reactive hypoglycemia

[Lamont D]

Thank you very much for this information! It looks like I'm experiencing similar symptoms. I'm trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat. Can you eat whole grain breads? What about milk? I had my thyroid gland removed 20 years ago, and am on levothyroxine. Other than that, I'm not on any other meds. I'm trying to set up an appointment to see an endocrinologist this week.

I would stay away from all grains, I have a slice of Bergen with my meals. Milk I don't have, cos I've not ate many dairy food products, but it's how your BSLs react to all foods. It's all trial and error.
Your RH is because of surgery, mine is through diet and too many carb overloads!
You will have to rely on your meter. Eat Snacks all day for instance bacon and egg breakfast, a small piece of fruit mid morning, omelette with meat, fruit again maybe an apple, mid afternoon, meat salad for tea, Greek full fat yoghurt and blueberries for supper. As a treat a couple of small pieces of 85% dark chocolate. To drink there are coffee bombs or explore tea with cream, not me tea black! I have one diet coke a day. Old habits die hard!
There are many recipes on this site for low carbing.
I guarentee that once you have got your BSLs under control through low carbing your symptoms will alleviate. And because it's not harming you, you will reallise that low carbing also loses you weight and you will feel better and fitter.
I can only advise, you need to follow this through.
Enjoy the experiment. Live to your meter!
Let us know how you are doing mate! Look after yourself.

 

[Brunneria]

@nosher8355

Wash your mouth out! Tea with cream!!! O the horror!!!

Its tea with Lactofree milk (lower carb than ordinary milk' but still has carbs)
And coffee with cream.

* wanders off muttering *

 

[Lamont D]

Don't know what made me put that in! It's gross! Apologies for that!

Am I forgiven @Brunneria?

 

[Lamont D]

I've just had a look at your meds and a possibility of acute overdose can cause hypoglycaemia. Do check your meds are the right dosage please mate! As you could be getting those symptoms because of it.

Let me know.

 

[Brunneria]

@nosher8355

Humph.

Maybe.

 

[Lamont D]

Ya very much!

 

[James11662]

I've just had a look at your meds and a possibility of acute overdose can cause hypoglycaemia. Do check your meds are the right dosage please mate! As you could be getting those symptoms because of it.

Let me know.

Hello, I never thought to look up the acute effects of levothyroxine . I have been on it for 20 years, and maybe my body's tolerance has changed. After reading your post I did look it up, and found that it might be the levothyroxine that's causing my problems. That would be a very quick and simple fix. Thanks again! You have really helped.

 

[Lamont D]

I always ask about meds because many of the meds have ingredients that either cause hypers or hypos or they contain lactose or something allergic.
Many meds give you hypos and some GPs are inaware of the hypo threat!
Really glad to have helped.
Let us know how you get on!

 

[Brunneria]

I always ask about meds because many of the meds have ingredients that either cause hypers or hypos or they contain lactose or something allergic.
Many meds give you hypos and some GPs are inaware of the hypo threat!
Really glad to have helped.
Let us know how you get on!

Nice one noshy!

 

[Lamont D]

Nice one noshy!

Have you got predictive text issues, loke me brumnie

 

[DaisyChloe]

Hi and welcome!

yes, some of us on here have RH or (like me) used to have it, but have moved onward and upward? Downward? Sideways? Into diabetes.

Have a play with the search function for 'reactive hypoglycaemia' and 'RH' and particularly a guy called nosher8355. He's been diagnosed fairly recently, so I expect you'll have a fair bit in common...

And feel free to ask any questions.

What diet have they put you on?
Have they given you a blood glucose meter?
And how did they diagnose you?

Hi, I know this was posted 4 years ago but, how does hypoglycaemia turn into diabetes? Isn't hypoglycaemia a symptom? It's not a disease in itself? Also I thought diabetes was characterised by high blood sugars due to lack of insulin - so I don't understand the connection...

 

[kokhongw]

Hi, I know this was posted 4 years ago but, how does hypoglycaemia turn into diabetes? Isn't hypoglycaemia a symptom? It's not a disease in itself? Also I thought diabetes was characterised by high blood sugars due to lack of insulin - so I don't understand the connection...

Here they are discussing Reactive Hypoglycemia. So what typically happens in a prediabetes stage is that our body starts to build up insulin resistance and more insulin is secreted in order to bring down the glucose levels. When this happens regularly enough, our pancreas gets exhausted and eventually unable to produce enough to overcome the glucose load. But in reality, it is still producing 2-3x the usual amount... It is a vicious cycle...so the solution is simply to cut the carbs to reduce the insulin overload...and things starts to normalize...

 

[kokhongw]

And if you have Freestyle Libre, you can see it in action...

 

[DaisyChloe]

Here they are discussing Reactive Hypoglycemia. So what typically happens in a prediabetes stage is that our body starts to build up insulin resistance and more insulin is secreted in order to bring down the glucose levels. When this happens regularly enough, our pancreas gets exhausted and eventually unable to produce enough to overcome the glucose load. But in reality, it is still producing 2-3x the usual amount... It is a vicious cycle...so the solution is simply to cut the carbs to reduce the insulin overload...and things starts to normalize...

When you say bring the glucose levels down - do you excessively high glucose levels as seen in diabetes? Or 'normal' glucose levels up to7?

 

[DaisyChloe]

And if you have Freestyle Libre, you can see it in action...

View attachment 32812

I'm not sure I understand this graph - in reactive hypoglycaemia do BGLs drop within 1.5 hours? It shows hyperglycaemia but does not drop to below 4?

 

[Lamont D]

When you say bring the glucose levels down - do you excessively high glucose levels as seen in diabetes? Or 'normal' glucose levels up to7?

Your body will automatically produce insulin, to bring levels down, unless you have a condition that doesn't produce insulin, for instance, type 1 diabetes.

If I took a glucose drink, which would enter my blood very quickly, I would go up to a double figure spike from a normal blood sugar level of between 4-6 mmols Then I would get an overshoot of insulin to drop my blood sugar levels and keep producing too much insulin and go hypo. That is RH!

I'm not sure I understand this graph - in reactive hypoglycaemia do BGLs drop within 1.5 hours? It shows hyperglycaemia but does not drop to below 4?

Not necessarily, not everyone is the same. I have 'Late' reactive hypoglycaemia, and I go hypo between three to four hours after depending on the amount of carbs I had ate!
I don't think, that most hypoglycaemia patients can be the same due to the different hormonal response to food, there are those that will go hypo within an hour, and those at between two, three and four hours like me. It all depends on how your body copes with food and the hormonal response and it even differs, at different times, because of what you do or other factors.

Best wishes

 

[kokhongw]

I'm not sure I understand this graph - in reactive hypoglycaemia do BGLs drop within 1.5 hours? It shows hyperglycaemia but does not drop to below 4?

While technically hypoglycemia is typically below 4 mmol, in reactive hypoglycemic events, symptoms (rapid heartbeat, cold sweat, trembling, intense hunger, dizziness etc) are often triggered due to the rapid drop in glucose level, and don't necessarily have to go below 4 mmol.

As Lamont noted, individuals respond differently. But the broad idea is that large amount of carbs will cause a disproportionate insulin response that drives glucose too low for the individual threshold. This large insulin response will also result in the absence of ketones which are known to be neuroprotective when glucose levels are naturally low, ie during fasting.

 

[kokhongw]

When you say bring the glucose levels down - do you excessively high glucose levels as seen in diabetes? Or 'normal' glucose levels up to7?

Glucose tells half the story. Even for those with "normal" glucose levels, insulin response may already be much higher...and results in overcompensation...the excessive insulin then drives glucose into the hypoglycemic range...

https://idmprogram.com/understanding-joseph-kraft-diabetes-in-situ-t2d-24/

 

[DaisyChloe]

Thanks @kokhongw and @Lamont D for the ino. I'm wondering if I'm in the right place... My BGLs don't go about the normal range, i.e 7 mmol/L (126 mg/dL), but do go down to 3 mmol/L (54 mg/dL) or below, which gives me the symptoms you mentioned above. And I do not have diabetes of any kind, or pre-diabetes.

So is Reactive Hypoglycaemia a type/symptom of some diabetes? And I should look elsewhere for non-diabetic hypoglycaemia? I know it's not common, which is why I've been struggling to get much information on it or meet other people who can relate!

GP appointment Monday so hopefully a plan of action....

EDIT ---------

I didn't realise I had a response from EllieM who has experienced very similar symptoms to me (although managed now) and had a lot of information, pretty much on my questions just asked!

 

[Lamont D]

There are many types and so individual 'hypoglycaemia' cases out there.
I have heard of flat line hypoglycaemia, that must be similar to what you are experiencing. Most types of Hypoglycaemia are non diabetic, because the diabetes condition usually comes after Hypoglycaemia symptoms and causes are established over time. Hyperinsulinaemia (too much insulin) happens in both, as does insulin resistance, the difference is the more glucose derived from carbs and sugars, the trigger and overshoot of insulin only happens to Hypoglycaemics.

Do try and not rule out any hypoglycaemic conditions. Keep asking for the tests necessary for a true diagnosis, you are still in the not knowing stage.
But, doing the low carb diet, can only help.

Above all else, if you are getting hypoglycaemic episodes, there is something going on and it needs investigating!

Best wishes