Undiagnosed but high blood sugar

[catherinecherub]

She said that I had a dysfunction in my autonomic system, making my blood pressure and pulse abnormal, called Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Apparently a high carb diet does make this worse. I am very upset, as I wasn't expecting this! She gave me a leaflet about POTS. It says one of the causes is diabetes... It made me wonder if there was any connection!

There is another poster who has POTS and there are some links in the thread.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/pots.73384/#post-795135

 

[Lamont D]

Hi @Ballofwool

Thanks for the update.

Once again, RH takes the blame for your problems!!

You must be worried about the diagnosis, from your cardiologist.
The sooner you see your endocrinologist the better.
Keep low carbing, it has only been a week or so, since you started, you've already said you feel better for it! It is a life changer.
Can't understand why the cardiologist didn't give you meds for the POTS!

Hoping for a good outcome for you!

 

[Ballofwool]

Thank you all for the information.

I'm starting to understand the connection now! I hope I might at least improve the symptoms of POTS (that I seem to have) through my low carb diet, since it seems to be working quite well so far.

I can see how they symptoms of POTS are linked to blood sugar, but one thing is bothering me... The websites about POTS seem to suggest that it is a "late stage" complication of diabetes - I.e. They seem to suggest that it wouldn't come on prior to "being bad enough" to have a diagnosis of RH or diabetes. But possibly this is incorrect!

Can anyone share any thoughts on this? Nosher, do you know of whether RH on it's own can actually cause POTS? Or is it more that the symptoms of POTS are caused by RH and reversed by a low carb diet?

Sorry if these questions don't make much sense, I was finding it difficult to get my head around it!

 

[Lamont D]

Thank you all for the information.

I'm starting to understand the connection now! I hope I might at least improve the symptoms of POTS (that I seem to have) through my low carb diet, since it seems to be working quite well so far.

I can see how they symptoms of POTS are linked to blood sugar, but one thing is bothering me... The websites about POTS seem to suggest that it is a "late stage" complication of diabetes - I.e. They seem to suggest that it wouldn't come on prior to "being bad enough" to have a diagnosis of RH or diabetes. But possibly this is incorrect!

Can anyone share any thoughts on this? Nosher, do you know of whether RH on it's own can actually cause POTS? Or is it more that the symptoms of POTS are caused by RH and reversed by a low carb diet?

Sorry if these questions don't make much sense, I was finding it difficult to get my head around it!

Wow!
Sorry, just read through POTS on a couple of web pages.
You have given me much thought.
It is connected to continuous high blood glucose levels, hence the diabetes connection.
Wikipedia said chronic diabetes, but there is no way, you have that.
Low carb should help.

Do you remember the moment when you went that's me, whilst reading the reactive Hypoglycaemia thread, well, I've just had the same.
A symptom of mine that I've never had diagnosed is I go dizzy when I bend down to pick something up!
My ex doctor, said it was low blood pressure but I had higher than average blood pressure then!
It must be a similar condition! However, my is acute, and it's not as bad as it use to be, now I'm low carbing!
Wow! Again!

Don't you just love the way RH attacks every part of you?

 

[Ballofwool]

Hi Nosher,

I am also pondering these things! It's all so complicated! Since blood sugar and POTS symptoms are related, and high blood sugar can cause POTs, it makes sense that each could make the other worse... Especially since POTS is supposed to be made worse by eating a "high carb load"!

Although I have noticed I get symptoms of high blood sugar, POTS and subsequently symptoms of low blood sugar if I eat more than 25 grams of carbohydrates at once. That's about 1/3rd of a cup of rice (which I tried once combined with fat, rather optimistically)!

It might be an awful, awful thing to say... But I wish I had some insulin to inject because it's so easy to "go wrong" and produce symptoms. I think I am essentially on the Atkins diet for life, whilst trying to gain weight at the same time!

I discovered how to make "fat bombs", which are peanut butter and coconut oil and butter melted and mixed together, then frozen in an ice cube tray. I can increase my calories for the day by 300 by eating two ice cube sized fat bombs. I'm not sure I like them too much, but I suppose they're a good replacement for the sweets I used to eat.

 

[Rillum]

I thought about it and the pots could be caused by diabetic damage OR inactivity or maybe a combination? Because it does seem unlikely that you have had diabetes for that long.
I eat chocolate mousse with sweetener or different kinds of mousses. We make a large batch and freeze portion sizes. Half a portion of chocolate mousse is 290 kcal and 5 g of carbs.

 

[Lamont D]

The more I think about it, the more I think it is yet another symptom of RH.
As I am now in complete control and in ketosis, the symptoms have lessened.
I tried as some exercises before I went to bed, and there was a little if I did it quickly, but doesn't everyone?

Can't do fat bombs as I don't do dairy or coffee, but I drink a lot of strong black tea.
And I have learned not to snack as we are eating a lot of planned meals.

As I am at work and on my way after posting this, I tend to take small pieces of fruit and meat and salad to work. At home I have a cooked evening meal of soup them protein and veg, then supper with yoghurt.

We have to adapt!
It is something we can't avoid!
That's a truism!

I have got myself under control, it is hard, I want to be where I am now!
I don't want the carbs!

You will get there, you will feel better, keep at it, don't give in.

I have mentioned it before, but my meds, sitagliptin, helps me.
That produces more insulin and inhibits the glucagon and glycogen.
Have a word with your GP or endocrinologist.
There will be a telephone number for your endocrinologists secretary. Try that if you are struggling.

 

[Lamont D]

Just reread your post. Atkins with your own 'favourites' is just the same as very low carbing.
You have to adapt to your own personal likes and dislikes and what works for you.

I just don't fancy the shakes you have!

@Brunneria does green shakes and she will give you the lowdown on them.

 

[Ballofwool]

Thank you both for your thoughts and support! Without being able to post on this forum, and get these lovely responses, I would feel so alone and confused!

I might consider ringing the Endocrinologist's secretary if I can, because the appointment isn't until the end of July.

I woke up this morning and I had a bad headache, so I tested my fasting blood sugar, and it was 3.8 (so I am sort of starting to have a hypo)? But I didn't eat any carbs yesterday, except the small amounts in fried vegetables and nuts, so I don't know why this happened or what can I do about this...

 

[Ballofwool]

I knew it would be low because my hands are visibly shaking, making it hard to do the glucose reading or cook my eggs for breakfast! It was the same in the hospital with my bad hypo, the nurses kept saying "oh, why are you shaking?" As If I knew the answer haha

 

[Ballofwool]

I've decided to test my blood sugar more on the low carb diet to get a better idea of how it is affecting me. In people on a low carb diet (not taking medications that affect it), how much would your blood glucose normally rise after a meal? Presumably, the rise is always much smaller as we are trying to avoid a spike... But should it still rise?

Mine has only risen by 0.6 mmol in the first 30 minutes and after eating. Is this to be expected on a lower carb diet?

 

[Rillum]

Most people test after one hour and then after two hours. People aim for different blood sugars, but I go for normal blood sugars, as reported on the webpage Blood sugar 101, that is below 6.6 after one hour, below 5.5 after two hours.

You should check out the website: www.phlaunt.com.
It's very well researched, the woman behind read a lot of scientific literature, I've read some of her references and everything checks out.

 

[Ballofwool]

Most people test after one hour and then after two hours. People aim for different blood sugars, but I go for normal blood sugars, as reported on the webpage Blood sugar 101, that is below 6.6 after one hour, below 5.5 after two hours.

Hmm! My fasting this morning was 3.8 which I consider too low, because I felt unwell and my usual fasting is about 4.5 mmol. Then I ate breakfast (350 kcal of eggs and olive oil) and after an hour it was 4.3 which is still below my usual fasting level.

I'm confused and not sure what to do now.

 

[Rillum]

3.8 is too low, or at least at the lowest end of normal. Did you check out the thread on reactive hypoglycemia?

 

[Rillum]

It's probably a really good idea for you to check often. Find the amount of carbs that don't give you hypoglycemia, but also doesn't give you too high blood sugar after meals. Tight rope walking!

 

[Ballofwool]

It's probably a really good idea for you to check often. Find the amount of carbs that don't give you hypoglycemia, but also doesn't give you too high blood sugar after meals. Tight rope walking!

Indeed, it does feel like a right rope walk (or slacklining, which I enjoy)!

I am really confused. I seem to be having a mild, but incurable, hypo. 90 minutes after my breakfast, I'm at 3.7 mmol - just lower than my fasting level!

 

[Ballofwool]

It's as if the low carb diet initially reversed my reactive hypoglycaemia for the first week, but is now failing to do so...

 

[Rillum]

You should probably eat a little more carbs. How many a day are you eating now. Do you know?

 

[Ballofwool]

It was very hard to calculate the carbohydrate intake from vegetables, but when I did meticulously record it for several days, I found it was around 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. And I'm eating the same foods as when I recorded this.

I am surprised as I came across some Atkins fanatics (not diabetic) who were eating 20 grams of carbohydrates per day!

 

[Rillum]

I think people's metabolism isn't completely the same. I eat around 80 g carbs a day. Maybe you just need a little bit more than 50 grams. Using the meter will help you find the right level for you.