How do I know if I have hypoglycemia? I was recently diagnosed with diabetics type II but after reading up on the subject it sounds like I could be also hypoglycemia. I get really tired and a headache if I go for long periods without food. Is there also a test for this or do they go by symptoms?

The reason for your tiredness and headaches are caused by going too long without eating. I eat three smaller meals a day with snacks in between. You should also watch your carbohydrates, be sure to look on the sides of food containers when you shop, try to keep them as close to 15 carbs as possible. By the way I have type 2 as I told you once before on another posting

Are you on oral medications for your diabetes? If so, you may be having what are called "hypoglycemic episodes". This is NOT the same thing as having hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemic episodes occur in diabetics who either take too much insulin or don't eat enough to cover the insulin they're taking. Occasionally, an increased level of exercise can cause it, too. Some oral medications work by causing your pancreas to produce more insulin, or causing your muscles to be more sensitive to insulin. If you don't eat for a long period of time, your body has too much insulin circulating and not enough blood glucose to work on, and you have a hypoglycemic episode.

On the other hand, hypoglycemia occurs in people who have an overactive pancreas. Their bodies constantly produce too much insulin, and they need to eat frequent small meals, preferably with a high protein/low carbohydrate content.

If you were diagnosed as diabetic, it's unlikely that you have hypoglycemia. More likely you are having hypoglycemic episodes.

If you're diabetic then you should be testing your blood sugar levels. Are you testing them when you think it's low? It's probably not true hypoglycemia but, as the other poster stated, an episode caused by your meds and not enough food.

This past weekend I got out of the shower and was shaking so bad I couldn't even tie my robe. I knew my sugar had to be low and was trying to make my way down stairs to grab a graham cracker when my legs buckled and I fell on the stairs and injured my back. This was the first time I had this happen to me and now I will try to have some hard candy or something in every room and in my purse (I checked my sugar after I fell and it was 64!). This happened to my mom a year ago and she passed out, fell down, shattered her ankle bone and ended up in the hospital for 9 months because she developed a staph infection after surgery. My point is that having your sugar drop can be very dangerous and you need to tell your doctor about it right away.....he/she may have to adjust your meds.