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Reactive Hypoglycaemia

Hey Derek

Not yet but I am eating little and often so whether that helps to slow things down I don't know. Are you eating more often? I can't see any other posts other than yours now on this thread so I'm not sure what I have done
 
How does everyone cope with exercising? Do you get tired or eat something before hand. I only plan to do some gentle walking at the moment but would be grateful to know many thanks
 
Sorry another question!! I am off work at the moment due to my consultant saying i had probably had a stroke and also because I have been feeling so unwell. I think I am now starting to get things under control but I am nervous about work. I am a conveyancer and its high stress work. Does anyone have any tips on this?
 
Hi all, I've been reading your thread with much interest! I was diagnosed t2 in July and have just had an extended GTT to test for RH. I don't get my result until Thursday but am fairly certain that is what's causing my symptoms I have changed my diet to one more suited to diabetes but unfortunately I get very shaky and hungry roughly 2 hours after eating. I feel this way when my levels reach low 5's and have to eat. I am finding it difficult to get "proper", useful advice until I found this thread and I now realise that those whi live with the condition are best placed to advise. I don't want to make any radical changes before I see the consultant on Thurs but wondered if there were any further tests they should be doing before a final diagnoses can be made? So far I've had: hba1c (both normal 5.3 and 5.4), liver, kidney and thyroid, celiac, blood count etc, along with a standard GTT and an extended GTT. The standard GTT put me in the diabetic range at 13.2 after one hour and 12.5 after two hours. I would like to go to my next appointment armed with the information I need so I can make sure everything is ruled out properly. Sorry if I waffled on and I hope I've posted in the right place! Thank you in advance for any advice and support you can offer x
 

Hi,

If you have read this thread, you will know that I have never been officially diagnosed with RH, and never had any treatment for it - so I can only advise on what I know.

which is basically to control the whole thing with diet.
If you are off work, it will be a good chance to switch to a low carb/near ketogenic diet, because sometimes when people change to low carb, they experience a few side effects of the abrupt diet change - have a search on the forum and on google for 'low carb flu', and you will see what I mean. Some people breeze through without any issues, and others feel pretty grotty for a few days. If you experience this, then there is masses of info out there to help with the symptoms, and you can always ask on this thread.

Stress is, for me, a major trigger for RH. But the lower carb I go, the less the trigger button gets pressed, so you may find the same, which would be a huge additional benefit to the diet.

When are you due to return to work?
 
Next Monday as things stand but I am considering asking my GP for another week. I collapsed last Thursday after eating and I am not allowed to drive at the moment and feel very anxious about travelling alone on public transport.
 

Hi and welcome.

I wouldn't advise changing ANYTHING until you have seen your doc. They are much better at interpreting blood scores than we are. Although I do always double check the figures and their interpretations with info online, just in case they have missed anything!

As I am sure you know, that 2hr OGTT score is in the diabetic range, and that HBA1c is not.
This may stump your doc.
(it does mine! lol)

If that gets discussed, I would ask for a 5 hours OGTT to 'rule out RH' and see if your doc goes for it.

Having said that, but the criteria that docs work to, if your OGTT is over 11 at 2 hours, then you count as diabetic. So they may not be interested in investigating further...

I would go to the appointment, get all the info you possibly can. And be prepared to stress your symptoms, and request a referral if necessary. @nosher8355 was admitted for a 72 hour OGTT which can only be done in a hospital, so that is way beyond the scope of your doc surgery, and you would definitely need a referral to progress to that step.
 
Linagirl said:
Next Monday as things stand but I am considering asking my GP for another week. I collapsed last Thursday after eating and I am not allowed to drive at the moment and feel very anxious about travelling alone on public transport.
Click to expand...

That would give you a week to switch to low carb then, unless you have started already?
Are you still getting the hypos?

Don't get hung up on the 'carb flu' thing. it really isn't a biggie. And there are lots of tips to get you through it. Personally, I think carb flu is a minor irritant compared with what nosher affectionately calls 'hypo hell'. So you may breeze through.

Of course, none of us can diagnose you - so everything is speculation at this point.
But if you switch to LC, and experience a 'miraculous' alleviation of symptoms, then it will look as if you are on the right track...
 
Linagirl said:
How does everyone cope with exercising? Do you get tired or eat something before hand. I only plan to do some gentle walking at the moment but would be grateful to know many thanks
Click to expand...

If you are going for LC, I would only do as much as you feel like, for a few days. Don't push yourself. If you are anything like me, once I have properly adapted to LC I find that my energy levels rise naturally, and I want to become more active (find myself finding things to do, instead of avoiding them!). That is the point where you could introduce more activity.

But, of course, you shouldn't go against doc's orders, during your 'stroke recovery'!

My experience of LC is that I have more energy and stamina, and far less tendency to hypo.
Then being in ketosis kicks that up another gear, because it is great for long, sustained energy release. Let's face it, if you are running on bodily fat reserves (ketones) you can go a heck of a lot further and longer than if you are running on limited glycogen reserves released by the liver.

If you have a google about endurance athletes in ketosis, you will see what I mean.

The one sporting/exercise area where ketosis is less successful is sudden, high stress exercise like weight lifting, sprinting and such. That is because that kind of rapid energy drain and energy burn does better with blood glucose than with ketones.
 
Hi Brunneria, thanks for your reply. I had the 5 hour GTT last Fri so should get the results when I see the Consultant this Thurs. It's actually quite uplifting to hear your stories and advice on here and to know that hopefully things can and will improve. I've reached the stage where I hardly dare leave the house and if I do, I have to take so much food with me! I've just got back from the Supermarket and felt my levels dropping while there. Got very shaky and anxious at the checkout, although I checked my bs when I got back in the car and it was 5.6! I'm very confused by it all at the minute, but hopefully all will become easier once I have a diagnosis and with the advice on here x
 
Hello all
I am slowly working my way thorough the whole thread but it is taking time so bear with me if I ask questions that have been asked before.

Isn't my drop in blood pressure the same as the dizziness and fainting that happens in a hypo therefore one and the same thing? I would say my bloods are not low when tested post collapse. They were 6.4 and then 7.7 I think at 10 and 20 mins post collapse. I really want to understand whether I have this condition as now I see that pots article I am even more confused. Have I got reactive hypoglycaemia or dumping syndrome or pots? My doc didn't ask me to go back yet and has just arranged for the fasting blood and hpb1ac plus the postural blood test. I'm thinking I will book an appointment for Friday to see her and push her a bit more on what she has diagnosed. Does anyone have any thoughts?
 

Sometimes we get a sudden hypo experience if our bg drops sharply, even if it doesn't drop down to the low numbers usually associated with hypos.

So if your bg had been high, then dropped during your supermarket trip, you might feel hypo-ish, even with numbers in the 5s.

PEople call it a 'false hypo' (even though the symptoms are very real), but I have read that some American sources are calling it a 'reactive hypo' which is a much better and more accurate name.

The question is, what did you eat up until your Supermarket trip? If it had carbs, which sent you high, then dropped you low, that could explain the experience. Also, how long was it since you last ate? Time can be a factor too.
 

low bp and low bg are two very different things. Although the symptoms can be similar.

It is sounding increasingly as though you need a referral to someone to check you out very thoroughly, because what you are experiencing is way beyond the scope of random strangers on an internet forum giving advice. Don't mean to sound unhelpfull! But you really do need something monitoring your bp AND your bg while you experience one of these episodes, and then that data needs to be looked at by a medical professional.

Plus there are probably quite a few other things (including the false hypo I mentioned above) which could be contributing.
 
lindisfel said:
Hi Guys,
Have any of you developed loose bowels with a low carb diet?
The extra veg and suggested fruit seem to 'work' me more!
regards
Derek
Click to expand...
Mine has gone the other way around!
From loose and piles!

To normal and no piles!

It will work out Derek, the longer you low carb, but if it's only bowel movement, your concerned about, then things must be getting better!

Some RH ers are a touch sensitive to some forms of fruit, as the fructose and high carb count are a double whammy!
 
Linagirl said:
How does everyone cope with exercising? Do you get tired or eat something before hand. I only plan to do some gentle walking at the moment but would be grateful to know many thanks
Click to expand...

I work and walk, that's it, my knees can't do running but I do work manually and need to walk a great deal!

Yes gentle walking is great.
 
Hope im not crossing Brun, but you haven't mentioned your blood glucose level after two hours on your prolonged OGTT! Do you know it? If not why did they stop the test, did they treat you for a hypo?
An eight point rise in an hour is definitely quick spike territory and you probably peaked at around an hour and a half!
As Brun said I did have the 72 hour fasting test. But that was to eliminate other conditions.
But you might get this as well!
Sorry for the questions!
 
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