Hello! I am confused - weird symptoms!

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Wmay1965 said:
Yesterday the incident in the car when I passed out momentarily was right after a white bread panini and minute steak with red pepper and tiny bit of cheese.
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Can you be more precise about the timing? Are we talking half an hour or an hour or an hour and a half or more?
I would say that a panini with steak and cheese was no more likely to cause RH than a couple of slices of toast or a bowl of breakfast cereal and in a lot of respects less likely as the protein and fat in the steak and cheese should slow the carbs down, so I am not convinced that it caused RH and unfortunately I would not trust the readings that your Sinocare meter is giving you. The Spirit Healthcare Tee2 or the GlucoNavii are the two reliable low cost meters that people most frequently recommend here on the forum but there have been occasional negative posts about the Sinocare so I would be wary of that one.
 
What I would say is that if you are overweight then losing some of it and increasing your activity levels (doesn't need to be overly exertive... a brisk walk is ideal if you are able), may well help with the sleep apnea or other breathing issues, insulin disregulation causing possible abnormal BG fluctuation and reduce blood pressure. Many people here have found that a low carb way of eating has helped them to lose weight when the traditional low calorie/low fat diets have failed and if these episodes are linked to Blood Glucose, a low carb way of eating will help with that too, so in some respects, you can probably take control of your own health by making changes to your lifestyle now. I say this because since I changed my diet to low carb and increased my walking, my BG levels are more stable, I stopped having migraines which I had suffered for more than 20 years (literally stopped overnight), and I no longer need my asthma inhaler plus my joints give me much less pain as a result of the dietary changes and more exercise. On top of that my cravings for sweet stuff (I was a sugar addict and chocoholic) and love of bread and potatoes has dramatically diminished, so there have been a huge number of health benefits. I am not saying it was easy, but it has become my new way of eating for life and I have discovered new tasty foods to replace the carbs and I rarely feel hungry these days even though I eat less than I did. The doctor can prescribe you medication but it often comes with side effects. Changing your diet and lifestyle will come with lots of positive side effects like losing weight and increased confidence as well as potentially improving some of these health issues you mention.

I am not saying don't get checked out after that scary incident, but just for you to be aware that far more can be achieved through lifestyle changes than I ever would have imagined and that it can be more powerful than medication in a lot of cases, but it sadly took a diabetes diagnosis for me to pull my socks up and change. Our current western diet is not doing us any favours. We are exposed to high carb highly processed foods wherever we look and they are incredibly tempting, so it isn't easy to change, but perhaps you can channel this fear of what happened yesterday into determination to do something about it. If I can change, I feel that anyone can and I now know that, to a large extent, my health is in my hands.

If your HbA1c had been high and you had been diagnosed with diabetes then you would have needed to make dietary changes anyway and if it is RH then you need to make dietary changes to manage it, so why not make those changes anyway and start walking and hopefully start reaping the benefits of better health. Perhaps your husband would join you for moral support?
 
I was a first aider at work and I had a student who was having symptoms similar to what you describe, you could be talking to her and then bang she was out like a light, sometimes for a few seconds, sometimes a long time. We were constantly calling the paramedics. The only thing that was found was her potassium levels were very low.
I'm not saying it is this but might be worth asking to have your potassium checked as it may not have been included in the tests that were done.
 
Within about 5-10 minutes
rebrascora said:
Can you be more precise about the timing? Are we talking half an hour or an hour or an hour and a half or more?
I would say that a panini with steak and cheese was no more likely to cause RH than a couple of slices of toast or a bowl of breakfast cereal and in a lot of respects less likely as the protein and fat in the steak and cheese should slow the carbs down, so I am not convinced that it caused RH and unfortunately I would not trust the readings that your Sinocare meter is giving you. The Spirit Healthcare Tee2 or the GlucoNavii are the two reliable low cost meters that people most frequently recommend here on the forum but there have been occasional negative posts about the Sinocare so I would be wary of that one.
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nonethewiser said:
Are you sure about that, sure max waiting time for referrals is 18 weeks.
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That's wwhat my nurse told me. I received a letter from the clinic one month after being referred saying long wait, and that if I didn't accept their first appointment, I could be offered one elsewhere in Scotland and if I didn't accept that is go to the bottom of pc the waiting list again. I have not heard from the clinic since.
 
nonethewiser said:
Are you sure about that, sure max waiting time for referrals is 18 weeks.
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I can only go by what I have experienced and been told by my nurse just over a week ago when I was getting bloods taken for testing (see above).

I received a letter from the clinic in November last year saying long wait (didn't say how long), and that if I couldn't make the appointment when they send it out, I could be offered an alternative appointment outwith my shire. If I couldn't attend that, I'd be put to the bottom of the queue and have to start all over. I read it with my own eyes and actually thought it was a bit harsh, but I guess they are fed up with people either not attending appointments or turning them down.
 
Wmay1965 said:
Within about 5-10 minutes
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Definitely not Reactive Hypoglycaemia then and if your breakfast was 5 hours before that then it wasn't related to breakfast either.
 
Wmay1965 said:
I can only go by what I have experienced and been told by my nurse just over a week ago when I was getting bloods taken for testing (see above).

I received a letter from the clinic in November last year saying long wait (didn't say how long), and that if I couldn't make the appointment when they send it out, I could be offered an alternative appointment outwith my shire. If I couldn't attend that, I'd be put to the bottom of the queue and have to start all over. I read it with my own eyes and actually thought it was a bit harsh, but I guess they are fed up with people either not attending appointments or turning them down.
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It looks as if the referral waiting times are different in Scotland if the wait is that long.
 
Wmay1965 said:
That's wwhat my nurse told me. I received a letter from the clinic one month after being referred saying long wait, and that if I didn't accept their first appointment, I could be offered one elsewhere in Scotland and if I didn't accept that is go to the bottom of pc the waiting list again. I have not heard from the clinic since.
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Right, 18 week time limit refers to England, not sure how it works over border.

I myself, probably like many others have gone outside home region to be seen sooner or to get more specialist care, something to consider perhaps.
 
nonethewiser said:
Are you sure about that, sure max waiting time for referrals is 18 weeks.
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Waiting lists are crazy at the moment. I’ve been on a waiting list for a referral for 18 months and heard nothing yet.
 
nonethewiser said:
Right, 18 week time limit refers to England, not sure how it works over border.

I myself, probably like many others have gone outside home region to be seen sooner or to get more specialist care, something to consider perhaps.
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Thinking of going private if I don't get answers from my ECG later this week. I had an ECG in November last year and it was normal.
 
Wmay1965 said:
Thinking of going private if I don't get answers from my ECG later this week. I had an ECG in November last year and it was normal.
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It is often worth going private as it can get you a more prompt entry into the NHS system.
If I hadn't done that 40years ago with a gynae issue I probably wouldn't be here now. The consultant got me on his NHS list for surgery within weeks whereas the wait to see him initially through the NHS was 4-6 months.
 
Wmay1965 said:
Thinking of going private if I don't get answers from my ECG later this week. I had an ECG in November last year and it was normal.
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Was it a brief ECG - ie a few minutes, or was it a 24 hr one (or longer)? Sometimes issues only show up on a longer ECG for which you have a special monitor that allows you to get on with your normal life while it records.
 
My OH has reactive hypoglycaemia, now well-managed, but it did usually take a while after eating for him to hypo, so it doesn't really sound like that. I looked at the really good article on Wikipedia about RH to see if there was anything helpful for you, and there was a link to this article about other causes of hypos - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia - if you scroll down past the bits about hypos in insulin-using diabetics to the bit headed Non-diabetics you could see if any of the other things might be possible. If there isn't one which is obvious to you (eg a side effect of meds you're taking), some of them are very serious medical conditions, so your GP should be taking you seriously and doing any relevant tests asap. I hope you get some answers soon.
 
Inka said:
Was it a brief ECG - ie a few minutes, or was it a 24 hr one (or longer)? Sometimes issues only show up on a longer ECG for which you have a special monitor that allows you to get on with your normal life while it records.
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Brief. Same on Thursday. I think its a waste of time to be honest. They need to record what I've experienced actually happening. It may not happen whilst I'm there.
 
TheClockworkDodo said:
My OH has reactive hypoglycaemia, now well-managed, but it did usually take a while after eating for him to hypo, so it doesn't really sound like that. I looked at the really good article on Wikipedia about RH to see if there was anything helpful for you, and there was a link to this article about other causes of hypos - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia - if you scroll down past the bits about hypos in insulin-using diabetics to the bit headed Non-diabetics you could see if any of the other things might be possible. If there isn't one which is obvious to you (eg a side effect of meds you're taking), some of them are very serious medical conditions, so your GP should be taking you seriously and doing any relevant tests asap. I hope you get some answers soon.
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Thank you for this info. I feel I am not being taken seriously. So far I've pushed for tests. They have not been forthcoming. It's a sad day when we have to fight for care and to be listened to. I think once we get to a certain age or weight, we are written off. So far I feel I'm doing all the medical professionals leg work and research for them! Shouldn't be the case. But when constantly being told "we don't know what's wrong" and everything is "satisfactory" I feel I have to try and find out myself what's happening to me.

And what does "satisfactory" mean? What are they measuring me against? They don't explain the results. I'm so frustrated. Was in tears yesterday speaking to my GP. Feel they are not taking me seriously at all. Something is not right. I know because I'm living it. I wish they would take me seriously and "listen" to what I'm explaining to them. I shouldn't have to come to a forum for help and advice. I and we for the most part haven't spent years studying ailments and medicine. It's not right. But thank goodness people like yourself are helpful and do listen! Thank you.
 
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Thank you everyone who responded to my post. It means so much that you are actually listening. I have read and looked up all your responses. Some are scary and I'm hoping they do not apply, but it is necessary to know all the 'could be's' to consider going forward. I have an ECG on Thursday. What good a 5-10 minute test will do I have no idea. This will be my 2nd in 6 months. Unless what I've explained actually happens during the test, I fear I am back to square one and will be passed over as 'everything's satisfactory' yet again. If I continue to have these 'episodes' I will continue to dig my heels in. Thank you all so much. I appreciate everyone's response.
 
Wmay1965 said:
Brief. Same on Thursday. I think its a waste of time to be honest. They need to record what I've experienced actually happening. It may not happen whilst I'm there.
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I agree. Perhaps you could ask about the possibility of a longer test? Some GP surgeries have the extended test monitors. It’s definitely worth asking.

You could also ask about an extended blood pressure test. If you did have both or either of those extended tests, you could make sure you’re in a safe place and accompanied, and then eat to try to provoke an episode. That way they could check if your heart or blood pressure is involved. Even if they’re not, at least those things would be ruled out.

I would also want an explanation about the shaking leg symptom you got. If your husband is able to write a brief description of what he saw that might help, eg if you stopped talking, started shaking, head fell forward, etc etc. Writing what happened in order with some timings can be helpful in pinning down possible causes.
 
If you have a phone that can take a video of the 'episode' then you could show them that or even a still picture it might help.
Some GP do have monitors which they can fit you up with and it will record for several days.
It sounds a bit similar to a TIA (transient ischemic attack) but that would normally last longer.
One option when it happens is to call 999.
 
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