Reactive Hypoglycaemia

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
I forgot to mention had readings of 3.7 and 3.9 a couple of times 4-5 hours after eating. They tend to stay that way for about an hour I've never left it longer than 6 hours. I've only been testing a month.

Keep going, keep fighting, keep being a pest, keep testing and keep recording, and most importantly keep asking for a referral!
If he doesn't know and he clearly doesn't! He needs a specialist view and only tests will verify what your condition is! Even most consultants can't recognize it without tests!
Your fasting bloods are a little bit Lower than mine. And Hypoglycaemia does definitely not start at 2.0 Many hypoglycaemic patients would never be diagnosed with the condition if the health care industry quoted that number. It is anything below 3.2 mmols!

I know you have read my story. It took me years to get a proper diagnosis.
But I had started low carbing well before that!

Keep fighting!
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Had my diabetic review today!!;):rolleyes:

Everything perfect, that is the phrase my dsn used!:nurse:

BP, bloods, cholesterol, liver and kidney function etc!

Went through the statin risk assessment and agreed with me, that I didn't need them!:)

Have lost another 6lb still a stone away from optimum bmi figure! But not bothered, I'll get there! Now 11and a half stone! Lowest since a twenty something:):D:rolleyes:

So pleased with my little (now!) self!:rolleyes::angelic::)

Woohoo!!

What with Rovers winning last night as well!!:cool::D
 
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MosheBenYehuda

Well-Known Member
Messages
353
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Getting used to feeling great!
Don't want to go back to feeling bad!

Really happy as I am!!!:);)
Well done Nosh, truly happy for you!
In honour of your amazing achievement, I am temporarily breaking my self-imposed silence. You're worth it!
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Well done Nosh, truly happy for you!
In honour of your amazing achievement, I am temporarily breaking my self-imposed silence. You're worth it!
Thanks mate, you can always post me!
Either on here or pm me!
 

Jey

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Hey everyone hope all of u had/ or have a great summer :). Had for about 4 months a " normal" bs ,now, ( i dont know why) my bs and bp are down again and I feel awful. I started to check bs again and was down to 3. The last 3/4 days my face started to swell up even more. But the good thing is I got a appointment by the endocrinologist for Okt. :angelic:. Have a good day everyone
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi @Jey
So good to hear from you!
So glad you have been doing so well and you have your endocrinologist appointment.

Is there any reason why you are struggling at the moment. Have you a fever or a cold or flu?
Maybe an infection?

You could ask your GP, to see if you do!
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
What types of RH are there?

Rather than list them, Google ' Reactive Hypoglycaemia' on Wikipedia.
The page is very informative.

The specialists don't know what causes RH!

The science is quite complicated. It has something to do with how your metabolic and endocrine system works with your hormones.
The balance is out of kilter, when digestion occurs.
In my case, I literally produce too much Insulin, when eating carbs and sugars. Hence the reactive descriptive.

The thing I have discovered is no two metabolic blood glucose sufferers are the same wether they are diabetic or like me non diabetic. To lump them all together is not good medicine.
 
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Jey

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi have no idea why my blood sugar goes down like that again. And my face swells up. Did go to the GP about that befor, i asked why he sed he doesn't know!!! Got antibiothiks and cordisoltabletts. It did help some bit but not for long! Changed my cusion, tryed with 2, didn't us creams! Nothing changes. Could be a infection! Just wonder, BRUNNERIA did u got a swollen face befor? U advices me befor to measure my body temp. in the mornings. I did that for a while and had around 35.3/35.4. or sometimes under 35. Thanks on all
 
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Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi,

The only facial swellings i have ever had were:
  • Puffy eyes when i had wheat (this was worst in the mornings, affected fingers too, and was worst in my teens)
  • Swollen lip when i had a luminous yellow kipper once
  • After crying a lot
So, unless you have been blubbing a lot, i would suspect food intolerance. But it could be ANYTHING including face cream, soap or washing powder left on towels or sheets...

One thing i think people dont realise with intolerances, is that they can be a combination of things (for instance, Maybe you have a symptomless intolerance to dairy products, but then you are exposed to a shampoo that acts as a final straw. Your body could cope with one, but not both, and suddenly the symptoms start). Or sometimes a product/food that you have eaten for years will have a slight ingredient change, and suddenly you get symptoms.

Makes it very difficult.
And I have never found doctors to even understand the issue. They tend to just refer you to a clinic which will run skin prick tests on a standard list of allergens. If that doesnt work, they give up.

Really, going on a food/chemical exclusion diet, followed by a slow re-introduction of one item at a time, is the only way to spot the trigger. But that takes a lot of effort, time and self discipline - and your doc won't believe you if you trundle in and say 'turns out i get swelling with dairy and a particular shampoo'. You will probably get 'crackpot' entered into your notes.
 
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Wendolph

Well-Known Member
Messages
111
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Puffy face is usually an allergy. Have your thyroid checked thats puffy around the eyes and neck.
Body temperature does depend on the person but 35 is pretty low so keep an eye on it.
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi have no idea why my blood sugar goes down like that again. And my face swells up. Did go to the GP about that befor, i asked why he sed he doesn't know!!! Got antibiothiks and cordisoltabletts. It did help some bit but not for long! Changed my cusion, tryed with 2, didn't us creams! Nothing changes. Could be a infection! Just wonder, BRUNNERIA did u got a swollen face befor? U advices me befor to measure my body temp. in the mornings. I did that for a while and had around 35.3/35.4. or sometimes under 35. Thanks on all
Not heard of that symptom but as Brun says it could be a combination of intolerance.
I have antihistamines for my night itch, my arms get a gradual increase in burning itch, I've no idea, why, when, how but it does just flare up every so often. This only appellate in the day and I've gone through my food diary to try and find an answer. None so far!
Other than that, how are you coping?
 
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freshlybrewed

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
sensory overloading
Thanks for signposting this thread @nosher8355
I'll catch up with this thread over the weekend, but it's nice to see there's other people with a similar condition.
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Thanks for signposting this thread @nosher8355
I'll catch up with this thread over the weekend, but it's nice to see there's other people with a similar condition.

Have you been diagnosed?

Other reading is on Wikipedia under Reactive Hypoglycaemia.

The term post prandial hypoglycaemia has been replaced by RH, because of the different types that have been discovered.

I have Late Reactive Hypoglycaemia!

How do you cope, especially with hypos?

Sorry, so many questions!

Welcome to our unique club. There aren't that many of us!
 
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freshlybrewed

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
sensory overloading
Thanks for the welcome!
How does yours affect you?
Do you know what causes your symptoms and how to prevent them getting worse?

Replying to your questions, sorry for the long reply, it's nice to get this out for once.
I have been diagnosed with post prandial hypoglycaemia, it's about two years ago.

I didn't cope with hypos at all when I was a child, they freaked me out, I got terrible anxiety and spiralled out of control so I also had panic attacks to contend with.

I'd go through phases having and episode here and there, but then at times go through phases of having an episode every time after breakfast and lunch, so that's twice a day, and then even sometimes at night I'd wake up with it.
I vividly remember those periods in my life, it does something to you mentally I think.

In the past two years I feel I've got a good grip on things though. It's cutting out the carbs that's done the best for me. So what ever the carbs do results in high BG (aka the Diabetes side of things) but after that when BG drops it can lead onto a hypo. I say lead onto it because it's not just switch on hypo, it's a sequence of symptoms, progressively worse, and the hypo is the conglomeration of the worst of those at the end before passing out. So technically speaking I haven't had a hypo in two or more years, but symptoms almost every day. And the more carbs I cut out the less symptoms I've had.

I still have to take a cereal bar with me when I'm out and about because if I'm late in getting my lunch the symptoms will start. Although these days I doubt I'll get to hypo levels, the pre-cursor symptoms aren't pleasant anyway. I get a fuzzy head mostly, feel drained of energy.

My story is not over by any means, I feel like I've just begun a new chapter of freedom from this thing.

I haven't looked, but do you know whether there's NICE guidelines for this condition?
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Thanks for the welcome!
How does yours affect you?
Do you know what causes your symptoms and how to prevent them getting worse?

Replying to your questions, sorry for the long reply, it's nice to get this out for once.
I have been diagnosed with post prandial hypoglycaemia, it's about two years ago.

I didn't cope with hypos at all when I was a child, they freaked me out, I got terrible anxiety and spiralled out of control so I also had panic attacks to contend with.

I'd go through phases having and episode here and there, but then at times go through phases of having an episode every time after breakfast and lunch, so that's twice a day, and then even sometimes at night I'd wake up with it.
I vividly remember those periods in my life, it does something to you mentally I think.

In the past two years I feel I've got a good grip on things though. It's cutting out the carbs that's done the best for me. So what ever the carbs do results in high BG (aka the Diabetes side of things) but after that when BG drops it can lead onto a hypo. I say lead onto it because it's not just switch on hypo, it's a sequence of symptoms, progressively worse, and the hypo is the conglomeration of the worst of those at the end before passing out. So technically speaking I haven't had a hypo in two or more years, but symptoms almost every day. And the more carbs I cut out the less symptoms I've had.

I still have to take a cereal bar with me when I'm out and about because if I'm late in getting my lunch the symptoms will start. Although these days I doubt I'll get to hypo levels, the pre-cursor symptoms aren't pleasant anyway. I get a fuzzy head mostly, feel drained of energy.

My story is not over by any means, I feel like I've just begun a new chapter of freedom from this thing.

I haven't looked, but do you know whether there's NICE guidelines for this condition?

Like I said I don't hypo no more, I feel really great!
No carbs is the answer!
The thing that I've noticed is that when you hypo, you eat carbs!
Don't! Have a cuppa, have a plain biscuit, sit down and your bloods will slowly raise to normal.
Because you eat more carbs to bring your bloods up, you hyper! You spike!
The natural progression is your bloods lower and me on going, then because you have another hypo, you repeat, you yo yo up and down, that's what starts the horrible symptoms!
The fluctuating blood glucose levels will have you all over the place.

A trick I learned when having my 72 hours fast, is to do a fast for a day. That really helps me, but if and when you do, take your bloods and monitor your levels.

No, don't bother with the NHS website, they don't have guidelines for RH!
My specialist says that the rest of the world is behind the United States, in diagnosis and treatment.
Most specialists in the United States use sitagliptin to help prevent spikes, to reduce the likelihood of hypoglycaemia occurring.

Have a read, keep asking questions, I'm sure one or two of the other RH ers, will help if I'm not logged in. (Very busy working!) Didn't think I'd be doing a manual labour intensive job at my age!

Your information says your obese!

What is causing that is the extra insulin you produce. Your excess turns into visceral fat and lines your endocrine system, hence the continuous weight gain!
I have been on every diet, none worked, till low carb, full fat.
Five years ago approaching 17 stone.
Now at last diabetic(ahem!) Yearly review. Under 12 stone!

Low carb ing works!
 
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Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,793
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
My specialist doesn't know what causes RH!
I don't think that anyone is certain.

It is definitely an imbalance in your metabolism and how it works.
Your pancreas is trying to take care of the extra glucagon and glycogen in your bloods from the carbs and sugars. Hence the excess!
But all the different interactions between hormones and glucose also have an effect.

It does explain the science in Wikipedia, sort of!
 
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