Why do I get so dizzy? Low blood sugar?

I think I have low blood sugar. I have a history of dizzyness and once I even passed out when i stood up in the morning. Sometimes I get out of bed and almost fall over on my way to the bathroom. I have to stop and close my eyes and lean on something for a few seconds till I can walk again.
More recently, like within the past month, I've been dizzy during the day. Once I felt dizzy all evening and into the night. I woke up in the middle of the night laying in bed dizzy.

Recently at school we did blood sugar tests on each other and mine was 54! That was at about 11:00 AM and I had had a slim fast at about 7:30 AM.

If anyone has low blood sugar and knows how to deal with it, please give me some tips. I know I can probably regulate it with my diet, I'm just not sure what I need to avoid. I eat fairly healthy, I eat all bran for breakfast or low sugar oatmeal usually. Any educated tips would be helpful. Thanks!

Wow ... 54 is low. Maybe there was something wrong with the meter or strips ... ? Or maybe the person taking your sugar did not do it correctly. Normal people do not usually get that low. And it's not really a symptom of diabetes ... diabetics that get low usually do so because they're taking insulin that makes them low.

Is it just dizziness, or do you have other symptoms? I get hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) ... and I get a whole bunch of other symptoms before I get dizzy. I'll start to shake first and feel hot and cold, and I'll get really crabby. Then I'll start to shake. It's really a unique feeling that you don't easily forget.
But I rarely make it to the dizzy stage.

Don't hesitate to see a doctor (an internist) on this. This condition needs to be evaluated without delay.

Your sugar is definately low at 54. Did you re-do the test? My husband is diabetic & if he gets an off the chart (either way high or way low) he re-tests to make sure. The meters can mess up occasionally. If you are diabetic you need to see a doctor to get on meds & learn how to eat. Usually something sweet will bring it up but you don't want to do anything like that without knowing if you are diabetic.
You could also be anemic- I can always tell when my iron count is low (anemia) by the dizzyness. Seeing stars when I get up quickly etc.
Diabetics should avoid processed foods, white flour, sugar, potatoes (most white foods). Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store. Fruits/veggies/lean meats/whole grains etc.

Low blood sugar, should be called "high insulin."
Your body is making too much insulin!

Eat protein 5-6 times a day. It will level out the sugar. Stay away from sugar and sugar products, white pasta, white rice, white bread, white flour. It all turns into sugar fast...your sugar goes up high, then will "crash" low.

Protein: eggs, meat, fish, cheese, almonds, cottage cheese

Stress will mess with your sugar really bad.

You can get a 5-6 hour sugar test from your Dr. It will show the true level of your blood sugar.

always havce a candy or chocolate in ur pocket.
beware my friend low blood sugar is much more bad that high blood sugar and can lead to coma and in bad cases death.
so have a high sugar meals.

In addition to what LeeA says, do be very careful of the Carbohydrates you eat. All of them.

I recommend you check out Atkins phase 2 or South Beach Living phase 2 food plans. Zone Diet by Dr. Sears is also a good plan.

These are NOT high protein or high fat food plans, rather sufficient protein, fat and carbohydrate plans.

My sis, lifelong Hypoglycemic and school bus driver, never eats ANY pasta, rices, breads, potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, dried beans or other grains like oatmeal, and rarely has milk or other milk products like yogurt and cottage cheese. She simply cannot afford the "dizzies" while driving her "kids" around the countryside.

bacon or sausage and eggs for breakfast will help keep your glucose level for a lot longer than oatmeal or "slim fast". Have an apple, cheeses, nuts, etc for inbetween meal snacks. Yes, you need snacks to keep the levels even.
Salads and a 3 or 4 ounce serving of meat - beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish; are good for lunch with real salad dressing on the salad instead of those nasty vinegary low fat things. Just a little makes all the difference in the world.

Yes, you can have treats once in a while, just be careful how much you have and how often. Do not drive after having one of these treats.

You are probably one of the skinny, hyperactive persons who percieves she is fat. Well, don't worry about that. Just get about 30 to 45 minutes good exercise a couple times every day. It will take care of itself!!

Yes, you need to see the doctor, for definitive diagnosis if you can find a doctor who knows anything about Hyperglycemia. Most have no clue and will just call you a "dizzy redhead" or some such other nasty thing.

The only known treatment right now is DIET or food plan to control this. It will become a lifestyle!!

good luck, hon!

I dont know about the other dizziness but the times you get dizzy after getting out of bed is probably your blood pressure dropping it happens to me all the time when i get out of bed in the morning or sometimes after i get up from sitting.

This actually sounds more like low blood pressure to me. A BS of 54 is low, but you hadn't eaten for 4 hours, and had a low calorie shake. It could've been as simple as that. I think you should evaluate with a doctor to be sure you're not hypoglycemic (you could have BS issues w/o necessarily being diabetic), but I wouldn't be terribly alarmed about diabetes with just these symptoms. At your age, you should rotate a meal and light snacks every 2-3 hours anyway.

could be hypoglecimic...me too! Basically you need to eat something every 2-3 hours. Three meals a day with a snack in between works well. If your hypoglecimic, then eatting sugary foods will make your blood sugar fall faster, so try eatting foods heavy in protein and carbs. Also eat a snack before bed.