Very Tired On Low Carb Breakfast

@Razper

If you drink beer, then follow it with 2 slices of bread AND potatoes, then you are loading your body with carbs.
Too many carbs for someone with Reactive Hypoglycaemia - as shown by your blood glucose reading.

If I had eaten and drunk all that carby stuff I would be feeling terrible, and I suspect you do too.

If you avoided the beer and replaced the bread and potato with vegetables, and more meat, then i would expect your blood glucose to stay much more stable.

Stop eating carbs, eat a greater volume of protein and fat. That keeps your BS stable whereas carbs rock it all over the shop.

Your liver will dump some glucose into your system if you need it and won’t have to put up the fight with your circulating insulin which is there because you’re eating carbs.

Razper said:

Hi,

I drank last night and today I feel little hungover. My lunch was 2 meatballs with 2 slices veryt thin dark bread and literally 5-6 pieces fries... with coke Zero. My reading was 3.1, then followed by a 3.4 a few times.

Do you know when someone can pass out from low blood sugar? It's terrible, since I'm not a diabetic and I thought I'm pretty much safe from such lows.

Sometimes when I eat bigger portions with lots of carbs, I don't go below 4.4 so I just don't understand the logic of severe drop while I eat smaller portion and fewer carbs... I think that I actually might be really intollerant to potatoes. Sometimes I eat other carbs (let's say only bread with cheese), and don't go hypo. I'm confused. But that reading really scared me, I never had this low...

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I may shock you here, but from my experience before I realised that being hypoglycaemic can be harmful.
I have been unconscious, and it is awful and not knowing what is happening, I have been really low, and had people panicking around me, because I had no awareness of my surroundings and unaware of how or why, I was where I was, I was found wandering around a shop, not knowing what I was looking for or what, day, time and reason, how I got there.
If my natural function for such low levels hadn't kicked in, I would not be here.

Also if not for my endocrinologist, I would not be here, because all my GPs, didn't have a clue, and my episodes of highs and lows, due to food I was intolerant to, were causing more symptoms than my body could cope with, especially my vital organs including my brain, the lack of glucose and more importantly the high levels of insulin, (hyperinsulinaemia) are a recipe of disaster waiting to happen over an extended period of my life.

It was killing me, slowly!

Your attitude to what is causing the symptoms is a denial of your condition.
You must recognise that carbs are what are making you ill.
Bread, beer, porridge, pasta and even supposedly complex carbs, are what is causing your ill health, and like an allergy, will always make you ill and worse, if you ignore it!

I do believe, you want the answers, and eat and drink 'normally', like everyone else.
Unfortunately, you have a condition, that means that you shouldn't!

Until you get control, you will get the symptoms and the effects of what happens when you have carbs!

My best wishes, have a good think about, how you approach your future health.

Razper said:

Yeah, Lamont thank you for the answer. You are straight on point that I'min denial.

After that episode today i try to eat really low carb, eggs with fat and only half a slice bread, no potatoes no nothing.

I would have to make changes for sure, today I realized some things just... happen and even though I feel a little bit down that I probably won'tbe able to enjoy the same foods as before, I think I have an obligation to myself to do it.

I had the hypo 9hours ago and during that time i ate mostly protein and fat and as little as possible carbs, and whenever I measure the blood sugar it'saround 4.8 - 5.2 mmol/l and i believe I din't have a high.

I don't know if I'm fantacising but I think more clearly and it is as if a brain fog has lifted from me... The only down side is I feel little hungry but its better than hypo...

Since I don't eat veggies maybe I will have to learn to eat some of them.

So you say human body is efficient and I don't lose any precious nutrients by avoiding potatoes and bread?

Again thank you very much for your support, when I feel down, anxious and depressed only here I find the help needed.

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It could be the anxiety and depression are symptoms of the amount of carbs you are eating, I had terrible anxiety, still do at times. But reducing your carbs will definitely help with your brain function issues, as well as the brain fog
I always ask myself, if I want to feel really good, why punish myself?
It's not easy, but I hate cooked vegetables, good job I can eat a lot of salad, but you will find a way like I did, eggs, mushrooms tomatoes all fried, with bacon, gammon, sounds good to me! Just have a look at the low carb forum, lots of ideas and recipes.

I am a meat eater, always have been! There are so many ways to cook meat and just add what you can, cheese butter, and other full fat dairy is good. Balance it all and plan.
Keeping a food diary is always a good idea, using your glucometer to log the results of your tests, I found it a great tool to see what foods do to me.

Don't give up, you got a diagnosis, you know what is causing the symptoms, do something about it!

Best wishes

Razper said:

Do most people with RH end up with type 1 diabetes?

I suppose you guys don't take any caffeine?

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Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the insulin producing cells in the pancreas are killed by the body’s own immune system.

People with RH have an excess of inulin. So the two conditions are very different, and one does not lead into the other.

However, type 2 diabetes is a condition of insulin resistance. Since RHers produce excess insulin, they may also develop type 2 over time, if their RH is uncontrolled, and they over burden their body’s capacity to deal with carbs, by eating too many carbs.

My own experience is that my RH started in childhood. By my late teens i had discovered that carbs caused the symptoms, so I have now been low carbing for 30+ years. There have been times when my blood glucose levels have reached type2 diabetic levels, but all I have had to do is cut carbs back again, and have got back control.
Now, aged 52, i have better blood glucose control than since developing RH.

So no, diabetes is not an inevitable consequence of RH
Although type2 diabetes is a possible consequence of uncontrolled RH.

@Razper

I would urge you to do a bit more reading on low carb, keto ‘flu’ and transitioning to low carb.
The www.dietdoctor.com website is an excellent source of info for this, and debunks a lot of the internet nonsense and myths that you may encounter on other websites.

It will also give you some great menus and food suggestions which demonstate just how delicious low carb/keto can be as a way of life.

I have been in ketosis for over five years and my energy levels are really good, it's about getting the balance of fats and proteins right. Being in Keto should not be detrimental to your health, I may be fortunate, but I don't worry about carbs or calories, once in ketosis, being in normal levels continually should be beneficial and the symptoms and lethargy should diminish.
I couldn't believe the change in my energy levels after going through the process of going into ketosis. What no hypos, hypers, no headache, no hunger, craving, blurred vision, no brain fog?
Being clear headed and more like the person I once was, again, and within a couple of months, really healthy for my age.

This condition is all about dietary choices and changes in how you want to look after your health.

Best wishes

Are you well hydrated? Carbs hold water. With less carbs you need to drink more potentially.

Check your electrolytes. Lack of processed foods and the extra water can mean they are lacking and can make you feel terrible. Magnesium and potassium particularly. Some people including me just add some salt (pink Himalayan is quite popular) to food.

Razper said:

Yeah I will try salt, so you say I might experience these symptoms due to carb reduction, not necessairly by getting into ketosis? I thought low carb flu is only there when you enter ketosis not by just reduction.

I will try to drink more water and salt, my BG is fine, but overall I feel really sick... And just the thought of food makes me wanna throw up. I don't feel hunger at all.

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Yeah reducing carbs might do it. Eating low enough to get to ketosis is just more likely as it’s a bigger change. Ketosis is the (positive) end result not the cause of feeling carb/keto flu and quite likely when you start feeling better not worse!

Are you eating too much fat too quickly? Again adding in fats, that you haven’t had time to adjust to, can cause nausea/lack of appetite. If it’s been a big increase then maybe ease the fat back a bit and if you need to add it more slowly and across the day. You only need enough to feel satiety/energy not to eat to a numbered goal. Or enough to maintain weight if that’s relevant

Razper said:

Hello guys,

I'm still around and fighting haha. I started eating some veggies at every meal, and I try to not take carbs without some kind of fat. My blood sugar is improved. I calculate I take around 50-60 grams of carbs a day, but I still feel weak in the legs. Will that go away? I weight around 191 pounds and I don't know if the body is in shortage of carbs, or it's adjusting? I still don't want to go keto, because I don't eat enough veggies at this point.

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Great news. I’m sure there’s some adapting to be done. Keep up fluids and electrolytes. I eat a lot of salad and veg and stay with keto guidelines. They aren’t mutually exclusive. ( or are you doing total carbs? My personal view is that unnecessarily restricts fibre and good veg)