Lamont D
Oracle
- Messages
- 15,939
- Type of diabetes
- Reactive hypoglycemia
- Treatment type
- I do not have diabetes
In the case of most metabolic conditions, there is an imbalance in one or more of your hormonal response, most to food. Which you know by personal experience.In the case of untreated insulinoma -- not that I say that Claire has one -- I would have thought the reason to eat carbs and to do so more or less continuously is to balance the constant output of unwanted insulin in order not to pass out from low blood sugar. So yes,in order to ensure that the brain has enough glucose to function it can be vital to stuff yourself with carbs. Going low carb would be a bad choice until the cause of the excess amount of insulin is dealt with.And remember that I am a convinced low carber since many years!
If you have an imbalance in insulin like I do and other pancreatic problems that have an excess of insulin that causes the hypos, then trying to lessen the trigger to constantly produce the insulin through diet, then meds, would counteract the need for excessive carbs, to stop the hypos.
With reactive hypoglycaemia, the advice is set in stone to eat regular carbs to counter the hypos from occurring. Sensible advice, but as others have found it is unnecessary to eat as often, as long as you don't trigger the insulin response. Because as we have found, if we don't go high, which we do if eating too much carb, hyper, too quickly. We don't go hypo. Our first insulin response is enough, so we don't need a second insulin response to dispose of the glucose and the balance is corrected, because the hyperinsulinaemia has gone, less symptoms, better health, better energy.
The need to eat carbs is unnecessary and only exacerbating the fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Which creates the horrible symptoms and rollercoaster hypos and hypers.
It is certainly working for myself and others, even some after very low carb and intermittent fasting have been able to eat a certain amount of carbs and as long as they are careful can live healthier just above ketosis, because the insulin resistance has improved so much that the first response is enough, no need for a second, the awareness of going out of control and how they get symptoms to warn them. The high circulating insulin levels have decreased, the blood glucose levels are in or around normal levels. As normal is where you should be whilst fasting or before and after meals. As in diet only T2s, carbs are unnecessary.
Our livers should avert most hypos by providing enough glucose for our brain function. Especially after many weeks after getting control.
The longer the control, the better you can cope with the lifestyle.
I certainly don't want to go back to those days when my bloods would be normal before breakfast but be in double figures after breakfast, then before lunch I would be below three mmols, then high again after lunch, then low before dinner, then high in evening and low throughout the night, until normalisation before breakfast. No sleep as such, feeling absolutely dreadful, it wasn't fun! The only good thing was I couldn't remember much, as this was one of the symptoms, the anxiety, the hunger and thirst!
I know that insulinoma is a possibility, but because my endocrinologist thought it was more likely that it was the cause of my symptoms, the question about how to treat it before definite diagnosis was to lower my carbs intake but eat carbs with every meal, and eat regularly, stay away from alcohol. The usual stuff!
Luckily enough it wasn't insulinoma but RH. But the dietary advice never changed.
The tests to confirm diagnosis are many and they are designed to eliminate other conditions than actual confirmation of diagnosis.
It is interesting!