text:
- HubPages»
- Health»
- Diseases, Disorders & Conditions
Hypoglycemia without Diabetes
Hypoglycemia without Diabetes
Is it possible to have hypoglycemia without diabetes? The answer is yes, and it's important to know why. As more and more cases of diabetes pop up, people are trying to diagnose the early warning symptoms of the disease. Just to get the terms straight, hypoglycemia is a state of low blood sugar or glucose, due to an overproduction of insulin or from a poor diet. Hyperglycemia is a state of high blood sugar usually due to low levels of insulin. Diabetes is the persistent medical condition of a body's underproduction of insulin, or of a cell's inability to process the insulin, either of which leads to high levels of blood sugar and dangerous conditions within the body, even death. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are often associated with diabetes because all three conditions have to do with insulin and improper levels of blood sugar. The real difference between the three is that diabetes is a persistent medical condition, whereas hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are states within the body that come and go.
People wondering whether they can have hypoglycemia without having diabetes might be wondering whether or not they can have hyperglycemia without diabetes. We'll address that first before moving on to having hypoglycemia without diabetes. Diabetes causes hyperglycemia because without insulin, the body can't metabolize blood sugar for fuel and energy. The blood sugar builds up in the bloodstream and if it goes unchecked can be very hazardous to person's with diabetes and can even cause death. Certain conditions can cause hyperglycemia without diabetes, but these are rare.
Before you go, make sure you read through the comments section below. The community has left some amazing research, stories, and tips for dealing with hypoglycemia. Nanda especially has done a lot of research that's tremendously useful.
Another great resource is this Hub on Hypoglycemia from Conrad.
Dealing with Reactive Hypoglycemia
Reactive Hypoglycemia is a condition described as recurrent episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia occurring 2–4 hours after a high carbohydrate meal. Unfortunately for the general public, reactive hypoglycemia is a condition that seems to be very often misdiagnosed by doctors. If you read the comments below, you'll see how many people had to figure out for themselves that they had an unnaturally high sensitivity to certain foods that would cause their blood sugar levels to become highly imbalanced. If you think that you have hypoglycemia without diabetes, then you're definitely not alone. Unfortunately, with this sort of condition, it's not always possible to know right off the bat which kinds of foods and habits will throw your body into an episode of hypoglycemia. That's why one of the best things a person can do is to keep a food journal. With a food journal, you can write down what you ate and how it affected your body. Foods and habits that seem to cause a bad reaction in your blood sugar can be documented so that you can try not to duplicate the process. Slowly but surely, you'll be able to discover what kinds of foods and habits lead to stable blood sugar levels.
Glucose Regulation
Changing your eating habits and making sure to eat more nutritionally dense foods is a great step in learning to deal with reactive hypoglycemia. But there are a few other steps that might help along the way as well. One of those is glucose regulation. There are a number of different natural supplements that use herbs, minerals, and other natural ingredients to help the body better balance blood sugar levels. I've done a lot of research to find the best glucose regulation supplement, and the product I've listed below is both cheap and effective. It's also from a very reputable brand, Source Naturals. Clinical trials have shown that Holy Basil can help to stabilize blood sugar levels when supplemented. It's a powerful adaptogenic herb that's used extensively in India and Ayurvedic medicine.
Magnesium Supplements
One thing that many of the commenters have noted is that magnesium can be a very effective tool for calming the body down from a hypoglycemic attack. Magnesium is a powerful relaxer, and since two of the biggest symptoms of hypoglycemia are shaking and anxiety, magnesium supplements can really help. I had never made this connection until a few commenters below informed me that taking magnesium supplements had really helped them. Magnesium is just great in general. It's involved in over 350 processes in the human body and is essential to life. Here's a link to a form of magnesium that's especially calming.
Other Causes of Hypoglycemia without Diabetes
As we discussed in the first section, people are becoming more and more wary of diabetes and the early warning signs of the condition in order to help prevent it before the condition becomes permanent. In order to be able to do that, you need to be able to distinguish between hypoglycemia that comes from diabetes, and hypoglycemia that arises from other factors. Here are some of the other factors that may cause hypoglycemia:
1. Excessive Alcohol Consumption
- You don't need to be a doctor to know that too much alcohol is hazardous to your health. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause hypoglycemia. Why is that? When your body processes sugars and releases them into the bloodstream, some of the sugar is stored as glycogen in your liver and released slowly over time. Because we all know that alcohol heavily affects the liver, and one of those effects is that the liver is inhibited from releasing its stored sugar back into the bloodstream.
2. Some Medications
- Some medications can cause hypoglycemia. Some antidepressants, Quinine, and other things can cause hypoglycemia. Read the labels for side effects.
3. Hormone Imbalance
- Insulin release and production is regulated by hormones. Hormones are produced and regulated by your endocrine system. Your endocrine system, when healthy, is in a state of homeostasis, meaning balance. But a wide variety of things can throw your endocrine system out of balance, causing incorrect hormone production. One of the main causes of endocrine imbalance is steroid use. But there are many other causes.
4. Fasting
- Not eating for extended periods of time can cause hypoglycemia. Blood sugar levels can drop as a response to a lack of food.
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia just makes you feel nasty. Because of the fact that I've fasted before, I know what it feels like to not have enough blood sugar in your body. Everything just feels wrong and tense. Here are a few of the specific symptoms of hypoglycemia:
- Nervousness
- Weakness
- Intense Hunger
- Sweating and Trembling
- Difficulty Concentrating and Speaking
True, it makes you feel very bad. I finally got my little children trained to not ask so many questions when I had an attack, and to give me time to get my bloodsugar back up.
Huh! Wonder if taking Quinine overseas for malaria started my hypogglycemia, which then led to fibromyalgia. Interesting.
My husband, who contracted diabetes from the malaria pill serving in Iraq, (service connected type 1 diabetes) was the first one to notice my symptoms as hypoglycemia and tested me with his blood glucose monitor. His hunch was right, I was 40.. I finally, after much frustration at the medical community, and suffering from the symptoms of hypoglycemia found a doctor who would listen. I had a 5 hr glucose tolerance test, and went from a fasting level of 98 up to 187 then within three hours plummeted to 23!!! My doctor had never come across it before but was more than willing to admit it was reactive hypoglycemia.
Now my frustration is finding ANY information that is accurate on the topic.. Most doctors recommend following a diabetic diet, which is still lacking as far as I am concerned... So those of us who have it and know it, suffer alone...
My doctor only links my episodes to eating the "wrong things", but I can't always see that. I've never known it could be related to the tonic water with quinine I drink every night for leg cramps or my meds. I wish he were willing to explore other possibilities.
After suffering for months an endless testing with no definitive answers and lots of research on my own have figured out I am hypoglycemic and have been trying to get me doctor on the same page. I found that having children can change a woman's body and this does not surprise me as I am also allergic to several medications that I never was before.
Thanks for raising awareness about this serious condition.
I've been diagnosed with reactive Hypoglycemia too. I went from a level of 70 fasting, up to 180, then plummeting to 46. Of course after you crash like that you feel horrible for the rest of the day. Type 1 Diabetes runs rampant in my family, so I guess I'm lucky to be able to deal with my situation without having to take insulin everyday. Still, it is scary when it happens, and it usually comes on very quickly when it does occur. I always have a peanut butter bar or something with me just in case. I'm glad there are other people out there who can relate. When I was diagnosed 5 years ago, I went to see an endocrinologist who basically laughed me out of her office.
I'm 64, was diagnosed 30 years ago by a doctor ahead of his time, with hypoglycemia. My family on both mother and daddy's side is riddled with diabetes. I get the shakes, the weakness, the sadness that goes along with our malady.I keep getting tested for diabetes- always negative. But I still cannot get a doctor to administer to this crazy hypoglycemia. I want to keep looking for an endocrinologist who can help, but hate wasting my time and money. I still work, but supervisors do not understand my having to sit down and eat a snack, then wait til the weak spell passes. DOES ANYONE KNOW AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST who truly understands and can treat REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA? They all think I'm just old and tired, with dimentia!
i went to a doctor for problems ive had since i was a toddler and they did the tests and told me i have hypoglycemia at the age of ten. i was eating normal foods and everything. they sadid it would go away if i did what they said. so i did. i am now 16 and i still have the condition. its difficult to deal with. sometimes il be shaking to the point where i cant even drive. thank you for the information. it helps to know that im not alone with this.
I've had chronic fatigue for over 5 years and was tested for many symptoms. I also am a recovering alcoholice of 5 years. It wasn't until recently, when I had one my spells of trembling and shaking while in my doctors office, that it all clicked- Hypoglycemia. It explained so much. The intense night sweats, weakness and sleepiness, panic symptoms. It's weird because I am on the slim side and exercise. I have to admit my diet is lacking in starches, as I was eating only proteins and fruits and vegetable. What is the best resource for meal planning for someone clueless like myself?
For me, I've noticed hypoglycemic symptoms especially when I've been careless in my eating. If I eat some sweets with my normal diet, and then forget to eat later on, the hypoglycemia can come on quite quickly. I keep a container of glucose tabs in my purse just in case. What I have also noticed, for me, is that if I stick with whole grains and sufficient protein throughout the day, and eating some protein every 3 to 4 hours, then I do not have any episodes at all. For me it is best to avoid white sugar and really limit processed grains (like white four). My body seems to do much better with a planned food plan of whole grains, veggies, some fruits, proteins with all meals, and healthy oils. If I have a hypoglycemic episode, I know it is a red flag for me to be paying better attention to what I am eating, and how long I am going between meals. The worst would be for me to drink a soda and then nothing else...my blood sugar would spike and then plummet. Dietary diligence is what works for me.
@ Brianna - I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia when I was seven years old. That was 40 years ago. I just had to learn not to eat foods that were high in processed sugar because for me that's what brings it on. My doctor ( 40 years ago) prescribed a small glass of orange juice every morning and it works. Hope this helps!
Thinking I might have hypoglycemia without diabetes as well. I have always felt really alone and the doctor said I was just having anxiety attacks. My friends all thought I was turning on them because i would always get really irritable when I hadn't eaten in a while. Thanks for all the usefull info!
The above has really helped, I have been getting worse and worse over the last month or so, I could go six months with maybe one "attack" and it would go away quite quickly after eating, lately I'm suffereing two or three times a week and they are getting worse! My girlfriend always knows when I've not eaten, or not eaten properly! I had the blood test this morning and because I could not eat first thing it has really messed me up, the weak feeling and confusion in the head is terrible, I felt I could not even go home from work for fear of crashing the car. I'm just glad I have read the above, as its really helped knowing I'm not alone.... Thanks guys.
Ive had hypoglycemia my whole life and yes it does suck. I Feel very dizzy all the time and I can get extremely angry when I do not eat something. I also get very shaky and do tend to sweat a lot. I am 18 now, and still having to deal with this, and feel light headed almost all the time. I do try to eat small snacks frequently but I get bored of them really quick. Any suggestions for a quick and easy to make light snack besides a pb&j sandwich?
I am 19 years old and in high school I had an issue with being hypoglycemic. I was told it was nothing I was just hungry until eating didn't help. I started to shake couldn't speak and my vision went blurry. My doctors said I over worked myself but I want a second opinion. I am a nurse so it was easy to learn about it. I now carry glucose tablets to help keep ky sugar up when I feel it dropping.
I am a 66 year old reasonably fit, slender woman. I have had "shakey" spells since earlu childhood. Just about the time I think I have a handle on how to prevent these episodes something else causes me to tip over. I went to the Mayo Clinic several years ago and after 3 weeks of intensive tests, the endocrinologist guru there, shook his head and said they could try some "cobalt tracing tests." I took my "strange and relavely unknown problem" home with no answers. He and his staff did get to watch me go from normal (119 b.s.) to off the charts 19 b.s. in a 10 minute span. They gave me glucagone by IV and I came back up.
I'm still searching for clues or ways to prevent it. It is getting worse as I grow older. My family has a strong history of type 1 diabetes, but no others that go this way.
My daughter was a very brittle type 1 with injects of two types of insulin 3 times a day. She did have occasional episodes of dropping down and I witnessed just such a session. The paramedics said she had zero blood sugar reading and she had a seizure. The glucagon was what saved her because she was unconscious and could not be given the glucose tablets.
Then last July, while in the hospital for treatment of diabetic related troubles, she dropped to zero and even the crash team could not save her. Cause of death was: hypoglycemia. She was 43.
I am going to try the Atkins low carb diet approach to see if it helps me. Do you know about any information about this problem or support groups?
I test about 3 to 9 times per day depending on whether I feel it start to drop but medicare won't pay for the test strips even though I have a doctor's prescription to do that. They only pay for them if you are using insulin.
For those who have been at 30 or 40, you have my sympathy. It is horrible to have a hard time remembering your name or convincing someone how sick you are. Thanks for listening (reading).
Thanks for answering. Yeah I don't drink sodas but when I eat things high in sugar I can't control my shaking. I have been watching my diet lately and found that watching the sugar an carb content really helps. Thanks again :)
Nice article here. I will also like you to enlighten us on what to eat so as not to suffer from hypoglycemia.
I am finding attacks of the sort that cause my feet to be life less. Initially it pains and then numbness covers. This feeling increases with passage of the day and evenings are worse for me. I become bedridden. Fasting Sugar is around 80. Can minor deviations like this indicate of state of hypoglycemia? Improvement in the situation is gradual and takes around 30 days.
My body reacts adversely to minor deviations in harmones. Please suggest if you can, whether I should get treatment for HYPOGLYCEMIA.
To Ajeeta--I have my symptoms posted above and believe me when I say getting treatment for hypoglycemia is like looking for aliens. I have not found a single doctor (even the top notch guru of endrocrinologists at Mayo Clinic that spent 3 weeks of intensive testing on me) can't give me a single clue. I have had this all my life.
I have tried just about every solution known and some I tested on my own. The closest thing we have discovered is I have some "enlarged cells on my pancreas". That was discovered at the Mayo Clinic, but they can't tell me if that is what causes it.
I do know this much--having low blood sugar is a result of too much insulin, so I frequently have an overactive pancreas dumping too much insulin in my system. I have some of the other symptoms you put in your message, foot tingling and numbness and reacting adversely to hormone changes. I am not in any way a medically trained person (I was educated as a geophysist) and all I can tell anyone is how it is with me. On any given day, it will fluctuate and sometimes I hit the low 20's. At that point my partner has been told to give me a shot of glucagone (it is prescribed by my doctor and we keep the one shot dose). Otherwise, it is bad enough, I could lose consciousness and start to seizure as my daughter did before she died with a diagnosis of a hypoglycemic incident.
If you find out something about this stuff, please let me know. I am desperate to find some prevention because it is getting worse as I get older.
I've reead some of the comments posted and it's heartbreaking to see how the medical community still has no clue how to help people like us!
I was diagnosed at age 26 by my doctor during a yearly check-up. I had been getting heart palpitations and that awful jolt to your entire body in the middle of the night. I thought my whole life I was just a viciously cranky person when I didn't eat and that I was prone to being sad/depressed so I didn't mention those symptoms. He did an EKG and said I was ok. When the blood results came back he explained I had hypoglycemia and asked if I had been feeling ok lately? I had felt like hell for a long time and thought I was having a nervous breakdown. So my Dr advised me to eat like a diabetic, no sweets etc. I nearly fainted when he said no more bread and pasta! He didn't go into depth about my possible symptoms so I sstarted to do some online reaseach.
It took about a year to figure out what food helped or made things worse. But for many years I still struggled with the inability to focus and the sadness. My mom then got me a book called "ALTERNATIVE CURES" by BILL GOTTLIEB which had a section on hypoglycemia! I purchased the mineral vitamins he recommends for hypoglycamics and the amino acids he recommends for depression and I felt a difference within two days!
...I just want to let everyone know what stuff to try so they don't have to buy the ALTERNATIVE CURES book..
These are two amino acids (natural proteins) help with the depression that's associated with hypoglycemia:
5HTP (You can buy it at Walgreens,look for buy one get one free sale)
DLPA (I've only found it at Vitamin Shopp)
Take one of each 3x day to start with, preferably between meals or with a lite snack or milk for best absorption, not a big meal. Then after a couple of weeks you can start to taper down to twice a day. You can then go down to once a day. I tried stopping altogether but found that the sadness and inability to focus started to return so I stick with it.
MULTIMINERAL VITAMIN is a MUST! (I've only been able to find a decent one at VITAMIN SHOPP). You have to find one that has a good amount of minerals because regular vitamins DON'T. Hypoglycemics lose A LOT OF MINERALS and the mineral loss makes hypoglecia fatigue worse!
FISH OIL, once a day
GLUTAMINE (you can get it at Vitamin Shopp) Glutamine is another amino acid that helps elevate your sugar when it drops. You take one or two capsules and open them in a few ounces of water or right your tongue. It's slightly sweet. It helps me get stabilized when I'm very busy at work and won't be able to eat in the next 20 minutes, which is an eternity to a hypoglycemic. It only works temporarily so you have to plan to eat soon after that.
Another thing I do is make sure i eat every 2.5 hours and I have equal parts protein to match my carbs. I only have whole grain carbs like whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc. I also only have whole wheat crackers with equal parts or more of cheese, turkey, etc as a snack. Also, be sure to have a decent breakfast with sufficient protein!
Here is an example of my meals in a day:
one slice of whole wheat toast
one egg omelette with cheese
half of an orange
tea or decaf coffee with granulated sugar and milk
half a slice of whole wheat toast with a good amount of natural peanut butter, same thickness as bread (read labels, don't buy it if it has added corn syrup or sugar! Trader Joes has a nice selection)
brown rice (handful)
beans (equal amount as rice)
chicken breast or beef (equal in size to rice)
salad (lettuce, tomato, onions, oil & vinegar)
same as morning snack or toasted whole wheat bread with melted cheese and ham (be sure it's natural and doesn't have added dextrose!)
same as lunch or substitute another whole grain and protein variation with vegetables.
BEDTIME SNACK (very important to keep blood sugar stabilized throughout the night. You'll be able to get sufficient sleep without that horrible adrenalin jolt that wakes up hypoglycemics when their sugar drops during sleep)
4-5 RYE TRISCUIT CRACKERS, or whole wheat crackers or half slice of whole wheat bread. Check labels, only buy crackers that are made with whole wheat flour, not mixed with white flour. Otherwise you'll still feel awful.
remember to eat every 2.5 hours and always have a bedtime snack (yes, just before getting into bed). Some people need to eat at shorter intervals and others can wait a bit longer. If you'll be awake for many hours after dinner be sure to have a small snack at appropriate intervals.
Good luck to all.
I was told I had mild hypoglycemia this past summer when I had an unexplained dizzy spell and my vision got blurry. I tended to get very disoriented while driving, and it felt like my eyes were playing tricks on me. I have always been a very active, healthy person. Now I suffer from fatigue, anxiety, and depression. I have frequent anxiety/panic attacks, which I suppose could very well be related to my blood sugar? I have been doing my best to monitor it but the anxiety and fatigue will not go away.
Wants to know how much time have to wait for My normal life....m felling better than before.......
You're very welcome Benjimester, glad I can offer some help. Figuring out how to manage this disease and its array of symptoms is an arduous road.
Has anyone been able to successfully manage their anxiety? I've been able to nip the sadness/depression with the amino acids I mentioned earlier (5HTP and DLPA). But I still haven't been able to fully eradicate the anxiety. I've noticed that pasta makes it a lot worse so I stay away from it. Also, having small quantities of desserts with high contents of flour and sugar increases anxiety the next day. I tried KavaKava which did absolutely nothing for me. I haven't found anything that works as well as xanax(alprazolam)-- which I only take in extreme cases because it's so addictive.
So would love to know if anyone has found something that works.
Hey Benji, just glanced at what I wrote on the bedtime snack. I forgot to mention that equal parts protein (cheese or sliced turkey) should be eaten with the crackers.
Also, a great link that helped me when I was first diagnosed is the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, www.hypoglycemia.org
Nanda, I just wanted to say thank you for all of your advice. I am so grateful that you shared everything you've learned about how to manage this! THANK YOU!
Also, Benjimester, thank you for hosting this page. It's one of the only truly helpful places I've come across online regarding hypoglycemia.
I did some research recently and I've tried two things that have helped tremendously over the past week. I have way more energy and the anxiety has steadily dropped!!
1. I saw a PBS documentary on how probiotics help increase energy levels. I got one called Nature's Way Primadophilus Optima which has all the specifications recommended by the nutritionist on the program.
2. I also purchased Magnesium tablets 250mg. I take two tablets per day along with a multimineral vitamin (mentioned in a previous posting). I think this has helped because magnesium is one of the main minerals lost by hypoglycemics. I learned magnesium plays a key role in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, and neuromuscular transmission. I've been sleeping better and that awful jolt to the body in the middle of the night is gone.
I'm astounded by the tremendous difference these two things have made. By the third day it felt miraculous to have steady energy and to be rid of anxiety.
Hope it works as well for those who try it!
Thank you D.J, I'm so glad my suggestions were helpful to you. Good luck!
I am 28, 5'4", 150 lbs, and fit. I am a cyclist and also work out evey day. The fitness program i have done in the past is P90X and currently doing Insanity.
I haven't been diagnosed with Hypo but I truly feel I do have it. I live in Cananda and normal sugar levels are 4.0 - 8.0
I have been having spells like this since college when I started losing weight. I use to weigh 196 lbs but lost 40lbs.....Now I am gaining muscle and toning.
I had a spell two weeks ago and when I checked my sugar it was the lowest it has ever been 4.2
These spells happen pretty much 2-4 hours after I've eaten or sometimes even only 1 hour after. I get dizzy, cold sweats, and SO shakey. Also at times when my level dips closer to a 4.0 I get very disorientated and can't think.
For example, I was doing laundry at my mother in law's house and had a spell (two weeks ago) suger went down to 4.2 and I knew I needed to eat or have some orange juice. I knew I needed to eat something but couldn't get my brain to think clearly enough to do it. Mother in law didn't have OJ but natural apple juice....my brain couldn't function to understand that the apple juice was just as good as the OJ.
One hard thing I have noticed is that if my sugars are in the "normal" range....my doctor won't listen. But if my sugar dips below 5.0....I get these spells.
Diabetes is huge in my family and it scares me that my doctor won't listen to me on this. She really is a wonderful doctor but last April when I mentioned this to her she brushed it off with "your fasting sugars are in the normal range"
Does anyone have any suggestions of how I can approach my doctor again this year (Appointment on April 15th for yearly physical)
One suggestion I have had by my cousin who is a Registered Dietitian is the follow the GI Diet. This is eating foods that are low on the Glycemic Index. Just a suggestion who those out there who are Hypo.
Anyways, if you have any suggestions please let me know :)
Aww thanks Benji! I feel honored that you've mentioned me in the article. I really hope it helps other people who are also struggling.
And I especially want to thank you for creating this wonderful forum where people can find support and have an ongoing dialogue about this serious illness. YOU ROCK TOO BENJI!! Maybe this is the setting where we'll all be able to find the solution to kick this thing in the butt once and for all!
That's so great how the probiotic worked in the past for you too. I just can't believe how well that magnesium works. I've been taking about 130% of the necessary daily amount. I actually haven't had the shakes when my sugar drops. And I've noticed I'm not crashing with fatigue by the time I should be having my next snack/meal.
Take care Benji :)
Beth, people who have hypoglycemia need to be very careful about their exercise regime since exercise lowers overall bloodsugar. I know from personal experience that overly rigorous exercise is a recipe for misery for those with hypoglycemia. You may need to cut down on the workouts and have frequent snacks with equal parts protein and whole grain carbs to get stabilized. Also, you can take magnesium tablets AND a good multimineral vitamin. If your body is telling you it's hungry and you feel shaky then it's time to eat -- even if it's only an hour after you've had a meal.
Like you, I also developed hypoglycemia symptoms in college. Intense exercise and a "healthy diet" that was healthy for normal people but not for those with hypoglycemia resulted in torture for me. Unfortunately I wasn't educated and regular medical checkups never caught it. Yes, I lost 30 lbs which gave the illusion of health but I felt miserable with the spectrum of hypoglycemia symptoms. The best advice I got from the medical profession was "It's only food cravings that you have to learn to ignore." Ignoring your body's signals is the worst thing you can do with this condition. Not until I was diagnosed years later did I learn that I really did need to eat every two hours when I got hungry -- and that it wasn't a food craving nor a food addiction!
Unfortunately many of us go to different doctors and get politely laughed out of the office (as other people have described above). I read somewhere once that this is the reason hypoglycemia is called "the disease of lost souls." So my advice is read as much as possible on the subject and keep trying different things until you arrive at solutions that help you feel an improvement.
Thanks Nanda and Ben! I appreciate your comments! It's very frustrating.
I am wondering, how is it diagnosed? a simple blood test? or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test?
I am playing with the idea of going to see another doctor who is a natropath. He is a two hour drive (4 hours round trip) to see him and it costs $100. I think that's pretty cheap considering Canada is almost entirely free for medical care. I guess I'll wait to see if my doctor takes me seriously this time and decide from there.
Anyway, if anyone can answer how Hypo is tested for, that would be a big help :)
Thanks so much!
Wow! this is all new to me. My son who is 18 just got diagnosed with reactive Hypoglycemia this past Friday. He has been having systems for months since last year. The doctors did not know what was going on. They had us do different test, but all came back negative. Our chiropractor friend checked him and he told us what it was. Amazing! We finally have peace in knowing what is going on, and we know now what to do and how to take care of it. Thanks everyone for coming on. I learned a lot from your stories.
My son was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia about 5 months ago. It was a lengthy process to get him diagnosed but a 5 hour glucose tolerance showed the result needed. My son is only 13 years old and at first resistant to eating every 2 hours. My son already has a restrictive diet, he has GERD, he was so not looking forward to even more restrictions. It took me a while to figure out that managing hypoglycemia is individual because of the diet and the things in play. My son is very active playing sports, so making sure his blood sugar does not drop while he is playing was a challenge. Protein bars have become our friend. I know my son wishes he didn't have to watch his diet. I feel better knowing what my son has and even better knowing we can manage it all.
I am looking to find out more information on hypoglycemia and the link if any to diabetes. I am hoping to find out if the doctors are right in saying reactive hypoglycemia leads to diabetes. The pediatric endocrinologist has advised me to keep my son active, watch his weight and diet. Is that all we can do???
Hi. I saw the earlier comment about 5-HTP helping with depression related to hypoglycemia, and I was just wondering if you have any information on whether the 5-HTP directly affects blood sugar/insulin levels (versus just increasing serotonin)?
I've had undiagnosed reactive hypoglycemia since I was a teenager (in my 20s a doc finally said my fasting blood sugar was 70, so if I was having symptoms to just "eat like a hypoglycemic," but no explanation of what that was) and a less-than-stellar high-carb diet most of my life until about two years ago (age 39) when I was told I was insulin resistant/prediabetic. Last week I started seeing a therapist for binge eating disorder (which admittedly is wreaking havoc on my blood sugars), and she mentioned with my family history of rampant alcoholism and diabetes that the overeating could be more "chemical" due to lack of serotonin related to the blood sugar issues. (She said it's all very circular.) Anyway, the last two days I started taking OTC 50mg 5-HTP once per day which is helping somewhat with the binge & carb cravings and the anxiety/irritability, but I've noticed I've had extreme night sweats like when I overeat sugar (drenching-change-the-clothes-and-put-a-towel-down sweats) and still so noticeable episodes of the panicky/irritable/anxious/unable-to-focus like when my blood sugar is low. So I'm trying to figure whether the 5-HTP is messing with either my insulin or blood sugars, either sending it initially too high, or too low.
Also, the past two days I have enjoyed some really good dark (85% cacao or more) chocolate, but no other refined sugar or caffeine, and nothing in unusual amounts (no bingeing).
Any info you have, especially resources I can look up would be REALLY appreciated. I haven't been able to find anything to explain if there is a connection, but my instinct says there might be.
Alee, sounds like you've had a really rough time. Fortunately you found a great therapist who made a proper diagnosis. As far as 5HTP goes, I personally have never had any blood sugar issues due to it. I've been taking it along with DLPA for a few years now, off and on. I react very sensitively to any increased sugar or caffeine in the slightest amounts but never have had problems with these two amino acids. I learned about these amino acids in the book "Alternative Cures" by Bill Gotleib M.D.
Perhaps it was the caffeine in the 85% dark chocolate? Whenever I have more than 3-4 squares of the stuff I end up having sleep disruptions. Having it as dessert right after a meal helps reduce major spikes in sugar rather than having it alone in between meals. Also, keep in mind that your body is adjusting to major dietary changes now since you've reduced bingeing.
You may consider trying magnesium. I've taken magnesium tablets over the past couple of weeks and have had a huge improvement in my sleep. The anxiety and hypoglycemia fatigue is gone too!
Good luck Alee.
Also, Alee, you probably ought to consult with your doctor about sweating so profusely overnight. And be sure to check with your doctor prior to adding any natual supplements you find in your research, whether it's something you learn about on this site or other resources. Some people may have other health issues that need to be treated and that natural supplements may pose a problem for-- for example, kidney disorders.
Hope you feel better soon!
Update: Hi everyone, I went to see my doctor for my annual physical and she has decided to send me for a 2 hour oral glucose tolerance test! I am very happy that she has taken me serious this time! Hopefully the test will show something or help me understand what's going on!
Thanks so much for your input! :)
Can I post without an account?
Well glad I can post without an account. So I hear all of you speaking of these "attacks". I was hoping someone could identify with my symptoms... When I was about 8 months pregnant I started having these severe attacks of some sort. My symptoms are trembling, weakness in my legs, tunnel vision, mouth watering, inability to speak fluently, I have passed out completely 2 or 3 times and recently my body has started "seizing" with these attacks. Does anybody think this sounds like hypoglycemia?
After reading all of the previous posts and hearing the only one similar to my symptoms is now dead I thought I would give a little more information in hopes of receiving more education. The attacks started when I was pregnant almost 5 years ago at that time they said borderline gestational diabetes with no other info. the doctor told me to drink more water. I was already drinking a gallon of water a day literally I carried a jug with me because I was so thirsty. and actually I drank some water before the test which I'm not sure if I was supposed to do or not... I didn't mention that I do get the shakes when I'm hungry and if I haven't eaten in awhile like skip breakfast and head for a late lunch it seems like an understatement to call it the shakes. I have always gotten extremely grumpy when hungry. Now when I get the shakes then eat as quickly as I can because I suddenly feel starved then I become extremely tired. I also get extreme shortness of breath with my "attacks" for some of the more mild attacks I can bend over and take deep breaths to alleviate the symptoms. The more mild attacks are usually followed by many more in the same day whereas the very severe ones where my body spasms and I lose almosr all vision are much fewer and far between. Diabetes (the insulin dependent kind) does run in my family. The attacks are scary especially being a single mom with no insurance. I suppose the best I can do is try to have a more healthy diet but I would like some assurance that it is a poor diet that is causing these attacks and not something worse. I also had my gall bladder taken out a few months ago and have to avoid most fat. Somebody suggested hypoglycemia before my gall bladder thing and said I should increase my protein intake. So I did and it really seemed to help a lot until I spent the month after mostly laying on the floor vomiting and lost 20 pounds until I was able to have the surgery. So I'm hesitant to try any sort of extreme diet change ever again. Perhaps a bit more than anyone wanted to know, but like I said this has been going on for almost 5 years and is progressively getting worse. The only medical advice I was ever given was drink more water. ha! FYI I never went to that doctor again but since I was 8 months pregnant no other doctor would take me because it was too much of a liability, my son was born in the ER. happy and healthy too :)
So, it sounds like I should finally start with a food journal. I have been hypoglycemic for most of my life, as my first horror story would be when i was 8 years old.
Sadly I didn't really recognize it as a 'disease' till this past year or so, up till then, it was almost humorous, as I would get pretty grumpy and unreasonable when hungry. But as I got older the symptoms got worse, and now on Easter morning I have had another attack, and I really can't take it anymore. I stupidly ate lots of candy before going to bed last night, and then to make it worse, I slept in very late, and didn't eat till well past noon...and by then it was too late as I was in the middle of an attack (anxiety, nervousness, shakiness, distorted vision, confusion). It's Easter, and I need to socialize, call relatives etc. but all I want to do is lay in bed by myself all day. Even now I am finding it difficult to read and type, and at age 22 these symptoms are all too familiar. But everytime I think I am in the clear this disorder throws me another curve ball. Whatever it is it is inherited, as my Grandfather on my mothers side has it (my mother warned me when I was young that I was probably hypoglycemic, as she had experience with it growing up with her father), but he has managed much better than I, largely due I think to being married at a young age to a wife (my Grandma) that never fails to prepare 3 solid complex meals a day for him! In any case, I want to express my gratitude for this page, as I have learned a lot and plan to put some of it into practice asap...I want today to be the last day that I feel like this. I have a disorder, and I need to acknowledge it, and act (eat :) accordingly.
Oh, I almost forgot: what is everyones opinion on caffeine? Coffee specifically? I have had some mixed expereinces so haven't made my own conclusions yet.
Hi everyone! I have been in a similar situation to what a lot of you have already described. Quite suddenly, out of absolutely nowhere, I would start having these horrible symptoms. I would start sweating, get shaky, have tunnel vision, at times I would actually faint, and I would also start to feel both claustophobic but also not want to be in my car or outside.
I started going to the doctor and since I have a history of mental illness in my family, I was really resistant to accepting a possible diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. Out of everyone else in my family who has these mental illnesses, I have always been the type of person who felt like I could face things head-on. I'm just not at all the type of person who will let things get to me, I've always been very mentally healthy. I take the time to sit and think about things that are bothering me, I talk to people whom I have issues with, and I don't let things build up inside me. So it's just been boggling me why all of a sudden I get these attacks that are totally debilitating. I'm a third semester nursing student, and there are times where my attacks get so bad that I've had to leave school, because I'm simply overwhelmed with the amount of people around me, etc.
So my doctor prescribed me Xanax. I sometimes take it to pre-medicate myself before I'm put into a situation where I feel an attach might come on. For instance on Tuesdays, I have clinical. Thats the day where for 9 hours I go and practice as an RN under the supervision of my instructor. I know nursing can be a very stressful job, but like I said, I'm already at the end of my third semester and just now these attacks are happening. After reading everything on this website, I'm beginning to wonder if what's happening is that I'm having reactive hypoglycemia. As a student it can be very difficult to take breaks when we're supposed to and I also have to travel a very far distance to get to school. So I'll eat breakfast, sometimes at home, sometimes on my way to school at around 5:30 am, and then oftentimes I either won't get a lunch break or I won't be able to eat lunch until 12:30 or later. I have also put on a lot of weight since beginning school back in 2009, I've actually gained 80 lbs.
It sounds to me (and maybe this is just wishful thinking, because of my fear of having mental illness), but maybe this is what's really happening to me and it's not just panic attacks caused by anxiety. I've always been the type that only drinks diet sodas, and drinks that are like Crystal Light.
My question to everyone out there is....have any of you ever been in this same situation? And taken Xanax or another medication when you feel an attack coming on? And if so, did the medication help you feel better? Thats what happens for me, I'll take the medication and it will ease the panic attack symptoms, but I'm also beginning to realize that everytime the symptoms start to cease, I get very hungry as well. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions would be very much appreciated!!
Pretty much throughout my life I will get shaky before a meal and grumpy I always thought that was normal. The past 5 months I will wake up once a month dizzy, nauseous, weak, sweaty and basically look like a ghost. I'velearned if I don't eat something fast I will vomit. My doctor suggested it might be hypoglycemia. I was there before lunch time and he took my blood glucose (which I was starting to not feel so great) and it read at 71. By the time I got home and ate lunnch it actually took me over an hour to feel myself again. So while Im waiting on my meal plan I wanted peoples thoughts on this or suggestions on good foods to eat.
I recently passed out form having low blood sugar. It was very scary for me and very weird. I ate a PBJ at noon and I did not feel hungry at all the rest of the day. I wa at a friends house and all of a sudden I got to feeling sick , then got blurry vision, and then I passed out. In the past i did get dizzy but never passed out. Why did it happen all of a sudden like that?
Hey Benjimester :) Thanks for responding. Funny you mentioned iron deficiency as a possible cause because I have been anemic for over a decade except while I was pregnant. I am anemic once again since he is four, but ironically he is too. So we both take iron supplements. I didn't get approved for medicaid this go around so no doctor for me, but I am working diligently at improving my diet. Haven't started my food journal yet... I need a new planner becoming a better eater also means becoming a better grocery shopper! Glad your site is here, it's comforting in some way to know other people are struggling and over-coming similar symptoms.
And to Christy I would make sure to get a pregnancy test ASAP... if you haven't already.
Legz-thanks so much for trying to help me out. I have taken 2 pregnancy tests plus one at the doctors and it was negative. My doctor is a bit baffled to why I get sick to my stomach once a month. I'm not giving up though, id love to know why I begin to feel even worse when my monthly cycle is due!
Christy, I get very sick when I get my cycle, you are very lucky to only get it once a month. I have been flowing for 6 weeks now. I get very sick and spend the first couple days pretty much entirely in the bathroom. I wish I could tell you what helps. So far I have only discovered a hot bath to help and in my younger days I would participate in some herbal extracuricular activities that helped. Nausea only happened to me when I was pregnant and after pregnancy only when I have to sneeze :) A prenatal vitamin does seem to be helpful for some things but honestly the best thing was starting the depo shot and I didn't have a period for almost 7 months, that was awesome!!!! meant I wasn't sick for almost 7 months. Good luck!
I will try a diff vitamin, thnks for the suggestion. I'm about to switch doctors. Two weeks ago he said he was ordering test strips to monitor my blood sugar. I've called twice and haven't received a response yet. Its so frustrating. I'm a babysitter and I was busy and forgot to have a snack. I needed to feed a hungry baby and my hands were shaking so bad I could hardly get the spoon in her mouth.
Hey I was diagnosed a year ago with hypoglcemia. I have always had the shakes, I got them as an inherited trait from my fathers side of the family. I get dizzy spells and a few times I have actually fallin over.
I have done some research and it is mostly connected with diabetis, but I dont have that. I have found that my shaking gets a lot worse when I dont eat.
But what I don't know is how I got it. I don't drink and I am not on any meds and my diet isn't bad. Any suggestions?
After years of experimenting I've learned to NEVER skip meals, eat plenty of high protein snacks, and NEVER eat or drink any high carb foods such as cakes, pies, cokes,cookies, breads, and especially sweet tea and coffee etc between meals or on empty stomache accept when treating low blood sugar. Then consume a modest amount of sweets followed by a liberal dose of high protein foods such as meats, beans, nuts, etc. Also blood sugar is most sensitive after waking and generaly becomes less so as the day progresses. So a strong breakfast should be of the utmost importance. Also keep in mind that the harder you work your body the more energy you use. Energy is provided to the brain in the form of glucose. If you have reactive hypoglycemia your body is not storing or not utilizing stored glucose so it has to be deliverd directly via the stomache to the blood stream. By all means exercise, just remember the more energy you use the more you need to provide. Lastly it's so much easier to maintain proper sugar levels than it is to correct improper sugar levels. Good luck.
Hey Benji how r u? it's been a while...
I've been doing some experimenting with eliminating gluten from my diet, while maintaining a good hypoglycemia prevention regimen. I've been eating gluten-free whole-grain breads instead of whole wheat. Since going off gluten I've had better results keeping my sugar balanced. The anxiety related to hypogl. has rarely occurred. Magnesium tablets helped to greatly reduce the anxiety, but I've found that removing gluten helped stave off the anxiety and shakey feeling further. I also stopped breaking out when I have milk or yogurt since going off gluten. Overall I feel better.
There's a link between hypoglycemia and mineral deficiencies like magnesium loss. I read that people with gluten allergies also lose their ability to naturally absorb magnesium in their intestines due to damage done by gluten. When they go off gluten the ability to absorb magnesium is restored. I figured there might be a link between loss of magnesium in hypogl. and gluten allergies. I thought perhaps going off gluten might help and it has! At times I've reintroduced whole wheat and I notice after a few days that the shakes/anxiety come back.
Hope this helps other readers! Take care Benji!
No problem Benj, thanks to you for maintaining this terrific site! It's a great resource.
Best to all.
I am a Dr with hypoglycemic attacks.When I explained it to another specialist I could see he thought I was crazy
I have not read all comments yet. But before I forget what I have digested I write these randomly. Hypoglycemia and diabetes are opposites. But both show that our body is hard up in handling sudden surge and sudden fall of blood sugar. In hypoglycemia what is important is the abrupt fall in sugar level that almost no energy is left for the brain. That brings on dizziness. Passing out is due to low energy for the brain. Shaking means low energy for muscles.Your body gets energy from gluconeagenesis or converting fats to energy which is slow and you come to again. Brain cells use 7.5 times energy as much as muscle cells that is why the brain is the first to "complain" for lack of energy. Brain damage due to hypoglycemia is irreversible; it should be avoided. Depression might follow.Processed food like white sugar, white flour bring on hypoglycemia. Glucose incites attack because it goes to the blood directly which the body cannot handle properly that is why a candy is no remedy. Fructose is better, it comes from fruit and honey. Fructose converts first to glucose. The trick is to maintain a steady level of energy by eating short meals and snacks. I suspect hypoglycemics who belong to a family with a history of diabetes got their affliction by culture. That is, since the family has a history of diabetes and being wary of becoming diabetic they deny themselves enough energy resulting in low energy thus hypoglycemia. A diabetic who uses extra drugs to control that syndrome can graduate into a hypoglycemic precisely because not enough energy is stored. Heavy exercise uses a lot of energy to the extent that not enough is left for the brain and other parts of the body resulting in hypoglycemia. The glucose tolerance test that I know of is 6 hours. I suspect that doctors do not review much on hypoglycemia because it is a rare condition. The body should be enabled to handle sugar like avoiding binge with sweets; protecting the insulin receptors from damage by free radicals; and enabling the insulin to store glucose. You might have plenty of glucose but if not stored as glycogen in the liver they would just be roaming around. Chromium binds insulin to insulin receptors so that glucose gets stored in muscle cells.The book of Betty Kamen Ph.D. The Chromium Connection" might help. The extra glucose converts to glycogen. When energy is needed the hormone glucagon converts glycogen to glucose.Food with low glycemic index, like colored rice, get digested slowly making you feel full and stay longer without getting the hunger pang.An abrupt fall of sugar level in half an hour gives you an attack. It should be countered with a short meal of colored rice. White rice is of course processed with only the starch left. Crackers is not much of help because of white flour, another processed food, and refined sugar. Muscovado sugar serves better. If you don't get enough chromiuim from your regular diet, taking a supplement like brewer's yeast (not baker's yeast) is advisable or chromium picolinate. These got trivalent chromium which is appropriate for diabetes and hypoglycemia. For now these are my random thoughts. I have a Hub "Why Does Diabetes Turn Worse When Chromium is Missing?" Hypoglycemics may also benefit from it. Just wait I may write a Hub on hypoglycemia.
I edited my Hub to "Why You Should Not Miss Chromium in Treating Diabetes Type 2.
Benjimester, you got it! I just posted a Hub "How to Counter Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)" I hope it will help fellow hypoglycemics out there. For those who have not encountered it, prevention is the better course to take. Once it got to you, hypoglycemia is hard to dry away.
As a teenager I would have these symptoms. I don't know if I just had started eating better, or if pregnancy played a part, but since having children, I seemed to have gotten a bit better, (exept for having a severe increase in anxiety)though I'd still get the shakes every once in a while. My 6 year old was diagnosed in March with type 1 diabetes, and since then I have been gaining weight and sleeping poorly. But I have also noticed some severe episodes of shaking, and unlike when I was younger, just having a snack has not been enough. It feels like it takes forever before I start to feel better, no matter how much I eat. I tried once taking one of my son's glucose pills when I felt it starting, as an experiment, and that really seemed to end the episode almost immediately, at least long enough to eat dinner. But I guess what I'm really wondering is, could this all be in my head? Could I be having sympathy symptoms brought on by my son's diagnosis? I have tested several times, but usually I had already eaten something 10+ minutes before, and was still in the range of "Normal," although the low end. Tonight though, I tested when I started to feel bad for the 2nd time in a 5 hour period, and had a 58. Or is it just that I'm more aware of what those symptoms mean? I don't know. I feel like I've lost my mind, or my body is just seeking attention. Any ideas?
I've been suffering the symptoms of hypoglycemia since middle school, and I'm finding it to get worse as I get older. Recently I've been having more panic attacks and I didn't realize it could be blood sugar related. I told my doctor and he just told me to eat more protein. I've tried but I don't really think it makes much of a difference. My father was diagnosed with diabetes around the same time I myself started feeling the symptoms. I'm hoping this hypoglycemia isn't a sign that I'll develop diabetes anytime soon. I guess for now my best bet is to try and stay healthy and carry juice boxes with me everywhere. It's bizarre though, I'm never sure if I should either eat no sugar, or eat sugar when I have these attacks. I don't want to be eating myself into a circle.
I remember Nanda mentioning glutamate. Glutamate and glutamine are food for the brain. They originated from glucose thru the process called Kreb's cycle. Glutamate gets through the membrane of brain cells and gets converted to glutamine to take away the ammonia in the brain (amine) which is toxic. In other parts of the body ammonia is excreted thru urine. In the brain thru glutamine. That's the reason why glutamate relieves hypoglycemic attack. My Hub "How to Counter Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar" give details. I find chromium a great help to counter insulin resistance, sometimes called syndrome X by Dr. Reaven, a case when you have plenty of insulin and still suffer from hypoglycemia. It is more likely you will graduate into hypoglycemic because you deprive yourself of energy, fearing obesity than graduate into diabetic from being hypoglycemic. Try to pinpoint areas of anxiety, aside from hypoglycemia itself. My experience is that I have myocardial ischemia which I worry about a lot that triggered my hypoglycemia. I am dealing with the causes of heart disease as a way to get rid of hyploglycemia.
the article is really helpful cause last month I did suffer from this condition and I have no history of diabetes type 1 or diabetes type 2. thanks you
I'm glad that I found this site. At least I know that I am not alone.
I have had hypoglycemic episodes on and off for years. I'm 37. It used to only happen if I had gone a long period without eating or without eating protein, etc. I used to eat a lot of refined foods, etc. White bread, pasta, etc. I grew up on a typical meat/potatoes diet.
Anyway, over the last year, I have started to have slight attacks immediately after eating. They would last anywhere form 30 minutes to an hour then subside.
3 weeks ago, I had an attack immediately after eating a much too large plate of egg noodles. I has mixed in some sweet peas, some mayo and shredded cheese. I had not really eaten all day and only had some coffee a couple of hours before that. I'm not sure why I did such a stupid thing that day. I would normally not just have coffee and then eat a large quantity of food like that in the evening.
The attack came on right as I was finishing the pasta. But, instead of passing I was sick all night. Terribly ill. I was weak, felt nauseaus, was in a state of confusion/panic, I felt like I was going to pass out or lose consciousness. I begged for an ambulance a couple of times.
Finally after trying a few different things like orange juice etc. It finally subsized hours later.
The next day it happened all over again.
Day 3 it happened on and off all day. By day 3 I could barely walk from the couch to the bathroom I was so weak. Nothing I ate or drank helped.
Later that night, I was able to feed myself small amounts of beef stew. After about 3 small servings of that I started to come alive again.
I switched to a much healtier diet over the last 3 weeks. Really cut out simple carbs a lot. Not completely, but better than before.
I make banana/spinach/organic plain yogurt smoothies sometimes with a little portion of berries or pineapple in the morning and eat black beans with fresh minced garlic, beef stew (since that helped me so much, oatmeal.
I was doing good until I had another attack yesterday. I woke up late and did not have my smoothie until close to 1pm instead of at like 10am and then instead of waiting 1-2 hours and then eating lunch, I ate lunch right after the smoothie.
By the time I finished the lunch, a major attack came on. I was alone this time. Orange juice was not helping, nothing. I ended up going to the ER. My father took me.
Before my father picked me up, my neighbor had me eat a sugar wafer. Pure sugar. I felt my blood sugar rising, but painfully. Then on the way to the hospital I felt like I was crashing again.
I was so sick. By the time I got to the ER and they saw me, my blood tested at 118. Well, of course after OJ and a sugar wafer.
The ER doctor was rude, condescending and would barely let me speak and would walk away after a few seconds.
He dismissed me as having a panic attack. Well, duh.....one of the body's defense mechanisms during a hypoglycemic episode is a rush of adrenalin. It's really like an involuntary panic attack. Besides, these episodes are scary and you feel like you are dying.
Anyway, the doctor and nurse claimed that I have no proof that I have a blood sugar anything. Gave me a shot of Ativan and sent me home. I felt like an idiot for even going there. Now I will have a large bill for nothing. I have no medical insurance and no way to pay for right now.
I should have stayed home and rode the waves like I did 3 weeks ago. Now I know better. I was advised to go see a specialist. Well, again no insurance/no money and frankly I don't think that I will fair much better with a specialist. Many doctors that I have dealt with are just like that ER doctor.
Funny thing though, my chiropractor said it right away after I told her about my episode 3 weeks ago. She IMMEDIATELY recognized it as reactive hypoglycemia. She said that I eat and shoot up high really fast and then crash really fast.
She said that it can take weeks for the body's chemistry to recover from an episode like this and that I have to be really careful. Well, obviously, I was not careful enough yesterday.
I had an episode come on tonight. I was doing pretty good today, eating in intervals. For some reason after my latest small meal, I felt an episode coming on.
My dad bought me some Dex4 fast acting glucose tablets. I immediately took 2 of those and within 15 minutes I started to feel better. Now, I'm writing this post.
Thanks for listening/reading.
I had glanced at alcohol in the comments. Hangover from a drink is hypoglycema. The liver converts alcohol into formaldehyde, among others. Formaldehyde hardens the liver and causes cirrhosis. Formalin is actually formaldehyde at 67%. As you know, formalin is used for embalming. Cirrhosis is embalming while the person is still alive, according to Dr. Elmer Cranton, MD in his book "Bypassing Bypass." Glycogen is stored in the liver and if the liver is destroyed....
I was 15 when i missed school one day, trying to convince my mom i didn't feel right. I dont remember too much, but i ended up at my aunt and uncles on their couch with a snicker bar and rootbeer, and the little test strip things, it read 37 my blood sugar was at. Ive had episodes since, and luckily my doc did diagnose me with hypoglacemia. Im almost 19 now, its real serious what it does to you.
Benjimester, remember Dr. Salk? He used formaldehyde to kill and harden the polio virus so that its size and shape would be intact. It is the shape and size of the virus that incite the immune system to produce antibodies against the bug. The Salk vaccine is safe because the virus used in making it had been killed with formaldehyde. I have a Hub "A Theory of How Salk Vaccine Kills the Polio Virus It Marked with Antigen." The Sabin polio vaccine (invented by Dr. Albert Sabin)which uses weakened (but still alive) bug had been phased out in the United States since 2000 because some weakened virus can mutate into virulent ones and infect. The vaccinated person may not get polio but another unvaccinated person who may come into contact with him is vulnerable.
You may still enjoy alcohol. A healthy liver can metabolize 30% to 40% proof alcohol (gin, whiskey, vodka) at the rate of 30ml per hour (WorldBook 2005).
If you drink alcohol at the same rate that it is metabolized no harm is done on your liver, assuming other things are alright (Fontanilla, C.D. "PhilNONI Helps the Liver Detoxify the Body." Benefits Derived from PhilNONI. 2008).
I also would like to point out a reason for hypoglycemia and chronic fatigue: adrenal fatigue/exhaustion. Cortisol controls blood sugar and if one has been/is stressed beyond the capacity of the body to cope [such as death of loved one, divorce, bad marriage, etc] adrenal fatigue can set in. The body is overwhelmed and critical stress hormones can rise [early stage adrenal stress] later to dive leading to a domino effect. Hypoglycemia in middle to late stages of adrenal exhaustion.
I have been testet on hypoglycemia but the test was normal. Fortunately my doctor said that it didn't have to mean anything. I had a food journal and it was clear that long periods without food (in my case 2, 3 hours) cause low bloodsugar as do heavy meals. I always have food on me and sometimes I even wake up hungry at night. Over the years it has been easier to cope with it an anticipate problems.
Question for you all. I've been having a lot of the symptoms that you all have been talking about. One thing that I've been dealing with lately is trouble breathing correctly. I don't mean it in a way like I'm breathing rapidly and having a panic attack. I'm having trouble breathing when it comes to hot and/or humid weather. Has anyone had that?
I glanced over Cassandra's comment. Hallucination is a symptom of hypoglycema. It is not mental illness that is getting you. Its just that the brain is lacking energy. I have not taken Xanax nor read about its content. But judging by the length of intervals between your meals, you would really get hungry to the point of lack of energy which should be avoided. Try to read my Hub "How to counter Hypoglycema (Low Blood Sugar)."
Benjimester, my subdomain is conradofontanilla.hubpages.com.
Anouk's plight looks like a case of insulin resistance. Even when insulin is abundant and sugar is abundant in the blood she still gets hypoglycemia. This happens when glucose does not get into cells because insulin cannot drive it. Chromium might be able to help by binding insulin to insulin receptors so that glucose can get into cells. Trivalent chromium, the appropriate variety, is available in brewer's yeast (over the counter), not baker's yeast.
Pete's complain. It is hard to diagnose when only a few symptoms are mentioned like hot and humid weather. Did he smoke but halted it, or does he still smoke? Does erratic breathing occur after heavy exercise? even when resting? Had he been exposed to stream smoke? to pollution? Is he losing weight? Did he have a check up what indicators did the doctor tell him? I will make a guess, he might have dyspnea. There might be some damage in the lung due to pollution or cigarette smoke. If exposed to smoke he might have the centrilobular type of emphysema. If exposed to pollution, infection in the lungs causes increased population of macrophage (immune system component) in the lungs that produce proteolytic enzymes that do damage on lung tissue which inhibit collagenase. When collagenase is insufficient, extra lung tissue destruction is triggered. The result is pancinar emphysema. In layman's language,emphysema makes air sacs and air passageways inelastic resulting in breathing difficulty. Sometimes airsacs collapse.
Hi Everyone,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes right before my 17th birthday and I am now 24. I take anywhere between 5 to 7 shots a day to control my blood sugars. Just lastnight I experienced a very scary issue with hypoglycemia, that I have never before. I noticed that my sugar level was low, 43 and took responded to it right away. As time went on my mouth(which happens a lot),inner thighs, stomach, arms and even my back went completely numb. I've never been so scared in my life, thank god I was with my parents and they had to call 911. I was treated for hypoglyecmia. I have just never delt with it affecting almost every part of my body, and going numb. The doctor said in the hospital that its common. I just wasn't sure if it was an allergic reaction to something I ate, or my sugar til I got the right treatment and answers.
I wrote this post so that anyone with diabetes or hypoglycemia can see that it affects all over the body.
I hope this is an important message to those that may have the same symptoms.
Take care!
I am a normally heathy 38 year old female. I eat a balanced diet, which includes 3 meals/day and healthy snacks. I exercise regularly, although recently have been too tired. Last week, I had a physical done due to chronic exhaustion, dizziness, headaches, irritability and depression. I also experience frequent night sweats and nightmares. My doctor ordered blood tests (although I wasn't fasting). Results indicated that my glucose level was 57. I was also diagnosed as extremely anemic. My doctor put me on iron supplements and suggested that I eat 6 small meals per day and reduce my sugar intake. Although I eat lots of carbs, they mainly consist of whole grains and fruit. I also consume little sugar. She requested that I return for follow up blood testing in 12 weeks. However, the more I read about hypoglycemia, the more concerned I am. Should my doctor be ordering additional tests? Is there anything I should be doing on my own? Could this be a result of an allergy such as celiac disease? I am feeling worse and can't wait 3 months for additional answers. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Amyfer's concern, Hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar falls below 50 mg/dl (Faelten), or 40 milligram percent (DeBakey and Gotto). It is detected by a 6-hour glucose-tolerance test. This test shows not only the level of blood sugar but also the rise and fall of sugar level. The sudden rise or fall of level is important. Try to read my Hub "How to counter hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar" conradofontanilla.hubpages.com. The more likely test you might need is the 6-hour glucose tolerance test. Eating colored rice counters my episodes. Don't wait for hunger pang or dizziness. Relie on time intervals like 2 or 3 or 4 or 5. In my experience when I started colored rice, my time interval of meals was short that became longer as I progressed. To stabilize at 4 or 5 hour intervals is okay. Even astronauts (who are normal in sugar level) are required to eat at 4 to 5 hour interval. Your 3 meals a day might be inadequate. Colored rice has low glycemic index, it is more complete than white rice (if you eat white rice). White flour, refined sugar (muscovado is better) worsen hypoglycemia.
I just saw your post. I work from home, so I'm not in contstant air pollution. I don't live in the city either, so I don't think polluted air is part of it. I haven't smoked in the last 10 years and before that I wasn't a heavy smoker either (maybe 1/2 pack per week), so I don't know if that has anything to do with it either. I did go to my normal doctor and he said that it was anxiety. Not really sure where to go from here. I have no appetite, I get light headed every now and again, I can't sleep because I keep getting these jolts (for lack of a better word) in my head when I'm just about to fall asleep. Sometimes the jolts trigger a movement in my body like moving my leg or arm.
Any comments or suggestions?
In answer to your other questions. I have a hard time breathing when the weather gets hot & humid. It's like I'm not sucking in enough oxygen. When I exercise I wouldn't say it's worse. I feel like I don't have as much breath to go run around with the kids or exercise.
I do have the trouble breathing when in the hot humid weather even when resting. I feel like I need to turn on the AC and get cool dry air.
Pete's concern: Anxiety is a symptom of hypoglycemia which has about 40 symptoms. Here's what Katherine Wright says: "Other immediate causes or factors which can contribute to an attack include a higher than normal intake of alcohol, change of injection site, and hot weather (which affects insulin/glucose metabolism)" (Wright, K. "Hypoglycaema." A Guide to Diabetes. 2004:113-125). If Ms. Wright is right (!) your difficulty in breathing during hot/humid weather is a symptom of hypoglycemia.
I know exactly what that awful jolt feels like. I take magnesium tablets which diminish the jolts and the anxiety. I read that asthma is associated with magnesium deficiency (book: Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb). Magnesium may also help with your breathing issues.
I posted info on magnesium months ago. I felt an improvement within a few days. I now don't need to take it daily. My body lets me know when I need to start again because the jolts and anxiety come back.
If your symptoms don't improve with magnesium supplements, you may want to consider getting checked for lyme disease with a lyme-literate doctor (since you live in a rural area). But it sounds like you probably have a mineral and magnesium deficiency commonly associated with hypoglycemia.
Good luck!
ps. When I began taking magnesium tablets I started at 500 mg daily for a period of 2-3 weeks (one 250 mg tab in the morning and another in the evening). I then began to feel so relaxed I reduced it to 250 mg. I now only take 2-3 times a week depending on how my body reacts. Sometimes I forget for several days and I feel a minor jolt that reminds me to start taking it again. I've also noticed it works well if I take it in the evening.
You'll have to figure out what amount and frequency works best for your body. I struggled with the jolts and anxiety for years and I'm so relieved to have found a solution with magnesium.
Hope this helps.
(wave "hello" to Benjimester)
Hi Benji, I have following symptoms: I start feeling giddy after every 3 hrs of having food and feel dizziness... I feel weak and without energy... I feel as if I'll faint if I don't eat.. I get cold sweat and my hands are shaky.. It's difficult for me to speak or to do any work till the time I don't eat..I also suffer from head ache and blurred vision.. there is pain in my eyes and eye-brows and as soon as eat again.. I am back to normal and this cycle keeps on repeating.. a showe to one doctor and he told me that I am suufering from Hypoglycemia and he asked me to eat regularly in every 3 hrs and not to keep any fasts... when I told my husband that I am suffering from hypoglycemia..he laughed on me and said that it's all psychological and not a disease... but I really feel nasty and without energy if I am without food for a long time.. Please advice me what is this...
Hi there. Thanks Benji for hosting and thanks to all who are participating in helping people with this condition.
I've been experiencing symptoms for the last 3 months. It first started with twitching of my finger and now it's random muscle pulses all over the body. Other symptoms include dizziness, light headedness, shaky, feeling hungry, blurred vision, sweating, waves of feeling sick and tingling in limbs. I've gone to see my family doctor twice now. First time he sent me to do a EKG and blood work. It all came back normal. The last time was for a physical and again things showed normal. He was indicating it is stress related and suggested seeing a psychologist. Just as I was leaving the office he did mention in passing that I could have hypoglycemia and to eat regularly and eat more protein. I didn't know much about it and now have stumbled across your postings.
Is the twitching and muscle pulsing a symptom? Is having waves of feeling sick also a symptom?
What is my next step to get diagnosed? Should I take the 6 hour glucose tolerance test? Do I ask my family doctor to do this? Should I buy a glucose tester myself and monitor my own blood sugar levels?
Thanks for helping, I really appreciate it.
Hi. I've found that when I don't eat as much I do begin to feel dizzy and weak, and my csw at college says that sometimes I shake a lot. Since my early teens i have had a lot of trouble concentrating and speaking but i feel that it gets worse when i feel bad, my dad says that it could be hypoglycemia which is why i've started to research it. I always keep a packet of biscuit and a couple of chocolate bars with me for a boost and my friends have become started to become aware of what to look for because sometime I just don't link it, (I often get migraine so thats what I conclude first).
I was just wondering if there is anything else that I could do to try and control this because I have my second year of college starting soon and I don't want to feel as bad as I did last year.
Benji - great post, thanks for bringing this issue to the forefront - I have struggled with hypoglycemia since I was young and like others did not have it recognized or treated at the time. Over the years (I am 50) my eating habits have naturally evolved to support my hypoglycemia.
I avoid sugar drinks (I stick to herbal tea and water) no dairy except for yoghurt and cottage cheese, and like Nanda I found that avoiding gluten has made a vast improvement (I am gluten sensitive although not a celiac).
I also do not eat any animal meat except for eggs and fish because I recognize the protein is necessary - thanks for the tips on peanut butter, and magnesium - I am going to try that too.
I cannot too strongly emphasize that eating at least every 2.5 to 3 hours is crucial, and anytime I undergo any exercise I eat lightly beforehand too. I know I will have a reaction and put myself in jeopardy if I do not prepare beforehand.
Blessings and continual good health too all!
I am 27, work out and limit my sugar intake. However, lately I have been wondering about my blood sugar. I don't notice any issues after I eat, it's when I don't eat for a few hours. I get shaky and the irritability is so extreme I cannot speak or think about what to eat. I often times cry, seemingly without reason but I know it's because I'm hungry and need to eat. I can deal with the shakes since they go away as soon as I eat, but the irritability is uncontrollable and personally a far worse symptom than shaking. I ALWAYS have food on me and my friends have always called me a pig, accusing me of eating non stop. Is this something I should consult a doctor about or simply treat it by eating frequently?
You're very welcome Benji... hope those who stop by find the info helpful. Take care.
Hey, so I've had reactive hypoglycemia for about 8 years now (I'm 21) but have had it probably for 11 years or so. So far I'm one of the few who have been going through this since I was a child. Of course the doctors said it was just a kid eating too much sugar and never believed that I really didn't eat sugar, because I would always get "sick". Unfortunately because I went years unknowingly consuming foods that worsened my condition, I became prone to hypoglycemia shocks. The day the doctors took me seriously was when I was 14 and passed out in the shower. Please for kids sakes really watch their sugar intake.
I've controlled it since then, but now I'm fearing I'm becoming a diabetic with hypoglycemia. I'm always thirsty, pee is clear, and a few other symptoms, of course the doctors see me as a college student with bad eating habits.. Anyone know someone in nyc that isn't expensive and listens to their patients?
Great article. I have been suffering from hypoglycemia most of my life, I'm 22 years old now. I have never bothered going to the doctor for the reasons stated above.
Furthermore, I workout everyday causing a hypoglycemic episode. My question is does anyone else get extremely nauseated after working out?
Lately i have been throwing up after my workout. In addition, I get extremely weak, disoriented, cold sweats, irratable, and can't think clearly (The typical hypoglycemic crash).
Prior to working out, eating protein bars or peanut butter sandwiches help, but peanut butter and protein bars are extremely high in sugar causing a crash very soon after.
Does anyone have suggestions for a healthier pre-workout snack or supplement to counteract the hypoglycemia?
Currently, I do not take any protein or body building supplements. I have taken protein supplements and multi-vitamins but all have nasty side effects (kidney stones, diarrea, etc).
Finally, Do the glucose tablets work or is there a better supplement for maintaining blood sugar levels.
Thanks, and great comments as well.
I went to an alternative medicine doctor many years ago. He helped me greatly. He said that my pancreas was over reactive to carbohydrates. So every time I ate simple or complex carbs, my pancreas shot out an over abundance of insulin. Even complex carbs had become a trigger. Since insulin blocked my body's ability to use glucose, I had a low blood sugar attack. He said I needed to get my pancreas less sensitive to carbohydrates by limiting all carbs in my diet for 3 to 7 days (*not any longer). The key point is: when you eat high protein, absolutely no carbohydrates, your body cannot release insulin. None. (*Never stay on an exclusive, high protein diet long term without doctor's care).
So, I ate a high protein diet for four days --- absolutely no carbs. That gave my pancreas time to relax, adjust, and be less trigger-happy with the insulin. It wasn't easy. But it worked. I felt great. I didn't crave sweets anymore. It was noticeable within 3 days. I was thinking clearer, had a good mood, and slept better. Then, I had to begin eating a healthy, balanced diet or whole grains, good proteins, fruits and vegetables. I also ate small, frequent meals, etc. Also, since my "shaky" times were at 10:00 am and 2:00pm every day, he said I should have a protein / complex carb snack at those times, no sugar (if you're eating peanut butter with sugar in it, it'll likely cause a reaction). He also put me on an overall, inclusive vitamin/mineral supplement, with extra Chromium Picolinate and extra B5 (for adrenal gland support/for stress). When I mess up and don't eat right, I feel it. Hypoglycemia stinks, it's difficult, but it's manageable. Hope this helps someone.
I just started researching hypoglycemia. I have noticed that three hours after breakfast I feel nauseas, lightheaded, hunger, and a strong urge to sit down. I think I may be hypoglycemic, so I'm starting a food journal to log what I eat at breakfast and how it affects me.
I have hypoglycemia as a result of my fibromyalgia. I've learned that the glucose tablets that they make for diabetics work just as well for hypoglycemia when you are out and you can't get something to eat right away.
Whenever I get an attack, I make sure to have a healthy snack on hand. But sometimes, even after I take it, I'm starving the rest of the day even after I've eaten. Is that normal? Or am I just eathing the wrong things?
In my case, I eat a half cup of rice, whether colored or polished; colored is better. My hypoglycemia episode is countered. Rice has 4 kcal. Glucose tablet might have very high sugar that the body can hardly handle. Fructose is better (from fruits, honey) that converts to glucose. You will get glucose eventually but not so abruptly. What is important in hypoglycemia is the sudden surge and sudden fall of sugar level. Serotonin has to do with hunger pangs. I assume that I have adequate supply of serotonin (from tryptophan) and I counter hunger pangs with brewer's yeast (not the baker's yeast) that supplies trivalent chromium. Chromium hinds insulin to insulin receptors so that insulin becomes more effective in driving glucose into cells.If chromium is deficient, you may have plenty of glucose, after eating, in your blood but not getting into cells so you still feel fagged out.
To Isis:
Whenever I have a low blood sugar incident, I feel hungry all day (and shaky, moody, and mentally cloudy), too. In fact, it may last days if I don't take care of it. Unfortunately, I have to eat a lot for a couple days to "catch up" or feel better. Actually, the foods I eat at these times, had to contain additional fats. Only then did I feel better. I say unfortunately because I then gain weight from the excess calories. It's a catch 22.
This fact has led me on a quest to understand fats in relation to hypoglycemia. The short version of this story is that I started using coconut oil because it is an easy-to-digest oil. In fact, it is immediately converted into energy (rather than being stored as fat in your body). Since hypoglycemics have problems using stored fats as energy, the use of coconut oil bypasses that whole cycle. It is used as energy immediately. I've been using it for about a month now, and it seems to be helping me.
It is controversial because coconut oil is a saturated fat, which is supposed to be bad for you. However, there are some doctors who disagree. Even more, coconut oil makes some people actually lose weight. For more information go to mercola.com and/or earthclinic.com – to see if this avenue is right for you.
I really don't like the taste of coconut, so I just take it like one would take a pill. Some people cook with it.
Coconut oil is medium saturated fat that makes it better than long saturated fat. There is a product called virgin coconut oil which is not heated. Heat destroys enzymes. I live in the Philippines where coconut is one of our principal products.
I had Gastric Bypass Surgery, and have been suffering from hypoglycemic episodes off and on. My blood sugar has gone down to 60 and probably lower since I cannot take it when in a full episode. My primary doctor has suggested my going to an endocrinologist to see what the problem is. Diabetes II is on both sides of my family. Both my parents have it. I've suffered chronic fatigue, night sweats for years even(before the GB surgery) and have had bad muscle cramping in my legs, thighs, and abdomen. I take B12 injections monthly, too. I'm wondering if there is an underlying problem?
The hypoglycemic episodes are frightening especially when I am not at home. I carry a blood meter kit, and glucose tabs, and candy with me. The other symptom I have is I don't heal well after any surgery. I had a bunion surgery and have been left with a thick scar and a toe that does not work or lay flat.
Just stumbled across this site. THANK YOU! I now feel you have all described most of my symptoms that have never been correctly diagnosed, the doc never knows what is wrong with me! Will concentrate more on my foods. Glad to have found you and read this.... glad its 'not just me'! x
I'm 27 years old, I would consider myself to be very fit and healthy as I attend high intensity training classes at my gym three times per week. Last year after eating a bowl of cereal and then more chocolate than I needed I had a strange turn of cold sweating, trembling, a feeling of panic and light headedness. It was very scary at the time and I decided there and then that I needed to change my intake of sugar based products. I cut out refined sugar and eat a protein based diet with wholegrain carbs. I didn't have any further attacks for at 10 months. Yesterday after eating my normal diet I had two Bagels as an addition to my daily routine. I then had my normal dinner around 7pm. Normally I would have a decaf coffee or protein shake around 10pm. I didn't have it as I was pre-occupied with something else. Once I was in bed I started to get hunger pains and then the attack came on very quickly (I would estimate within 3-4 minutes). I went from being hungry to shaking and trembling. I had to get up and eat half a banana and after a minute or so I could feel my body slowly improving. To me it shows just how important small regular meals are, especially before you go to sleep as you're not eating for 7-8 hours on average. I'm going to keep an eye on what I eat especially before I go to sleep. I'm slso going to get myself tested for Diabetes just in case there is an underlying problem.
My daughter is 18 and started working a couple of months ago. Recently, she has been having problems, which I believe is hypoglycemia. She works evenings and usually doesn't get out of bed until the last minute, so she doesn't eat before going to work. She works as a janitor at a school. Within a couple of hours of working, she begins to feel dizzy, shaky and like she's going to throw up. I told her to eat and she does but still feels bad for the rest of the day. Am I right in thinking she has hypoglycemia and should we see a doctor or just make her become better about eating right?
I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia as a baby, and felt the affects as I was growing up. Now I'm 29 and I don't really notice the symptoms anymore. I'm wondering if my hypoglycemia has gone away, or maybe I'm not aware that I'm experiencing the symptoms anymore because I am too used to it. I know that I should be eating small regular meals, but I never do. I'm also wondering if hypoglycemia can turn into diabetes if you don't take care of it. I'm not over weight, and I exercise regularly, so I don't think I'm the typical candidate for diabetes. Any thoughts?
Benjimester, Kate's concern,
In my experience, episodes or hypoglycemia may linger while growing up or when grown up. Since hypoglycemia is more of how the body handles sugar a certain threshold when crossed upward or downward will trigger an episode. I was in grades school. When I missed my supper I would get an episode in the morning. May be due to extremes in sugar intake, stress, and tight work schedule, my threshold might have become more sensitive. So I get more episodes just by a wide variation in the interval of meals, and kind of diet. So I ensure a diet that counters hypoglycemia, and monitor my meal intervals. Of course, I take supplements and regulate my activities that are energy consuming.
I'm so glad I looked this up, I've been having these attacks for a while and they've always been in work and because i'm an auxiliary nurse it's not easy to just step away and overcome an attack.. now I know what it is and how to overcome it i'm so much more prepared when going to work so this has been a big help :) Its funny though because it kind of runs in the family, none of us have diabetes but a few of us suffer from an underactive thyroid does this have anthing to do with this?? Anyway thankyou.
Thanks for your help Benjimester and Conrad. This forum is great!
I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 25 years ago. After leaving a high stress job it got better and was no longer bothersome. However, I have recently been having a problem whenever I ate something with a lot of sugar. At first, hypoglycemia didn't enter my head as I am under the care of a doctor and my diabetes tests always came back normal. For some reason I thought of hypoglycemia and have been doing what the doctor I had 25 years ago had me do. I carry cheese sticks and nuts which definetly helps. I also eat 6 small meals a day heavy on vegtables (especially green, light on carrots). Any sugary stuff makes me go into an attack. I am hoping to get my doctors to help as I am 70 and have other problems including fibromuscular dysplasia and a rare heart condition. I don't think th hypoglycemia helps.
I have not read all the comments yet but i already know that i have found the best site in the world!!! I was dignosed 3 years ago. I have been lucky enough to control it until recently. I have been having mild spells for the past 2 weeks. My husband has been on me to go to the doctor. After reading these comments to him, he understood why i felt it was unnessasary to go!!! I knew i would be wasting my money because all they tell me is to snack more often. Thanks so much for this site!!! I am gonna get back to reading!! It is so nice to know I am not crazy or alone in this!! Can't wait to read more!! Thanks again
This site has made me feel a lot less rubbish. I've had countless tests for diabetes; all negative, and yet my blood sugar is constantly low. I don't have spells of hypoglycaemia, I am just constantly like this. It doesn't matter what/when I eat as that only relieves symptoms for half an hour at best.
I recently changed doctors and the new one (who hadn't read my notes) told me that lots of slim women in their early twenties got these symptoms and that doctors in the UK don't treat it but should consider taking iron tablets. I'm a vegetarian; I alreaddy take iron tablets. She then read my notes and contacted me a few dayss later a lot more concerned. I've had two 72 hour fasting tests at my previous hospital which apparently found that my A1c was abnormally high (9). I don't really understand what this means but the ddoctor implid it conracted original low blood sugar readings. They have no idea whhat's wrong with me basically but I have a month to wait and see before the neww hospital will even see me.
In the meantime it's driving my boyfriend nuts because I'm always feeling sick and tired and get depressed really easily, and it's getting close to impossible to do my job. I'm a chef. I work in a hot environmentn, often for ten or more hours a day with no break and I don't get to sit down. I had a week off work which annoyed my boss mor and what drives me up the wall is him coming in the kitchen every five minutes to ask if I've got a bowl of chips with me so my blood sugar doesn't drop. All very well but the chips stopped working a while ago and havve to reaad a ticcket four or five times before I know what food someone's ordered. Not good when you have to get something up to the waiters quickly!! I feel so down and frustrated by it all at the moment. I just want to know what's wrong and how to fix it!
Benjimester, Jenny's concern,
In the case of Jenny' work, it is really tiring and enervating. A 6-hour glucose tolerance test is for hypoglycemia. Her symptoms suggest hypoglycemia. Chips might not give her enough energy.In my earlier comments
I quoted on hot environment which I think contributes to her hypoglycemia."Other immediate causes or factors which can contribute to an attack include a higher than normal intake of alcohol, change of injection site, and hot weather (which affects insulin/glucose metabolism)" (Wright, K. "Hypoglycaema." A Guide to Diabetes. 2004:113-125). This book is published in UK.
I was diagnosed a few years ago with Hypoglycemia. I feel the crash early afternoon most days, and it seems to last for the remainder of the day. It's the uncontrollable sweats that's most bothersome, and clearly embarrassing. I work a high-stress job, don't deal well with hot & humid conditions as it is. Being Hypo in this environment seems unfavorable, but I need to make the necessary adjustments. Like many of you, I feel disoriented, probably don't make the most sense under these circumstances, my body feels clammy, my head sweats, and my ears turn fire engine red. My apologies if that's a bit over the top of a description. It's debilitating & incredibly inconvenient. I'm constantly thinking about how to prevent an episode. I like the Magnesium suggestion & will hop on that. Thank you. Any suggestions on how to counter the awkward & intense sweats, I'm all for it.
I have just read a lot of the posts and was surprised by the varied symptoms and how people deal with them, a lot familiar with those of my little girl. After a frustrating three years, I am now sourcing my own information and putting together a file for my 5 year old daughter. It all started two weeks after having her mmr vaccine, a very sensitive subject with all medical staff. I picked my daughter out of her cot one morning and had to call paramedics, the day before she was happy, healthy and had been toddling around. That awful morning her eyes were fixed in one corner, she couldn't sit up or move. Her sugar levels were very low, and she was rushed to hospital. She recovered and I guess we will never know exactly what happened and why, but I am sure that the vaccine triggered something in my daughters system that has never corrected. Every time she has even the mildest illness she struggles to regulate her blood sugar level, obviously it's very stressful especially at night, if her temperature rises this can effect her blood sugar very quickly. We have seen a consultant who wants me to leave her untreated just so she can be blood tested whilst low, not for sugar levels but a rare syndrome, a risk I'm not willing to take, if the paramedics think she's so poorly that she needs to be treated, she will be treated. The annoying thing is, that several trips to the hospital and they have never wanted to run these tests in controlled conditions. She reacted badly to antibiotics for a throat infection and yet didn't test her to see if it was the medicine. This could be potentially dangerous if we were ever away and antibiotics are given to her. The last booster she had left her with a huge swollen arm and struggling with blood sugars again, it takes me a good few days to get her well again. Anything mild or otherwise that enters her system, leaves her body unable to cope. I think the consultant was hoping she would just grow out of it and says everything is fine, that I'm managing it well. Her last episode was at school, on Friday just gone, relying on fat coke to hold the fort until I can get to the school. Our doctor can't offer anymore help or advice and I'm left feeling frustrated. I asked for him to print all notes by himself and the consultant so I can contact another doctor for a second opinion. Huff :-(
I have had hypoglycemia since I was about 14, but didn't get diagnosed until I was in my mid twenties. I took the 6 hr glucose test. You fast after 8 pm, and then they take the first blood sample. Then you drink a high glucose drink, usually orange. At every hour, they take another blood sample. My blood sugar dropped at the 4th hour, and revived at the 5th hour. This is the only test I know for hypoglycemia. I have 2 aunts and 2 cousins (all female) who have hypoglycemia. on the other side of my family, we have type II diabetes. There is always the concern that hypoglycemia without diabetes may change to diabetes -- meaning over production of insulin may change to under production. However, every person is different. It is a very good idea to keep a food diary. You need a balanced diet, with low, complex carbs -- avoid simplex carbs. It's not high protein, but protein helps to level out the insulin production. I used to get horribly ill - nauseous and very hot for no apparent reason. I would lay down with a fan blowing on me until the symptoms passed. I would get very irritable, especially if I stayed up too late -- I just felt like I needed to go to bed. Not everyone has the same symptoms. Mood swings are common. I did a lot of research on the subject. You also might not have a reaction right after eating a food that might affect you -- it might affect hours later, which is why it is hard to figure out what's happening. It is important to eat about 6 times at day - 3 meals and 3 snacks. Make your last snack about 30 minutes before sleeping so as not to have dental problems (Dentists recommend this). I never went to an endoctrinologist -- just a regular doctor. Do your own research. I also found helpful books, now out of print -- one called the Low Blood Sugar Cookbook by Francyne Davis, and another book called Low Blood Sugar and You by Carlton Fredericks PhD and Herman Goodman MD. You can possibly find online for used books. Very helpful and not expensive.
I have a copy of "Low Blood Sugar and You," too. Another book "The Chromium Connection" by Betty Kamen may help.
Wow, thanks so much for this site! It's been educational and really helpful. I plan to go in for a check up soon and running it by the doc to see what he thinks, but regardless of what he says, after reading personal experiences with Hypo and the symptoms I would say I have it. 100% certainty. I know my Grandmother has the same sensitivity to sugar as I do but now she tests her blood sugar levels and is labeled a diabetic, though I have never seen her take insulin shots. Maybe a misdiagnosis? Or I read somewhere that if you push your pancreas too much it may just stop pumping out insulin all together. That's a scary thought! Anyway I think I may have had this all my life, as I remember since I was young having terrible muscle cramps in my lower legs. It was reasonable to deal with though and I think growing up on a beef farm had a lot to do with it. I ate a lot of cheese and meat every day. And I was teased in school because I always had food with me and was munching all throughout my classes. After I moved away from home though, things started to get much worse. I've been searching for years to what could cause my muscles to hurt so bad. I did eventually make the discovery that high fructose corn syrup was a huge culprit. So I ditched that out of my diet and made tremendous progress. Then I switched to eating more vegetables. I seemed to be doing fine with that until I mostly turned away from meat. Then I would get hot flashes at night while I tried to sleep, I would wake up at any hour of the night in such hunger pain that I couldn't move, and I recently watched some documentaries about how horrible meat and milk are to your health, so I ditched both for about a week..which was a huge mistake! With that and my late carelessness with Halloween candy I had the worst episode I have ever had in my life. Anytime I ate anything I would get migraines and my back muscles would flare up in agony, not to mention how disconnected I felt mentally. During this time I found out how wonderful peanut butter is. I tried to eat a lot of raw Veggies too, but they only keep me full for about 20 mins then I get the massive hunger pains again. Right now I've been carrying a bottle of V8 low sodium vegetable juice and a jar of peanut butter to get me through the day. After the first few days I tried it I woke up without hunger pains. It was awesome! It helps a lot to always have those on hand when I start feeling hungry. I have been migraine and backache free for a few days now, my leg muscles are cramping up again but that should pass soon too as long as I pay attention to my diet. Also bursts of sprinting seem to help me recover a little bit quicker. I wish I knew a lot more medical information about how running affects the insulin levels and whatnot because this seems like it should all make sense in some fashion. I guess one last thing that comes to mind is that during an episode, it helps a lot to stay away from gluten type foods like grains and cereals. Rice doesn't bother me, pasta and bread can. I point this out because I've seen other people talk about staying away from starches. I have a gluten intolerant friend so I got a lot of information from her about it and when I applied it to my episodes, it helped me out a lot. Anyway this is my two cents on the subject. I've only recently realized how to manage it though so I can only hope my tidbits help. That and I look forward to learning more from you as well.
Hey, I figured I'd pop in with a quick update. Since I'm still recovering from my last episode and I forgot my v8 drink at home :C (peanut butter only goes so far by itself) I had a chance to try the orange juice remedy and glucose tablets today. The tablets worked really well, the orange juice not so much. Here's what I found out about orange juice from www.diabetes-blood-sugar-solutions.com/treating-hypoglycemia.html: "Orange juice has a glycemic index of 47 since it is mostly fructose and must be converted into glucose. It will work - but slowly for most people." And for me, my body doesn't like fructose in general. For your question, I found out about sprinting because my first warning sign of having too much sugar in my system is in my legs. (Probably restless leg syndrome as they're calling it now) Sometimes my leg muscles literately feel like they're burning if they aren't moving. I've learned that full out exercise doesn't help, but short, quick bursts do. Insightful tidbits I hope.
I was diagnosed with hypoglycaemia 12 years ago when I was 13, but it took a couple of doctor and hospital trips. Originally they thought it was a psychological problem. I used to get anxiety attacks half way into a hypoglaecemic attack which is kinda understandable when your hands are shaking and you feel like you are going to pass out. Having been a very skinny kid, and with the anxiety attacks it was the last thing that most doctors looked at. One doctor even tried to put me on anti-depressants. As a last resort my parents took me to one more doctor who asked me what I felt like before the anxiety attacks, she instantly did tests at different times before and after meals and diagnosed me.
She put me on a low GI Diet, ordered me to eat smaller meals more frequently and to carry snacks like nuts, or a fruit. Also keeping a snack by the bed at night. Told me not to fall into the trap of eating something high in sugar during those times because it would be likely to cause another attack.
With a good diet I was able to control most of the symptoms. Unlike many who become grumpy or angry in those times i become emotional. Its almost become my early warning sign. If I want to cry for no reason or cry easily over nonsense I know I need a snack. I have a friend that was also diagonosed with hypoglycaemia who experiences something similiar to depression during the times her dropped as well as for a day or to afterwards.
I also noticed that in winter I used to drink less water and it seems to have increased the times when my sugar dropped. So i started drinking more water and it evened out.
If I don't eat for a while I get so shaky that I can't even function. I have to eat right away or my day is ruined so I can understand what everybody is talking about. I would recommend staying away from things like energy drinks if you haven't eaten and when you are shaky eat something with protein and not sugar. That usualy calms me down
Cheese sticks are great, (well thats if they are the same as what we call cheese sticks in South Africa) the only problem is I am allergic to wheat so I've started replacing wheat with Rye products and non-sweetened rice cakes.
I remember when I was first diagnosed I looked at the eating plan I was give and thought do these people wantg me to eat like a bird? Once you get used to it, its not so bad actually.
Biltong is also a brilliant snack- i think the american equivalent would be beef jerky...
No matter how long one leaves home for its always good to be prepared with snacks.I once did a five day version of something like Survivor and was sick for about a week afterwards because of the bad eating habits in the bush. Its so important to keep eating balanced food not doing that can have a huge impact on the weeks afterwards.
I learnt the hard way that not even fasting and just eating fruit and veg is safe. Protein is such an important element of our diet.
The other day my daughter was doing dishes and she said she smelled something funny and that her vision went blurry. She said that she felt nauseous and very hot, she went and laid down I took her temperature and it was normal. The only chemicals that she was around was the dish detergent. After she laid down for a bit she was fine. But, it scared her enough to make her cry. My sister had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant.,so we tested my daughters blood with her kit. It came out a reading of 94. Which is normal for her. So I don't get what happened.'any suggestions?
Smelling strange things is sometimes a symptom of a form of epilepsy
Some people are allergic to some smells. I am allergic to some perfumes. Others might be allergic to detergent.
Somebody mentioned coffee. It is advisable for a hypoglycemic to avoid it.
There is an imbalance in protein that results in aciduriasis that can bring on hypoglycemia, according to Stuart Berger, a nutritionist (How to become your own nutritionist). Aciduriasis is due to heritable inability to digest some protein. So before taking some protein supplement, consult your doctor, or through a food journal as suggested by Benjimester, one should be able to identify proteins that gave trouble in digestion.
This is correct. I have a problem with dairy protein and have hypoglycemia ..What you or book suggest…just to avoid that protein or is there a cure?
Recently I learned how to keep my sugar level stable ..Any time I feel first symptoms…just half glass of bear will get just right amount of sugar into my blood, and will calm my adrenalin.. Anything ever helped me feel better..I don't even like alcohol or bear.
The first approach is to avoid the protein once it had been identified. Berger says there is a cure for aciduriasis that is simply taking a balanced supply of proteins of the right kinds.
i don't know if i have any of those two things specified, but here are the symptoms i've been having.
numbness/tingling but whole body not just finger tips
rapid/slow heartbeat it varies
arms and legs feeling quite heavy and sometimes is hard to keep balance. either way i'm going to the doctor but i'd like to see what you guys think. thanks in advance
I think this was great i just turned 17 and when i was nine (starting t go through prberty) is when I first started getting symptoms of this i passed out several times my doctors thought I had an eating disorder, after they ruled that out they insisted i had diabetes it runs in my family big time, but i didn't seem to matterl what i eat i end up crashing. I have a same constant headache from hypoglycemia its nice to see people going through the same run around finaly get some awnsers
I have been suffering with the cold sweats and shakiness for months now. i get two to three headaches a week sometimes more. I tested myself on my dads meter yesterday an hour after eating it said i was at 141. then when i tested myself this morning i was 65. My husband who is an EMT said that 65 is on the low side. he said that normal blood sugar levels for non diabetic people should be around 80-120. everyone keeps telling me i should get tested for diabetes. both my grandparents have it. my dad has type 1 diabetes he developed a few years ago. my mom had it while she was pregnant with my brother years ago. wheni get low i feel really sick. i feel more tired than i used to. i dont seem to have the energy to do anything. i have to force myself. i exercise regularly and eat healthy. i try to reduce sugars and i have cut back on salt intake. i am 22 years old.
i have hypoglycemia, and have since i was young. going without food too long..ie if i do not have a snack before bed i wake up and am shaking...and covered in sweat. i had stomach surgery as an infant an am now 31 and still do not know if it is just natural for me...or the surgery that caused it. i find though, that for me snacking every few hours and eating small meals works best. i also eat a lot of pasta, whole grains and peanut butter because i am a vegetarian (because of stomach surgery i get ulcers or get sick when i comsume red meat). i just woke up shaking to death yesterday, couldn't stop sweating and was just irritable with everyone. For me, what works is a tablespoon of peanut butter with a small glass of natural juice when this happens. Withing 30 mins I am a bit better. Hope this helps. It's not an easy thing to deal with though...i am clumsy, irritable and nauseated when this happens...and sweat a lot - which makes me more nervous lol. good to know i am not alone in being a non-diabetic that has to monitor blood glucose levels
I've read a few books over the past month or so on this topic, "Hypoglycemia for Dummies," being one of them. It was helpful, easy to read through and pick areas that seemed most relevant to my situation. What I was able to take away was that #1, Sugar is the absolute enemy & it should be avoided at all costs. I'm finding that it's not easy to do this at all. The #2 point focused on keeping whole grains out of your diet.......Really ?? The whole complex vs. simple carbs deals has me scratching my head a bit, and I've read many contradictory comments about whether foods such as plain oatmeal can be eaten. There's only so much raw fruit & veggies one can consume, dicing oatmeal & any bread source out of a diet (even for a PB&J with sugar-free jelly) makes this situation arguably even more inconvenient. I purchased a Sugar-Free/Gluten-Free Cookbook, that's all I could find on the Hypo topic, and it contains some nice recipes, but still has plenty of "whole grain" ingredients.
Any suggestions from you all out there as far as an example diet (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with 3-5 snacks in between)?? I almost feel worse because I don't know what to reach for in the cubbard.
Thanks, Benj - I went up and located the daily recipe, looks like something I'll try to follow. And my apologies for my early morning typos in my last message.
Wow, I am just so glad I found this page! I have suffered from "sugar crashes" for a couple of years, but just in the recent months it has gotten pretty bad. I went to my doc for blood test and everything came out perfect. He just told me to eat more....Really???? But after I read the post, a food diary is an excellant idea! I have found that pasta is a big trigger for my crashes! Thanks for your post!!! Now I don't feel like I am going crazy : )
im not even a teeen yet and hav been diagnosed but i feel like so confused. i can never find goood foods that r good for u:(
it seems .. the doctors just say u seem fine but i dont feel fine
My children have glycogen storage disease. It is a rare genetic disorder that causes varying degrees of hypoglycemia. It took me 2 years and countless doctors to get a diagnosis. Please, go to www.agsdus.org to see if you may fit the profile of one of the many types of GSD. My kid
must avoid all sugar, consume lots of protein, and drink uncooked cornstarch daily. They
also need to check blood glucose levels and blood ketone levels on a daily basis. They're livers are mildly enlarged- but improving. I hope this helps someone.
I just lost two hours at work due to what I believe was another low blood sugar episode. I've gone months without one but am careful with what I eat. I had one day before yesterday after a flavored latte (two shots) and an egg white/turkey bacon sandwich on a whole wheat roll which caught me completely off guard. Then today, I had my normal drip coffee, but combined the caffeine with a sugary granola bar and Excedrin Migraine. I believe this combination was not only stupid on my part but caused this horrible episode. I was sweaty, extremely dizzy, shakes, nervous, & scared. This latest episode led me to this blog.
My question: has anyone else had these episodes brought on by caffeine?
Thank you for having this resource, I don't feel quite so alone!
Thank you Benjimester, that makes me feel much better. I'll be for sure not doubling up on caffeine ever again and getting rid of the sugar/caffeine combination for good.
I went to a different doctor after seeing my endocrinologist since 1995 for hypothyrodism, he found I am hypoglocemic. I have felt bad for several years, tired, over weight, foggy. He said that a protein diet like the southbeach diet or the zone would be good, he also gave an rx of metformin, he said this would not lower my blood sugar, I am not diabetic, has anyone used this along with the change in there diet.
Benjimester, I stopped for a while to see if I could help.
For Suki: I think you should go slow on carrot. It's an antioxidant but it has some side effect on hypoglycemia. You might have some kind of insulin resistance where insulin level is high such that it causes storage of glucose to fat immediately that is hard to convert to glucose, or insulin receptors are so few or had been damaged by free radicals owing to lack of chromium. Trivalent chromium (from brewer's yeast not baker's yeast) binds insulin to cell receptors facilitating entry of glucose.
For JennyLew: you might have the flat variety of hypoglycemia, that is, rise and fall of blood sugar is not abrupt but wavy below normal blood sugar level. According to Aiviola this makes your day gloomy.
For Jo: What do you eat for lunch? heavy with carb, pasta, cereals? these can give you hypoglycemic episode late in the afternoon.
Natasha: Anybody can have an allergy to antibiotic, even to a vaccine. I am not sure what you mean by "fat coke" but if it is a soft drinks, you might have a bad reaction to saccharin which is used as a sweetener. i read somewhere that saccharin is banned in 17 states of the U.S.; toluene has been found as a by-product in the production of saccharin. Toluene is listed as carcinogenic.
For Robin: hypoglycemia can move up to diabetes if the cause of hypoglycemia is insulin resistance which inhibits storage of glucose. That is, glycogen is not replenished such that energy for the brain is lacking resulting in hypoglycemia; even insulin level is high but does not drive glucose for storage resulting in diabetes. Betty Kamen, Ph.D. says insulin resistance is due to damage of insulin resistance by free radicals, few insulin receptors, and lack of chromium that binds insulin to insulin receptors. I have a Hub "How Chromium Insures Treatment of Diabetes Type 2."
For branhans: grains, cereals and pasta provoke a release of extra insulin to control their sugar contents. It could result in hypoglycemia or diabetes. Sprinting consumes a lot of energy; walking is better.
For Kaley: You may have a high level of insulin as your relatives do. This my result in hypoglycemia in your case because high level of insulin stores glucose into fat, inhibits storage into glycogen that is supposed to be used by the brain. Lack of energy for the brain results in hypoglycemia.
For Lori: she is taking a bad combination of foods. Juice, grains and pasta provoke release of a lot of insulin that stores glucose immediately resulting in lack of energy for the brain and muscles - hypoglycemia. Peanust butter gives some relief because it has a heat content of 23, whereas rice has 4, fats has 9.
For Nowwhat: First to mention zone in this Hub. Stay with zone diet for sometime, at least 2 weeks in a row and observe your body reactions. You might want to brush up on zone diet, get a book by Barry Sears, Ph.D. with Bill Lawren, "Enter the Zone."
Benjimester, my pleasure.
For Robin, I meant "due to damage of insulin receptors by free radicals," not "insulin resistance...."
iv been having epileptic siezures once in every 4-5years and ind its usually when am hungry or when iv been fasting since am a muslim,my doc once thought twas anemea but,today found out twas a severe case of hypoglycima
Several people in my family have had hypoglycemia throughout their lives. When I was a kid and started to have episodes they knew right off what it was. Then I started getting stranger symptoms. On at least two occasions my lips turned blue. Thankfully, I've gotten used to it and learned to recognize it.
Hi There.
I came across this website when I realized that my blood sugar is not stable. I had a blood test for all my hormones and other things. The test was taken in the morning after I had had breakfast. The Glucose level was at 2.5 when the reference level is between 4 and 6. I have no diabetes. I am thin and very active in sports. I used to overdo cycling and long-distance running which could have been a factor in becoming Hypoglycemic. To be precise, I was using it as a therapy for my nervous system, etc.
There are a couple of things noted above which I agree to when it comes to managing Hypoglycemia. That is magnesium and good-brand multivitamin. In the winter, Vitamin D helps, as well. That prescription generally applies to all Western-society people given our lifestyles. More particularly, a combination of Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Alpha Lipoic Acid is what is usually recommended for stabilizing blood sugar.
I had various symptoms like anxiety, sadness, cravings, food addictions, head aches and mostly terrible sleep (waking up after 5 -6 hours of sleep and being terribly tired) Whether stress, bad diet, genes or whatever caused the problem, nobody knows. I ended up with a hormonal imbalance and hypoglycemia. It took years and many doctors until I found a solution to it. Despite my healthy body and organs, I used to feel terrible and get easily stressed or disoriented. Anyhow, I do believe that hypoglycemia is not a condition by itself but is accompanied by other imbalances and bad diet to the least. For example, very high percentage of modern society has hormonal imbalances that cause mildly said discomfort. Hormonal imbalances are usually not diagnosed and not necessary resulting in acute diseases that doctors treat.
Back to the topic, despite the fact that traditional medicine is very conservative and it treats people only if they are dying, do not self-diagnose and self-treat yourself.
Hypoglecemia (if on its own) could be indeed managed with the perfect diet. I agree with posts that suggests low GI foods, no starch, no gluten and even diary. Again, i agree to it because such a diet generally promotes health. However, it is much more complicated and one needs to have a lot of knowledge about nutrition before engaging in any kind of strict diets. If the condition has gone too far, supplements might be necessary apart from the MUST ones (omega 3 fatty acids, mutivatamin (good brand), magenesium, Vitamin C, probiotcs). Usually, some amino acids are good but do not just start taking. You need a specialist. Amino acids (e.g., Ornirhine), for example, stimulate the growth hormone and help your body recover.
To sum up, please read "the paleo diet" and watch the following video:
The latter is not connected directly to Hypoglycemia but it is the way that one should eat and trust me it helps Hypoglycemia.
Further, find a good doctor. You might want to check your hormones. They are involved in every single process that takes place in our body. Very often imbalances are accompanied with unstable blood sugar which is our obvious night mare. Nowadays, there are doctors called anti-aging doctors. They cost money but check you thoroughly and try to bring you in balance by the RIGHT supplements and if necessary hormones. It costs money but it is worthy. Make sure the guy is a real doctor with good years of experience. Despite their name "anti-aging", they deal with young men and women, as well.
These are my thoughts in short on the topic. Good luck!
So many comments i could not read them all. I was just diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia, while being treated for hashimotos. I am very tired all the time and after i would eat certain meals, especially large portions i would fall asleep at the table. I would feel fine 20 minutes later but what a drag and embarassment. ive also noticed that i have gone from rather calm n cool to angry all the time. Ive been trying to eat 6 small meals a day with snacks intertwined in there but man do i get hungry sometimes. No matter how much i eat i dont gain weight either. My meals consists of veggies, tomato based soups, some fruit, lots of water, oj when i feel a tired spell coming on, salads, chicken, turkey, yogurt and a few more. I havent drank alcohol in almost two years and i have just cut out pop/sodas. I do not really have a sweet tooth but i cut it out anyhow. Ive also been diagnosed by my herbal dr as being celiac but my fam doc will not have that....u would think she would test me but who cares about her...for the last two years i have ate celiac diet, which helped with me not feeling sick all the time. I am plucking one specialist off at a time to see if anything else can be contributing. Nasal issues are top priority because i cant breath. Hope this information can help someone. So much to type but ive wrote a novel already. Keep strong n positive.
I just read an article you have posted about adrenaline kicking in, stress and adrenal glands. I have been under a lot of stress. Since college i have complained of having adrenaline rushes for no apparent reason too. I was diagnosed with athletes heart but years later another doc said i had nothing wrong. I wonder if ive been dealing with this for quite sometime but just never recognized it. so confusing...
I am 18 and believe that I am hypoglycemic. I am an ice skater and I am on a healthy diet as my mom is allergic to corn products. I am constantly dizzy and I can't remember the last time I didn't have a headache. When I eat the headache goes away only to return within an hour. Most of the people in my family are hypoglycemic. My grandfather had it but it has now turned into adult onset type 1 diabetes. The same is happening with my mother. I don't check my blood sugar but I think it would be wise. It seems to turn into diabetes within a few years in my family and I have been dealin with this for at least 8 years. Do you think I am hypoglycemic? Should I go try and get diagnosed?
I also do not eat candy or things with a lot of sugar because it is not appealing to me so I know I don't get sugar rushes.
Also is hypoglycemia something to put on a med alert bracelet? I need to get mine for the medicines im allergic that cause me problems.
Also I have displayed the symptoms of diabetes but brushed them off because I knew I was hypoglycemic.
Benjimester, Happy New Year!
For Augusta: Skating is enervating, uses a lot of energy that may contribute to your hypoglycemia. You seem to go hungry too soon after a meal which could be indicative of insulin resistance, or high level of insulin. In resistance your blood sugar is not driven to cells because there are few insulin receptors, receptors had been damaged by free radicals and you lack chromium. Trivalent chromium binds insulin to receptors so that glucose gets into cells. You may try taking brewer's yeast (not the baker's yeast)that supplies chromium. If you have a high level of insulin, your glucose might get stored so fast as fat that a small amount is left for your energy needs. Try brewer's yeast for a week. it does no harm. I am taking 3 tablets a day of a brand made in the USA. Before, i got dizzy in 3 to 4 hours after a meal. Now i can last for 5 to 7 hours without feeling a hunger pang. My hypoglycemia may not go away until the source of my chronic stress is cured. For now I manage it.
Hi Ben. I have a couple questions i was hoping you could help me with. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 6 months ago. For the last 6 years or so prior to being diagnosed, I ate only a meal at night(normal sized). Now I eat 3 times daily but breakfast and lunch are usually just enough to keep my levels up in the 60s-70s. The months leading up to the diagnosis i had signs like dilated pupils that people would comment about and extreme nausea, but I didnt know they were symptoms at the time. I am a firefighter so eating on time all the time isnt always an option. Eating when i feel an episode coming on is really not an option because usually thats when I'm on a call. My BMI is in the very normal range and I eat pretty healthy food. But I guess the questions I have are: Why does hypoglycemia lead to type 2? (as my dr said I would become)
Does the food you ate on Day 1 affect how your levels are on Day 2? (because mine seem to)
All of the research i have done so far indicates that being in the 50s range is dangerous to your body, so why does my dr seem unconcerned when I reach 51 almost daily? (But I'm still functional, maybe shaking and showing other signs tho)
Why are my hands always cold and get even colder when im getting low? (That was the initial reason I went to see my doc and ended up being diagnosed after a fasting BG test)
Is there anything other than exercising and eating that can raise my levels when I'm low? (Exercising works very well for me but I cant always drop everything and do that)
Thank You for any imput!! Beth
When one rises from bed after a long sleep his sugar level is about 70. That is too low to do exercise and much thinking, according to Dr. Bob (Dr. Bot Arnot's Guide to turning back the clock). The liver stores energy in the form of glycogen good for 6 to 9 hours only. If you do not replenish that you are out of fuel even in the same day. According to the book the normal range of sugar level is 70 to 100, so 50 is definitely low and hypoglycemia manifests. Its hazardous for a fireman because he might pass out or tune out during firefighting chores. Bethisawsome, I guess, eats a lot when she has the time, after skipping breakfast -- that is after taking virtually a fast. He gets a sugar spike after an awesome meal and the insulin shoots up to cope. But soon the pancreas will get tired of doing that and insulin resistance may come in -- meaning there is a lot of insulin roaming around but ineffective in driving the sugar to cells. That's when diabetes type 2 develops.
Well I have never passed out because of the hypoglycemia yet. I eat breakfast and lunch, but usually a KIND granola bar for breakfast and lunch varies. I do not become hypoglycemic after a meal like reactive hypoglycemia causes. I usually Have low levels around 10am and 4pm but that varies too. The other day I was at 61 for 4 hours even tho I ate a handful of candy and a carb healthy meal. The next day I went from 51 to 152 in 3 hours and I hadn't ate anything abnormal. Just a normal meal of tuna with some chex mix too. So I guess I'm confused mainly because I eat alot of repeat foods that end up having totally different reactions.
Thanks for the input!!! Beth
Hi I am 39 years old i am a mom for 4 kids , I have all the symptoms maybe 3-4 years never been diagnosed by a doctor , i have the attack 1-2 times a day I suffer when i am hungry and after i eat for a while , I need to be around food to feel safe , I am lacking of energy Most of the time.
I feel like an old woman long time a go
as a muslim we have to fast a lmost a whole month every year from sunrise till sunset for people who has the ability , but I noticed it is almost impossible for me to do it lately, so I stopped fasting 2 years ago even though i was fasting every year .
You are right about hypothyroidism. "When present at birth, GH (growth hormone) my cause severe, intractable hypoglycemia and prolonged, unexplained jaundice" (Pritchett, J.., MD. "Diagnosis of Growth Disorders." Practical Bone Growth.1993:24).
Another entry that might be relevant: "The problem of growth in diabetic children is compounded by an increased incidence of gluten-induced enteropathy and an increased tendency to develop hypothyroidism secondary to Hashimoto's thyroiditis" (same source, page 19).
A few days ago my husband had two hypoglycemic attacks within 2 hours and his glucose levels fell below 30. Following the 2nd attack he was still feeling bad after having juice and 8 grams of glucose. Having read a book about the relationship between insulin and amino acids I made him scrambled egg with 6 eggs. within a shot time he felt much better and the feeling of something being not right went away.
Now my question! Does anybody know if amino acid supplements can be used for the treatment of hypoglycemia and which one would be needed?
I was diagnosed at the emergency room with hypoglycemia when i was 15 years old, I am now 25. I was then in High School and I was in my gym fitness class of the day, we were being tested for the first quarter of the semester and i had to run and be timed. Having had no breakfast the morning of, I immediately blacked out after running, i didn't faint, i blacked out, meaning my vision became dark. So i was taken to the nursing office who by precaution had me taken to the emergency room where i was diagnosed with low blood sugar and instructed to always eat breakfast then i was sent home. Never have I been told the seriousness of this condition. As i got older, and have had repeated episodes with shaky hands, heart palpitations, mood swings, hunger pains, dizziness, blurry vision, etc., i started to seek for answers. The one episode that pushed me to do so was when i had an hypoglycemic attack on a spring break trip with friends, where they starved me all day and by night time i got soooo angry when i couldn't find my peanut butter jar to make myself a sandwich, i exploded. I walked out this experience with the nickname "peanut butter", but deep inside i knew something was wrong.'Till this day its still a joke between all of us friends. I also have been diagnosed with low blood pressure, which to most might seem like a good thing, but in combination with my hypoglycemia its not a good thing at all when i exercise, because not only my blood sugar lowers, so does my blood pressure. However i need to exercise because hypoglycemia is causing me to retain belly fat because of the cortisol being released by my adrenal glands every time my body is under that kind of stress. As i was looking for answers about my condition and the constant fatigue my body goes through as a result, i found these resources which are very helpful and hope they can help everyone else who suffers with this terrible imbalance called hypoglycemia: http://getnourished.tv/hypoglycemia AND http://getnourished.tv/blog/do-you-know-the-real-f...
hello, Benjimester
Hi, just wanted to ask conradofontanilla about which Brewers Yeast to take. I'd like to know the brand and the dose. Recently I tried a brewers yeast 500 from GNC but it seemed it made me dizzy. Benjimester, thanks for your post. This realy helps to all of us because doctor don't know much about hypoglycemia.
Hi, and thank you for your article.I have been struggling with this for a couple years at least. When it first happened, I was told I just had anxiety. I felt so lost as my doctor refused to acknowledge that my symptoms are real. I am 28. I have to admit that for a very long time, I did not eat right. I would go a whole day without eating, and then compensate in the evening. I was a young Mom, and had a very high stress career. I sometimes think that my early twenties is what caused this.Having a grandfather with diabetes, it came to me one day that my symptoms might be caused by low blood sugar. I finally went out and bought a glucose monitor to see if that was the cause of my problems...sure enough it was. I had an episode and promptly took out the meter...I was shocked to see 43. I made another DR appt, and showed her my meter. Her solution was to eat 5-6 small meals a day. The fast glucose test came back at 80, and I was told this is normal. The problem is, my episodes happen a few hours after eating, usually always around 11 am. I am so scared something is really wrong with me.I have a 6 year old daughter, and she deserves to have a healthy Mother. Whats even more odd is now my husband is now 34 is having low blood sugar episodes. This really makes me wonder what is causing this.I have been able to limit my episodes by eating several times a day, but I am always tired. I feel good approx. 4 days out of month.
Thanls for the reply. I do have snacks on hand and have more or less able to control it. I have had my thyroid checked at least three times in the last two years with noel results. I think the fatigue started before the hypo attacks. I have been to the doctor and had all kinds of blood work and a few tests..the results are always normal. I do have what they refer to as a Bennie heart myrmur
Thats what I get for typing on my phone. What I meant to say was a benign heart murmur. It was discovered 2 years after I had my daughter. I had a pretty complicated pregnancy, I often wonder if some of my issues are related to that. I think I should see an actual cardiologist and stop letting my doctor blame it on nerves/ stress. We are all atreased
I'm glad I found this site. I'm currently monitoring my blood sugar and am nervous about what I see. They range from the 50's to 140's, and I feel awful when they are at these highs/lows. Headache, trembling, sweating, confusion.. Today I went from 199 to 59 to 65 to 97 within the span of an hour. I am currently on erythromycin, and the roller coaster today was about an hour after I had taken them.
I was gestational diabetic (I only had to take the 1st glucose test, no need to have the second done since my numbers were in the 250 range. I've had the symptoms for a long time, and it was only recently that I finally went to the dr. My fathers side of the family had type2, so I am also concerned about being genetically predisposed.
My diet isn't awful, but probably carb-heavy. I don't drink or smoke and am moderately overweight (5'3", and 145 lbs). I don't know if I am severely hypoglycemic, or diabetic, or what. I'm hesitant to take the glucose tolerance test next week b/c of the antibiotics. I worry about my pancreatic function and am afraid that I have type2. I am keeping a food journal and monitoring my blood sugar, and I do plan on making changes to what I am eating to deal better. Anyone want to speculate about my diagnosis? Hypoglycemic, diabetic? Has anyone had a similar history to what I am describing? I appreciate the feedback, and also reading about others experiences - I'm not alone.
**Correction. Today's blood glucose started at 119, not 199. Should have proof-read better.
I hate having Hypoglycemic symptoms! Its kept me from day to day activities and even from work. I feel like I am always eating, and have gained sooooo much weight! :( If cutting off my arm would cure my Hypoglycemia I would do it. I am so desperate for help from this daily hell.
i was diagnosed in jan having a really hard time with the diet even after i eat i never read over 100 then drop into the 50s thank you for the info it so hard to find info that is not about diabetics
I am 14 and I noticed my hypoglycemia starting a few weeks after I started high school this year. The first time it happened, I was nearly hyperventilating in class, and finally asked the teacher if I could get a snack, so she gave me a granola bar out of her desk. My family has a history of this, and it has nothing to do with diabetes, or any other issue. We are all very fit, but I think that since I am a hypochondriac, anxiety disorder and phobias, my adrenal glands are basically being "milked" too much. Keep in mind that I have been a very worrisome boy my whole life, and my parents have always told me not to worry so much. I started going to Biofeedback due to my anxiety, and it has really helped me. I would suggest it to anyone else who has hypoglycemia, because learning how to calm down and control anxiety will help calm your pancreas down, and possibly (slowly) improve your blood sugar levels. It has been about 6 months since I first figured out I had hypoglycemia. My family only has hypoglycemic symptoms once in a while, less than I do. Now I think I am improving somewhat, because I used to eat 2 cliff bars a day at school for snacks during 2nd and 4th period, because I would get hypoglycemic symptoms. Now I eat 1 a day (1/2 of one in 2nd and 4th period). It has honestly been a pain to have this, and it has prevented me from a lot of things. I am only 14, so It really isn't fun... I would love to run track again, but it is just too hard for me with my anxiety and low blood sugar. Anyways, I wanted to share my story. I'm sure some of you have already mentioned this, but I think that hypoglycemia can be brought about by having anxiety. For me, my blood sugar levels vary depending on what I eat, how much sleep I eat, how much caffeine I have, or how anxious I am.
Here is what I eat about everyday:
- Oatmeal w/ 2/3 cups of milk
- A banana (usually added to the oatmeal)
- An apple every once in a while
- 1 piece of whole wheat/oat bread
Snack (9:10-10:50)
- 1 Protein/Granola/Energy bar (I prefer Raisin Walnut Cliff Bars)
- 1 large sandwich w/ 5 slices of meat (try to get the less-processed meat slices), Spinach, Pepperjack Cheese, Onion, Black Olives, Green Peppers
Snack (Whenever I get hungry after lunch)
- The other half of my cliff bar
For Dinner, I usually try to include a lot of vegetables. In fact, tonight I had pasta (I know I probably shouldn't eat so much carbs) with Avocado, and a large bowl of spinach. Other nights (depending on what my mom makes) we have other vegetables, such as yams, broccoli etc.
If anybody has any sort of suggestions for me, I am happy to hear them. I am trying not to eat too much things with soy, because for men, I have heard that it can increase estrogen levels over time. Sorry for my long, disorganized post! By the way, I am glad to see how active the comment section is!
Hi I'm a 19 year old female and I'm also suffering from hypoglycemia due to hypothyroidism. I was FINALLY diagnosed about four months ago. It's extremely overwhelming and depressing. Someone mentioned in an earlier comment how stressful it is just knowing what to eat, and i can definitely relate to that! So i thank everyone that shared their daily diet with us. Ive spent hours on this site reading almost every comment because im desperate for answers. I want to feel normal again! I catch myself crying at times because of my lack of energy, dizziness, being lightheaded, physical discomfort, mental strain, headaches, sleepless nights, and dreadful mornings, and feeling fatigued and sick ALL the time. It's effecting EVERY area of my life, especially socially. No one seems to understand just how difficult it is for me to function in my everyday life. I've also had terrible experiences with hospitals & unconcerned doctors. Im aware that depression and anxiety were huge factors in my diagnosis. Im trying so hard to be less anxious and learn to relax. I want to thank Benjimester for creating this Wonderful site and everyone that has left a comment. It has given me some sense of comfort just to know I'm not alone & not losing my mind. Thanks so much!!!!
God Bless you All & I'm praying for Good Health for ALL of us!
So, I just finished my 2 hr gtt. I had the lab check with a meter at the same time. Fasting glucose-84. Not bad for me. 1 hour-83. 2 hour 50! I am interested to see what my doctor says. I'm a bit nervous reading about the types of things that could be causing it. I know the lab tech was very surprised my 1 hour was so low. My lowest ever was 34!
Thanks for all the great info Conrad. You definitely should write a hub on hypoglycemia.!!
I have always had major headaches/migraines. The only things that ever made them go away was for me to go to the gas station, get Granny Smith chocolate chocolate chip cookies, with a small bag of fritos. After a few bites and a few chips the headaches were completely gone. I went to the Dr for yrs asking if I was Hypoglycemic? They all, like many of you, to me No! I finally had a female problem come up, went to a different Dr. She did extensive tests, only to find out that not only am I pre-menopausal, @ age 27 now 31, but I am Hypoglycemic. Fasting my levels are 60 at best, and at most I only get up to 75. She told me that because I do not eat on a regular basis, that is the cause. I need to eat more. I told her I try, but my body rejects food more often then not. I can eat fine once a day, now 2 times a day, but any more than that and I get violently ill. To the point where I need to find a bathroom immediately, or else.
People do not understand what I go through, or that I can not lose any of my weight until I eat more. My dad has never seen me faint, but my husband has, and he was terrified. My husband now knows what to do when my spells come on. But my dad is one that doesn't believe in Dr's, so he thinks I am wrong and gives me a hard time when the spells come on. It's very frustrating when my husband isn't around, because there are sometimes when I am not able to treat myself; since the spells can come on so quick.
Today I felt the symptoms coming, and laid down before I fell down. When I woke, an hr later, I had a massive headache. I took my B.S. it was 147. That is the highest it has ever been. It still is in the mid 100's 6 hrs later. I am drinking some green tea right now, hoping it will lower it. But in some of my research, I read that I should stay away from banana's, well I has one ystrdy and one today just before the attack. So I am going to avoid them the rest of this week and see what that does. I hope that's it. I think I am going to keep banana's on hand for if my B.S does drop. But I will have to make sure to test before I eat one, and make sure I can afford to eat one or not. I still have the headache, not as bad, but my vision is pretty blurred, so if there is any typo's please excuse it. lol
If my B.S does get up that high, are there any ways I can bring it back down, fairly quick, since I now know how to bring it up?
Thanks for any help or advise you can give..
Keysha Pennock
I have struggled with hypoglycemia for over 20 years not knowing what it was until i bought a blood monitor and began checking my blood sugar levels when i felt shakey and fainty. I didnt realize what it was until i went on vacation with some friends and drank heavily. That night after binging i woke up to nightmares and heavy sweating and a rapid heartbeat. I had such high anxiety all i could do was cry because i felt like an emotional wreck. After i went home i got a book called Hypoglycemia for Dummies. I started reading it and it said if i follow the diet and got better than it was hypoglycemia. After following the diet the first couple of days i began feeling better. I learned fat is an essential part of my diet. For the first month or so i had to eat every hour and a half. I could not tolerate milk or fruit of any kind for a good month. I now am symptom free. The symptoms i had were dabilitating. It made me scared to leave my house or to be alone. I can now go almost 4 hours befor my next meal. The diet i now follow has eliminated all of my symptoms. I eat absolutly no sugars, honey, white flour or fruit juices. I dont touch bananas because they contain no fiber. When i rise in the morning i drink a small glass of milk so i dont have to eat as soon as i get up. I always eat within an hour of rising. Breakfast: 1 egg, low carb(15)grams or less, picante sauce, 2 slices avacado for good fat, low sugar fruit with high fiber such as apple, or berries and a glass of 2% milk. Then i snack 3 hrs later: eating tuna with brown rice crackers, or cheese and crackers( again no more than 15grams carb) and whole grain. 3-3 1/2 hours later i eat lunch: 2-3oz fish grilled, 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, a green vegetable, a low sugar fruit and a half sweet potatoe or brown rice or something whole grain with some margarine for the fat and 2 vegetables. afternoon snack: plain unsweetend yogurt (usually greek) a low sugar fruit..its hard to get use to the no sugar yogurt but its managable...or a 1/2 carb and 1/2 milk. Dinner: Whole grain pasta or spaghetti squash with sugar-free spaghetti sauce and a couple ounces of ground turkey and some fresh parmesan cheese, a raw veggie and cooked one. another snack before bed: a carb and protien such as an egg wrapped in corn tortilla cooked in a little oil. The idea is no sugar and a variety of lean meats taken in small portions along with complex carbs. Just always remember if you eat a starchy vegetable omit the grain. I dont eat any artificial sweeteners either. This diet has helped so much. Good luck to all.
No I have not found out. The only thing anyone can come up with, is that my body has adjusted to only eating the one time a day and now is basically in starvation mode! Idk. I have been working on it, for almost 4 mths now. I eat every 45-60 minutes. I know it sounds like a lot, but I can only get 2-3 bites each time, before I start gagging or running for the restroom. This has now got me up to eating 2 full meals a day, I also drink an instant meal protein shake at least once per day, sometimes 2, depending on how much I have eaten that day. I am learning that I need to eat a tone more protein, salt and carbs. Apparently I do not eat near enough of each. After all the research I have done, it seems so overwhelming, but manageable. I just need to be able to eat, then I think I can do it.
Hi All,
This is an excellent thread, full of great info.
I have known I have had hypoglycemia for about 20 yrs (self diagnosed, when I found a book on it), but the reality is that even as a small child I would go white and shakey if I went too long without food, or did too much physical activity. No doctor ever listened, but now I am considered to be pre-diabetic, so I guess a lifetime of erratic insulin production has worn out my pancreas.
Lots of people have been talking about what to eat, and how often, and that all works. I eat low GI, with minimal carbs, which seems to help. For the past 6 months I have been drinking 32 oz of green smoothie spread throughout the day, and I am feeling better than I can ever remember. Really healthy with more energy than I have ever known. Monitoring my blood glucose while drinking the smoothies has shown that they have minimal impact on sugar levels, yet keep me satisfied, with sustainable sugar levels for hours. I can't recommend them enough - but avoid sugary fruits in them like bananas, mangos and grapes. If you want to know more, just Google 'Green Smoothies'. There are thousands of recipes out there, and they are all delicious.
Something else that I have found to have a huge effect on my blood sugar levels is stress and/or exercise. I can eat really good foods, but if I am stressed (job interview, work deadline, having to run for a train knowing that missing it will wreck my day...) then no matter what food I eat, my blood sugar will be all over the place. I will be craving food and eat the wrong things. Then I might be yo-yoing and out of control for days. The answer is to carry a healthy snack ALL THE TIME, for just such an emergency - nuts, seeds, a nut bar. Cheese is great (but not very portable). A glass of milk is much better than a glass of pop. I think that the impact of hormones (adrenalin, insulin, noradrenalin and others) is huge, and it explains why often controlling food is simply not the whole answer.
Oh, and sleep seems to play a huge part, and fatigue levels. Sleep deprivation can trigger more yo-yo-ing.
And has anyone else noticed how episodes of hypoglycemia are often followed by a virus? For me it is like clockwork - 2-3 days after a severe blood sugar dip, I often develop a cold. I can only assume that the hypo lowers my immune system, letting a bug in, which then cultivates and starts producing symptoms 48-72 hours later.
Hi from Lima, Peru! Sorry in advance for my English. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 9 months ago when I got a lot of blood exams. On my first exam, glucose results were: fasting: 81, after 30min it was 86, after 60min was 59 and after 120min it was 89. I also was diagnosed hypothyroid at the same time. But also, diagnosed with low cortisol levels. I had anemia and was Vit B12 deficient as well. Anxiety runs in my family, but also thyroid issues. So imagine how happy I was after reading all of the things I have. I have to mention that the only meat I eat is fish. After taking hormones: for thyroid and to increase cortisol levels, on my next check (7 months) the glucose at fasting was 83 and after 1 hr was 73. Las month another test, 77 at fasting and 68 after 1 hr. I know this values are nothing compared to the ones mentioned above but I feel exactly the same. I am so tired of feeling abnormal, walking 2 min and feeling light head, dizzy, nor normal at all! I also always feel that if I dont eat I will die. I am very small framed and skinny. I work out 5 times a week. Ballet, Aereal dance and running. My muscle was tested as well and it is actually higher than normal, so I am not skinny fat as my doctor thought initially because I said I was vegetarian eating fish. The big issue is to decide what to eat! I can't eat a ham sandwich like everyone! So it is so hard, I am bored when I eat, because it is always the same and always the fainting feeling. My hands shake when I do strengh excercise or when I use force to do something, like opening a jar! Anyway, I would suggest for everyone: get thyroid and cortisol tested!!!! I can see that after the thyroid pills I have improved the results and I am still low in cortisol, which makes me think that the link is stronger towards thyroid than cortisol, at least on my case. And I am not anemic or vit B12 deficient anymore. But still feel very tired sometimes, I blame cortisol on that. So I am taking 5 mg of hydrocortisone 4 times a day, I feel a bit better. I am 33, and want to get pregnant. I am scared of having a baby under this situation, with this feelings! Anyway, my doctor said that it will be hard to get pregnant anyway due to the thyroid problem.
Sorry for writing so much, I am just so excited to have found that I am not alone or an alien with a weird disease! I am about to see anyway a second opinion because I cant believe and I already 9 months on pills and things improved but are not perfect yet...
Thanks Benji for this site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Benji, thanks for the welcoming! I feel like I am the only Peruvian with this issue! No one has never heard of this here, none of the people I know have this. However, my concern is that I think I have had this condition my whole life, but it has not been that until now has stronger symptoms...that is the weird part for me.
I will believe me, keep that food journal. I have read most of the comments here and thet are so helpful. Today I bought the tic tac box that someone suggested. I will keep it on my purse, just in case of a ¨hunger attack¨.
I will keep you posted regarding how my hypoglycemia is (hopefully) improving with the thryroid and cortisol treatments!!!!
Thanks for this great blog ;)
Wow! I finally got done reading everyone else's posts and finally get to tell my story.Let me start off by saying I never do this. I have been invited to join other online communities for this, that and the other but have never felt compelled until now.I have considered online communities to be kind of silly and just not pertinent or relevant. But I certainly don't think this one is silly and boy and I glad you are here, all of you who have posted. I have been busy taking notes on recommended books, supplements and diet recommendations. I am 42. Healthy as a horse my whole life. Proudly self-sufficient and I took it for granted. Ate crappy my whole childhood up until I had my first child. Had gestational diabetes at that time. It took three miscarriages after that for me to figure out that I needed to change my eating and so I did. Had three more children after that with no incidence of gestational diabetes. I was following and "old school" nutrition book written back in the 2950's by Adelle Davis called Lets have healthy children. Things have been pretty normal up until 1 year ago.I had been told about a year ago that I am in the hypoglycemic range but no more was said about it and I just kind of ignored it. All my life for as far back as I can remember I always became irritable when hungry but thought everyone was that way. I certainly didn't think that I was abnormal. That was me, it's just the way I was. Also about a year ago my husband who is 60 started to visit a Cenegenics Clinic for anti-aging hormone replacement therapy. I accompanied my husband and was hearing about how fit he was going to be and how much better his sex life was going be. I became concerned that I possibly would not be able to keep up with him. What with my own lagging libido and voluptuous curves. So I asked to be advised by this doctor as well. I had my blood work sent to him and he advised me to start taking a testosterone cream which I did.I never did notice a difference in my energy levels or my strength. My husband suffered a spasming muscle in his hamstring that just would relax about six months into the testosterone cream and he went to see a special chiropractor called a Kinisiologist who specializes in muscle testing who advised him to come off his testosterone injections because imbalanced hormones could be handled naturally. Well I stopped taking my cream as well thinking we were going to follow this doctors advice. Well about 2 weeks after I had stopped taking my cream is when the rug got pulled out from under me, I have never had a stronger reaction than grumpiness as a result of low blood sugar in the past so this totally threw me for a loop. I started while I was at work. I got light headed, kind of dizzy feeling and my breathing became difficult. I worked with my husband at his dental office and he had oxygen there so I had him hook me up. I felt better with the oxygen but as soon as I took the mask of the symptoms returned. Next it happened while I was driving and it scared me so bad that I pulled over and called 911. At the hospital they did all kinds of tests that came back saying I was still healthy as a horse. Not long after I took a second trip to the ER with the same result my husband got and advertisement about a personal trainer. I didn't feel much like exercising but was willing to try it. We went and I told the gentleman the symptoms I was having and it said it sounded like high cortisol and that resistance training was just the thing. Well I certainly gave it a good try and hung in there for a couple months but in the end it was too upsetting for me because I would have these low glycemic attacks right after my workout. I was trying all kinds of food variations and amounts. I even went vegetarian for a day to see if that would improve things. Boy was that a mistake, that was the worst episode so far and that's what finally drove me from the gym. So many of the other symptoms that have been described by other sufferers are similar to mine. The shakes are extremely scary and during or right after I will get this feeling that makes me feel like I'm dying. It feels like my body is reaching for something that just isn't there and because it's not there my body is dying. This feeling will eventually pass but when it's happening it's the worst feeling ever. And after I finally do recover I can just cry and cry out of fear and frustration. My heart goes out to the woman above who said if cutting off her arm would make this go away she would do it because I agree. I get the sweats, my heart races when I'm not doing anything, my speach gets slurred and it's difficult to think, my hands and feet get extremely cold and on once incidence actually had both my hands and both my feet with pins and needles like they were falling asleep. Talk about scary. I can sleep up to three times a day and still sleep during the night but never all night long. I always wake up at least once maybe more to eat. I try to sleep through the night but cannot fall back asleep until after my stomach is full and when I do wakeup it's like the woman above describes feeling a jolt. I have tried accupuncture and that works temporarily. Chiropractors also give relief but again it's temporary. I've seen 2 endocrinologists who gave me NO relief whatsoever. Said it was panic attacks and that I need to manage my stress better. What they don't understand is that I have no other stress in my life at this time other than these attacks. I don't work right now because I can't in fact I don't do anything right now because I don't have the energy. I can't even do light housework because it will send me into one of these episodes. Sometimes breathing even seems too much of a chore which also scares the bejesus out of me. As if the attacks themselves aren't scary enough. I have birthed 4 children but their father takes care of them while I am "ill". So I have no stress. I don't have any people in my life who stress me. I have no stress. My husband, bless his heart, does everything these days. He does his job and then he comes home and does what used to be my job and that's stressful. Not being able to pull my own weight, that's stressful. It's not the stress that's causing this condition it is this condition that is causing any kind of stress in my life right now. It's not knowing that I might have one of these episodes any minute now that causes me stress.
Anyway, I just needed to get that off my chest. There is possibly some light at the end of my tunnel. It has taken me a year, yes one whole wasted year to figure out what the possible culprit may have been. Remember I said I stopped taking that testosterone cream. Well, just a couple days ago actually, I went to see a different anti-aging doctor so see what all my hormone levels are and if anything needs fixing. Yes I had my hormone levels checked at the endocrinologist and he said my levels are normal. Well I have learned that what an endocrinologist thinks is normal and what an anti-aging doctor thinks is normal are 2 different things. Surprisingly, all my other hormones are beautifully balanced except for 1. Have you guessed which one that might be? If you guessed testosterone you would be correct and I wish I had a gift for all correct guessers. It's only been three days though since I started the hormone treatment and I'm told that I won't feel any kind of difference for 2 weeks yet. But I do feel SOME KIND of difference. My sleep is better. It has taken the edge off that high cortisol feeling, I feel more relaxed and level throughout the day. I still can't do any activity and I don't know how much if any it will effect this blood sugar thing but I will keep everyone posted. I would love it if this would be solution.
I'm taking 2 herbal supplements in the meantime to lower my cortisol but only as of yesterday so I don't know how that' going either.
I am following an eating plan advised by endocrinologist/author Diana Schwarzbein, M.D. called The Schwarzbein Principle II: The Transition A Regeneration Process to Prevent and Reverse Accelerated Aging. I can't say it's doing much for me so I'm looking into other f
It is nice to read from people who describe the same symptoms that I have with hypoglycemia .
What works for me is low calorie high protein foods about every 3 hrs. Keeping the sinking feeling from coming on is best but if I start to feel the nausea, light-headed, sweatiness protein always helps . I can enjoy sweets and fruit in small amounts if I have them along with protein.
I can't have sugary drinks at all , it just isn't worth the effect it has on me. I limit breads and pastas being I seem to crash after a meal loaded with these. . When I was little I believed something about being outside made me sick . Years later after figuring out I was extremely hypoglycemic I knew it was my diet of ice cream , cookies , and cool-aid at picnics.
I would love to know a cure for this but on the other hand eating healthy is pretty simple
medicine. I never seen a dr about the symptoms , reading material has provided the answers I needed to manage this . My advice is to always keep a protein snack close at hand , day and night . If you know you're going to enjoy dessert or a sugary drink have it with a protein snack . My most enjoyable days are the days when I eat right and have an even energy level . It is horrible to live with that crashing feeling off and on all day . It's hard physically and mentally .
I have hypogylcemia, ulsrative colits and thyroiditis with nodule's on my thyroid and an inflamed small intestine, and I am a celiac and my galbladder has been removed. My problems are caused by autoamune problems. I am taking meds and supplements but I am very frustrated. I know I am suppose to eat every 2 to 2 and a half hours but what can I eat? I know I can't have anything with wheat, corn,rye, barley,oats, spelt, peanuts, pasta, soy, no fruit juices, sugar (simple garbs) and dairy. I am exausted and I can't think of what to eat, so I don't (not good for hypoglycemia) and of course that makes everything worse and just grabbing something sweet to get rid of they horrible hypoglycemic symptoms is a no no too. I am angry, irratable and exausted. Any help suggestions to help me figure out what to eat and any recipes that are easy and healthy would be of great help as well. I know its a lot to ask but I really need help.
Insert have between I and never . Lol
hey to all i been struggling with habe weakness lack of energy for the past yr. all i want to do is lay and sit around the house ive had the night jolts before that wakws me up at nite its like ive been shocked by some electricity ive also been having attacks cold sweats tingling in my grown area and legs and feet i get shakey and start to panic feels like i cant breathe. i also feel faint sometimes i also have been irritable alot and feel angry sad and depressed im 31 6'5 286 ibs.ive read everyones post and im starting to wonder if im hypo.Dr just tells me im having anxeity attacks but i just dont feel right.any suggestons.
The responses from all the young people really bothered me . There's not really a cure for this and until someone figures out they have hypoglycemia I understand that they are wondering what in the world is wrong . I love eggs and feel so good after I eat them . As I got older it has become more important for me to eat right . All I have to do is remember the nauseating feeling from drinks, sweets , and high calorie meals to change what I'm eating and how often I eat . Most people eat because they feel hungry , I eat to not feel weak and sick . But it is manageable , just always have some protein close . I can't give my grandchildren sweets without a protein snack to go with it because I'm so afraid one of them may have this . Thanks so much for the information in all these posts.
I only get the shakes and sweats rarely, and only after eating candy, which I am assuming has more concentrated sugar. I've never had the problem after eating cake or cookies, regardless of the size or how many. I don't normally feel hungry during an episode, and as a child believed it was due to eating very little for breakfast. Although, as a child it would come on for no apparent reason just during long periods of running around. It has never happened to me after eating any other foods or drinking alcohol. I just ate some chocolate covered caramels about an hour ago and the sweats and shakes set in after taking a short walk, which I am assuming spead up the release of digested sugar in my system. It tood approximately 20 minutes for the condition to subside.
Hi i am wondering the same every now and then I feel weird I can't concentrate really I'm tired but I eat a bananna after a little while I feel fine it comes and goes! Just curious
Here's something for you to think about.....
If I drink too much at night, the chances are I will pass the following morning, but, just yesterday I passed out/fainted at 6.30 pm after only half a pint of lager. Specifics of the day: not feeling brilliant all day, dodgy stomach (possible bug). While driving home from the local pub, had to pull over because I thought I was going to be sick, however, after getting out of the car for fresh air (and to be sick outside of it) I awoke some minutes later on the floor and was promptly sick. Today, I have not felt great and avoided food as I believed it to be the onset of a sickness bug, tried a small sandwich at lunchtime and managed to keep it down. Stomach feels weak as if pulled and head feels like it has trains running through it. What do you think?
This information is still so interesting to me . Just a few comments about some of the things people use to help get through their episodes of hypoglycemia . The thought of drinking orange juice brings on mouth watering stomach churning nausea because of past experience I had after drinking orange juice . Eating a banana is one of the worst hypoglycemic reactions I ever have , the shaky ,sweaty , weak kneed feeling from eating sugar . Sugar eaten any time without protien takes me all day to recover from the effect . All this reading is making me realize staying level is important , the spiking and dropping can't be good for us long term .
Hi. My name is Ashley. I was diagnosed with mild reactive hypoglycemia last Aug. I was sent to a nutritionist who gave some info on reactive hypoglycemia, and sent me on my way. A few months later I found myself back in the doctors office. Because I was shaking constantly and my levels were consistently in the low 70's and low 80's and never reach 100. Was sent back to the nutritionist and sent on my way. A few months later I was back in the doctors office because I was experiencing night sweats and horrendous nightmares and I would wake up and be hilucinating. My roommate would tell me it would be about 3am and I would wake her up. Because there were ghosts in my room. She said I'd be like that for close to an hour before I'd snap out of it. One night she was able to check my sugar levels and I was at 145 which for me was high, and after I came too I checked it and I was at 74. My doctor diagnosed me with Nighttime Hypoglycemia ontop of my Reactive Hypoglycemia. He put me on 15 mg of Actos. I've been on it now for almost 2months. My sugar levels are now erratic. I'll be at 122 and an hour later be at 79. Not sure if the medicine is causing that or not. But, I feel icky a lot of the time. I'll get really hot for a little bit and sweaty, then shortly after I'll be freezing. Not sure if anyone here has any advise or has dealt with this too.... Thank you
Hi, Im a 28 year old nurse from the UK. Im glad I found this site as its provided lots of information to me! Im normally fit and health with no medical problems. Im slightly overweight & really struggle to loose weight(5ft6 - 85kg)My usual diet is low fat, I usually eat quite well, lots of fruit & veg, 3 meals a day with snaks, no sugary drinks & only chocolate and sweets things now & again. At the end of last year I had 3 episodes in a week while I was at work when I felt unwell, shaky, hot & unable to concentrate. Fortunately I was able to check my blood sugar (which I seemed to instinctively know was low!)over the 3 occasions it was 1.9-3.3 mmls. I had eaten normally on all of the days - not skipped any meals. I had some orange juice & biscuits to bring my BS up. At around the same time, I began to experience palpitations and tachycardia. This scared me, so I went to the Drs and explained. He did blood tests & ordered an ECG for my next visit to him, in a week. A few days later I had to return to the Drs as I had developed a very nasty & painful throat infection, which I was given antibiotics for. I returned for my ECG & Dr said All blood tests including fasting blood sugar & thyroid function test were normal. ECG showed I had extra heart beat but this is also normal, he said healthy young ppl sometime get palpitations & low BS for no reason but so long as its not a regular occurrence its fine. He suggested that the throat infection had flared up my heart. All he suggested was giving up caffeine, which I did. It all settled.
I have had no problems since, untill a week last sat. On Sat I began to get palpitations & tachycardia again which resolved its self by around Wed night. By Fri I felt fine again. Sunday i was at work, before I left at 6.30 am I had 2 slices of white toast, at work I had another slice of brown toast, I had a small bowel of cereal at around 11am with an orange. Just before 2pm I stared to feel funny again, checked my BS it was 4mmls. I went to lunch and had a drink of orange, 3 biscuits, bowel of soup & pack of crips, by 4.15 I felt bad again, checked my BS it was 3.3 mmls. Im a nurse & know this is not normal. Im unsure if the low BS & palpitations are related, so thought id have a look online & found this thread, while reading through posts iv identified with other symptoms, such as fatigue, occasional headaches, irritability, the 'need' to go to bed late at night. I also now have a non existent libido, which I cant explain. Would it be possible for me to be hypoglycemic and only have it happen every few months? Im thinking of going back to the drs but as it happens so infrequently, its hard for the Drs to detect anything....with low BS and the heart. My partner thinks Im being over dramatic too. Sorry for my long, babbling post -Im not really sure what to do.
I have not been diagnosed with anything concrete but my research has brought me to the possibility that I may have hypoglycemia. I have definitely had my share of hypoglycemic episodes, the first one being 12 years ago when I was pregnant. These very infrequent episodes consisted of shakiness, profuse sweating, and extreme fatigue that would come on rapidly. I realized quickly that if I ate a sugary cereal in the morning and nothing else for a few hours, I could count on having an episode. While these episodes would come on quickly, it was very easy for me to recognize the symptoms and grab a juice or something to eat to bring my blood sugar up. Recently, I have been getting these symptoms every day that I do not eat something every 1-2 hours. Although the increased frequency has brought me to believe I may be hypoglycemic, these symptoms are not the ones I am worried about. If only my other symptoms were as easily corrected as the hypoglycemic symptoms!
I need to back up a bit and give a brief history of my situation. During my 30's, I became a health and fitness nut. I learned nutrition and lost 30 lbs and began doing triathlons. The year I turned 40, I trained for and completed a marathon, along with an Olympic Distance as well as a Sprint Distance Triathlon. I felt amazing. Shortly after I turned 41, 8 months ago, I think my warranty ran out. I woke up one morning with an extremely sharp pain in my upper stomach that would come in waves. After the pain in my stomach went away, I began to have a myriad of serious problems. Sharp pain in chest, sharp pain in left shoulder blade, pain radiating down the back of my left arm, numbness, tingling, weakness, and shakiness on the entire left side of my body, frequent urination, bloated after eating, fibromyalgia across my upper back, extreme fatigue and weakness, constant pain in my back just beneath my right ribcage that would sometimes radiate around my right side and down into my lower abdomen, mental confusion so bad that I could not recall words so speaking would become almost impossible, shortness of breath so bad even speaking a full sentence without taking a breath was impossible, as well as heart palpitations so bad it would push my breath out. Many of my symptoms would be worse when I would fall asleep. I would get night sweats, extreme racing heart if woken up or even if I would simply roll over, and night jumps (entire body jerking). I have had EKG's, ECG's, 21-Day Holter Monitor, stress tests, multiple blood tests, full abdominal ultrasounds, peri-menopause tests, thyroid and pituitary tests, a brain MRI, food allergy tests, Celiac tests, and the most recent was a fructose intolerance test. Every test has come back as 100% normal. The cardiologist was actually very impressed on how strong my heart is. So while I was given a clean bill of health from the cardiologist who assured me I was not going to die of a heart attack, I became angry, frustrated, and depressed because I could not live this way.
Through a lot of research and trial and error, I realized that my symptoms were definitely food related. I have determined that if I eat anything that contains maltodextrin, dextrose, modified food starch, corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, and gums (xantham, guar, etc.), my symptoms come on strong within 1-2 hours of eating. If I stay away from food containing these additives, I am 100% myself again (unless I go hours without eating - then I will get the hypoglycemic shakes and sweats). The strange thing is that real cane sugar, processed or crystals, does not affect me adversely. With this new revelation, I decided to try to see a GI doctor as I figured there may be an issue with how I am metabolizing these ingredients. The GI doc actually diagnosed me with IBS and gave me a drug for spastic colon. After taking this new drug 4 times a day for 3 weeks, my symptoms started coming back and were getting steadily worse every day. In researching the drug, I realized that many drugs, including the particular one I was on, are compounded using maltodextrin! The very thing that makes me sick.
Needless to say, I have given up on Dr.'s and I have turned to posts like these to see if there is anyone else out there who may be experiencing the same symptoms as me. Also, could these extreme symptoms be related to hypoglycemia as well?
This is very frustrating because almost every food item sold in the store or at a restaurant contains these food ingredients. I do my best to eat homemade, non-process, non-pre-packaged, freshly grown foods, but sometimes it is impossible. I am interested in trying the magnesium as well as other vitamin supplements mentioned on this site to see if this will help. I really need some answers because these debilitating symptoms are making it almost impossible to function daily. I may be alive but I am definitely not living.
You my find in literature that rice has dextrin. There is a process that removes it from rice that all that is left is starch. Just you wait I will try to locate the publication where I read it.
Amylodextrin is the name of the component of rice, I remember it now. However, I haven't located the publication that tells how to separate it from rice. Amylodextrin can be a substitute for mayonnaise as sandwich spread so that you can avoid the fats from eggs.
Conrad, it is very interesting that you bring this up today about the rice. I recently did a Fructose Intolerance Test and for 24 hours before the test, I was told to eat only white bread, white rice, and eggs or boiled chicken. By lunchtime during that day, I had an excrcuating headache and was extremely fatigued. My headache got worse throughout the day and I became extremely nauseas. I got home from work around 7:30pm and went straight to bed. Other than the extreme fatigue, my symptoms were all new as I don't generally get headaches or nausea. I initially thought it was a caffiene headache, however, just today, I went on a full juice cleanse to try to help me feel better. I expected to get a headache again from no caffiene but, other than being a bit tired, I feel fine. It made me think that the bread and/or rice was probably what affected me so terribly. With your comments above, that makes total sense. It is so great to finally be getting some clarity as to what is making me feel so terrible all the time. I am going to add amylodextrin to my list of dangerous ingredients! Thank you.
Amylodextrin is seldom found in literature, unlike amylopectin. Labels may include amylopectin but not amylodextrin. Dr. Bienvenido Juliano, a Filipino National Scientist for Biochemistry has done research on this to find substitute for mayonnaise that contains fatty acids. I am glad if I could be of help.
"Most starches contain both amylose and amylopectin within the granule" (Paul, P. C. and H.H. Palmer. editors. "Starch and Other Polysacchararides." Food Theory and Applications. 1972:162)." [This book is already thick but its index does not have an entry of amylodextrin, only amylopectin.] That's for amylopectin; I am afraid that is also true for amylodextrin. I read, to extract amylodextrin soak the rice for about 24 hours and boil then...(my memory fails me now).
Amylodextrin is seldom found in literature, unlike amylopectin. Labels may include amylopectin but not amylodextrin. Dr. Bienvenido Juliano, a Filipino National Scientist for Biochemistry has done research on this to find substitute for mayonnaise that contains fatty acids. I am glad if I could be of help. "Most starches contain both amylose and amylopectin within the granule" (Paul, P. C. and H.H. Palmer. editors. "Starch and Other Polysacchararides." Food Theory and Applications. 1972:162)." [This book is already thick but its index does not have an entry of amylodextrin, only amylopectin.] That's for amylopectin; I am afraid that is also true for amylodextrin. I read, to extract amylodextrin soak the rice for about 24 hours and boil then...(my memory fails me now).
I too have had hypoglycemia since 1st grade. I am now 49.Back then I thought it was normal. Then I realized in 5th or 6th grade that if instead of eating a PB and J sandwich for lunch, I ate a sandwich containing meat, my symptoms of shaking did not occur. It wasn't until later in High School that I first heard the term "hypoglycemia". It was then that I realized what had been going on in my body for years.
I also recently have noticed that it is also exercise induced. My best foods to eat are proteins and the foods to avoid are sugars and starches.
I try to eat right before exercising and if I feel shaky, I eat something after. The harder I exercise, the worse the shaking is.
You would think with this much experience with this, I would learn to eat right everyday, but then I get busy and ignore what my body is telling me it needs.By that time, I'm shaking so hard I will eat anything I can get my hands on just to stop the miserable feeling of low blood sugar. If I wait too long, I will have a severe headache that will last about 24 hours, and nothing will relieve the pain. This is a very real problem and those who have never had their blood sugar plummit cannot understand what it feels like. My family thinks I am nuts stuffing something into my mouth to relieve my symptoms, but those of you who have this illness know how desparate one feels at that point.
I do try to keep myself on a regular diet to avoid these attacks. I know that if I don't eat when I need to, I will be cold and can't warm up until I eat. I also have terrible nights sweats, but have always blamed them on hot flashes. I will be watching this more closely after reading the posts from others on this site.
I finally feel like I'm not alone with this condition. I never realized there were so many others out there who are coping with this.
I have also been advised that I am much more likely to develop diabetes than the average person because of this.
Also as alot of you have listed, Doctors are not very sensitive about this condition, however, I got the most help from my chiropractor who ran a series of blood tests and spit tests that revealed the imbalances in my blood sugar levels. (He feels I am pre-diabetic and has put me on a regimen to lose weight and control my blood sugar levels.) When I follow this diet, I feel much better. The diet is produced by a company called Mona Vie, and can be accessed as such on the web.
There is help out there but you have to be diligent, and not let the Drs. convince you that this is all in your head. Just remember to pay attention to what your body is telling you when your symptoms start. They will not go away if you try to ignore them, they will just get worse. If your medical doctors won't help you, find a good chiropractor who is more interested in healing you than pushing medications on you. The tests my chiro did on me revealed alot more about me than any of the tests that I had in a hospital. He also told me that by the time those tests revealed a problem, it is too late because your body has already suffered damage.(i.e. diabetes) Chiros are trained todo alot more now than just adjust your back.
Hope this helps my fellow hypoglycemics.
I've been getting hypoglycemic episodes more frequently for the past 4 years (i'm 20 now). At first I was concerned about diabetes but no other symptoms are present and my blood sugar is always fine when I get tested. What I've noticed recently is that if I have a carb-heavy meal, the next time I get hungry I have an episode. However, the last week or so I've had next to no carbs (not on purpose, it just turned out that way) and I haven't had an episode at all. I'm just a bit confused because people seem to be recommended eating regular controlled portions of carbs but I've been eating none and feeling better than ever... is that just the way it is for me or am I experiencing something different to reactive hypoglycemia?
Hey im 14 and ive been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, is it possible that my hypoglycemia could be because of puberty, and if so does it go away after puberty
December 2011, I was told I was diabetic, weighed 306 I believe. as of now, I've dropped down to a little over 270 under 275. Now I have issues with sugar levels dropping suddenly more often. Its not a great feeling. I am going for a check up/physical to do blood work and other tests. Hope to find out what's leading to this. I do think its the major change in my diet that helped andd that can help reverse type 2 diabetes.
Very informative article, and excellent comments from readers as well. I think my favorite part of the article was when you got quite technical, saying:"hypoglycemia just makes you feel nasty!" Well put!
All you with diabetes might want to look at a product called: Melabic
Cheers and good day.
I also have this condition, although I have not been diagnosed .. All my lab tests are normal. I'm confused that it comes and goes. It lasts for two weeks then gone for two months and I can eat anything I want. Now it's been everyday for a month.. The worst episode was having coffee with sugar free sweetener and flavor in it on empty stomach . I only drank half and thought I was dying.. Sweaty , shaky, headache , anxiety , hot , cold you name it. The rest of the day was ruined . I could never feel balanced. What I have figured out over the last two days is a mix of fat and protien and whole grain works the best. Oh and fiber. After reading this site, I took advice to have snack before bed. I hate celery with low glycemic peanut butter. With small milk. I woke up 5 hrs later cold ,scared with headache. What did I do wrong? I got up drank water almost threw up , got whole grain toast with double fiber cheese and butter, drank whole water bottle and took my multi vit about 40 mins later I felt great.. I hate this so much.. I need to lose weight , but need to eat every two hours, will it ever balance out?
hey bensimester i just want to know how can we stpo sugar
Just a comment after reading some of the post . With hypoglycemia it does not ever feel good to drink anything without having food with protien in it , even water . A stomach full of liquid with no protien will cause a very sick feeling . We just have to realize the food and drinks need to be spread out in small amounts all through out the day to stay even . Once you begin to feel normal again I think it's easier to stay on track and not cause the spiking and dropping feelings. I don't really eat because I'm hungry , I eat to not feel sick . Preventative measures are better than trying to recover from the sugar drop after it happens. Your information is very helpful .
At 26, I remember the last day I ate an ice cream sundae for lunch.. by 4:00pm I was shaking and crawling to the vending machine for reese cups. So I learned. But now at 34 something awful has changed - has to be hormone imbalance as since I quit birth control pills, that I had taken for 17 years.. 6 months later still having these new epic type of reactive hypoglycemic attacks. I miss desserts, but the nightmares and shaking attacks jumping awake cold sweating in my sleep are not worth it. I had chinese last night with no rice and I slept great thru the night. Part of the problem is that I took the YAZ pill for the final few months before quitting.. and I had panic and anxiety from that medication. I read somewhere that anxiety can release too much adrenaline using up the sugar in my body more rapidly.
So glad I found this page. I've dealt with the shaky nervous spells from not eating since I was in 7th grade (I'm now 26). In 7th grade, lunch wasn't until about 1 pm and after eating breakfast around 7 am every morning I just couldn't make it that long without a snack. My mom took me to the doctor and he diagnosed it as a "big growth spurt" and gave me a special note allowing me to have a snack in class when I felt hungry. 14 years later I still deal with these spells on a regular basis. I haven't noticed any specific foods that seem to bring it on, but whenever I have coffee I am much more likely to have a shaky spell. My own theory is that the caffeine speeds up my metabolism and I use up all the sugar from breakfast much faster. I've learned to carry around granola bars in my purse so that I won't pass out. I now work in a pharmacy and have discovered the glucose tablets, so I hope to try those as well. For me the best way to regulate is just to eat often and carry snacks. Thanks for all the advice everyone - it's good to know I'm not alone and not crazy!
Coffee triggers a sudden fall in blood sugar that may be a hypoglycemic episode. Too much glucose brings on sudden fluctuation of blood sugar level that promotes either diabetes of hypoglycemia. The long term aim in hypoglycemia is to stabilize sugar level. Fructose as sweetener, honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar are better than glucose because they do not get to the blood stream so fast. They must be converted to glucose first.
For starters, I'm a 25 year old female with two toddlers. I was told when I was 15 I had hypoglycemia and was told to eat as much carbohydrates as I can handle and to always carry hard candy with me. He also to drink 1-2 sodas a day, plenty of juice, and drink plenty of water to keep my system balanced. That had worked for years till I was 21 and pregnant with my first. When the doctor had me do a glucose test, they did a four hour one first. I did as they told me and after I drank the stuff, I felt better than I had in years. While I was ready to climb mountains, they wanted me to stay still and were ready to send me to the E.R. After drinking five bottles of water, I felt sick and almost fell asleep standing. They told me that my sugar went from really low to really high and they were worried I would have a seizure. When I told them how I had felt, they had me do a two hour test a week later. That test didn't worry them like the first, but they had me cut my sugar intake by half. Once my eldest was born, I picked up my old diet and my problems went away for awhile. When I got pregnant with my second, the midwife had me do a four hour test and had the same results as the first four hour test. She just took my blood pressure more often and checked my sons heart rate. Once my levels were in a "safer" range, she told me that had I not been hypoglycemic that I would be in some discomfort. But since my levels started in the double digits ( 60-65) that everything balanced out once my body adapted. She said that since I also had a high metabolism that the high levels would not last too long. Now it's one year later and I'm still on my diet ( but my sugar crashes worse when I wake up than when I was younger) with more simple carbohydrates at the start of my day than I used to.
I am not sure if anyone else has experienced this, but I thought I would share in order to get everyone's view on it. I have been diagnosed as hypoglocemic and when I try to adhere to a more strict exercise routine, I end up gaining weight instead of losing weight, even if I watch what I eat and try to refuel after workouts. I have tried several different things as far as working out and no matter what I try, whether it be working out with a personal trainer, running, doing the Insanity Program, etc., I always end up gaining weight.
I am 46 and have suffered nearly all my life, the thing I have found to help me with the attacks is bread and a lot of butter on it. I have only fainted once, but I have noticed my systoms are getting worse, my legs and hand shake uncontrolable is this normal?
Hello, I am 13 and my doctors have tested just about every major organ when I came to my pediatric doctor telling him that for about a year I had been getting very dizzy, shaky, and would suddenly break out in a sweat. I went to ears and throat doctors, eyes, heart, brain and no one could figure out was wrong. Later on in the year I went to see another doctor for opinions. She thought it could be hypoglycemia. I had asked her for my blood sugar tests and the first one I had showed 69. This doctor finally had given us answers. Turns out my family has a history of hypoglycemia but no diabetes. I was wondering do you think I could have hypoglycemia? I've been reading some comments here and some of them sound like what happens to me.
Literature says the normal sugar level is 70 to 100 (it can go up to 110). A test on my sugar level with the finger tip pricking gadget showed 110. But I am hypoglycemic. i know the test for hypoglycemia is 6-hour glucose tolerance test. I diagnosed my hypoglycemia with the help of Dr. Betty Kamen's book, "The Chromium Connection." I manage my hypoglycemia with proper interval of meals, colored rice and more. You can read more posts of mine in this Hub of Benjimester or you can read my Hub "How to Counter Hyp0glycemia (High Blood Sugar)".
I thought I would let everyone now how things have been going with me. The testosterone hormone replacement has not done much for me. What has come to light is the fact that I have a malfunctioning thyroid. In my efforts to find a Doctor who would prescribe me a natural form of the hormone I stumbled across a vitamin powder specifically tailored for thyroid support. So far, it is working. I feel a little better each day. As for the hypoglycemic episodes, I have stopped eating all higher glycemic foods. I eat lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, kale, collard greens, anything with a leaf and protein and that's about it. I have also very gradually weaned myself down to eating 4 times a day as opposed to the 8 0r 9 meals a day I was eating before. I'm trying to get the insulin down as insulin is a hormone and when one hormone is out of whack then they all are to a greater or lesser degree. I'm also trying to rest my pancreas which has really been cranking out the insulin overtime. It's working out pretty well. My body is finally calming down. I haven't had a hypoglycemic attack in 2 weeks and my energy has improved. I may still need thyroid hormones but I'm going to keep taking this supplement until it doesn't work anymore.
I want to give everyone the name of the supplement in case anyone else wants to try it. It's called Enzymatic Fatigued to Fantastic Energy Revitalization System. Even if you don't have Thyroid problems it's also good for anyone who wants/needs more energy. There's also a website enzy.com where you can get more information about it.
It looks like you have some sort of insulin resistance, meaning a lot of insulin roaming around but glucose is not being stored in the form of glycogen. Now glucose is getting into your cells that is why you have more energy. Your pancreas is not overburdened to produce more insulin.
Will this start if i eat normal. but stop taking my birth control pills? (hormone changes) )
i get really dizzy, and start to have like the black out feeling, every time i stand up, and i am really shake... also.does it cause rapid weight loss?
I have been monitoring my glucose and finding that my levels are low, sometimes in the 60's. I usually am prompted to test bc of feeling sweaty, shaky, anxious, and unable to concentrate. Today it happened and I felt horrible for the whole day. I'm going to start a food journal to look for correlations. I started out having a migrainevandvthingsvqent downhill from there. Could hypoglycemia be a precursor to diabetes? I am over weight and am just wondering. How do I get this under control??
Getting overweight is a consequence of frequent eating to compensate for lack of energy.
It is more likely to go hypoglycemic from being diabetic. Treatment of diabetes type 2 with drugs may result in excessive reduction of glucose that, in turn, results in hypoglycemia.
The normal sugar level is 80 to 100 mg/liter.
... sorry i didn't see a reply for my comment... does this come.from birthcontrol? (hormone changes)
For healey99903. It appears that your case is not hypoglycemia. In my Hub "How to counter hypoglycemia," I have an entry:
"Specially for women
There are other disorders (kidney trouble, diabetes, heart disease, menopause, thyroid disease, those due to antibiotics, insulin, lithium, caffeine, and birth control pills) that mimic hypoglycemia."
thank you!
I'm a new member of the hypo club as of a couple weeks now. My story is pretty much the same so I'll skip over it.
I'm eating every 2-3 hours now which is very inconvenient so I've started having 1/2 of a Bear Valley Pemmican Bar which really seems to keep me level and focused.
I've also discovered that I drink to much water (3-4 liters per day) which is flushing out the nutrients I need to maintain a steady glucose level. So I've backed that down to 2 liters and life is improving.
Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat also works me and I've switched over to Pepsi Next (60% less sugar) when I'm craving a soft drink.
The South Beach Diet website has a nice list of foods and their glycemic index rating and I've started using MyNetDiary.com for tracking my readings, meals and exercise.
Regarding my food selections... My avg. reading is mid 80s-90s and I monitor constantly (1-2 hours) so I can see the effect different foods have on me.
Also like to mention that Wal-mart sells the ReliOn brand meter and test strips which are significantly cheaper than other leading brands. I find its just as consistant as my OneTouchUltra meter.
There is an alternative method to glycemic index in handling diabetes type 2. I may write a Hub on it. It is interesting to see how it impacts on hypoglycemia.
I have also been dealing with hypoglycemia since I started randomly passing out at a young age, the doctors tested me for everything, and even wanted to put me on Xanax at age 11. Luckily, one day it happened in a parking lot and a nurse was there who got the bright idea to pull out her sugar meter and check my sugar and in 5 seconds she got the answer the doctors had spent 3 years and thousands of dollars in testing trying to find.
Now to my question. I have had it pretty much under control up until this point, but recently I had to start taking a new medication for a new health problem and it really seems to be affecting my sugar. It has been crashing it seems just about every hour. I have been sticking to a strict diet, eating protein bars (the heavy duty ones), drinking OJ for breakfast and even avoiding sugar ( other than that) altogether with no success. Does anyone have any other tips or tricks to help stop the constant crashing? I know the basics...more protein, more fiber, etc., but it doesn't seem to be helping anymore. Thanks!
Your new medication may be depleting your trivalent chromium. Check it out. Refined sugar depletes chromium that is why there is a need to supplement chromium from Brewer's yeast (not baker's yeast) for example. This Hub of Benjimester has a link to my Hub "How to counter hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)" you may get added information there.
I'm wondering lately if this is my problem. Whenever I have the tiniest amount of sugar, I slowly get an allergy-like reaction within the hour. But what's worse is, about 4-5 hours later I experience a huge crash.
I feel extremely poisoned. My legs and arms ache, and I feel my entire digestive tract tingle and then go extremely numb. I get a runny nose and I feel the nerves in my head twitching! My hands shake, and I lose focus as though I'm in a dream and can't really control my thoughts. I lose vision, especially in one eye, and I generally feel like I'm going to black out, but if I lie down, I have trouble breathing.
This will gradually go away over the next 2-3 days. It doesn't happen when I eat complex carbs, but any kind of simple carb will bring it on.
I've done random and fasting blood sugar tests and they were normal, so the doctor dismissed anything related to blood sugar. He thinks I'm crazy, at this point.
Could this be hypoglycemia? Diabetes?
If the former, then you'd expect that eating sugar would resolve it, but eating more sugar just makes me worse. And I doubt that I'm diabetic, or the fasting test
Could anyone please point me in the right direction? I've searched and searched and found nothing (I'm convinced it's not candida. I was treated for it just in case, a while ago, and I saw no improvement).
This has been destroying my life for over a year now. Is this hypoglycemia? I should point out that eating more sugar only makes me worse during an attack, not better.
I have thought that my husband has been hypoglycemic for a few years now, he went to the doctor and they did blood work with good results, however did not do a proper glucose test over a set amount of hours. My husband knows there is something wrong but doesn't want to face up to it. I know when he hasn't eaten well and he seems very drunk after only one or two beers sometimes. He has nightmares where he will wake up screaming, he is clammy and sometimes sweats though his pjs, slurred speech, he forgets simple things like last night he asked me if I was going to have dinner after I just finished my meal in front of him. On rare occasions he stumbles and has to sit down because he is dizzy and sometimes is unusually aggressive ( this is not his personality at all!). I still think it is hypoglycemia any thoughts? Please help.
For Andrea,
It looks the symptoms your husband shows are very much for hypoglycemia. The beers might bring it on because of some five percent alcohol. Alcohol, coffee and smoking are no no for hypoglycemics. Dizziness is owing to lack of energy for the brain. A hungover from alcohol is actually hypoglycemia.
This is refreashing to read that I'm not alone. I passed out in the shower and was woke up by my three year old daughter yelling and shaking me. I have a wonderful doctor who admitted me to find the issue. I failed the glucose test miseribly. I was diagnosed with this. My concern is that a pancreatic tumor could be causing this from the research I have done? I have had all kinds of problems with my pancreas over the past year. Just trying to connect the dots. All I know is this is something very serious and some people don't take it that way. I never want my daughter to be scared like she was but she was able to help the EMS with me when they got there and was a trooper. My husband and her father is in Afghanistan so it is just me and her and God knows I have to be healthy to keep up with her.
For Leah,
You have a pancreatic tumor? That may contribute to your hypoglycemia. It may block production of glucagon that induces the conversion of glycogen to glucose when needed. Glucagon must be balanced with insulin that if it is preponderant glycogen is stored in the liver, released slowly if at all. You would be using glucose from diet. Early in the morning just up from bed the usual sugar level is 70, too low for hard thinking and exercise.
I suggest don't take a bath with cold water; don't lock the door of the bath room. Tumor of the pancreas can be remedied with soursop (guyabano) or noni juice which was proven to kill colon cancer in a research done by the University of the Philippines, Manila that also manages the Philippine General Hospital. This is one of the biggest in the country that is accompanied by the College of Medicine. I mentioned this research in one of my Hubs on cancer. You may access conradofontanilla.hubpages.com.
Wow! information galore on here! I have been dealing with this my whole life. I have also done extensive research on hypoglycemia.
Someone mentioned "enlarged cells on the pancreas". Only a few people even realize what role tumors on the pancreas has on increased levels of insulin production.
What most people don't know is that hypoglycemia wthout diabetes is 90% a matter of usually benign tumors on the pancreas and increased overproduction of insulin as a result. The pancreas is small and fairly hidden so this is rarely detected. The good news is that 99.9% of these growths never become malignant. By the same token this is another reason pancreatic cancer I so deadly because most times it is diagnosed too late but I digress...
I observed many people mentioned that diabetes runs in their family. So there is a connection there.
Finally, some have posted that they started out as hypoglycemics and ended up as diabetics.
My mother had hypoglycemia but never knew it. As they say hindsight is often 20/20. From her symptoms now we know. As a result she ate a lot of sugar and food (intense hunger as part of hypoglycemia) and I have a theory that all of us with hypo can end up with hyper or diabetes. She is now very diabetic and is on pills and insulin.
My theories:
If a hypoglycemic eats too much and too much sugar rather than a low gi diet at regular intervals, it is possible that the body becomes insulin resistant and diabetes starts. Other theory, if too many masses grow on pancreas eventually instead of overproducing insulin it may start underproducing leading to diabetes.The pancreas is super sensitive in our case and works 10 times as hard as the normal person's so eventually it could perhaps enlarge and slow down the production much as hyperthyroidism tends to lead to goiters (enlarged thyroids) and hypothyroidism.
Regardless, for these reasons I consider hypoglycemia a type of diabetes and don't believe we can truly say it is not related.
I have found like many on here that a diet in balanced complex carbs, protein and fruits and vegetables and low in simple carb and sugar is best for both hypoglycemia and diabetes. Since this way we won't be making our pancreas work too hard and this in turn will hopefully maintain a balanced sugar level as well as decrease chances of our becoming insulin resistant in the future. (the #1 reason for diabetes by the way, many people think it is not having enough insulin but the real culprit is becoming resistant to insulin which explains why my mom in her advanced stages of diabetes is on pills AND insulin shots and STILL had sugar levels of 300).
I think the fact that so much of the population is obese and suffering from diabetes that docs love to see low blood sugar and don't understand it can be just as deadly. I almost passed out at the docs office and made them take my blood sugar level and only then did they say. "How are you still conscious and alive with a blood sugar of 40!" Yeah no thanks to you doc. People, do your research and don't rely on the docs that's all I can say! Remember, no one knows your body like you do...docs laughed at me when I did all my research and diagnosed myself and was not laughing when the blood results came back and my self diagnosis was right. I am not telling people to believe the first thing they read online nor to become a hypochondriac but listening to your body and extensive research coupled with ADVOCATING for yourself at the docs office ARMED with a list of your symptoms and requesting...nay...DEMANDING that the tests be done to rule out or confirm the diagnoses can be beneficial to our living a normal life and enjoying it to the fullest till the good Lord takes us!
I'm 14 and have hypoglycemia without diabetes. My dad is a chiropractor, and after a lot of weird eating habits, he tested my blood sugar and I in fact did have hypoglycemia. My family has a diabetes history and i'm really fortunate to not have that! When I become hungry, I become really depressed. People will walk up and say "hi" and I will start crying. Also, I become increasingly dizzy and frustrated with everything! I've learned to live with it and so have my friends. They know now when I start crying I need food, and will help me find some because of my inability to function. However, I am glad that I do not feel dizziness anymore. When I was in 5th grade, I was forced to carry around a bag with snacks because I was in danger of fainting when I became hungry. I am happy I am not the only one with this problem!!! I am soo happy I found this article.
For Boris, I have managed my hypoglycemia by eating time intervals 3 hours early on then 4 hours lately. I don't wait for pangs of hunger because at that time it will be too late to avoid dizziness. Refined sugar is bad for hypoglycemic, brown sugar is better, or honey, fructose for that matter like sugar from coconut flower exudates turned sugar. We have plenty of that in the Philippines which is exported. Blood sugar test for diabetes would not do, it should be six hour glucose tolerance test. Anyway, you may not need that test if you have symptoms like those mentioned in this Hub. You may want to read my Hub on how to counter hypoglycemia which Benjimester has provided a link here.
Was diagnosed yesterday with hypoglycemia. Have also thought so, but having a doctor say so makes it seem better. I have learned much from this site. Thank you.
Several years ago I was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia and my endocrinologist put me on metformin. It has worked wonderfully. Now I have just had a complete hysterectomy. My doctor has put me on estrogen and testosterone injections. I feel like I did before I started taking the metformin- hungry all the time, etc. Have you seen any research on the effects of estrogen/ testosterone on blood sugar/hypoglycemia?
I am a 22 year old. What I was diagnosed with is reactive HYPERglycemia. I was wondering if you have any ideas on good supplements to take to conteract the reaction from when I eat too many carbs? (I go into a comatose like state for about 3-5 hours and I cant move or even wake up). I know this is a lot different than your article but was hoping you may have written one on my disorder :)