Reactive Hypoglycaemia

[arniemouse]

Hi all just been catching up on the posts - lots of rather technical stuff about why this happens wish it could be what to do to STOP it happening!! Just a quick update have been fiddling around with bits and pieces see what happens. Saw the dietician who was not much use except to say that she thought there was no magic food formula for me and I had to accept its a random problem. Actually helped to feel I can't control what happens sometimes. Good days do not mean no hypos and bad days do not mean certain hypos so I can just get on with it and try my best.
I see my consultant in 4 weeks so have decided as I respect him a lot to wait and quiz him in person about low carbs. He is very good and forward thinking so will see what he says.
It is wise to be careful of the advice we give to people as we do not know their individual situations. The last 60 or so pages of this thread demonstrate how we may have the same problem but how different we are with food. I could eat a bucket of apples and still see no difference but some pineapple!!
I am waiting for the DVLA to decide if driving is still ok after my two hypos requiring assistance in last 5 months (you are only allowed one a year) my GP now has the form.
Hope you all keeping well and enjoying the hint of spring in the air today.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi all just been catching up on the posts - lots of rather technical stuff about why this happens wish it could be what to do to STOP it happening!! Just a quick update have been fiddling around with bits and pieces see what happens. Saw the dietician who was not much use except to say that she thought there was no magic food formula for me and I had to accept its a random problem. Actually helped to feel I can't control what happens sometimes. Good days do not mean no hypos and bad days do not mean certain hypos so I can just get on with it and try my best.
I see my consultant in 4 weeks so have decided as I respect him a lot to wait and quiz him in person about low carbs. He is very good and forward thinking so will see what he says.
It is wise to be careful of the advice we give to people as we do not know their individual situations. The last 60 or so pages of this thread demonstrate how we may have the same problem but how different we are with food. I could eat a bucket of apples and still see no difference but some pineapple!!
I am waiting for the DVLA to decide if driving is still ok after my two hypos requiring assistance in last 5 months (you are only allowed one a year) my GP now has the form.
Hope you all keeping well and enjoying the hint of spring in the air today.

I agree with you, for a rare condition, the different symptoms and different foods that keep us in control. I think that's the hard part in our tastes and the way our hormonal response, responds or reacts to what we eat.
I'm with you, my fructose tolerance is the same small Apple doesn't bother my blood levels but a small slice of pineapple sends it rocketing. Also it's the same with others sugars. I have a lactose, glucose, dextrose intolerance. And any grains or starchy vegetables are just as bad if not worse.

Your endocrinologist will probably try and persuade you to eat some complex carbs.
Do it if you feel you must, but, it hasn't worked for me!
If your specialist is as good as mine, he will sort you out, but dietary stuff is in your own hands.
Keep us informed how you get on, I see mine in May!

 

[tim2000s]

@nosher8355 In your dealings with your consultant, who appears to be one of the few I've heard of that really understand RH, have you had any discussions about what might happen to those who might not be able to consume a higher fat diet? Just looking through this thread, that seems to be the only approach that we have, and I wondered what the alternatives might be if someone turned up and wasn't able to eat high fat?

 

[Lamont D]

Hi Tim,
Off the top of my head, I think we did have someone with coeliac condition.
And I honestly can't remember what I recommended.
But, as always, just doing really low carbs would help at first, and see where we go from there. I will have a look but it's getting time to do so!
I do full fat, but that's only a few spoonfuls of yoghurt and eat the fat off meat, but that's about it. That's because I can't eat the likes of butter, cheese and other full fats.
I have nuts and other little snacks that have fat in them but I don't force full fat on myself as such.
Thanks for your interest!
How do others get on with the problem?

@nosher8355 In your dealings with your consultant, who appears to be one of the few I've heard of that really understand RH, have you had any discussions about what might happen to those who might not be able to consume a higher fat diet? Just looking through this thread, that seems to be the only approach that we have, and I wondered what the alternatives might be if someone turned up and wasn't able to eat high fat?

 

[Brunneria]

I can think of a few groups who would really struggle:
vegans
vegetarians who couldn't do cheese
gall bladder issues
nut allergies

Must be very difficult to do low carb in those circs, and then to try and do VERY low carb increased fat...

Very tricky indeed.

I guess upping protein (let's hope they don't have kidney issues) but for the vegetarians that is going to automatically increase the carbs too.

I think maybe there are some people who might end up having to eat moderate carbs on a 2 hour schedule, but that is going to strain the body's insulin production endlessly, isn't it?

So many RHers end up T2, because of weight gain and beta cell damage through excess insulin production for decades, I guess that is the looming worry if you can't go low enough carb.

In my case, I did go low carb, but not low enough (didn't know VLC was even possible, back then!) and ended up T2.

Coeliac would be comparatively simple, in contrast - most of the foods that need avoiding have got a lot of carbs anyway.

Sorry - very rambling post. Need a cuppa and a sit down away from a screen for a bit. lol.

 

[KayeStevenson]

Welcome!

Funnily enough I became strict vegetarian in my mid teens, exactly the same time that RH symptoms started! Moved to southern Italy in my early 20s and was having a hypo almost daily for 6 years on a lovely diet of pasta and pizza! I now eat fish, bacon and chicken. Following LCHF since January, IBS disappeared overnight, bloods far more stable except for a few recent wobbles - Chinese meal and skipping meals (my bad!)

I would definitely recommend cutting down on carbs and test, test, test. At least now if I do feel c**p, I test and take remedial action rather than having a complete panic as I used to do before discovering this forum and reaching for sugar/carbs!

Best of luck, you're in a good place here with Nosher and Brun.

 

[Linagirl]

Do you mind sharing why you can't eat more fat? I know schools of thought have changed dramatically about the impact of fat recently

 

[arniemouse]

Do you mind sharing why you can't eat more fat? I know schools of thought have changed dramatically about the impact of fat recently

Hi I wanted to quiz the low carbers about fat. If I can try the low carb diet I won't be able to do the high fat bit because of a lously history of heart disease. Nosher did you say you that you don't do high fat?
Plus also wanted to ask if you can do low carb sometime or do you have to do the full monty in order to get the benefits?
Thanks

 

[AndBreathe]

I can think of a few groups who would really struggle:
vegans
vegetarians who couldn't do cheese
gall bladder issues
nut allergies

Must be very difficult to do low carb in those circs, and then to try and do VERY low carb increased fat...

Very tricky indeed.

I guess upping protein (let's hope they don't have kidney issues) but for the vegetarians that is going to automatically increase the carbs too.

I think maybe there are some people who might end up having to eat moderate carbs on a 2 hour schedule, but that is going to strain the body's insulin production endlessly, isn't it?

So many RHers end up T2, because of weight gain and beta cell damage through excess insulin production for decades, I guess that is the looming worry if you can't go low enough carb.

In my case, I did go low carb, but not low enough (didn't know VLC was even possible, back then!) and ended up T2.

Coeliac would be comparatively simple, in contrast - most of the foods that need avoiding have got a lot of carbs anyway.

Sorry - very rambling post. Need a cuppa and a sit down away from a screen for a bit. lol.

I'm not coeliac, but have experience of dining out with one, and it was hard. As we already appreciate, most sauce, coatings and even some condiments have some gluten in them - often as padding or stabiling agents, and those can play havoc for the poor soul.

Personally, I think my T2 has been a walk in the park, by comparison to coeliac, but I'm not RH either.

The whole thing seems like a jigsaw where we have to try placing the pieces one by one, then moving them if they're not quite right.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi I wanted to quiz the low carbers about fat. If I can try the low carb diet I won't be able to do the high fat bit because of a lously history of heart disease. Nosher did you say you that you don't do high fat?
Plus also wanted to ask if you can do low carb sometime or do you have to do the full monty in order to get the benefits?
Thanks

That is an argument over which many low carbers disagree about. High fat is usually described as eating more fat than you use to. I eat full fat, but mainly animal fats and in the few spoonfuls of full fat yoghurt. I can't do dairy. I eat nuts which has some good fats in them.
To the other question, I believe that because of the effects most sugars, especially those which turns into glucose are a problem. So the lower you can go the better you'll feel and the less symptoms and more energy you will get.

But do it slowly, to completely stop eating carbs, will also have an adverse effect, intentionally, lower them, your plate size and gently increase your exercise.

Good questions!

 

[Brunneria]

I'm not coeliac, but have experience of dining out with one, and it was hard. As we already appreciate, most sauce, coatings and even some condiments have some gluten in them - often as padding or stabiling agents, and those can play havoc for the poor soul.

Personally, I think my T2 has been a walk in the park, by comparison to coeliac, but I'm not RH either.

The whole thing seems like a jigsaw where we have to try placing the pieces one by one, then moving them if they're not quite right.

Sorry - my post was written in a very jumbled way.
What I intended to say was that combining a diet for coeliacs and a LCHF diet would be an easier combo than combining a vegan diet or a vegetarian diet with LCHF.

Didn't mean to imply that eating the coeliac way was an easy option. Apologies for the confusion.

 

[Linagirl]

Fat is no longer the enemy. Read Dr John Briffa escape the diet trap it's fascinating x

 

[arniemouse]

well really cheesed off now good job a lot of chocolate about today cause off the wagon at moment - have just had letter from DVLA and they have taken my licence because of my '2 hypos requiring assistance in a year rule'. This is going to make life so difficult. I am disabled and cannot walk far and now can not get to local hospital, drs, chemist and so forth by bus at all. Will debate an appeal when I see consultant in 3 weeks but not much hope.

 

[andcol]

They do not have a choice, it is a european law. Did they say when you can re-apply for it to be re-instated? Have you thought about an electric bike? You do not need a license but they do not go fast. It depends on your mobility though really.

Why cant you get there by bus by the way? Around where I live there is free transport (laid on by rotary club I think) where you can ring up and ask to be taken to hospital/doctors/etc; do you have something similar near you?

 

[AndBreathe]

As I understand matters, the 12 months is from the date of the first relevant hypo, so the 12 months could potentially be quite a bit shorter that 12 months from the imposition of the revocation.

We had a talk about this at a DCUK meeting, delivered by an Endo consultant before Christmas. He was at pains to point out the earlier aspect, so that is my source data.

 

[Brunneria]

well really cheesed off now good job a lot of chocolate about today cause off the wagon at moment - have just had letter from DVLA and they have taken my licence because of my '2 hypos requiring assistance in a year rule'. This is going to make life so difficult. I am disabled and cannot walk far and now can not get to local hospital, drs, chemist and so forth by bus at all. Will debate an appeal when I see consultant in 3 weeks but not much hope.

I am sorry @arniemouse it must be a huge blow to lose your independence like that.

We live in a town, with shops to hand, and a supermarket that delivers, I would STILL find it a terrible inconvenience.
But I do have mixed feelings about it. I know that I would hate to think I might put other road users at risk, and I know how badly my judgement can be affected by a hypo.

Didn't realise that the ban was from the date of the first hypo (thanks @AndBreathe ) that should shorten it. Do you know the date you can get it back?

 

[arniemouse]

Hi Thanks for the help. If I have no more severe hypos will be eligible to reapply for licence from November so yes only 7 months or so. Buses in our town run down main routes so fine if you want to go to town but to cross to another area its in to town and then out again making the 3 min ride to drs in a car an hours bus journey!! Will be fun, but fortunately have a lot of sympathetic friends so will just have to ask for lifts to the awkward places or arrange appts when husband working from home. It will be the emergency things that will be problematic like animals to vets etc. Not sure about a free bus you can call will have to look into it I have seen something about town. Have free bus pass so at least that helps.
I guess I will get used to it just feels a bit daunting at the moment.

 

[Brunneria]

In the area where I live, and 250 miles away, where my parents live, there are voluntary organisations which can provide lifts to hospitals and doc appts, etc. I assume they must be widespread.

Each area seems to run things slightly differently, but the common theme is that the drivers volunteer their time. The charity charges the customer/patient a flat rate per mile and passes it on to the volunteer minus a small admin fee.

My parents (who do the volunteering and driving) say that it works out as less than a taxi. Plus of course, using taxis a couple of times a week is often less expensive than running a car, with the petrol, maintenance, tax and insurance costs.

 

[Positivo]

As far as I am aware it is not hereditary.

How does cope with the condition, what has the doctors / specialists advised?

Greetings to nosher. I am keenly interestd to know the extent of skin irritation and lower effectiveness with ceftain generic brands of Gliclazide. .Also 500 mg Metformin. Unfofrtunately this system tells me I am not entitled to read your blog. Sorry.
Regards Positivo.

 

[Positivo]

Greetings to nosher. I am keenly interestd to know the extent of skin irritation and lower effectiveness with ceftain generic brands of Gliclazide. .Also 500 mg Metformin. Unfofrtunately this system tells me I am not entitled to read your blog. Sorry.
Regards Positivo.

PS How refreshing to qualify as a 'newbie' after only 67 years unpaid voluntary work in support of the NHS, Forces and disability charities.