Reactive Hypoglycaemia

[Lamont D]

Go outside and count to ten, then scream dead loud and kick the nearest thing to you.

That's a great stress reliever!

 

[Jey]

Hi just wonder did someone experienced a freezing cold toe after or during low blood sugar?! Doesn't happen every time but had it today again. It feels like I had my toe in the freezer for a hour. Couldn't feel it and was painful!

 

[hozzy126]

No but I seem to be sensitive to cold.. But don't think it's related to RH

 

[Brunneria]

Hi just wonder did someone experienced a freezing cold toe after or during low blood sugar?! Doesn't happen every time but had it today again. It feels like I had my toe in the freezer for a hour. Couldn't feel it and was painful!

Not sure if this is what you mean, but @Andrew Colvin experiences cold hands (I think) at certain blood glucose levels.

Hopefully he will be along and explain...

My own experience is that since going very low carb and living in ketosis I very rarely get cold or feel the cold. Mr B used to squeal like a girl when I snuggled under the covers, and my feet brushed his.
It was very entertaining.
But sadly, no more.
My little tootsies are almost always toastie.

 

[andcol]

Ji @Jey yes I get cold fingers and toes as my blood sugars go low with them going numb and very painful when I get under 4.8 (my normal post-prandial state nowadays). The coldness actually starts to appear from about 5.5 and slowly increases down my fingers (from the tips as I go lower). For info if I reach down to 3.8 the coldness reaches my elbow but I have to drive this level with exercise and stop just before my liver kicks in and I will stay there for about 5 mins before I go up to 5. For me I can actually tell my BG levels by the level of cold.

 

[Lamont D]

I feel the cold now but not just in certain extremities, it's because of weight loss.

Never had it and it's not one of the symptoms attributed to RH.


I have wrote a blog for perusal about my journey. Please read.

 

[Jey]

Hi Thank s for u'r reply.....Hihihi.....my partner is the same when he feels my cold hands or toes .....funny. Probably the only thing who is funny about beeing cold. Andrew Colvin u have the cold every time u go low?! Normally I get cold swet when I go low! Take care every one

 

[hozzy126]

Can I ask a question please.. Does stress have an effect on Reactive Hypoglycemia?

 

[Brunneria]

Stress affected my blood glucose levels tremendously during my RH years, less so now I am diabetic, and even less now I eat very low carb.

There were several things which had huge impacts on my RH:

• Stress (long grinding stress would destabilise my BG for days or weeks, while sudden sharp stress would make my BG plummet)
• Exercise. Long slow walking was fine, but a sprint, or running for a bus... Terrible
• Lack of sleep/sleep deprivation
• Anger, frustration, grief, excitement
• High carb foods, especially low fat
• Shock

As you can see, I'm a fragile little flower.
Maybe I should have been one of those delicately languishing Victorian maidens.

The common feature in most of those is adrenalin and other stress hormones.
But of course I have no idea if other people's RH is triggered by the same things, and reacts in the same way.

 

[Lamont D]

Can I ask a question please.. Does stress have an effect on Reactive Hypoglycemia?

Stress has an effect on blood glucose levels. It raises it but by how much depends on the individual.

One of the symptoms of RH is anxiety, which when frustrated turns to anger. You will become stressed.

I did isolate myself and do whatever I needed to do to chill out.

Don't take it out on your loved ones. Sometimes it's hard, and you do rely on these people.

 

[hozzy126]

Thank you for your reply as I am learning so much from this forum., I look back on my nearly 52 years and now see that I have wondered why I struggle managing stress properly and it seems to be getting worse as I age..more so as I am going through the menopause.. (That's another story) As it has taken till a couple of months ago to eventually get a diagnosis ...I have always thought and, been looked upon as a stress head rather than missed diagnosed of a medical condition.. Does that make sense?

 

[Lamont D]

Oh yessss!
The amount of differing symptoms all at once, we would have been put away in an asylum a century ago.

Maybe we should be!

Add the menopause and you have a mad women with hand grenades.

How are you dealing with the friends and relatives when they ask about RH? Can they get there head around it yet or still offering to give you carbs?

Strangers just don't know.

 

[hozzy126]

Never mind hand grenades.. BOMBS more like it. Ha ha only joking!!! My mum is understanding as she has been on this journey with me and she is diabetic as I think I've said before., work colleagues don't get it as I'm just classed as a fussy eater!!! But I know I'm not.. I'm a careful eater .. And friends are trying to understand it I suppose.. I've never made an issue of my eating as I've always believed I just couldn't have sugar as it made me feel ill..and that's the way I'm made.. I had no explanation for it.. Until now!!!

 

[Lamont D]

I think the relief of diagnosis is a boost, but you just can't take your eyes of this, as the baddies (carbs and sugars) will creep up on you.
I have now accepted that what I have, and the meds, will be with me for life. There's no turning back now.
I have found acceptance of what my lifestyle will be.
Even with my meds, I non longer want the baddies in my life. I really don't want them. They make me ill, so why should I?
I feel that the need to go back to eat the baddies illogical and full of danger.
I want to see my grandkids have my great grandkids. Why would I jeopardise that?
Once you realise you have Hobson choice, the 'hunger' to go back to the baddies just goes away.

 

[Jey]

When I had a job for 3 months I felt stressed and had lots of lows. At the end my body was tired and week. My immune system wasn't any better even with vitamin supplements! Didn't had that befor RH. When I'm low I get quit impatient, upset and grumpy! It is frustrating to notice your actually not u'r self!!!

 

[Lamont D]

When I had a job for 3 months I felt stressed and had lots of lows. At the end my body was tired and week. My immune system wasn't any better even with vitamin supplements! Didn't had that befor RH. When I'm low I get quit impatient, upset and grumpy! It is frustrating to notice your actually not u'r self!!!

At the time when I was really struggling and fighting to get somebody to believe me, that something else was wrong. I still had to work, most of the time I was alone but sometimes, there was quite a few people around. It was really good fortune that, these were friends and good work colleagues.
Because I was not the most clear headed and sometimes I would be stressed out if I was having a really bad day. They knew that I was (wrongly) diagnosed diabetic. And put it down to that.
I have got really angry at some of my family and friends. I got to my room and hide away. I am really a good guy with a bad temper. I have asked for anger management, but not got there yet. My GP has offered a psychiatrist, because they didn't know what they were dealing with. My weird dreams also gave me sleep deprivation. Which gave me fatigue, which added to the frustration and anxiety and anger.
Since low carbing, and making sure that my blood glucose levels don't go above 6mmols, most of the symptoms are a thing of the past.
All because I met a consultant who recognised the condition and this forum for enlightening me on low carbing, with the great people on here. Can't thank them enough.

 

[Silver Hammer]

I don't think that I am in the same league as others on this thread, but I am intrigued with readings that I sometimes get which I think are due to reactive hypoglycaemia. The effect doesn't get severe and I guess my liver chimes in with a correction before that happens. Here is an example from last night:

I had risotto for the first time since diagnosis, home made pea and ham with a reasonable portion (77g carbs) then testing pre/1 hr/2 hr/3 hr/4 hr. My (non diabetic) wife also tested after a smaller portion of the same (51 g carbs). My results were 4.3/7.3/3.6/5.1/4.5 and my wife's were 5.3/9.1/7.7/7.3/6.1.
I retested the 3.6 to confirm and it was the same, which is obviously quite a bit lower than expected at 2 hours, but the other readings are very much what I would expect.

 

[Lamont D]

I don't think that I am in the same league as others on this thread, but I am intrigued with readings that I sometimes get which I think are due to reactive hypoglycaemia. The effect doesn't get severe and I guess my liver chimes in with a correction before that happens. Here is an example from last night:

I had risotto for the first time since diagnosis, home made pea and ham with a reasonable portion (77g carbs) then testing pre/1 hr/2 hr/3 hr/4 hr. My (non diabetic) wife also tested after a smaller portion of the same (51 g carbs). My results were 4.3/7.3/3.6/5.1/4.5 and my wife's were 5.3/9.1/7.7/7.3/6.1.
I retested the 3.6 to confirm and it was the same, which is obviously quite a bit lower than expected at 2 hours, but the other readings are very much what I would expect.

If they were my figures I would be reasonably happy. The 3.6 is close to hypo but not too low. Your body has adjusted after the 3.6 to keep you going until you next eat. You do have low blood sugar levels, but that is not unusual. Your wife's are normal figures.
Hope this helps.

 

[Lamont D]

When my blood sugar drops by any more than 1 mmol/l, I start to get the symptoms of hypoglycaemia, even though my blood sugar is not actually low. For example, it might be a normal 4.7 before a meal, then 6.8 half an hour after a meal, and when it drops back down two or so hours later I start getting the shakes, feeling dizzy, anxious and sweaty. The longer it goes on for the worse it gets, and I can start getting aggressive (which is not at all normal for me!) and confused. Not sure if I actually would, but if it gets really bad it can feel like I'm close to passing out.

When I eat something sugary (as I get the strong urge to do), the symptoms go away fairly quickly, but I'm often left feeling really sick afterwards, and then of course the whole cycle starts again when my blood sugar drops again.

if I keep my carbohydrate intake really low (less than 15g per meal), my blood sugar stays steady at 4.7 and I feel absolutely fine!

is this Reactive Hypoglycaemia? My doctor doesn't seem to have a clue, neither does the endocrinologist I was referred to, so I'm left in a sort of limbo trying to deal with this myself

My doctor didn't have a clue.
Have you had any tests?
Only a few different tests would diagnose you properly, for example, a prolonged OGGT test for more than 3 hours to 4 hours. Also a 72 fasting test or sometimes a mixed meal test. All these need to be supervised and confirmed by your specialist or doctor.
You definitely have relative symptoms, but that is not indicative that you have a form of RH.
My advice would be to very low carb diet, and eat every 3 hours or so, so you don't go low.
Have you had a reading of below 3?
I have posted this before and it does work with my condition, is, fast if you feel really dreadful, that stops the production of insulin and let's your body normalise.
You will have to go back to your doctor/ specialist and discuss about your hormonal problems.

I hope this helps.

Read around the forum, read my blog, and the threads on reactive Hypoglycaemia.

I always recommend reading up on Wikipedia, as there is some great information on there.

 

[Lamont D]

I've had a fasting blood sugar test, which was normal. And I've had some kind of 'long term average' blood sugar test (A1C?) which was normal. I've been testing my own blood sugar for ages trying to figure out what the hell is going on since the docs don't seem interested. I seem to react badly to what are considered 'normal' rises and falls for most people.



Going low carb is the only thing that has worked for me, but it's hardly an ideal situation, and involves spending a lot time preparing food separately from the rest of my family. And it's really difficult to stay low carb when I'm away and can't prepare food myself, and options are often limited (I work offshore, 2 on 4 off).

My lowest reading has been 3.8, which I understand is normal enough.

It's really difficult to find information about this. When I try searching I just get information about diabetes, which I don't have. It seems to be similar to Reactive Hypoglycaemia... but without my blood sugar actually being low.

Not sure what you meant about hormonal problems?

I first went to see a doctor about this years ago, long before I knew anything about blood sugar levels or even heard of Reactive Hypoglycaemia, and I have yet to get anywhere. My hope is that someone else has been diagnosed with whatever the hell this is will see this and can offer some advice beyond diet

Sorry, about the long battle you have had.
I have been nearly 15 years till proper diagnosis.
I had to go low carb. I had nothing else.
Low carb is the only way I felt well, the only way I lost weight, the only way to stop the many symptoms.
I had a shocking diet, then I tried every diet under the sun, then I tried the only one which helped me with my condition.
I was lucky to have a hormone specialist, an endocrinologist, that recognised my condition and for the past year I have been put on sitagliptin, which is an Inhibitor.
My battle is not over, yours is deciding to eat carbs and feel unwell and damage your health or low carb and get better, that's my advice.
Talk to your doctor about RH or Hypoglycaemia or you may have to have other tests to diagnose you. Go to another endocrinologist, your GP can refer you outside your area. He will have the knowledge about who are the better specialists for this condition.
I had to Google a lot to get better information, this site helped me on diet, but the science is described in Wikipedia as are other conditions related to Hypoglycaemia.

I was misdiagnosed with T2 , as the symptoms mimic T2.. To find out that you are not diabetic and have a problem flushing insulin when you eat carbs.
I always say now that I'm allergic to carbs and sugar. It helps with understanding the condition.
There is a lot of recipes on this forum. Which help with ideas for your work problems. I work alone and outside, I have found things like Burgen bread. Which is low carb and a ham & salad butty is fine. One slice is very low, eat one for a meal before and then another a couple of hours later.
There is a lot of messing and eating becomes a chore. But you can make soups and curries, stews, as I say loads of ideas. Have full fat yoghurt with berries instead of cereal in the morning, have a full English breakfast, bacon, egg, mushroom, tomatoes,.
Only you can do these things vs to make you better, go talk to your doctor and don't let them fob you off.
Fight for your life like I had to!

Keep posting and keep asking