Self diagnosing noob - Am I doing this right?

whoa *** is happening? Sleep deprivation is pretty normal for me although these days I do less all-nighters. Went to sleep at 6am and got up at 11.30am and was happy to see no significant impact on my glucose levels. That is... until I drank some all natural squeezed mango juice which spiked me crazy high, ate some mushroom and meat dish that preceded a crash to 3.2. I feel kinda ok though, just sleep deprived. I speculate that the sleep deprivation is masking any awareness of a glucose crash? Does that sound plausible?

All thoughts, advice, or insights welcome

Feeling the crash now.

Sweating,
Exhausted,
slight head ache,
slightly nauseous,
Blurry vision. damnit. Very much not OK with blurry vision, I love driving/riding/racing :/

I do some technical analysis on forex and crypto markets. It's a bit obvious but based on my chart analysis I have a high likelihood of stabilizing back up around 4.5~ish.

Just a bit of fun

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/diabetes-sleep-connection#1

They simulated a 5-day work week with nights of 5 hours of sleep. They included times that subjects were wide awake and eating when they should’ve been sleeping. Next, they noted when participants’ melatoninlevels were highest. (Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate sleep.) Normally, that’s when you’re supposed to be asleep. But scientists found that if it stayed high after the subjects woke up, their bodies were less sensitive to the effects of insulin. In fact, it was 20% lower.

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kokhongw said:

The problem here is that we do not have a home insulin meter. We are only using glucose meter as a proxy to diagnose reactive hypoglycemia...

We would get a clearer picture if we are able to see and track the insulin response. The reason why a low carb high fat approach seems effective is that such a diet has the least insulin requirement...and maintain very stable glucose/insulin energy levels all day long.
View attachment 24335

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/newbie-guide-to-t2d.1858/

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Interesting...

Is there such a thing as a home insulin meter?

I hadn't considered the possibility of my being diabetic due to (until today) my consistently low glucose levels. I understand from the link you provided that the pre-diagnosis phase of people with T2D is high levels of insulin. My testing with glucose strips thus far only tells us what my glucose levels are. Are you suggesting that if I could monitor my insulin levels we could determine whether this is or is not the cause of my low glucose levels?

From what I understand, low carb high fat diets can circumvent the problems I appear to be having. If I were to return to the UK and seek proper medical care, are there more desirable outcomes than just figuring out a diet that keeps my glucose more balanced?

If I were to return to the UK, what does NHS support for these kind of problems look like? I've been living abroad for 7+ years and have not seen a GP in longer than that. Also is there anything in the way of benefits for 30+ year olds dealing with these problems. It would be really challenging to move back and give up my current income and lifestyle. Honestly I'm not sure what I would do back in the UK these days... :/

If there was a reliable support network so that I could function while focusing on dealing with my health issues, it would make all the difference.

The more I learn about all this the more I appreciate how serious it might be, and how costly this condition has been to my life so far. I used to think that this is just what living was; now I understand that those occasional good days are what living is supposed to be like.

I'm so grateful to all of you for helping me learn more about this.

vjaarsaj said:

Rtfm

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but there is so much to learn about. It's overwhelming, and you know, when my glucose is so low I really just don't have the energy

>_>
<_<

kokhongw said:

@DodgyD Unfortunately, the technology for home insulin meter is not available.

In fact very few Dr offers OGTT with insulin test to confirm reactive hypoglycemia or a hypoglycemia condition such as yours.

Some of us are able to make the connection only after our T2D diagnosis and stumbled upon the information that years or decades before we became T2D, we had experience frequent hypoglycemic events without realizing what it was. It was simply brushed off as being grow spurts etc...just eat more frequently.

But in reality it is the beginning of a metabolic dysfunction or loss of metabolic balance that was not recognized. Dr Joseph Kraft correctly identified that this should be the early stage or progression of T2D...even before there loss of glycemic control. At this stage, the pancreas is still capable of producing large amount of insulin to hold the glucose level with normal/healthy range. But over time, if there is no change in diet, there will be beta cells exhaustion and more frequent glucose spikes and crashes.

Understanding this early in life gives us the chance to prevent further deterioration of the condition. Knowing that we can be fueled by both glucose and ketones help us to provide our brain and body with alternative stable energy sources to counter the effects of low blood glucose. Consider adding some virgin coconut oil/butter to your coffee.

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Actually I have some coconut oil in the fridge atm. I have a friend nearby that went on a pure ketones diet too and it has helped him tremendously, so the idea isn't entirely foreign to me. While I am obviously lacking a proper medical examination it seems that in the end, I'll be best of focusing on a low carb high fat diet anyway.

If that is the case then I can make those changes by myself. However if there is something critical I'm not aware of that really demands regular visits to quality healthcare I'd consider coming back the UK.

Not really sure if that is necessary at this point.

Kaz261 said:

Hi @DodgyD, my experience would suggest you may be wasting your time in returning to the UK, from the perspective that regular follow up visits and check ups don't appear to be necessary. Although a definite diagnosis and tests to rule out other possible conditions would be prudent and hopefully put your mind at ease.

I was diagnosed with RH approx 2 years ago now and unless I request blood tests (for example A1C or cholesterol etc) during a GP visit, they don't get checked. I guess this is due to me not being registered as diabetic and I therefore don't get the regular checks that a diabetic patient would.

I manage my own condition through eating a significantly reduced carb diet, but not low carb as others on here do. I have more energy than I have for years (although still have the occasional off day) and don't experience anywhere near as many of those horrible dizzy, sweaty, anxious, jittery spells that were a daily occurrence in the early days.

This is of course just my experience. Others in the U.K may well get a better level of care than I do. Unfortunately, this seems to largely depend on how good your GP or Endocrinologist is.

I hope you find some answers and start to feel better very soon.

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Thanks for the input Kaz I appreciate it. I reckon I'll wind up doing something similar. With the insight I am learning now it seems doable to control my energy in much the same way you too. I will seek an initial consultation during my next trip just in case.

Lamont D said:

Sorry, in one of your posts, you asked if it was insulin that was causing your low blood glucose levels.

Yes, it is!

You are creating either in your first or second insulin response, a surplus of insulin which if it is circulating around, when you trigger more insulin when you eat again, it will happen again. You have an imbalance in your glucose/insulin phase of digestion.
It is a metabolic condition, that can be controlled through diet only.

The viscous circle that creates this scenario is exacerbated by the increasing insulin resistance and high circulating insulin, leading to higher glucose levels. Then because of the insulin response and excess insulin, the lows.
You are continually in fluctuating blood glucose levels, up and down, hyper from the meals, then hypos from the excess insulin.
You have corrected it somewhat, to a certain extent but the symptoms will come back quickly if you have too many carbs.

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OK thanks, I think I get it.

Basically no matter where I go, the best thing I can do is monitor my glucose levels and figure out how to keep them stable. Pretty much just what I have been doing so far?