What Causes Severe Numbness In Limbs And Torso After Meals And No Exercise?

Posted on Mon, 14 Mar 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 Answered on

Fri, 20 May 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I am a 155 pound, 6 foot tall, 24 year old White male. Whenever I have a day where I don't exercise and eat more than a few hundred calories in high glycemic index foods I am guaranteed to experience severe numbness in my extremities, and my torso especially after a nap. Is this a very worrisome sign of a serious problem like diabetes or is it perfectly normal to experience this "sugar hangover" so to speak from time to time?

Answered by Kathy Shattler (37 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Welcome to HCM. I have reviewed your concern

Detailed Answer:
Sir, this is not a normal experience. If you were my patient, I would send you in for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) which will tell the doctor/clinician your responses to a regulated dose of sugar.

The tingling sounds like neuropathy and definitely needs to be assessed by a doctor as to its cause and possible preventive/treatment modalities. If left untreated, it may become permanent and untreatable.

This is not something that should be ignored, is not normal and I highly recommend you follow-up with your doctor for some testing.

I sincerely hope I have pointed you in the right direction. Yours in Good Health, Kathy Shattler

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad