Reactive Hypoglycaemia

[Lamont D]

Ok today I had a numb cheek for a couple of minutes, yesterday for about 15 seconds and it reminded me I had one a few weeks ago. Its bizarre no other symptoms at the time but I think half hour to an hour after eating.
This morning I had a coffee with cream, 1 toast and a banana, 9.6 after half hour. More sensitive this week I've been as low as 4.1 then body correcting itself. No hypos just those low/spin warning signs.

It's probably the banana, that's spiked you, they do tend to have a lot of carbs in them as well as fructose, you might want to cut down on them.
4.1 is fine, but you might, as you say, be a little more sensitive to lower normal blood glucose levels.

 

[Wendolph]

It's probably the banana, that's spiked you, they do tend to have a lot of carbs in them as well as fructose, you might want to cut down on them.
4.1 is fine, but you might, as you say, be a little more sensitive to lower normal blood glucose levels.

Yeah I feel the lows from 4.5 but luckily my body kicks in so I don't hypo recently. I'm still shooting up quickly.
The other day cofee, 1 oatibix and about 8 grapes. Shot to 10.2 in half hour then back to 5.3 in next half hour. Felt awful all day at work and I made so many mistakes. didn't quite hypo tho. 4.3 after work 6 hours after eating. Great I'm not hypoing but I won't get diagnosed at those levels unless they count the 5 point rise and falls.

 

[Lamont D]

Relax and your fasting levels and your very quick spiking are a clue to what is exactly going on.
Your normal fasting levels say that you are probably not diabetic or prediabetic.
The quick spike says that you are not 'normal' in the sense that it usually takes an hour or more to spike for anyone else but hypoglycaemiacs.
So even though, you would categorically, like your docs to see them. There is enough evidence to support diagnosis.
The amount of carbs you are eating are too much for you, hence the big spikes and the shifty feeling.
You're just topping up your excessive insulin.
If you have recorded everything in your food diary with your blood results, the clues are there.
Please don't suffer more than you have to!

Take care

Nosher

 

[Wendolph]

Relax and your fasting levels and your very quick spiking are a clue to what is exactly going on.
Your normal fasting levels say that you are probably not diabetic or prediabetic.
The quick spike says that you are not 'normal' in the sense that it usually takes an hour or more to spike for anyone else but hypoglycaemiacs.
So even though, you would categorically, like your docs to see them. There is enough evidence to support diagnosis.
The amount of carbs you are eating are too much for you, hence the big spikes and the shifty feeling.
You're just topping up your excessive insulin.
If you have recorded everything in your food diary with your blood results, the clues are there.
Please don't suffer more than you have to!

Take care

Nosher

Thanks @nosher I better cut those carbs even more then which definitely means more monitoring and eating more often. Its hard trying to eat enough. No more cheating for me.

 

[Lamont D]

Thanks @nosher I better cut those carbs even more then which definitely means more monitoring and eating more often. Its hard trying to eat enough. No more cheating for me.

It's not cheating, it's finding out what is the best for you, you are still experimenting and trying things, you have just realise that most carbs even some that are not so open are the things that make you feel awful!

Even if you share a small banana or half a oatcake with loads of butter on it, that would be worth trying, if they still spike you quickly, then you know for sure, you shouldn't touch them!

 

[Brunneria]

Trying coffee with cream for breakfast this morning. How soon does anyone eat after this? Brun and Kaz I think you do this?

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

 

[AndBreathe]

Does anyone have a low carb stir fry sauce recipe? Thanks

Linagirl - I always have these in my pantry, for a standby.: http://www.sharwoods.com/range/chinese/stir-fry-melts/Spicy-Szechuan-Stir-Fry-Melts-Mild

Of course, it is possible to concoct something a bit lower in carb (the per portion figures include an estimated value for the carb in the stir fry veg), but there's no going off, hefty preparation required. As you would expect the Sweet Chilli and Sweet and Sour variants pack more of a carb punch.

Last night neither of us really felt like cooking, but we wanted something tasty to eat. Thinly sliced chicken breast lobbed into hot wok, followed shortly thereafter by a pack of stir fry veg, a small tin of water chestnuts, then lastly a few minutes later, the contents of the melt pot. Delicious. Minimal prep and even less cooking.

 

[Brunneria]

Look what i just found!

Some fantastic ideas for ketogenic eating.
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/menu-plans-new

 

[Smamfa]

Evening! Sorry to intrude. I am a newbie here so hope I am posting in the correct area? I have recently been diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycaemia and found your thread which I have been reading. Thank you for all the information you have provided on here. S.

 

[Brunneria]

Evening! Sorry to intrude. I am a newbie here so hope I am posting in the correct area? I have recently been diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycaemia and found your thread which I have been reading. Thank you for all the information you have provided on here. S.

Welcome to our somewhat exclusive club!

How are you doing with the whole diagnosis and getting-your-head-round-it?

 

[Lamont D]

Evening! Sorry to intrude. I am a newbie here so hope I am posting in the correct area? I have recently been diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycaemia and found your thread which I have been reading. Thank you for all the information you have provided on here. S.

Hi @Smamfa

How long have you been diagnosed?
Tell us your story?
How are coping dietary wise?
What advice have you been given?
Sorry about the questions, but we do want to help, we have all types of RH ers on this thread and our little unique club is growing all the time!
Ask away, the more questions the better, as we learn as well.

Welcome to the thread and the forum.

 

[Smamfa]

Hi, exclusive club eh it was not a shock really as I had tried to diagnose myself over the last 6 months ( while various tests were being performed) and I got a definitive answer this week. My daughter has Type 1 diabetes (16 years old diagnosed when 5 years) however RH is somewhat different eh!

 

[Smamfa]

I was diagnosed last week. On reflection I have been having symptoms since I can remember. I have been having all the classical symptoms and have had a few " odd" unexplained episodes over the years too. I am waiting to see a dietician to gain dietary advice. I have had many blood tests and the catalyst for the diagnosis was a NON fasting blood sugar of 2.2 which prompted call from GP and her doubting result was correct to which I responded " I don't think it is an isolated incident" hence more bloods , extended GTT initial blood sugars 5.2 then 8.7 after glucose drink and after 2.5 hours blood sugars 3.2 and 25 mins later 2.7 symptomatic and test stopped.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi, exclusive club eh it was not a shock really as I had tried to diagnose myself over the last 6 months ( while various tests were being performed) and I got a definitive answer this week. My daughter has Type 1 diabetes (16 years old diagnosed when 5 years) however RH is somewhat different eh!

Yes unique and different,
My doctor calls me weird and my consultant eyes light up every time I see him for some reason.
Other than the other questions, what tests have you had and what type of RH have you?
Sorry about your daughter, but you could both use the low carb together, cook things and so on!

 

[Smamfa]

I have not been back to consultant to find out which type of RH I have as I am awaiting dietician appointment and to see consultant however I am not quite sure I will see her again as she has made no mention of any follow up. I was led to believe that RH is common by the nurse performing the GTT?

 

[Lamont D]

I was diagnosed last week. On reflection I have been having symptoms since I can remember. I have been having all the classical symptoms and have had a few " odd" unexplained episodes over the years too. I am waiting to see a dietician to gain dietary advice. I have had many blood tests and the catalyst for the diagnosis was a NON fasting blood sugar of 2.2 which prompted call from GP and her doubting result was correct to which I responded " I don't think it is an isolated incident" hence more bloods , extended GTT initial blood sugars 5.2 then 8.7 after glucose drink and after 2.5 hours blood sugars 3.2 and 25 mins later 2.7 symptomatic and test stopped.

If you have read the thread, you should have gathered that glucose is our enemy and any thing that turns to glucose, like carbs and sugars, spike us quickly. So we hyper (high) and then hypo (low). So if we stop the hyper, we don't get the hypo!

If you get the dietary advice that most dieticians give, it will be about eating carbs with every meal. That is not up to date thinking or what us RH ers would recommend.
I have been in ketosis (permanent normal blood glucose levels) for over two years and I've never been fitter or healthier!

 

[Lamont D]

I have not been back to consultant to find out which type of RH I have as I am awaiting dietician appointment and to see consultant however I am not quite sure I will see her again as she has made no mention of any follow up. I was led to believe that RH is common by the nurse performing the GTT?

It's not!
If anything it's rare!
I believe you will get another appointment.
I am seeing my consultant next week and he wants to see me every six months, this will be my umpteenth appointment. I have a phone number to ring if necessary. Maybe I was fortunate to find my consultant, whom I can't praise enough!

 

[Smamfa]

@nosher8355 wow, that is great news that you have had permanent normal levels. Well done! I have read a fair amount from all sorts of areas on the Internet and there does seem to be much uncertainty about RH and how to manage it. I have read all about carbs with meals In fact my daughters diabetic team nurse said that " oh your mum will have to eat carbs now" my most up to date understanding is to eat protein and cut down the carbs. So much conflicting advice eh!

 

[Lamont D]

@nosher8355 wow, that is great news that you have had permanent normal levels. Well done! I have read a fair amount from all sorts of areas on the Internet and there does seem to be much uncertainty about RH and how to manage it. I have read all about carbs with meals In fact my daughters diabetic team nurse said that " oh your mum will have to eat carbs now" my most up to date understanding is to eat protein and cut down the carbs. So much conflicting advice eh!

Oh yeah! @Smamfa!

If you read any medical site, they always insist you eat carbs.
But that is what we can't eat! Or very little!
Our pancreas produces too much insulin because of the fast use of glucose. The excess insulin drops our blood glucose levels into hypo. The hypos and hypers, fluctuating blood glucose levels give us our horrific hypo hell symptoms.
The only thing that works is not having many and replacing carbs with full fats.
It sounds horrible, and it goes against everything we have been told about eating healthy!
They are not healthy!
It's the same for Diabetics, especially T2s!
You need to be in complete control of your bloods, so you can feel as good as I do!

Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need for this website.

Read the low carb forum, it has great ideas and recipes. Just to give you an idea.

There is a link in @Brunneria signature box that is very good as an introduction to low carb, I'm certain she will post the link.

There is also a link below my post, about RH for beginners.

 

[Smamfa]

Thank you for all of your good advice and for taking time to welcome me and respond. I will keep watching the thread and definitely look at the low carb forum. It is nice to know that there is somewhere to communicate with people with the same diagnosis. Which sort of RH do you have ? You mentioned types?