NPR : Drs., Nurses or anyone with experience about diabetics

Haileysmom

My husband had a wierd episode last night
He got really sweaty, disoriented (he said he was reaching for stuff in the cupboard but lept dropping it)and tired once it all stopped. He said he felt so hungry so he ate 2 PB sandwiches and fruit cup.
So dickhead didn't tell me about this until today. We are over at the ILs and I am telling Diabetic SMIL about what happened she goes and gets her little tester thingy and his tested at 8.3 then 8.1 over an hour later.
She seemed to be VERY alarmed, which now has me worried sick. she tends to over exaggerate, so I thought I would ask here, I have searched online, and its all like chinese to me.
I think I am gonna make him an apt. tomorrow, but can someone explain where a normal non diabetic number should be, and if that is an indication of diabetes?
also his mother, and grandfather are both Diabetic.
Thanks guys. I am nearly shitting my pants here.

jorie

8.3???  Or 83? Huge difference.  I would think he'd be dead with 8.3.  83 is a little low, but the normal range is 90-120 I think. The episode he had sounds like hypoglycemia.  Did you test him after he ate or on an empty stomach? 

apb9cwru

well, are you in Canada or Europe? in the USA the meters uses mg/dL and the range is 70-110, (or 80-120) usually for a healthy fasting blood sugar.

 a range between 5-6 metric is acceptable.

when you are diabetic and your body doesn't absorb the sugar; it just floats around in your bloodstream causing cellular damage. a person with a high reading will feel crappy still since their brain isn't getting the glucose it needs.

 

jnicks19

Yeah, depending on where you look, normal is 80-110 or 90-120.  So I guess if the 81 or 83 was after he ate, that would probably mean he was lower previous and would explain symptoms.

It's definetly worth a trip to the doc.  You wouldn't want him to have an episode like that while driving or anything!  Better safe than sorry!  Good luck and let us know what happens!

jnicks19

duh, I meant 70-110 or 80-120!  Sorry!  I don't know anything about metric readings!

Haileysmom

we are in Canada, and it was 8.3 apparently its a different measurement than what you use LOL

Littlejen22

According to what I found online (of course it could be false)

Fasting normal < 6.1 mmol/L in Canada

Fasting normal with diabetics 4-7 mmol/l in Canada

Not sure what non-fasting normal would be but 8.3 might be normal for non-fasting if he had eaten but if he had not eaten in hours than it sounds like his numbers are off.  I would get him to a doctor to have it checked.

ithadtobeyou

I also think this sounds like hypoglycemia but I would have him tested anyway. I had GD while pregnant and it was *not* like what your hubby had although I did most definitely feel *not right* many times.

hopefulmom

Dropping things like that is also a sign of stroke.  That is what my friend's dad did when she was little.  They were at the hotel and he kept trying to put his wallet on the dresser but kept "missing it"...it would fall on the floor.  It happened like 4-5 times.  Later he mentioned it to his doctor and they did a cat scan.  Sure enough he had had an "episode".  It could be low sugar, low blood pressure...anything.   Best to have him checked out.  When was his last physical?

Haileysmom

he JUST had a full physical like 3 months ago...

he had another episode last night at work (he works mids) so he went to the hossy, he had a fruit cup when it happened so they said the reading wouldn't really be acurate... however it read 6.5, so they think his sugars are def. crashing. dammit I am so worried.