.

[BT65]

Yeah, definitely have to watch pasta intake if you're having issues with possibly being diabetic.  I'm diabetic and have to measure my pasta (because of the carbs).  Sorry, Marco.  But, at least you know what's going on.