I think i might have hypoglycemia

ghost_whistler said:

Ok this is really weird. I just measured my bs before eating - 6.2 while i'm cooking oopsie bread, and i eat two pieces of cheese wrapped in some ham and lettuce. I started to feel very sweaty and re checked and got 14! That's in the hyper/diabetic spectrum! I measured twice again shortly after and it came down to 8 very quickly.

Anyone know what this might be? Carb withdrawal, given what i've eaten today? Should I go back to carbs for breakfast? I don't know what on earth is happening here. I've been emphatically told, on many occassions, that i am NOT diabetic.

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Probably a duff reading, I'd say, if it changed very quickly. The tiniest speck of something on your finger can cause high readings.

I'm not a doctor but my personal opinion, based on what you've said is that yes, you should go back to,eating some (not a huge amount) of carbs for breakfast along with protein and fat - ie a balanced diet.

I undrstand how stressful this all is for you, but taking a step back and approaching it logically will be your best option in my opinion. It sounds like the whole thing is stressing you (understandably) but don't let that stress cloud your judgement.

Logic, systems and moderation is my advice.

@ghost_whistler Nothing wrong with Ryvita unless you've been told to avoid it by a doctor

Sorry to keep repeating myself - I do so out of concern and a desire to help, not rudeness. You need to take a step back, decide you're going to do some investigations about what suits you best while you're waiting for your appointments, and then plan out some logical,experiments with meals.

Start off with balanced meals and see how that affects you. Experiment with snacks if things are still not right - both carb snacks and non- carb snacks. See what you can learn and what gives you the best result.

I know it's stressful having a problem and not having it diagnosed. It must be very frustrating, to,say the least. But stress can make you lurch around illogically from pillar to post and so not gain any useful information. Stress can also put your blood sugar up.

Hi ghost_whistler, I haven't been around for a while but have just had a very quick read of your posts. Sorry if I repeat or even contradict any advice you've already been given as I have to admit I haven't read the whole thread.

I was diagnosed with RH around 18 months ago and can say I completely understand where you're at. I was so confused and scared! My GP knows nothing about the condition and like yours, repeatedly ruled out diabetes and pretty much made me feel like it was all caused by anxiety. Anyway, long story short.....fast forward those 18 months I am now feeling pretty good! I can't remember the last proper hypo and when I go "low" (mid - low 4's for me) I don't have the real crashing, sweating, anxious feelings I had before.

Like you, the whole being in ketosis thing didn't (and still doesn't) appeal to me. If I start producing ketones in any amount I feel simply rotten and can barely function. Now I know that I might get past this faze with a little perseverance but I have two small children who can't look after themselves while Mummy sorts herself out! Again, long story short, I now do very nicely eating around 100-130g of carefully selected carbs per day. My fat intake has risen to approx 90g per day and protein I guess around 70-80g. These are very approx of course and vary from day to day. My body seems to work better if I include a small amount of carbs with each meal. Maybe yours does too?

My Endo also recommended porridge for breakfast but it doesn't work for me. It gives me a fast spike up to circa 9 and then an equally fast drop to 5's. It seems to keep me steady once the initial drop is out of the way but I feel starving within an hour of eating it not to mention a little anxious due to the rapid bg changes!

My typical day is:
Breakfast - Greek yogurt with a small amount of no added sugar muesli (dried fruit removed), a few blueberries, raspberries, almonds and a sprinkle of cinnamon with a with coffee.

Morning snack if I need it (which more often than not I don't now) is a few dry roasted peanuts, a spoon of peanut butter or a very small apple.

Lunch - salad with fish or meat and a thin slice of low GI bread or an omelette with toast, or eggs (anyway you like) on one slice of low GI toast. You get the idea!

Dinner - salad, roast dinner (couple of roast potatoes, roast celeriac is good alternative to potatoes and chips etc). I can include a small amount (no more than 100g cooked weight) of wholegrain rice or pasta with something homemade so I can control the ingredients. I can also tolerate a very small jacket potato (absolute maximum 150g uncooked weight) with cheese, coleslaw and salad etc. I even eat one slice of pizza with salad and make my own version of pizza using a Lidl high protein roll.

We're all different and have varying activity levels and metabolisms etc so what works for me might not work for you. I only got to this stage through A LOT of trial and error and testing. It took months for me to start to feel good again and regain my lost confidence. I'm not going to lie, it's still hard especially when away from home but please keep going as life can and will be good again.

I never thought I would be where I am today and although I hate RH intensely, I do enjoy life again and realise there are worse things to have. It's become more of a way of life.

Anxiety was my biggest nemesis and it still is. Once I got my stress and anxiety levels in control (which is far easier said than done), I found my RH easier to control. Even now, if I'm stressed or worried about anything it messes with my levels and makes control much more difficult.

I hope I haven't just made you even more confused. I just wanted to show you that there may be another way of tackling the problem which may work for you.

The guys on this forum are awesome by the way! I never would have got through the first year without their help and support. Just knowing that you're not alone is invaluable, so keep coming back and ask away. There is always someone here for you.

All the best.

@Kaz261 How were your readings prior to diagnosis with RH? If you look back here a page or two you can see the OP's readings.

ghost_whistler said:

Just had a breakfast of 2 sausages (forgetting they contain a smallamount of wheat, oh well), 2 slices of bacon, half an avocado, a portion (i've no idea how much a portion is) of spinach and a few leaves of lettuce, and a couple of scoops of greek fat live yoghurt and half a glass of soy milk.

this, or something like it, is going to be my breakfast from now on.

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Sounds good to me!

ghost_whistler said:

I thought so, but when i had something to eat for lunch my blood sugar seemed to go crazy. TBH i've been feeling tired and sweaty and I don't know whether that's a lack of carbs, lack of sleep or general stress. I hope i'm doing the right thing with this, but I don't know. For all I know I could be reaching ketosis!

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I know you said your thyroid checked, but did you also have things like your adrenal hormones checked?

ghost_whistler said:

I thought so, but when i had something to eat for lunch my blood sugar seemed to go crazy. TBH i've been feeling tired and sweaty and I don't know whether that's a lack of carbs, lack of sleep or general stress. I hope i'm doing the right thing with this, but I don't know. For all I know I could be reaching ketosis!

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At this moment in time it's important to stabilise yourself and your blood glucose levels. Have a cuppa and some slow acting carbs, but only a bit.
It's the high bloods that is making you feel awful, even if it a small spike, the symptoms are the same.
We don't know but are trying to give you the information necessary till you do see your endocrinologist.
Take it slowly, have smaller meals more often, with a few carbs, little snacks through the day without having big meals. That way your blood glucose levels won't raise to high to quickly.
Sleep was a huge problem for me, and the vivid dreams!
It wasn't until I got reasonable control that my sleep deprivation become more manageable. I now sleep very well, often getting seven hours a night.

Best wishes.

Good advice @Lamont D Its always wise to err on the side of caution when there is as yet no diagnosis.

Eating every two to three hours is always the preferential treatment for newbies to hypoglycaemia, but the meal must be small and even if it contains some complex carbs, should only be a side plate size.
The reason is if it is that small, the spike will be lower anyway, and if it is too high, the next meal will offset the hypo if your insulin overshoot, on secondary insulin response, begins.
The thing to avoid is the hyper first, then you don't get a hypo anyway. Small balanced meals is a precautionary measure to whatever is happening!
Makes sense and logical, sometimes you forget where you started from!
Because I'm ultra low carb and fasting, I don't need to eat small meals throughout the day. As I'm total control!

ghost_whistler said:

I don't know, I didn't think to ask. I can only assume they tested all they thought needed testing when i gave them my blood.

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If you're able to, get a copy of your blood tests so you can look through what was done. Never assume everything has been tested. I speak from experience.

I forgot to say above that the fact you're getting symptoms with a high blood sugar (the sweatiness) and with the 4s you and the other day, does make it seem like something else might be going on.

ghost_whistler said:

But I didn't get the hypo. Just the hyper. I've just checked it again and it's 9.9. It was 6.6 when i last checked, after it all calmed down. That was about an hour/hour and half ago.

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For me, an hour and an half is nowhere near long enough to go hypo!
It happens between three and four hours, obviously depending on what you have ate and how much, how your meal was composed and how many carbs!

It is always the hyper you feel first, like a sugar boost!

ghost_whistler said:

I've never knowingly had a hyper result before. The highest result i've recorded so far is 10, possibly one 11, but even that is within the acceptable range.

Perhaps it's because i've drastically changed my diet over the last two days. Perhaps im unwittingly putting myself into ketosis.

I don't think I know what I'm doing anymore.

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I still have second thoughts, that's a part of the symptoms, it's called being anxious!
Anxiety is another one of those symptoms that you never realised you had, it could be a mild form, but, it is a symptom!

For someone like me, anything above 7mmols is a hyper! That's if I don't eat in a couple of hours will send me hypo!
Take it easy, relax, have a cuppa and think about how you can get your head around this situation.
Just lower your carbs enough to feel if you are doing something, have smaller meals, every two to three hours, snack through the day, go for a walk and try and keep your self busy. If you keep to lowering your carbs, you won't notice if you are in ketosis or not, you don't have to, just being near normal levels will do. Try and keep away from fluctuating bloods, that is the way to go from here!
Easy does it!

ghost_whistler said:

I've never knowingly had a hyper result before. The highest result i've recorded so far is 10, possibly one 11, but even that is within the acceptable range.

Perhaps it's because i've drastically changed my diet over the last two days. Perhaps im unwittingly putting myself into ketosis.

I don't think I know what I'm doing anymore.

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Ok, well first of all, don't panic about that one-off high. It might be a wrong reading, it might be a blip. Don't panic.

Secondly, I do respectfully tend to agree with your last sentence there. Whatever you decide to do, act slowly and thoughtfully and logically and calmly.

You're having symptoms, but you have no diagnosis, so keep your mind open as to the cause. Concentrate on eating a balanced diet, as I said above. Keep records, but in a detached scientific way, not in a panicky way. You said this last month has been hard for you. You've also said you're seeing a counsellor.

Concentrate on keeping a cool head, eating properly and see how you go.

Nobody here can diagnose you - even though some people seem to have...

Assume nothing. Stay calm. Make a plan for eating. Proceed cautiously, moderately and intelligently.

It's totally up to you what you eat But you do seem slightly unsure about normal blood sugars. 4.9 is normal. It's not even the slightest bit low. It's ideal. It's also normal for your blood sugar to move up and down within the normal range.

My concern wasn't at your diet - that's up to you - but at your acceptance that you have Reactive Hypoglycaemia when you've not had a diagnosis and when none of your blood tests as reported here have shown that that's the case.

For that reason, I urge you to keep an open mind as to what's causing your symptoms.