Possible RH diagnosis advice

Messages
12
Hi, new here!

If I'm posting in the wrong place, my apologies. I'm still in the process of trying to get a diagnosis on the NHS and its proving a difficult struggle. Any advice would be helpful, though of course I'm not expecting to actually diagnose myself, just point the NHS in the right direction...

Brief history...
I'm 45 year old, male, had a stressful lifestyle, with too much beer and carbs!
Started with severe constipation and more frequent urination.
Then, night-time jolts/spasms led to a week of sleeplessness. Still have twitches now even in the day.
Now also: Ravenous hunger all the time, cold sweats that peak in the afternoon and wear off in the evening.
Itching at night, anxiety bad especially during the cold sweats.
Also, a h.Pylori infection and vitamin D deficiency, plus a single blood test reading with increased pancreatic amylase.

GI Doctors started to treat the bowel problems as functional (I'm now in tertiary care, had scans etc) and the anxiety was treated with Mirtazapine, which I've since discovered messes with the glucose metabolism somehow (I'm now coming off it).
When the chills, sweating and hunger set in, I had the tranche of diabetes blood tests - all came back normal! GP response: you are fine, its nothing to worry about.

The symptoms continued, so I bullied my GP into referring me to an private endocrinologist, convinced that all my symptoms had a common underlying source. The specialist suggested I might have reactive hypoglycemia and I'm supposed to be having an OGTT (if the appointment comes through back on the NHS - I think they have forgotten about me). He implied that a diagnosis of T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia is effectively semantics.

Is that an a reasonable statement? Whats the difference relationship between T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia? Am I correct the think that insulin resistance is the mechanism by which impaired glucose tolerance progresses through RH to full diabetes?

What is the glucose tolerance test like? It sound horrendous - if I'm likely to have HR, wouldn't the OGTT be likely to put me in A&E with a full on hypo? Is it even worth doing?

I'm currently avoiding refined carbs but still eating porridge and Lidl protein rolls, like many I'm used to a grain based diet. The cold sweats wear off at the same time every day. If I eat breakfast 2 hours earlier, the cold sweats wear off 2 hours earlier. Having a no carb omelet + veg for breakfast seems to make no difference.

I expect the OGTT to lead to a referral to an NHS dietician. I've read the NHS diet advice and its critique. Sounds like it doesn't work for most people, which I can understand. The endo recommended a low carb diet for RH. I'm browsing through the low carb diets on here. I'll admit I find it confusing: I'm dubious about the diet advice I'm likely to get from the NHS, but a LCHF diet is incredibly intimidating to me, especially doing it 'off reservation' ie. the docs don't approve. Also, I can see that there seem to be LCHF side effects, many of which seem like exactly what I'm trying to avoid! How do people manage this, especially without professional guidance?

Apologies for the long post. Any advice or pointing in the right direction would be appreciated.
 

kokhongw

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,394
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Is that an a reasonable statement? Whats the difference relationship between T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia? Am I correct the think that insulin resistance is the mechanism by which impaired glucose tolerance progresses through RH to full diabetes?

Welcome to the forum.

This blog post may help you to connect some dots...and answer some of your questions.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/newbie-guide-to-t2d.1858/

It is really about our insulin response and possibly its effectiveness in surpressing glucagon.

What you might want to consider is a insulin lowering lifestyle. That means there is a spectrum to choose, not necessarily limited to low carb high fats.
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
@captainscapegoat - I'll tag my colleague, @Brunneria , as she is a long term RHer.

You've obviously tried to start thinking about what you eat, and maybe when. The absolute regularity of your sweats are interesting.

Firstly, Generally what will you have eaten , at breakfast when this happens, and how long is it between breakfast and when the sweats start? Then, how long do you feel sweaty for, and is there anything consistent that happens before the sweats go?

On your actual breakfast: You say you've tried a no carb omellte, plus veg. Which veg were those? When you say you tried it; was that for a single day, or did you do it for a few consecutive days?

And finally (I can hear you sign from here. :) ), have you tried skipping breakfast altogether for a few days?

Yes, I do always ask questions. :) )
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome! :)


The symptoms continued, so I bullied my GP into referring me to an private endocrinologist, convinced that all my symptoms had a common underlying source. The specialist suggested I might have reactive hypoglycemia and I'm supposed to be having an OGTT (if the appointment comes through back on the NHS - I think they have forgotten about me). He implied that a diagnosis of T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia is effectively semantics.

Is that an a reasonable statement? Whats the difference relationship between T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia? Am I correct the think that insulin resistance is the mechanism by which impaired glucose tolerance progresses through RH to full diabetes?

I think RH and T2 are on a spectrum. They can sometimes be mistaken for each other, and different people have different experiences within that spectrum. So in a way, yes. There is a very fine beaurocratic line between pre-diabetes and T2, and some people arrive on the forum with a diagnosis of T2 but it later turns out that they had RH all along. As you can imagine, the shades of grey for these situations are almost infinite.

What is the glucose tolerance test like? It sound horrendous - if I'm likely to have HR, wouldn't the OGTT be likely to put me in A&E with a full on hypo? Is it even worth doing?

I strongly urge you to find out EXACTLY what GTT you are going to have, how long, where, and in what conditions and with what supervision.

The last time I had one, my local surgery sent me home for the 2 hours between the beginning and the end of the test - no supervision, no guidance, and inaccurate timings.

On the other hand, @Lamont D had a 5 hour GTT in a hospital, as part of some serious investigations into RH. He was supervised, his bloods were checked regularly, and if he had become ill he would have got the appropriate attention.

So the experience will vary hugely! I am not sure that a 2 hour GTT will be much use at all in diagnosing RH in most RHers - since we very often don't get the hypo for 3-4 hours after eating, although as with everything, there are exceptions.

If anyone ever persuades me to have another GTT (unlikely) then I will be quite prima donnaish about the whole thing - and I will be wearing a self funded Freestyle Libre for the whole event. :)

If you google the glucose tolerance test you will be able to see the protocols, the timings, the amount of glucose, and so on. That way you won't be too surprised when you experience the test. It is basically a blood test, a drink of lucozade or similar, a sit around reading or listening to music on your phone, and then another blood test at the end. Some people have no unpleasant experience through it all, others sometimes feel a bit grotty. I got headaches and blurry eyes from the spike and drop of the blood glucose, but not everyone does.

I'm currently avoiding refined carbs but still eating porridge and Lidl protein rolls, like many I'm used to a grain based diet. The cold sweats wear off at the same time every day. If I eat breakfast 2 hours earlier, the cold sweats wear off 2 hours earlier. Having a no carb omelet + veg for breakfast seems to make no difference.

I really think you should get yourself a blood glucose testing kit and check your own blood glucose throughout your daily experience. That is, in my opinion, the only way to check what is going on is blood glucose related.
- the reason I say that is it is not beyond the bounds of possibility for your symptoms to come from a food intolerance from coffee to milk in your tea, or to any of the things you eat daily without even being aware of it.
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi, new here!

If I'm posting in the wrong place, my apologies. I'm still in the process of trying to get a diagnosis on the NHS and its proving a difficult struggle. Any advice would be helpful, though of course I'm not expecting to actually diagnose myself, just point the NHS in the right direction...

Brief history...
I'm 45 year old, male, had a stressful lifestyle, with too much beer and carbs!
Started with severe constipation and more frequent urination.
Then, night-time jolts/spasms led to a week of sleeplessness. Still have twitches now even in the day.
Now also: Ravenous hunger all the time, cold sweats that peak in the afternoon and wear off in the evening.
Itching at night, anxiety bad especially during the cold sweats.
Also, a h.Pylori infection and vitamin D deficiency, plus a single blood test reading with increased pancreatic amylase.

GI Doctors started to treat the bowel problems as functional (I'm now in tertiary care, had scans etc) and the anxiety was treated with Mirtazapine, which I've since discovered messes with the glucose metabolism somehow (I'm now coming off it).
When the chills, sweating and hunger set in, I had the tranche of diabetes blood tests - all came back normal! GP response: you are fine, its nothing to worry about.

The symptoms continued, so I bullied my GP into referring me to an private endocrinologist, convinced that all my symptoms had a common underlying source. The specialist suggested I might have reactive hypoglycemia and I'm supposed to be having an OGTT (if the appointment comes through back on the NHS - I think they have forgotten about me). He implied that a diagnosis of T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia is effectively semantics.

Is that an a reasonable statement? Whats the difference relationship between T2 diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance/insulin resistance/reactive hypoglycemia? Am I correct the think that insulin resistance is the mechanism by which impaired glucose tolerance progresses through RH to full diabetes?

What is the glucose tolerance test like? It sound horrendous - if I'm likely to have HR, wouldn't the OGTT be likely to put me in A&E with a full on hypo? Is it even worth doing?

I'm currently avoiding refined carbs but still eating porridge and Lidl protein rolls, like many I'm used to a grain based diet. The cold sweats wear off at the same time every day. If I eat breakfast 2 hours earlier, the cold sweats wear off 2 hours earlier. Having a no carb omelet + veg for breakfast seems to make no difference.

I expect the OGTT to lead to a referral to an NHS dietician. I've read the NHS diet advice and its critique. Sounds like it doesn't work for most people, which I can understand. The endo recommended a low carb diet for RH. I'm browsing through the low carb diets on here. I'll admit I find it confusing: I'm dubious about the diet advice I'm likely to get from the NHS, but a LCHF diet is incredibly intimidating to me, especially doing it 'off reservation' ie. the docs don't approve. Also, I can see that there seem to be LCHF side effects, many of which seem like exactly what I'm trying to avoid! How do people manage this, especially without professional guidance?

Apologies for the long post. Any advice or pointing in the right direction would be appreciated.
Hi there, welcome to our forum.
The greyness your endo described is what I had to go through.
I have Reactive Hypoglycaemia.
There can be secondary conditions to the hypoglycaemia but if you have and I think you do, then the mental health problems are part of the symptoms, I struggled with anxiety for quite a while.
My best advice is to read our forum by clicking on forums and scrolling down to the Reactive Hypoglycaemia forum. There is a lot of knowledge in how to control the condition.
The reason why there is such a discrepancy in diagnosis including mine , I got misdiagnosed as T2, but all my fasting levels and hba1c were normal. Before diagnosis my glucose levels after meals eating the NHS guidelines were in the twenties. Because of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia.
I have not ever had diabetes but it is possible.
I have just posted about an eOGTT, which is a five to six hours test recording your glucose and insulin levels, c-peptide and GAD tests, also a insulin test.
On my first test I went very low and they didn't have a clue what to do. Because my glucose levels bounced over ten within half an hour because of the lucozade the nurse made me drink. I was in the hospital for ten hours, sent home to recover.

Ok, this condition is only controlled by a strict dietary regime.
At your stage, you need to eat small meals every three hours, just a few bites, this will help lose your high insulin and not create the excessive insulin response which causes the hypo. Do not attempt high or low GI foods as they are as bad as one another, later when you get to testing for food intolerance, you can try some slow digesting carbs, but do try and avoid the baddies as much as possible.
Gradually, your symptoms will start to lessen, the bad part is like going cold turkey, it's called carb flu, your body is telling you to replenish the carbs you are not eating. This should be over after about two weeks. I have done this, I have been in ketosis for about three years now. It is the sensible and logical dietary advice I could give you. I aim for roughly 20g a day.

I too had the heliocobacter pylori infection and had it treated.
There is a study I read that getting rid of this bacteria has imbalanced my gut biotic brain trigger, which, has altered my first insulin response to food and is weak, I have a second insulin response and this 'overshoot' is the cause of high circulating insulin, high insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia which creates the high glucose levels.

You are in a current state of high and low blood glucose levels. Fluctuations in your blood glucose levels are not good, your body creates the symptoms from this and because of this your health deteriorates to probably where you are now.
We RH ers have to stop this by not causing the second insulin response, no overshoot, no hypo, hence no hyper (high), no hypo, (low).
By not eating the carbs which triggers the insulin response, that is how to get your health back as I have done successfully. Losing five stone in in the process.
I had lots of organ problems including fatty liver, kidney and liver function high, heart scares, along with gastric problems.

Do have a read of our low carb forum, there are some great ideas and recipes.

Of course it's a frightening experience that we have to go through, and if you are like me and I think you can do battle with the doctors, the prospect of getting a true diagnosis with your endocrinologist, you should control this unique and rare condition (especially in men!)

Keep asking questions and learning how to eat healthy for you.
It's not healthy to eat so called healthy foods like porridge and bread, rice etc.

Getting the right balance of protein, fats (saturated is good) and a few carbs, is the best way to control this condition.
A glucometer is a must, get your endo to get you one.
Then you can experiment and record your readings in a food diary, this will help you in the months ahead.

I probably have not covered everything, but if in doubt, just ask.

Best wishes and welcome to our forum again!

I do long posts as well! (Must be a symptom!)
 
Messages
12
Thanks for the replies.

@captainscapegoat - I'll tag my colleague, @Brunneria , as she is a long term RHer.

You've obviously tried to start thinking about what you eat, and maybe when. The absolute regularity of your sweats are interesting.

Firstly, Generally what will you have eaten , at breakfast when this happens, and how long is it between breakfast and when the sweats start? Then, how long do you feel sweaty for, and is there anything consistent that happens before the sweats go?

On your actual breakfast: You say you've tried a no carb omellte, plus veg. Which veg were those? When you say you tried it; was that for a single day, or did you do it for a few consecutive days?

And finally (I can hear you sign from here. :) ), have you tried skipping breakfast altogether for a few days?

Yes, I do always ask questions. :) )

The cold sweats actually start BEFORE breakfast at 8am every day but get worse at lunch and subside exactly 7 hours after breakfast, regardless of when I have lunch. I've tried the omelet several days, with leafy salad, but no I haven't tried skipping breakfast as I'm so ravenously hungry all the time.

Hi and welcome! :)



I think RH and T2 are on a spectrum. They can sometimes be mistaken for each other, and different people have different experiences within that spectrum. So in a way, yes. There is a very fine beaurocratic line between pre-diabetes and T2, and some people arrive on the forum with a diagnosis of T2 but it later turns out that they had RH all along. As you can imagine, the shades of grey for these situations are almost infinite.



I strongly urge you to find out EXACTLY what GTT you are going to have, how long, where, and in what conditions and with what supervision.

The last time I had one, my local surgery sent me home for the 2 hours between the beginning and the end of the test - no supervision, no guidance, and inaccurate timings.

On the other hand, @Lamont D had a 5 hour GTT in a hospital, as part of some serious investigations into RH. He was supervised, his bloods were checked regularly, and if he had become ill he would have got the appropriate attention.

So the experience will vary hugely! I am not sure that a 2 hour GTT will be much use at all in diagnosing RH in most RHers - since we very often don't get the hypo for 3-4 hours after eating, although as with everything, there are exceptions.

If anyone ever persuades me to have another GTT (unlikely) then I will be quite prima donnaish about the whole thing - and I will be wearing a self funded Freestyle Libre for the whole event. :)

If you google the glucose tolerance test you will be able to see the protocols, the timings, the amount of glucose, and so on. That way you won't be too surprised when you experience the test. It is basically a blood test, a drink of lucozade or similar, a sit around reading or listening to music on your phone, and then another blood test at the end. Some people have no unpleasant experience through it all, others sometimes feel a bit grotty. I got headaches and blurry eyes from the spike and drop of the blood glucose, but not everyone does.



I really think you should get yourself a blood glucose testing kit and check your own blood glucose throughout your daily experience. That is, in my opinion, the only way to check what is going on is blood glucose related.
- the reason I say that is it is not beyond the bounds of possibility for your symptoms to come from a food intolerance from coffee to milk in your tea, or to any of the things you eat daily without even being aware of it.

The OGTT will be 5 hours (though I'm going to have to chase it up). I'm utterly dreading it! And yes, I think a testing kit is a good idea for me.
Hi there, welcome to our forum.
The greyness your endo described is what I had to go through.
I have Reactive Hypoglycaemia.
There can be secondary conditions to the hypoglycaemia but if you have and I think you do, then the mental health problems are part of the symptoms, I struggled with anxiety for quite a while.
My best advice is to read our forum by clicking on forums and scrolling down to the Reactive Hypoglycaemia forum. There is a lot of knowledge in how to control the condition.
The reason why there is such a discrepancy in diagnosis including mine , I got misdiagnosed as T2, but all my fasting levels and hba1c were normal. Before diagnosis my glucose levels after meals eating the NHS guidelines were in the twenties. Because of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia.
I have not ever had diabetes but it is possible.
I have just posted about an eOGTT, which is a five to six hours test recording your glucose and insulin levels, c-peptide and GAD tests, also a insulin test.
On my first test I went very low and they didn't have a clue what to do. Because my glucose levels bounced over ten within half an hour because of the lucozade the nurse made me drink. I was in the hospital for ten hours, sent home to recover.

Ok, this condition is only controlled by a strict dietary regime.
At your stage, you need to eat small meals every three hours, just a few bites, this will help lose your high insulin and not create the excessive insulin response which causes the hypo. Do not attempt high or low GI foods as they are as bad as one another, later when you get to testing for food intolerance, you can try some slow digesting carbs, but do try and avoid the baddies as much as possible.
Gradually, your symptoms will start to lessen, the bad part is like going cold turkey, it's called carb flu, your body is telling you to replenish the carbs you are not eating. This should be over after about two weeks. I have done this, I have been in ketosis for about three years now. It is the sensible and logical dietary advice I could give you. I aim for roughly 20g a day.

I too had the heliocobacter pylori infection and had it treated.
There is a study I read that getting rid of this bacteria has imbalanced my gut biotic brain trigger, which, has altered my first insulin response to food and is weak, I have a second insulin response and this 'overshoot' is the cause of high circulating insulin, high insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia which creates the high glucose levels.

You are in a current state of high and low blood glucose levels. Fluctuations in your blood glucose levels are not good, your body creates the symptoms from this and because of this your health deteriorates to probably where you are now.
We RH ers have to stop this by not causing the second insulin response, no overshoot, no hypo, hence no hyper (high), no hypo, (low).
By not eating the carbs which triggers the insulin response, that is how to get your health back as I have done successfully. Losing five stone in in the process.
I had lots of organ problems including fatty liver, kidney and liver function high, heart scares, along with gastric problems.

Do have a read of our low carb forum, there are some great ideas and recipes.

Of course it's a frightening experience that we have to go through, and if you are like me and I think you can do battle with the doctors, the prospect of getting a true diagnosis with your endocrinologist, you should control this unique and rare condition (especially in men!)

Keep asking questions and learning how to eat healthy for you.
It's not healthy to eat so called healthy foods like porridge and bread, rice etc.

Getting the right balance of protein, fats (saturated is good) and a few carbs, is the best way to control this condition.
A glucometer is a must, get your endo to get you one.
Then you can experiment and record your readings in a food diary, this will help you in the months ahead.

I probably have not covered everything, but if in doubt, just ask.

Best wishes and welcome to our forum again!

I do long posts as well! (Must be a symptom!)

Interesting about the h.Pylori. I also has assumed there may be a connection. I'm currently, more or less, following the NHS diet advice (still on porridge and bread!). I'm seeing low carb as the only way forward, more and more.

Unfortunately, I find diet especially difficult as my life has kind of collapsed due to the horrible anxiety, depression, insomnia etc that these symptoms have brought out. The induction flu troubles me and I've already suffering from bad constipation, probably as a result of my condition. I'm also useless in the kitchen and I think I suffer from 'food autism' if that's a thing.

I think I need to start by ditching bread/grains, getting a glucometer and having the food diary


Thanks for all the responses.
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
If you would have said to me twenty years ago to go low carb and not eat the spuds, bread and the other baddies, I would have completely ignored the advice and ate cereals for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch in work, with a chippy for tea and some sweets, cakes, pop and the like watching television in the evening (if I wasn't on night shift!).Had a few beers every night out especially at weekends. Roast dinner on Sunday and so on.
Because I have realised what these type of foods were doing to me, I avoid as much as possible. This basic everyday basic staple diet was killing me!
I was committing suicide by carbs!
Dutch the NHS advice mate!
This is the reason this forum exists. My endocrinologist told me to go low carb and steered me here, he wasn't wrong and I owe him my life!
Thanks for the replies.



The cold sweats actually start BEFORE breakfast at 8am every day but get worse at lunch and subside exactly 7 hours after breakfast, regardless of when I have lunch. I've tried the omelet several days, with leafy salad, but no I haven't tried skipping breakfast as I'm so ravenously hungry all the time.



The OGTT will be 5 hours (though I'm going to have to chase it up). I'm utterly dreading it! And yes, I think a testing kit is a good idea for me.


Interesting about the h.Pylori. I also has assumed there may be a connection. I'm currently, more or less, following the NHS diet advice (still on porridge and bread!). I'm seeing low carb as the only way forward, more and more.

Unfortunately, I find diet especially difficult as my life has kind of collapsed due to the horrible anxiety, depression, insomnia etc that these symptoms have brought out. The induction flu troubles me and I've already suffering from bad constipation, probably as a result of my condition. I'm also useless in the kitchen and I think I suffer from 'food autism' if that's a thing.

I think I need to start by ditching bread/grains, getting a glucometer and having the food diary


Thanks for all the responses.

Once I realised what was going down my throat was causing all the symptoms and causing mayhem with my organs, I had a good long talk to myself and decided between being ill and slowly dying or great health and my life back.
It was a no brained!
And I think I made the right choice.
I'm going to be around for quite some time yet, hopefully long enough to see my great grandkids. I've got a good chance because of my seven grandchildren already.
Good job I love Christmas!

Keep asking, keep avoiding the baddies, keep posting how you are doing.
 
Messages
12
Low carb certainly appears to be what I need to do. Unfortunately, my symptoms have got me in a really bad way. I'd feel overwhelmed by such a drastic diet change at the best of times, let alone how I feel now. I'm afraid that if I have to face any of the pitfalls of cutting out a whole macro-nutrient, it will break me. It doesn't help that I feel unsupported by the NHS:/

Sorry to so negative. Its weird, I used to be the most determined person, but the RH symptoms have knocked me sideways.
 

Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I don't have RH, but I did find the idea of a low-carb diet bewildering and hard to envisage when I was diagnosed with T2D nine months ago. If it's any help, it turned out to be (somewhat) easier than I expected, although there is no denying that it is a big change in lifestyle. Best wishes.
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Low carb certainly appears to be what I need to do. Unfortunately, my symptoms have got me in a really bad way. I'd feel overwhelmed by such a drastic diet change at the best of times, let alone how I feel now. I'm afraid that if I have to face any of the pitfalls of cutting out a whole macro-nutrient, it will break me. It doesn't help that I feel unsupported by the NHS:/

Sorry to so negative. Its weird, I used to be the most determined person, but the RH symptoms have knocked me sideways.
I can only empathise and sympathise.
I’ve been where you are now.
I can only tell you that I was really concerned about of eating enough of some foods that are supposed to be healthy for me, but they weren’t.
Because of RH, your metabolism has changed and healthy for everyone else is not healthy for us.
I do not take supplements or any artificial nutrients that I should need.
It seems that the body looks after itself better without carbs and in fact my health has improved so much because of eating very low carb.
I’m never hungry, my energy levels are brilliant. My health is better than it was thirty years ago !
What you are feeling is the symptoms of the condition and these will ease if you continue to eat very little carbs.
Keeping your blood glucose levels in normal levels is what your body is telling you. Getting control by not triggering the insulin.
I know it seems really bad but it will get better.
You need to think of your future health, because if you don’t get control, your symptoms will be worse than you can imagine.
A lot of the previous five years before diagnosis, I just don’t remember.
I was living like a zombie, couldn’t work, always angry and anxious, forgetting stupid things and always hot and sweaty, the worst was the size of my body, I was touching eighteen stone, I’m only 5ft 7’. My waistline was forty!

I’m not trying to scare you, but since I did get control, I have shipped nearly six stone and my waistline hovers about 32 inches.

Keep the diet going, it will ease soon.

Keep posting and keep asking questions

Best wishes
 
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Messages
12
I was living like a zombie, couldn’t work, always angry and anxious, forgetting stupid things and always hot and sweaty, the worst was the size of my body, I was touching eighteen stone, I’m only 5ft 7’. My waistline was forty!

I’m not trying to scare you, but since I did get control, I have shipped nearly six stone and my waistline hovers about 32 inches.

That's me. Except I'm already skinny and can't afford to lose anymore weight. I haven't started trying to eat low carb as I'm afraid of the side effects. Weight loss I actually DON'T want, constipation & insomnia (already suffering from both). I get the impression I may have to get worse before I can get better. Which would be seriously bad news for me. VLC/keto seems too extreme while reducing carbs/increasing fat will leave me still running on glucose, just not enough. Still trying to figure out what I need to aim for to start with and come up with practical food solutions. And ofc scared to start putting things into practice!
 

Lamont D

Oracle
Messages
15,798
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
That's me. Except I'm already skinny and can't afford to lose anymore weight. I haven't started trying to eat low carb as I'm afraid of the side effects. Weight loss I actually DON'T want, constipation & insomnia (already suffering from both). I get the impression I may have to get worse before I can get better. Which would be seriously bad news for me. VLC/keto seems too extreme while reducing carbs/increasing fat will leave me still running on glucose, just not enough. Still trying to figure out what I need to aim for to start with and come up with practical food solutions. And ofc scared to start putting things into practice!
Yes, it is daunting, especially without anxiety second guessing everything.
As soon as I started reducing my carbs, the symptoms did alleviate.
My sleeping pattern improved over a couple of weeks, I still get the odd night, but what I will say by my own experience, that your brain goes into deep sleep better when your blood glucose levels are in and around normal levels.
I apologise before I say it, but my bowels have never been healthier since starting to low carb, I have had constipation, nor loose stools. I had piles, even they went!
I can't remember a time before when I didn't have problems with my digestive
system. I can't describe the improvement from then to now.
You may get these problems but I didn't, my health improved so much, just by getting rid of those foods which triggered the symptoms.
If you are like me, I have quite a few food Intolerances, such as dairy, wheat, grains and most carbs over about 5% carb total.because of the spikes (hypers) which triggers the excess insulin. So I just avoid them.
But at your stage, reducing carbs is the start of a journey which will lead to a better understanding of the why low carb actually works.

I have every sympathy for you, but you will only becomes healthier if you avoid the food that is causing your symptoms. When you realise that it is the food or the drink that quickly turns into glucose that does spike you high. There is an alternative to all of them.
Yes, get a plan together and sort out how much you want to reduce your carb total for that day. Just shop for that amount, are you eating every couple of hours?
Reduce every day just a certain amount, see how you feel, try not to surge, sometimes you can't, the incredible hunger, the way you want to literally eat the fridge and contents, the mooching around looking for anything to eat.
It is very hard, but you can get past this stage and it changes. It really does!

You have to be consistent, if you fail for a day, get back on the next day.
This will take time.
It is not an overnight thing.
It's really hard but doable.

You never know you may be able to live healthy by being just above ketosis.
That is what my endocrinologist recommended, but I couldn't cope with even that amount of carbs.
You may be different. We are all different with this weird and unique condition.

Be easy on yourself, have the confidence that just trying May help you ease the symptoms. You must get out of that cycle of spikes and lows and only not eating that food will do it!

Keep asking, keep posting, keep the logic, that it will work.

Best wishes