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I am hoping someone with knowledge about diabetes or other metabolic dysfunctions can shed some insight on this:

I have occasionally noticed my urine smelling very sweet, only in maybe the past month. I didn't think anything of it. Last night I over ate on chocolate, today my urine smells super sweet. So, I decide maybe I should google this and see if there's something I need to know about. Lo and behold, this appears to be a sign of diabetes.

Background info: Have been eating paleo/primal for one year. I eat fatty meat, lean meat and every thing in between, dairy, eggs and potatoes or sweet potatoes almost every day. I'll eat a little dark chocolate and honey occasionally. 5'3 106 lbs. Before paleo I got tired/crabby/murderous if I didn't eat every three hours. I ate tons of carbs and sugar. Low blood pressure and easily got lightheaded when standing up.

Is it possible to exhibit symptoms of diabetes, like glucose showing up in urine, without actually having diabetes?

When you eat very little sugar, does it consequently increase your sensitivity to sugar which can also manifest as diabetes symptoms?

I know I need to go to the doctor if this continues, but financially it's impossible right now. In the meantime any insight is much appreciated. I know almost nothing about diabetes, I never thought it was something I needed to worry about. Thanks.

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When you limit your carb/sugar intake to a low or VLC and then have a large amount of sugar you're definitely going to have a blood sugar spike and sugar rush that will make you feel ill. See paleo solution podcast: robbwolf.com/2010/11/16/… – JakeA Feb 4 2011 at 20:02
I know that's not the true answer to the question but I thought it was somewhat relevant. – JakeA Feb 4 2011 at 20:03
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Sweet-smelling and containing sugar are two different things. It may seem gross, but if you suspect something, taste your urine (hey it is sterile). This is how a friend of mine determined that her baby was diabetic. – UncleLongHair Mar 17 2012 at 17:19

20 Answers

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If you are eating paleo with limited carbs and are feeling fine...which means you are not spiking your blood glucose and thus not causing your pancreas to secret insulin to control a spike in blood sugar...you should be fine. Normal fasting blood sugar is 95-100. Just know that the only way to determine a diabetic situation is to measure your 12 hr fasting blood sugar. You can do that with a glucose meter at home. Walmart, Walgreens has them for less than $20. The strips are about 50 cents each for a reading.

There are a lot of type II diabetics that have been able to control their blood sugar with the paleo diet...all without any meds.

Periodically my urine smells "sweet" and I have no idea why. It seems to vary with the few veggies I eat.

Paleo eaters tend not to drink enough water because they eat to satiety and then forget to drink water. A good rule of thumb is drink your weight in ounces of water divided by two. For you at 106 thats a little over 50 oz. I tend to go over by 25% in my water consumption from the rule of thumb.

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My pee smelled sweat when I was diagnosed. Blood sugar was a 700. Your before stats would indicate yes but your after stats would indicate no. Although its interesting that you crave chocolate and honey almost daily. Sometimes trying to self dianose online isn't the best thing. I was sick years ago and after going to web md I was convinced it was something serious. I avoided the doc for monthes. After going for some blood work, it turned out to be nothing much and easily cured. My advice is GO GET CHECKED OUT.

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I have type II diabetes and have never had sweet smelling urine. As well as buying a glucose monitor, glucostix are very cheap & measure any glucose which "spills" over into the urine.

In the UK it's less than £5.00 for a tub.

Historically, diabetes used to be diagnosed by tasting urine (sweet urine), so I can understand your concern.

It's true that certain foods can make urine smell different(asparagus!!!).

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Thanks for pointing out that sweet TASTING urine was used to diagnose diabetes. I knew there was something about "urine" and "sweet"; but "smell" did not ring a bell - given how many thing can affect the smell of urine. – terrence Feb 4 2011 at 22:26
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Yes, that's my recollection as well, tasting and not smelling. – James Feb 4 2011 at 23:15
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Smell your urine, drink it , taste it...shoot it thru a water gun. BUT test your BS fasting in the morning and more importantly test 1 hour, 2 hour 3 hour afer meals. Meters are cheap and you can buy A1c meters now too. Normal fasting is 83 (according to Dr. Bernstein) and it should not budge above the 120-130 mark after meals. It would be interesting to see the results when you smell sweet and when you don't. Please post here the results. You can stop Diabetes in its tracks if you get a handle on testing and Paleo/low carb it now. If you still smell sweet at normal BS, lets analyze your urine and come up with a new perfume. Ambergris (Ambra grisea, Ambre gris, ambergrease, or grey amber) is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of and regurgitated by sperm whales. It is used as a fixative in perfumes. We may have a new Chanel here!

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they have been doing low carb for a year how come it didn't work? – cliff Mar 17 2012 at 13:02
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Cliff, first of all, there's no indication the OP was doing low carb for a year, since they're eating potatoes and such daily. Second, there's no indication of anything working or not working. Your hatred of low carb verges on maniacal, to the point where you'll try to indict it even when the discussion is neither about low-carb nor a diagnosed disorder. – Rose Mar 17 2012 at 14:34
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Sugar in the urine is one sign of diabeties. But it is not a diagnosis by itself. And the smell of sweetness only may or may not be directly related to actual sugar in the urine. To really know if you have diabetes, you need to know what is happening with the sugar levels in your blood. A lot of things can effect urine including what kinds of foods you eat, how you digest them, etc. It could have nothing to do with diabetes. YOu just don't have enough info to make much of a determination either way.

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Buy a blood glucose monitor from your local drug store and check and record your numbers for a few days. It is the only way to know. The wonderful Dr. Bernstein recommends only the Aviva Accu Chek.

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I'm a type II, so I have always read up on any article concerning this "disease". I recall reading somewhere on the net that in olden days one of the actual tests, if not the main test, was to actually taste the urine, and as you say, if it tasted sweet, this was a definite sign of having too much glucose in the blood.

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I'm not very versed in diabetes, but it doesn't look like you would be a strong candidate. Could it be something else? This will probably sound crazy, but when I eat broccoli my urine smells like cheerios in milk the next day.

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My husband is diabetic but I've never noticed his urine smelling sweet. I honestly never thought about it, my urine sometimes smells strong but that's usually like when I first wake up or if I haven't been drinking enough water. Does diabetes run in your family? I seriously believe that to be the strongest marker for people. My husband has it on both sides of his family. Personally, I've got no diabetes in my family and while I'm paleo now I've put away tons of sugar & processed carbs over the years. I am over weight but losing it and my blood glucose is just fine. I have my husband check it for me periodically just to make sure. I think Dale is on to something though, it may have to do with what you've eaten too.

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This seems highly unlikely, given the information you have provided. Blood glucose testing devices are cheap though if you want to go that route.

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I get the "sweet pee" smell too, occasionally. I just figured I was in ketosis.

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I get "sweet pee" sometimes too. I'll tell you one thing though, asparagus really magnifies the smell.

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I just stumbled across this question online while googling for information. I just went pee and my urine smelled sweet... like Kelogg's Smacks used to do to me. Im not sure what would cause it. If it doesn't go away I'm gunna get a glucose meter and test away.

Edited to add: I just found this: Linky TL;DR Person has 85-105 BS levels, but sweet smelling urine. Urologist says excess ketone bodies can cause sweet smelling urine. Is it possible that this is being caused by ketosis? I've been eating fairly low carb recently (haven't been tracking it though.) Had some frozen yogurt with the wife last night, which I'd expect to kill any ketosis that I may have been under though. Any thoughts?

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If your low carb(especially VLC) your body is basically in a diabetic state. – cliff Mar 17 2012 at 13:07
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Fennel seeds will give your urine a sweet, almost syrupy smell. Had Indian recently?

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Negative. Last 24hrs meals are: 1/2 lb GF ground beef with garlic and chili powder and a side of yellow squash cooked in butter (dinner) Small portion of frozen yogurt (desert) Omelette with ham, bacon, jalapenos, bell beppers, onions, olives, and cheese chased with coffee with heavy cream (breakfast) Urine this am when I woke up was not sweet. 1 hour after breakfast, smelled like sugarbombs. – TomInTexas Jul 1 2011 at 16:54
I am no expert on ketosis but this sample of your diet sounds like you could definitely be in ketosis even with the frozen yogurt. – Hannah Mar 17 2012 at 17:04
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yes my boy friend is diabetic type 1 and his urine was sweet

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I looked this up tonight because my urine is smelling very sweet. I have been eating fennel seeds for gas as suggested by Dr. Oz. I guess that could be why. Thank you for that post about fennel seeds.

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Isn't diabetes caused by excess carbohydrates? There are qualified scientists, who say it is. Just Google 'carbohydrates' & 'diabetes', there are lots who believe this.

Another thing, in diabetes, so much attention has been given to the 'insulin' factor, that the other factor 'glucagon' has been ignored. I've read in a medical text that 'an overproduction of glucagon' can be a symptom or cause of diabetes juswt as a deficiency of 'insulin' is.

Why is there such a lack of research and an under-reporting on glucagon anyway ?

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Low carb creates insulin sensitivity idiot the opposite of insulin resistance.

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So you eat all kinds of meat and fatty meat, dairy, eggs, chocolate, honey and potatoes and yams? NO fiber? No vegetables or fruit or grains?

I wouldnt be worried about how your pee smells I would worry about your arteries clogging. BUt I am not a doctor, I just play one On The Internet.

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Potatoes and yams are a vegetable, dood. – Mscott Nov 16 at 4:00
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Eating Low carb essentially makes you diabetic. You up-regulate free fatty acids which block glucose from entering the cell(this is diabetes). This is common knowledge in the low carb world.

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Ridiculous. Defining diabetes this way is like saying that because someone who doesn't drink often gets drunk more easily, abstinence causes alcoholism. – Rose Mar 17 2012 at 14:27
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"Type 2 diabetes: results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus . Whats the difference between this and what happens on low carb aka physiological insulin resistance. – cliff Mar 17 2012 at 16:54
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Your comparison doesn't make sense, maybe if we needed alcohol and abstaining from alcohol decreased your ability to use alcohol. – cliff Mar 17 2012 at 16:57
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All the people who downvoted me need to go check out a physiology textbook. – cliff Mar 17 2012 at 20:41
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What's silly? That not being able to pass a glucose tolerance test equals diabetes? Who cares if they can eat carbs and eventually go out of it. If you can't pass a glucose tolerance test you have diabetes. – cliff Mar 18 2012 at 18:50
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