# SO gets shakes and feels faint - what's up doc? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2005, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235 "2005-01-23T09:52:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/1 "2005-01-23T09:52:05Z")
My wife has suddenly felt queasy and a bit shaky a couple of times in the last week. It seems that a sugar hit helps but it could be that it just goes away after a few minutes by itself. She has been known to faint or feel faint when in stuffy environments or in queues in the sun. She’s not overweight nor underweight for her height - about 1.8m and 60kg-ish. We eat healthily and don’t drink much and get moderate amounts of exercise. What could it be? ---
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/2 "2005-01-23T10:40:33Z")
diabietes probably? withdraws? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/3 "2005-01-23T10:49:59Z")
> [@flapcats](#): > > My wife has suddenly felt queasy and a bit shaky a couple of times in the last week. That’s how I feel when I have low blood sugar. I, too, think it sounds like diabetes, or it could be a related disorder. Have her see a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![flapcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@flapcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flapcats)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/4 "2005-01-28T16:05:37Z")
Anyone else have any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/5 "2005-01-28T16:09:05Z")
Although you can get access to lots of knowledge here, medical stuff **must** be done through a doctor. For one thing, they can see the patient! ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/6 "2005-01-28T16:19:55Z")
> [@flapcats](#): > > Anyone else have any suggestions? A pregnancy test? ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/7 "2005-01-28T16:26:19Z")
My suggestion: listen to **glee**. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/8 "2005-01-28T16:36:39Z")
Why not see a doctor? It could be neurological, it could be diabetes, it could be lot’s of things… Definitely see a doc. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/9 "2005-01-28T17:33:51Z")
See a doctor - when something similar happened to me I thought it was my blood sugar, as my father is diabetic, but instead it was my iron. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/10 "2005-01-28T19:50:46Z")
I vote for either Diabetes/Hpoglycemia/something w/ blood sugar, or a more generalized deficiency like iron/anemia. ---
**Author:** ![sweetfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@sweetfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweetfreak)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/11 "2005-01-28T19:57:04Z")
> [@flapcats](#): > > My wife has suddenly felt queasy and a bit shaky a couple of times in the last week. > It seems that a sugar hit helps but it could be that it just goes away after a few minutes by itself. She has been known to faint or feel faint when in stuffy environments or in queues in the sun. > What could it be? I recommend seeing a doctor as well, but has she been under a lot of stress lately? They could be panic attacks. The only reason I thought of that is because she has been known to feel faint in specific situations as you mentioned above. I have had panic attacks myself, with very similar symptoms to what you described. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/12 "2005-01-28T20:21:43Z")
Go see a doctor. That said: my first thought was that she’s pregnant, and so might be anemic. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/13 "2005-01-28T21:55:58Z")
Sounds like Hypoglycemia, but it can be controlled by diet. She should see a doctor immediately. See the following link about Hypoglycemia: [http://www.fred.net/slowup/hypotret.html](http://www.fred.net/slowup/hypotret.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/14 "2005-01-28T23:02:40Z")
Could be simple dehydration, as well. My daughter has bouts like this and has passed out, ending up in a hospital on IV. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/15 "2005-01-28T23:13:15Z")
Given the minimal medical info shared, I can come up with at least ten widely variant possible diagnoses for the things you describe. And it’s not worth pursuing any of them here, as there’s too much uncertainty. What might help one condition would harm another. The important thing is getting her to see a real live doctor in person. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-gets-shakes-and-feels-faint-whats-up-doc/286235/16 "2005-01-29T04:34:59Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > The important thing is getting her to see a real live doctor in person. > > QtM, MD If you won’t take a real doctor’s advice, then what’s left to say? Closed. **samclem** GQ moderator