Dear All,
It's been a year since I've finally got diagnose with RH. Me too I suspect that this is a different condition that with time leads to insulin resistance. I remember having mild symptoms in my twenties (and PCOS), by the time I turned forty things got very nasty. I had confusion and malaise all the time (and lots of other symptoms), not being able to work for eight months. My crisis were so strong that I didn't relate them to food, since food didn't fix me. After an episode I had to sleep for five hours and felt bad for a couple of days. Any way... It's been a slow healing process, but after a year in a low carb diet I am feeling much much better.
However, after a year without periods I am officially in the menopause. My menstrual problems kicked off with my low sugar crisis. I wonder if any ladies here have had similar problems.
Hi
@shantimaz
Welcome to our forum.
It does seem that with your experiences, that you have a handle on how to control this condition.
However, I'm not going any where near the girlie thingimybob problems, I leave that to Brun.
@Kaz261 and brun have already given you good advice, that is mostly what we recommend to any newbie.
Confusion and anxiety, I know a lot about!
Hope you can really get your head around it.
TL;DR
I appear to have Reactive Hypoglycaemia, but get the symptoms when my blood sugar returns to normal, rather than when it drops below normal; it seems to the relative reduction that brings them on, rather than reduction to value below normal. *** is wrong with me?!
When my blood sugar increases by any more than 1 mmol/l and then returns to normal, I start to get the symptoms of hypoglycaemia, even though my blood sugar is
not actually low. For example, it might be a normal 4.7 before a meal, then 6.2 half an hour after a meal, and when it drops back down two or so hours later I start getting the shakes, feeling dizzy, anxious and sweaty. The longer I leave it before eating something, the worse it gets, and I can start getting aggressive (which is not at all normal for me!) and confused. Not sure if I actually would, but if it gets really bad it can feel like I'm close to passing out.
When I eat something sugary (as I get the
strong urge to do), my blood sugar increased and the symptoms go away fairly quickly, but I'm often left feeling really sick afterwards, and then of course the whole cycle starts again when my blood sugar drops back to normal again. A few times it has dropped to around the 3 - 3.5 mark, but that is very rare. Normally it drops back to 4.7 and that is enough to start the symptoms.
For the past year or so I've been trying a low carb diet - and it has been working. If I keep my carbohydrate intake really low (less than 10g per meal), my blood sugar stays steady at close to 4.7 and I feel absolutely fine! Recently though, for the past couple of months, I sometimes
don't feel fine. Even though my blood sugar is normal, I still get a little of the shakey, anxious, foggy-headed feeling that I can only presume is hormone related.
I've had a fasting blood sugar test, which was normal. And I've had some kind of 'long term average' blood sugar test (A1C?) which was normal, along with some kind of 24-hour urine collection, endocrine-related cancer test which was also normal. The endocrinologist seems to think it's all in my head, and after the first visit sent a letter to my GP to say she doesn't want to see my again, and instructed me to 'stop the self imposed restrictions on my diet'!!!
I've been dealing with this for around 10 years now, long before I had any idea about blood sugar levels or the effect of carbohydrate on them. I must have seen dozens of different GPs about it, as well as a dietician and an endocrinologist, and everyone either has no clue, or thinks it's in my head. I've seriously had enough of this, and I go through patches where both the condition and the way I am treated by health 'professionals' really gets me down
Is this some weird form Reactive Hypoglycaemia? Has anyone got a clue what this is?
Hi
@GordonSSS
The most important thing is not if you have it or what form, it's the fact that you struggle eating certain types of foods, which makes you feel ill.
I know the head banging frustration of not knowing what is going on for over a decade, it wasn't until my current endocrinologist, recognised the symptoms and did tests including the prolonged fasting test that gave him the diagnosis.
There is a lack of training in blood glucose disorders like ours that GPs and most endocrinologists don't know about. Mine has often referred to how lucky I was to find him, so I could get the tests.
My fasting bloods, my Hba1c, and other blood tests all appear normal and if I don't eat, my bloods stay normal, for ever!!
It isn't until I eat carbs and sugar that it triggers a hyper, then a hypo because of the excess insulin.
You must have a very good awareness of when your bloods start to go low, I do now!
But not always.
I eat a very low carb lifestyle so my bloods literally flat line. There is a certain amount of carbs that you have to eat, but meat and salad veg and eggs, plus others have little or none.
There is still an objection to very low carbing because, which ever dietician or doctor including my endo insist I eat some carbs, the problem I see, is I've been very low for two years and my health has not been better for a long time, decades!
If you do not want to eat that which makes you feel that way, then why do it?
I have learnt not to! Why do I have to?
I have a very active life and work hard, this is only because of since diagnosis and very low carbing.
I recommend because it works. It's hard, and it does get on your nerves and be frustrating because it is a rare condition especially in men.
Yes, you are unique and your RH is slightly different to mine, but to treat it is exactly the same, as the others, who are all different and unique.
We all have different problems with RH, Brun did have a survey, about certain things like can you have dairy and so on. And the results were surprising.
I'm sure she will give you the link to it!
Gordon, there are now many of us, that are getting knowledge of this condition and we want to support and encourage, read the threads and also read the low carb forum about what you can eat, even low carb bread.
You don't have to eat the baddies, there is an alternative to them.
Welcome to our unique club.
