Extreme Tiredness After Meals

[mark4785]

Hello,

I have had stress-induced type 1 diabetes since summer 2004 and only in the last year or two I've developed a new symptom that I attribute to the disorder instinctively. The new symptom is extreme lethargy and tiredness after eating meals. Within 4-5 minutes of eating a dinner consisting of mashed potatoe, yorkshire puddings, chicken and various vegetables, I go extremely tired, to the point that I have to lay down on the sofa to eat the meal. The symptoms concern me a lot because they are not associated with hypoglycemia or excess blood sugar; typically, when I become tired my b/s level is between 6.0 and 9.0 using a Bayer Contour blood testing kit.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 14, I was first given Mixtard insulin that was injected via an insulin pen. For the past 18 months, however, I have been taking Novorapid insulin through an insulin pump. This insulin is much more poweful in that the slightest amount will bring the b/s down, whereas Mixtard was totally the opposite.

I have tried to find an answer to the issue of tiredness after meals using the internet but haven't yet found the time to discuss it with my Doctor. I'd appreciate it if someone with experience in the diabetes field or a field of expertise that would seem relevant, could identify the cause of the tiredness and a possibly remedy.

If this helps, the following foods do not seem to trigger the tiredness: Fruits, vegetables, all kinds of drinks/liquids, bread, crisps and other solids with high concentrations of sugar (e.g. chocolate). The items traditionally found on an English 'Sunday Dinner Plate' seem to cause the problem.

Another thing that I'd like the mention is that I've come across some information on the internet which suggests that too much insulin secretion can trigger fluctuations in Serotonin levels. At the moment I do have problems getting to sleep and I do take some medicine named Citalopram which I think is a Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. I don't think I often have too much insulin in the blood as I have been controlling my blood sugar levels perfectly for 6 years and this has been confirmed from blood tests that aim to find my average b/s level over a given period of time.

I look forward to receiving any responses.

Thank you,

Mark.

 

[phoenix]

This is by no means an 'expert' reply, merely a couple of observations, you really need to discuss things with your doctor. He will know about all your medical history and there may be many explanations other than my thoughts. Certainly you shouldn't feel so tired after a meal.
The neurotransmitter, serotonin is released by carbohydrate ingestion; serotonin affects mood and high levels can produce a calming affect. The drug you are taking is designed to prevent the reabsorbtion of this transmitter and make more of it available the brain.

If this problem occurs only on Sunday Lunch, it's worth seeing how it differs from other meals. You say that fruit, bread, crisps etc don't have an effect, but perhaps, like many of us you tend to eat larger amounts in both quantity and variety than for weekday meals(bigger portions, extras such as stuffing and sauces, several veg etc .) If so you could experiment in reducing the carb load ;substituting any veg like carrots, parsnips, peas for ones like cauli and broccoli; using non thickened gravy, stuffing with less breadcrumbs. You could also swap the mashed potatoes from to small new potatoes (mashed are much higher gi and so are absorbed quicker).

NB , if you do alter a meal to eat fewer carbohydrate you will of course need to be very aware that you would need to reduce the amount of insulin you take for that meal (you haven't stated how you alter your rapid insulin according to the amount of carbs you are eating )
As I said though, your doc is the real person to discuss this with.

 

[mark4785]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

Well, I currently take 1 unit of insulin per 10 grams of carbohydrate consumed. Like I said earlier, this insulin/CH ratio seems to work for me as it doesn't cause hypos or hyperglycemia implying that the ratio is balanced well.

I do indeed eat more of a variety of things during the weekend compared to weekdays but on some occasions the tiredness as also come about with weekday meals that I consume, like Chicken Casserole.

I think I may start to make a log of the nutrients in each meal and any corresponding physiological response afterwards like the tiredness for instance. I agree that a Dr is the best person to consult with but my Dr tends to be narrow-minded (he'll diagnose something and provide medicine that is inappropriate or entirely wrong) and doesn't often have the time to understand and listen to me to get an accurate picture of what is wrong with me.

I see a separate Doctor who is more of a specialist in Diabetes so it may be worth me seeing him instead.