What makes diabetic not stand out in blood test?

Question

I and my parents always feel i am diabetic but blood tests show i am not i have the same signs as my dad

Sleepy

using the bathroom a lot

always thirsty

dizzy

always hungry after eating

But yet it doesn't show on my blood tests... So what stops it from showing on your blood test.... even thought maybe years latter it will show when you have one.

Answer 1

You may have all the same symptoms and issues as your father, but without having any alterations or elevations in your blood sugar levels unfortunately you will not be able to tell.  These could be the results of something else... like an over active or under active thyroid which causes you to gain and lose weight, have frequent urination and may be the cause of your other symptoms... It is heriditary and you may or may not get it, but it may not be until in your forties... My mother is a diabetic and did not become one until she was 41 and my brother is now 39 and he just found out he was and he had similar symptoms as yours... He would be very thirsty drink at least 2 gallons of water throughout the course of the day and pee every two hours... He was told it was either diabetes or his thyroid.  It was diabetes... They say that if you change your diet and keep it fairly healthy (no junk food, no fried food, low on carbs, and sugars) that this could help your chances...  I am at risk as well and have taken the steps to change my diet so i eat lots of fruits and veggies, lowered my pasta and bread intake and try to reduce any alcoholic drinking :(... so far so good... Just keep checking your levels every so often to make sure

Answer 2

I am not sure how many times you have tested, i.e., "spot checked" - or actually had your HemoglobinA1c done. Those are dead ringer symptoms, I would go to an accredited diabetic endocrinologist if you haven't already. Even if your results are negative for the diabetes (or the thyroid as suggested), YOU are the best judge of your own body.

If you know something is wrong, do not stop looking for the answer.

I was diagnosed with type 1 at 2 years old, relatives noticed I was suddenly "un"potty trained and went crazy begging for the hose to drink water at the hardware store. After I eat, even now, if my blood sugar spikes or dips, I will get an unavoidable urge to eat, so hungry it can't be explained.

Some people and doctors think that diabetes can be caused by an autoimmune response to the beta cells in the liver that carry the glucose into the bloodstream. I would venture to say that the immune response could take time to fully develop, kind of like a body fighting off a virus.

Maybe you are on the road to getting it. Get educated now so that if the time comes you will already have a healthy lifestyle- this would make it easier to adjust to regular exercise and good eating habits.

A friend of mine's brother had similar symptoms, plus depression, and just could not figure out what was wrong with him. Doctor after doctor and they thought he was a hypochondriac- they actually sent him to a psychologist. This was about 20 years ago when education was not as good.  One day he suddenly went into a coma and died. I do not mean to scare you, but the point really is...you must, must, must find out! If your sugar is normal at one point, it does not mean it is normal throughout the day. Try checking it each time you are dizzy, both fasting and about 1-2 hours post-prandial (after eating).

Good luck and please take care

Answer 3

Diabetes canNOT be diagnosed by symptoms alone.  You MUST have blood tests done by the doctor in order to diagnose diabetes.

There are three tests used:

1) Finger Stick Test.  The doctor pricks you finger then take ONE DROP of blood into a special meter.  The reading comes back in about 30 seconds.

This test measures your blood dugar AT THE VERY INSTANT HE PRICKED YOUR FINGER.  This reading can vary WIDELY, depending on when and what you ate.  It can be low, normal, or high, even in a seriously ill diabetic.

Because this is an "instantaneous reading", it is not very good for diagnosing diabetes.  This test is used for CONTROLLING diabetes. Diabetcs often uses this test to determine how much insulin to take.

2) A1C test.  This test measures the AVERAGE blood sugar over 90 days.  The doctor can do the A1C test in his office in 5-10 minutes IF he has the equipement.  if not, he will have to take a blood sample and send it to a lab.

Since the A1C accounts for all the highs and lows that occur in everybody, this reading is much more meaningful for purposes of DIAGNOSING diabetes.

If the A1C reading is NORMAL then you probably are not diabetic.

If the A1C reading is HIGH then the doctor should do the third test.

if the A1C reading is LOW, then you may be hypoclycemic, and need to improve your diet.

3) The Glucose Tolerance Test.  This test measures how well your body handles a large input of sugar. This test is more complicated, takes 3-4 hours, and can be a bit painful.

You must not eat for 10 hours before this test!

First, the doctor will take a blood sugar reading.  Then, he will have you drink a really sweet liquid (glucose water). He will then take blood sugar readings every 15 minutes for the next 90 minutes.  then, he will take blood sugar readings every 30 minutes for the next 90 minutes.

All of these readings will allow him to plot a graph of how well your body uses glucose.  Your reading should go VERY high during the first 30 minutes, then come back down to almost normal after about an hour.  Afrer 3 hours, you should be normal or maybe a bit low.

But if you are diabetic, your reading will go very high and STAY HIGH.  In that case the doctor knows that you ARE diabetic, and you need to start treatments immediately.

SO . . .

The 'Finger Stick" test CAN show normal, high, or low, depending on what and when you ate. This is a CONTROL test, not a DIAGNOSTIC test.

The A1C test is a better test, as it shows the average over 90 days.

The Glucose Tolerance Test is definitive, and will tell you YES or NO, if you have diabetes.

Insist that your doctor do the A1C test.  If he just pricks your finger and take a drop of blood into a meter, that is NOT an A1C test!

if the A1C reading is HIGH then you need to do the Glucose Tolerance Test to find out definitively if you are diabetci or not.

  

Answer 4

There are many forms of diabetes and they do not all give you a high fasting reading.  The next time you go to the doctor ask for a OGTT test.  This is a oral glucose tolerance test.  They will test your blood fasting and have you drink a known amount of glucose and test your blood several times over the next 2-3 hours watching to see how high your glucose rises and for how long it stays high.  Have you ever tested your blood after eating a big meal with lots of pasta or rice and a  can of regular pepsi?  If you are not diabetic a meal like that would not give you a reading of over 140 taken at 1 and 2 hours after eating.