Reactive Hypoglycaemia

[Ruthbcn]

Both @Lamont D and I have both reached a point (through going v low carb) where our hypos are now v v rare.

(The situation for me is that I had to go gluten free too)

Thank yoy @Brunneria !

 

[Ruthbcn]

I'm still ploughing theough CatLady's second link.

Absolutely fascinating!

Multiple gems so far, including
-some types of RH that i now understand better
-refs (p15ish) giving evidence that while metformin isnt supposed to cause hypos, nevertheless it has been reported to have done so (and we all knew that already, didn't we?)
- a ref (p16) to show that as little as 2-3 weeks of scrupulously avoiding hypos, has been shown to restore hypo awareness in people (insulin dependents) who had lost it entirely

Hi! @Brunneria !
I am reading all the posts from the begginin, and I just have read this one of you.
I am taking metformin and the truth is that sometimes I feel that I lose glucose with Metformine. can be? what do you think?

 

[Ruthbcn]

Sorry bit late to work and travelling last night!

Hi @reverseosmosis

Ok to start, your eating habits are not good for RH. Eating things like milk, banana, oatmeal, rice milk, ice cream, you are literally putting petrol on a fire! All of them are full of carbs. And the one thing we RH ers, can't have in more than very small quantities is food that has carbs in.

Your fears and anxieties are symptomatic with RH.
I have done the multi day fasting. It is a 72 hour fasting test. And while the stay in hospital was awful, the test results were good for me. It discounted all other conditions except it proved I had RH. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, will show how quickly you spike and then if you hypo. That is important, but the long fast can eliminate cancer and pancreatitis.
You will need one eventually, if you want a thorough diagnosis.
You definitely need a blood glucose monitor! How will you know what is going on what your food is doing to you? You are only guessing.
If you have a certain issues with a endocrinologist, then get your GP to refer you to another hospital. I travel to Manchester to see mine and he is brilliant!
You don't need or want complex carbs or any carbs at all, you can live without them, I do and other RH ers do. And we are fitter and healthier because of that. You will only find out if you eat to your meter and test and experiment and record it in your food diary.
If you don't want to live in hypo hell, then don't! I won't ever again on purpose!
If I have a hypo, my last after an OGTT, I have a plain biscuit and a cuppa, no milk, no sugar. Which brings me back to normal levels slowly but surely, and I don't spike! The methods you post will have your blood glucose levels bouncing all over the place.

Your questions
1. Don't use glucose tablets, no way!
2. Don't use glucose drinks, no way!
3. A plain biscuit and a cuppa.
4. I don't go into hypo because I don't eat carbs.
5. If you really feel bad, then phone for help. But the treatment you will get will be wrong!
I carry a necklace and a card in my wallet describing my condition and my treatment of it.
The medics aren't trained in treating RH.
But prevention is much better, not going high to not go low. Don't go hyper, you don't go hypo!
Control is the key to unlock your healthier lifestyle!

You are worried and concerned, but if you follow the advice from these knowledgeable posters, you will get better and feel better.
The anxiety you feel is symptomatic of RH!
There are a lot of symptoms.
Have a read of the Wikipedia page on RH, there is quite a bit of information on there.

Keep the questions coming, you need to understand the condition and how to be in control.
Hope this helps.

Welcome to our unique club!

Hi @Lamont D !
I am reading all the posts from the begginin.
Could you describe what says in the necklace and in the card in my wallet describing my condition and my treatment of it?
Thanks!
I was thinking doing the same

 

[Brunneria]

Hi! @Brunneria !
I am reading all the posts from the begginin, and I just have read this one of you.
I am taking metformin and the truth is that sometimes I feel that I lose glucose with Metformine. can be? what do you think?

Hi Ruthben,

Not sure I understand what you mean about 'losing glucose with Metformin'.
Do you mean that your blood glucose is lower when you are taking Metformin?

 

[Ruthbcn]

Hi Ruthben,

Not sure I understand what you mean about 'losing glucose with Metformin'.
Do you mean that your blood glucose is lower when you are taking Metformin?

Yes.it is what you say
Sorry for my bad english

 

[Lamont D]

Hi @Lamont D !
I am reading all the posts from the begginin.
Could you describe what says in the necklace and in the card in my wallet describing my condition and my treatment of it?
Thanks!
I was thinking doing the same

My necklace is a medical necklace, I got it on Amazon.
It says Reactive Hypoglycaemia.
On other side is the medical sign of the Hippocratic oath.

In my wallet, the medical alert card share the usual personal details plus reactive hypoglycaemia and not to treat a hypo with glucose, glucagon or sweets or drinks.

Because of my good control, I have not really used it in an emergency!

Best wishes

 

[Brunneria]

Yes.it is what you say
Sorry for my bad english

Thank you for the explanation
And don’t worry about your English. We can always keep asking until we understand. So long as we get there in the end

One of the functions of Metformin is to reduce the amount of glucose released from storage in the liver.
This means that your body may be a bit slower to release glucose to get you out of a hypo.
Another function of metformin is to lower insulin resistance.
This means that your blood glucose levels may be a bit lower as a result.

I hope that helps

 

[Ruthbcn]

My necklace is a medical necklace, I got it on Amazon.
It says Reactive Hypoglycaemia.
On other side is the medical sign of the Hippocratic oath.

In my wallet, the medical alert card share the usual personal details plus reactive hypoglycaemia and not to treat a hypo with glucose, glucagon or sweets or drinks.

Because of my good control, I have not really used it in an emergency!

Best wishes

Thanks @Lamont D !

 

[Ruthbcn]

My necklace is a medical necklace, I got it on Amazon.
It says Reactive Hypoglycaemia.
On other side is the medical sign of the Hippocratic oath.

In my wallet, the medical alert card share the usual personal details plus reactive hypoglycaemia and not to treat a hypo with glucose, glucagon or sweets or drinks.

Because of my good control, I have not really used it in an emergency!

Best wishes[/QUOTE

I do not find the necklace in amazon.
Could you send me the link, please?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Ruthbcn]

Hi,

My weekday routine is usually:

7.30am: 1 x 450ml of coffee with about 1/2 inch of cream (sorry, no idea how much cream that is, cos i go by how far it comes up the mug)
10am ish: 1 x 450ml herb tea
11am: 1x 450ml mug of broth.
12:30 ish: lunch.

So that coffeencream lasts approx 5 and a half hours.
But this is directly proportional to the amount of cream.

I find that if i have any carbs at all at breakfast (even yoghurt and/or berries) then i get RAVENOUS by 11am. I rarely get hungry unless i eat carbs.

If i don't fancy so much cream, first thing, i make a coffee with much less, then add the rest of the cream into a LC hot choc, or even the broth (cream of chicken soup, anyone?) at 11am

Hi @Brunneria !
What kind of cream do you put in coffe? I don t know the similar in Spain.. could you post a pic?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Brunneria]

Hi @Brunneria !
What kind of cream do you put in coffe? I don t know the similar in Spain.. could you post a pic?
Thanks a lot!

Here in the UK our cream is labelled
‘single’ which is very thin
‘Double’ which is a bit thicker (I usually use this one)
And ‘extra thick’

But it is the carb content that is imprtant, not whether it is thick or thin.
If you look at the packaging on the cream you find in your shops, then just go for the one that las nice low carbs and that tastes nice.

 

[Ruthbcn]

Here in the UK our cream is labelled
‘single’ which is very thin
‘Double’ which is a bit thicker (I usually use this one)
And ‘extra thick’

But it is the carb content that is imprtant, not whether it is thick or thin.
If you look at the packaging on the cream you find in your shops, then just go for the one that las nice low carbs and that tastes nice.

@Brunneria

Is the cream used to cook?

 

[Ruthbcn]

Good afeternoon!
What do you think about popcorns homemade?
Are good for us?

 

[Ruthbcn]

Another question...
I am preparing my meal for tomorrow at the office.
Can we eat lentils with vegetables?
Help me, please...
Thanks!

 

[Lamont D]

Good afeternoon!
What do you think about popcorns homemade?
Are good for us?

Hi,
I've never had homemade popcorn, but if you try it, test yourself, afterwards.

 

[Lamont D]

Another question...
I am preparing my meal for tomorrow at the office.
Can we eat lentils with vegetables?
Help me, please...
Thanks!

Simply, yes, but as always check your blood sugar levels after.
There is good vegetables and bad ones, the general rule is any vegetables grown above ground is okay, below not!
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips, will raise your blood sugar levels enough to trigger the extra insulin, but by how much, it always varies to each of us.

Best wishes

 

[Brunneria]

@Brunneria

Is the cream used to cook?

Hi.
Yes, you can use cream in cooking

 

[Ruthbcn]

Simply, yes, but as always check your blood sugar levels after.
There is good vegetables and bad ones, the general rule is any vegetables grown above ground is okay, below not!
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips, will raise your blood sugar levels enough to trigger the extra insulin, but by how much, it always varies to each of us.

Best wishes

Thanks @Lamont D
I will try with pepper, cucumber and onion.
And lentils are good for us?
Thanks a lot for anwer always!

 

[Ruthbcn]

Hi.
Yes, you can use cream in cooking

Thanks @Brunneria

 

[Miss.T. Morning]

Miss.T. Morning relieved to hear your ophthalmologist is taking your symptoms seriously. And glad to hear you're making progress learning how the foods affect your glucose levels.

When I was re-diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I bought one of the more expensive glucose meters available because that's what my health care provider gave me years earlier. Big mistake. The strips cost 86 cents each which made me very hesitant to test more than a few times a day. Then an acquaintance shared I could do much better on cost. And she was right. I now buy strips that only cost 20 cents each - (and the meter to go with them only cost $9). Now I test up to 10 times a day.

So, even if you're using test strips that are "free", know that you can always buy another meter with cheaper test strips to enable you to test more often throughout the day as needed.

I've since found a few references to low glucose levels causing double vision...

"Diabetes can also cause blurriness or double vision due to hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). In this case, lens shape is probably not to blame. Low blood glucose can make it hard for the brain to focus on what the eye is seeing. Vision usually returns to normal when glucose levels rise."

https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/diabetes-and-your-eyes-more-than-retinopathy/

I'll continue to follow your updates here.

Hi @Winnie53 , I have finally had my return appointment with the ophthalmologist today. I have struggled with the double vision for the last 6 weeks or so but over the last 4 days there has been a significant improvement. The last 6 weeks I have also been on the keto diet which really suits me with very few hypos and just a little imbalance when trying different foods. The blood test for myathenia gravis was negative and the doc couldn't find any reason for the double vision, so has discharged me! He didn't seem to think that my dietry changes had anything to do with the double vision or with the improvement. I however think it is an enormous coincidence that the DV started when I binged on carbs and is clearing up now I am on the keto diet. Odd pains, tingling and pins and needles in my left foot and right arm have also disappeared. This diet is definitely the way to go.