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What is Reactive Hypoglycemia

Hi
KatieStar said:
Hello

Could someone please give me a technical explanation for reactive hypoglycaemia? It is mentioned on this page, but there is no explanation, only for hypoglycaemia.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/oral-glucose-tolerance-test.html

Thanks
Click to expand...
@KatieStar ,

Reactive Hypoglycaemia is a metabolic condition that the pancreas creates too much insulin
for the amount of sugar and carbs digested.
The digested food turns into glucose and glucagon and glycogen in your bloods, the over production of insulin remains in your blood and eventually turns into visceral fat around your endocrine system

As Wikipedia says

Reactive hypoglycaemia is a medical term describing recurrent episodes of symptomatic Hypoglycaemia occurring within 4 hours after a high carbohydrate or glucose load in people who don't have diabetes. It is thought to represent a consequence of excessive insulin release triggered by carbohydrates and sugars but continuing past the digestion and disposal of glucose derived from the meal.

In simple English, you eat carbs and sugars, you hyper, a few hours later, you hypo!

Do have a read about this rare condition. Most doctors and consultants haven't got a clue about it or understanding it!
 
There are different forms of RH.

It is possible to become diabetic, as @Brunneria did!
 
Any ideas as to what causes it? I have heard it suggested that many years of eating too many carbs can get the body set for (or used to) this.
 
I’m having a GTT this week. I was concerned by my HbA1c levels. By UK standards they are ‘normal’ but by USA standards they are pre diabetic, and have been like that for a year or more. I have been interested to learn how RH can be the first stage on dysglycemia spectrum.

Curious to see what the test will show.
 
KatieStar said:
Any ideas as to what causes it? I have heard it suggested that many years of eating too many carbs can get the body set for (or used to) this.
Click to expand...
I don't know what causes RH, but I know diabetes can be caused by many different things, including genetic factors, and that people can overdo the personal choice side of things a bit. By that I mean, with T2 diabetes the public commonly believes that overeating is the main cause, when research has shown that is a much smaller factor, and in some people it's not a factor at all. About 20% of T2 diabetics were not overweight at diagnosis. Many people eat a high carb diet their whole life and never develop blood sugar regulation problems like RH and diabetes.
 
KatieStar said:
I’m having a GTT this week. I was concerned by my HbA1c levels. By UK standards they are ‘normal’ but by USA standards they are pre diabetic, and have been like that for a year or more. I have been interested to learn how RH can be the first stage on dysglycemia spectrum.

Curious to see what the test will show.
Click to expand...
Just curious as to the difference between the US and UK definition of pre-D. I think NZ follows the UK definition.

Personally I think anything above the mid/high 30s shows the person is starting to have dysglycaemia issues.
 
Genetics is of course to be considered, and a fascinating topic. I am not over weight (size 8) but I was a vegetarian for 12 years and a vegan for two, so I did eat a lot of carbs and not a lot of protein and fat for quite a long time....even if they were wholegrain. I’m wondering how this has impacted onto my glucose regulation.

American Diabetes Association
Prediabetes HbA1c 5.7% to 6.4%
http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/prediabetes/?loc=atrisk-slabnav

I’m also wondering if the results and reference range that a GP will use/give for a GTT are optimal or if there are other figures to bear in mind??
 
Last edited by a moderator:
KatieStar said:
Genetics is of course to be considered, and a fascinating topic. I am not over weight (size 8) but I was a vegetarian for 12 years and a vegan for two, so I did eat a lot of carbs and not a lot of protein and fat for quite a long time....even if they were wholegrain. I’m wondering how this has impacted onto my glucose regulation.

American Diabetes Association
Prediabetes HbA1c 5.7% to 6.4%
http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/prediabetes/?loc=atrisk-slabnav

I’m also wondering if the results and reference range that a GP will use/give for a GTT are optimal or if there are other figures to bear in mind??
Click to expand...
Thanks for the US info. A GTT done through a lab will give you a reliable/accurate result. The reference range the lab uses may be different to the one listed on diabetes.co.uk but I would tend to go with the latter, personally.

I think a GTT is a better test for RH than HbA1c or FBG because it shows what your BG does after food.

I don't know of any other tests that may help, but that's because I know hardly anything about RH. Nosher or someone else with RH would be able to advise.
 
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