An interesting conversation...

[Mark T]

One of my colleagues was mentioning that he wasn't feeling well today, so he had grabbed some sugary food from our canteen but it hadn't helped at all.

We were then discussing various things before he mentioned that he suffered from hypoglycemia - whoa! wait what?

It seems that he does occasionally get into the situation where it seems he eats something and then he goes hypo (reactive hypoglycemia). He has had it a while but it gets bad enough to knock him unconscious!

Apparently his mother is on low does diabetes drugs but isn't actually diabetic. He is overweight (I wouldn't say obese), but he is in his early 20's!

He doesn't actually want to go see a Dr since he doesn't want to find that he is diabetic because he thinks he will have to cut out lots of food that he likes. Although apparently one of his friends was in for a GTT today!

I think I need to work on him a bit as he does drive, although I'm not sure how a non-diabetic who gets hypo's fits into the DVLA model (but I suspect he needs to do something because it's not going to be safe)

 

[Northerner]

Sounds like he really does need to see his doctor to find out what is happening and get appropriate treatment - reactive hypos can be a sign that his pancreas is struggling. Ignoring it can lay him open to some far more drastic problems than having to adjust his diet, as we all know

 

[Doc_Brown]

I once worked with someone who said she had occasional hypoglycaemia, but wasn't diabetic. It sounds as though your friend does need to get himself checked out, though.

 

[Mark T]

Having poked around a little I see it's due to gastric dumping syndrome - and I suspect it has been diagnosed by a doctor.

Although apparently the recommended treatment is to low carb! So no, he wouldn't like that.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

He doesn't actually want to go see a Dr since he doesn't want to find that he is diabetic because he thinks he will have to cut out lots of food that he likes. Although apparently one of his friends was in for a GTT today!

I remember that feeling from before diagnosis - but these days it just makes me shake my head in bemusement.

Somehow the feeling that because you have not been 'officially' told, the problem doesn't apply, and that you can carry on as normal (while causing the damage to yourself in the meantime!)