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Avatar universal

Could this be diabetes?

I am 42 and weight 314lbs.  I woke up approximately, 2 weeks ago to a sweet smell coming from my pores.  I wasn't having any major night sweats.  Just turned on the heat for the first time and it got a little hot.  I was a little concerned when I started smelling the sweet fruity smell again on my breath.  I immediately went to the pharmacy and bought a blood glucose test.  I tested myself at 9:15PM and it read 81mg.  I wasn't satisfied because I read on the web that it is a sympton of untreated diabetes.  I tested again and it read 86mg.  I felt a little better.  I woke up the next morning and tested again and it read 88mg.  For what I read, these readings are normal.  I called the doctor to make an appt but it is not until Dec. 1, 2008.  Could there be any other reason for this smell?  I have no other symptons (dry mouth, thirst, fatigue, hunger, loss of weight, excessive urination).  I have continued to check my blood glucose but it is always under 100 no matter what time of day I check.  The last time I stuck my finger, I got a lot of blood so like most people, I pop my finger in my mouth to stop the bleeding.  The blood was sweet.  So I am really concerned.  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for posting back. And good to read that you went to ER. You still need to see your PCP and get a full checkup with blood labs for a clean bill-of-health. I'm a little concerned about the 92 glucose reading. Did you eat 2-4 hours before going to ER? If this was done after fasting, no food or colored liquids 8-12 hrs prior, 92 mg/dl is considered normal. If the former, test again.

I Google'd "sweet breath odor" (w/o the quotes) http://tinyurl.com/5h7ntq and rvd 299,00 hits, and "fruity breath" http://tinyurl.com/57arl5 . Read up on it to insure you're getting all the right tests performed.
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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for the information.  I went to the emergency room and had all types of tests done.  I am not diabetic, as the reading was 92 at the hospital (finger test).  They also drew blood to check on my kidneys and that came back as normal.  There were a few tests ran but the result won't come back for a few days.   I will keep you posted.

Again, thank you for your post!
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Avatar universal
Did you read the meters owners manual carefully? It will inform you when to test (preprandial and postprandial). Was the meter capable of being calibrated to the test strips used?
Uncalibrated meters will not give accurate results, period.

OK, the following may be alarming and you need to see your doctor asap. Call and see him/her today! A "fruity breath odor" is one of the characteristic symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be fatal within hours or days. This is a very dangerous condition that can lead to coma and death. It is also called "diabetic acidosis", "ketosis", "ketoacidosis" or "diabetic coma".
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