Hypoglycaemia / weakness

Question

Dear ladies and gentlemen,
I got a glucometer for 4 weeks from my CF-doctor as I have a great hunger during the night.
The lowest count was 3.9 mml and the highest 8.9 mml.
I have visited a diabetes specialist because I have always episodes of faintness and only hardly could stand on my legs and he said with this counts I would not have a diabetes.
As my eyes worsened to -7.5 dioptries, I have great fear of getting a diabetes.
Does it make sense to go on measuring the blood glucose level, as the diabetes specialist said, it would be a shame about the testing strips.
Many thanks,

Answer

Dear questioner,
as you are treated by a CF-doctor, I assume that you are affected yourself.
Due to a disorder of the pancreas, a diabestes occurs frequently in CF patients. In the early stage, it can come to increased variations of the blood glucose level, whereas hyperglycaemias can occur as well as hypoglycaemias. The mentioned complaints by you (increased hunger at night, general feeling of weakness) are compatible to a disturbed glucose regulation, however could also have some other reasons, which are not associated with the blood sugar regulation.
The occasionally performed blood glucose measurements by yourself do not give a hint for suffering form a diabetes, however to exclude a (beginning) disturbance of the regulation an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is necessary. During this test, a standardized drink with 75g glucose is given, which should be drunk within 5 minutes. At the beginning and after 120 minutes, blood is taken and the blood glucose is measured.
In general, such a test is done in CF patients once a year. You should talk about your smptoms and suitable investigations for further clarification with your CF doctor in charge.
Yours sincerely,
TO Hirche

26.05.2009