Can You Get High Sugar Levels From Somethin Besides Diabetes

[giftcreations123]

hello

I went to the endocrinologist today, who oby the way knew nothing about pots....I reallu feel that my weiird glucose levels might be realted to something else...

any thoughts?

[bjt22]

I don't know, but it's something I've often wondered about.

I've probably had at least mild autonomic dysfunction my entire life. I almost always managed to get diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my pregnancies. My blood sugars have remained "borderline" for the past 20 years. There have been spikes up in some readings. Is there a link? I don't know. A few years ago, a European study raised the question as to whether autonomic dysfunction might occur much earlier in the course of diabetes than had been thought or that it might even come before. I've thought about that a lot.

[Sophia3]

gift creations

I have NO clue to your question without knowing WHY you are asking it and details of when or how often or in what case your insulin levels are high. Did your past/current doctor find this to be true? More than once? Were you given a monitor?

I have had hypoglycemia (LOW blood sugar) many times my entire life. so bad as a child it caused grand mal seizures on one occassion and other spells of weakness and almost going into a coma. (that an a host of other things we NOW know were ANS issues I was born with)

The only time my fasting blood work came up high is after a 50 minute ride to my doctors office (astute endocrinologist that knows ANS as he is a diabetes specialist as well) We later extrapolated being upright stresses me and in the past caused high normal cortisol levels. I came up with glucose 125. I was given a glucose monitor and stuck myself about 10 times. ALWAYS NORMAL.

I often feel weak when stuck for blood or afterwards. NowI ALWAYS LIE FLAT for blood work to be drawn now and no more fake high sugar levels. Or cortisol. I drink fluids afterwards, too.

[Lizzegrl]

Some medications like Steroids can increase your blood sugar levels. Conditions like PCOS can make it more likely that your levels are higher - it messes around with all kinds of levels in your body. These are two off the top of my head that I've had personal experience with.

[jump]

Vitamin D deficiency can also make your blood glucose levels wacky, usually looks the same as pre-diabetes on paper. I had high BG readings for months, and was really worried I was somehow getting diabetes despite being young and healthy (besides the POTS), but once I was taking D supplements for a few weeks all my readings went back to normal.

[erik]

Cushings can cause high sugars & lipids. It is not something an endocrinologist would miss if there were any signs of it though. Also, POTS-like symptoms are more akin to the Addison's side of things (the polar opposite of Cushings) so there is at least a surface contradiction... in fact, there is an obscure secondary Addison's (likely only in head injuries) that looks identical to POTS.

I had high sugars & lipids a while back and couldn't get a single high reading with a glucose meter, so I was similarly suspicious. Nonetheless, I did all the advised lifestyle changes and may have helped that situation... of course, rapid weight loss can cause vascular bed denervation which seems to have exacerbated my POTS to the point that it is now medically prominent. But life is like those gofer smashing games sometimes (my deep thought for the day

[jjb]

I have had elevated sugar numerous times. I think in general, there is glucose intolerance in my family and if we are not careful we will end up w/ diabetes.

Do you know if you have aut neuropathy ... or small fiber neuropathy? I think glucose intolerance in general can ocuur with this.

The Aut Lab we went to says "Early detection of small-fiber neuropathy leads to early screening for diabetes or glucose intolerance, and early lifestyle or pharmacological interventions,"

hello

I went to the endocrinologist today, who oby the way knew nothing about pots....I reallu feel that my weiird glucose levels might be realted to something else...

any thoughts?

[tinkerbella]

MY NEUR/ spec. told me many of her pots patients have problems with their blood sugars and I'm one of them, even though my ac1 test will check out normal. It's best to eat many small meals to keep the blood sugar levels normal.

[MomtoGiuliana]

I know I've read that stress hormones can cause your blood sugar to spike--it's part of the fight or flight reaction--the body mobilizes glucose for the energy that will be needed to respond to the threat. So I have often wondered if that could be a link. When my POTS was really bad, post partum, I had some highish sugar readings and thought I could be developing diabetes. But readings were inconsistent, no doctor suggested I had a blood glucose problem, and now that my POTS is better I don't have any signs of this.

My sister, who also has POTS, developed gestational diabetes. I didn't have gestational diabetes and my sugars were tested a lot b/c of my inexplicable symptoms, later determined to be caused by POTS.

Keep in mind that diabetes is now considered to be epidemic in this country. So it would not be surprising that a good many of us with POTS have pre-diabetes, especially considering how hard it is for us to have very active lives.

[giftcreations123]

Thank you for everyones great responses..

The question is...if sugar levels ar ehigh, a1c levels are ok, cortisol levels are wacky....anypne taking metformin or something for sugar readings?

My endo is not very familiar with pots but feels that heart palps, tachycardia etc can be also from sugar fluctuations..

Thanks !