sue1234 Posted September 14, 2013 Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 Naomi, I think they do the OGTT mostly to check diabetes. In MY opinion, when they get these low lows, I feel they don't know yet what to do with that information. Even the mixed meal test does not yet have a definite interpretation, meaning that they don't yet have guidelines to results for it. I had read on Mayo's information on how to do the test that in one part, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Most people who get hypoglycemic during the OGTT will indeed show normal numbers during the mixed meal test". So, I think that's what it was for, to show that people's numbers stayed in the normal range of above 70. Well, um, that didn't happen with me.So, my point is don't disregard your results. They are showing something is happening, just nobody's sure just yet what that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 You definitely seem to have an issue in this area, Sue. I don't know about myself. I'm going to tell the endo that I get extra spacey after I eat (especially carbs and sweets), plus show her my results and see if she wants to look at this more in depth. I only saw her once and she seems not to be the type who's going to dig deep, but we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegron Posted September 14, 2013 Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 Haha it sounds like everyone else answered your questions Naomi.But yeah to echo what they said.. the test is very unnatural. Who the heck goes around chugging pure glucose in a fasted state? The mixed-meal approach is much more natural.What I meant by the false positive was that your glucose levels would in fact drop but that that wouldn't necessarily mean you have a disease or abnormality. I guess the term "false positive" is actually not a good one to use haha. Because technically, the test was a true positive because your glucose levels DID drop low. It is just a crappy test lol.Regarding the delayed glucagon secretion... You're right that that isn't really "normal." But it is considered rather common and benign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2013 I get you Thegron - crappy test to diagnose this. That's enough for me. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegron Posted September 15, 2013 Report Share Posted September 15, 2013 That's the take-home message so I'm glad. haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Naomi, I'm fighting with hypoglycemia too. My doc and I both think that for me it's an ANS thing, For some reason I seem to produce too much insulin. Now all I have to do is figure out why Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Yes, Corina, the *why* always seems to elude us. Let us know if you learn anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Naomi- wasn't ignoring you...just out of town. No, I don't particularly trust this endo but haven't heard of anyone better in the area. In fact whenever I tell people who I'm seeing they say, "oh he's one of the best around." Sigh. Probably is if you have diabetes or something "regular" but has no curiosity and no willingness to go anywhere outside the box in his thinking. As far as the GTT vs mixed meal tests, I haven't done a formal mixed meal test, but my last several lab draws have been about an hour after eating and my glucose keeps coming back in the 40-50 range so that's why I'm thinking whatever is going on with all this may be progressing.Sue- I had hypoglycemia at least 20 years before POTS onset or at least what I recognized as POTS onset. Had orthostatic hypotension for at least that long and migraines for even longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Saw the endo and she looked at my GTT results and was like no big deal, you have reactive hypoglycemia. She said it's common and lots of women have this and there is nothing to do except manage symptoms through diet. I asked, so there's nothing else to look at, insulin levels or something? And she said no, if it were an insulinoma or something, the low glucose would show randomly not in response to eating certain foods and since my fasting level was fine it was fine. Fine, fine, fine - lol, as usual, except I don't feel fine! I've had lowish fasting levels, like in the 60's, but I think don't think that's low enough to mean much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Naomi, what bothers me when they say that alot of women get low blood sugar, is, most of those women do not have major symptoms from it. These women lead normal lives and aren't even aware that their glucose drops.People like us, on the otherhand, have symptoms daily and it is a chore to make sure these symptoms are kept at bay.Chaos, I also have that 20 year history. And now that you mention your ortho. hypo., I had that as well. 90/60 was my very normal b/p back then, and I had all the energy in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Sue- Same here. That's why I was so frustrated with my first TTT test locally, where I met POTS criteria and went into tetany after the test etc, but the cardio said I "just had orthostatic hypotension". Hello! I've had that for 20 years and it's never made me sick or stopped me from being super productive in my life. Clearly something else was going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 where I met POTS criteria and went into tetany after the test etc,What does this mean? What's tetany?Sue - yeah, I don't know if the low glucose is just an incidental finding with me & means nothing or if it's actually causing any symptoms. I have the home meter and I never test low when I get that after eating dizzy spacey feeling, so I don't know. I actually heard a weird and interesting story on the radio about a guy who would feel drunk after eating and my ears perked up because bagel was specifically mentioned. It turned out he had some weird yeast infection and he was literally converting yeast into ethanol and was getting drunk. He was treated with anti-fungals and got better. I had to look it up because I thought it was so interesting because I've been saying for years I feel drunk, plus I cannot tolerate alcohol and I feel weirder after eating sugars and carbs. Ok it sounds a little out there, but you never know! A few links if anyone is interested:http://www.medicaldaily.com/texas-man-can-get-drunk-without-alcohol-due-auto-brewery-syndrome-can-you-brew-beer-your-own-stomachhttp://file.scirp.org/Html/1-2100535_33912.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Naomi, I heard the same thing yesterday and had to look it up!! I am one of those that has mentioned in the past that I feel drunk, even though I don't drink(don't tolerate it at all). In fact, I quit driving prePOTS because, as I told many doctors, my eyes won't focus on the road, just like being drunk.Yea, "autobrewery syndrome". I do have alot of gi issues. You never know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Sue, you looked it up too? That's so funny. I heard the story yesterday on talk news, ironically while in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts where I was munching on the muffin I had just bought. Are my muffins making me drunk? LOL. I think they sell alcohol home testing kits at pharmacies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 That's good to know. I may have to buy a kit and test after consuming sugary foods!BTW, I looked up an old report from a time when a GI doctor had run a stool test on me. This was 9 years ago. It said I had "many yeasts"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted September 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Was curious so tried googling, but all that pops up is Candida related alternative/holistic websites. I guess the Doctor didn't mention it or think there was anything to do about it? Can it be normal to have "many yeasts" - I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 I don't know if it is "normal" or not. The doctor didn't say anything. Back then I didn't question everything like I do now.I actually found that syndrome on Pubmed, so it is a real thing that has been in the literature before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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