Anyone Have Experience with Hypoglycemia??

Hi H.-
Yes-- sounds like the culprit.
I have it, so does one of my twins- SIL too.
Common.
The simple thing-- eat about 6x a day to keep you levels stable.
Each time you eat, have proteins and good carbs.
If you can't do that-- at the first sign of feeling weird-- have an orange or another good carb.

If you want to take something that stabilizes that so you don't have to eat often to level the swings-- I work with a 29 yo nutrition company and we have a tablet you take twice a day for that. It's what I take now- just easier.
You can email me privately.

Good problem solving!!

About me: 48 yo perfusionist and wellness coach for nationwide online biggest loser for $, and mom to 7 yo twin girls.

B. J
____@____.com

Hi H.-

Your symptoms sound like Hypoglycemia and to be honest, most doctors brush hypoglycemia off. I had similar "episodes"- often in the afternoon before I ate dinner. Dizzy, blured vision, shakky.... I was at my worst when I almost hichthiked home when I was on a run one evening. My friend who is a severe diabetic sat me down and taught me about how to control my blood sugar through diet and excersize.

Basically, try to eat more protien- eggs, pb, nuts, meat, cheese etc. Eat on a more regular basis. Limit caffeine ( that one is a tough one but makes a HUGE difference to me...). If you want to eat something sweet try eating something with some fat in it - like chocolate - peanut M& M's are a good choice, versus just plain sugar (like starburst etc.).

If I start to feel the affects coming on, I immediately eat something with protien and get some sugar quickly (juice is a good source). But mostly I try to maintain my sugar levels so I do not get the highs and lows that you are experiencing. It does not take that long to figure it out and you will be amazed at how much better you feel.

I got a really good book that was a quick reference guide for blood sugar, I passed it onto someone so I don't remember the title but I do suggest getting one to learn more.

I also can tell that my blood sugar is more stable when I excersize on a consistent basis (4 times a wk ) and when I keep hydrated.

Good luck.

Kristine

I could be repetitive here but you really need to see a Dr and get a proper diagnosis. I know that not having health care going to the Dr can be an awful strain on the financial end but going untreated could be very dangerous. Please seek medical attention, your life could be dependent on it.

H.,

I have problems with hypoglycemia as well. There are actually two different types of hypoglycemia. One is where your body responds very poorly to sugar and simple carbohydrates (normally a couple of hours after you eat). Some doctors do believe this is a precursor to diabetes (like one of the responses). What you are describing is fasting hypoglycemia. It usually has some underlying cause, such as low thyroid or low adrenal gland function. A couple responses mentioned they have hypothyroidism, which is something that can cause fasting hypoglycemia. If one of hypothyroidsim or hypoadrenalsim are the cause, then treating either your thyroid or adrenal glands will usually make the hypoglycemia go away.

One cheap solution is what others have said. Eat smaller meals multiple times a day. Try not to go more than three hours without eating. Make sure when you eat, you are eating complex carbohydrates (whole grains, rice, etc.) and a protein of some sort (peanut butter, beans, meat, cheese, etc.). This will help your body break down the foods into sugar more slowly and will help you from crashing.

Of course, if you do have a low thyroid or low adrenal function, problems can get worse. You can have problems with fatigue, weight gain, goiters, etc. I have heard that there are some test kits that you can buy online to test your saliva and a drop of your blood for these hormone deficiencies. I think the tests costs about $200 (which is expensive, but less than a doctor and a lab tests in a hospital or doctor office). I've never used one of these tests, but I have considered it myself. If you do end up having to visit a doctor to get a prescription, at least you will already have the lab results and hopefully only will have to pay for the office visit.

Good luck to you! Take care of yourself!

H.,

Hypoglycemia is the first stages of diabetes. Your blood sugars get to low. That's what causes the shakes, dizziness, ligh-headedness, migraines.

You need to balance your food intake and really be careful with your diet. Watch your sugar intake. Start reading the labels on the cereals and all the foods you eat. Educate yourself on all the "labeling information that means: "sugars". They have tons of names for them(fructose, etc.)

I have had it for over 20 years and have it under control with supplementation and diet.

Be sure to carry glucose tabs with you for those dizzy moments. Orange juice, graham crackers...keep stooked in. I haven't needed them in over 6 years, but I carry them around just to be on the safe side. ;-)

If you eat something high in sugar...rest assured you will start crashing within a few hours. So just be prepared and try to avoid those moments. Excercise.

You should balance your food intake. Eat a well balanced meal: start of with a salad...eat a high carb (spagetti), a low carb(vegetables) and a protein(meats). Eat foods high in fiber. This slows down the sugar absorption.

And lastly...I take supplements. If you want a good one, let me know. I have tried them all going through this. Only found one that worked. Centrum and One A days DO NOT! work. They don't get absorbed into the intestines. The benefits to these and other supplements on the market are scary. Scary, in the way, that our governments even allows them to be marketed to us in being that they don't even work. And I have documented proof.

If you need recipes, let me know.

It's juts a matter of life changes. It's a hard process, and quite frankly it sucks, but you get used to it!

Love and blessings,

J.

Interestingly, like your other response - I also have all those symptoms, plus the shaking hands and occasionally will vomit if I don't eat. I also have hypothyroidism. The good thing for you is that the cost of levothyroin (the drug they use to treat it) costs $7/month or less without any insurance coverage. So, really suck it up and go pay for a blood test and get treated - no one needs to feel that way.

Good luck!

Hi there H.,
I am also hypoglycemic, but mine is as a result of having a second child after gastric-bypass surgery. I found the best thing to do when I am on the go is to keep glucose tabs with me. Wal-Mart carries a brand that is relatively inexpensive (i think like 5.50 for 50 tabs). The best thing to do is to start paying attention to the warning signs a bit sooner, that way you won't have that "brick wall" feeling you get. But I experience the same exact sypmtoms as you. There was one day at work I didn't make it downstairs from the hospital floor in time to wear my purse was. I actually passed out on the floor as i was reaching into my purse for my glucose tabs. Was a bit scary for myself and those around me. But everyone at work knows my condition thank goodness. Anyway, aside from getting an actual diagnosis, that is what I would do for now until you can get into the dr. Have a good one!
B.

Hello H.! As much as it hurts finacially, you do need to go to the doctor. Hypoglycemia is the opposite of diabetes but is very hard on your body.
The best management is eating within 20 min. of waking and every 90 minutes thereafter. Small snacks and small meals are key. Also, check out a low glycemic food plan. Foods high on the glycemic index will cause your blood sugars to spike and then crash.
High glycemic foods include; potatoes, rice, pineapple, bananas, most breads, etc.
Low glycemic foods include; any green veggie, most fresh fruits, etc. but should always be paired with a protein such as seeds, nuts, cheese, yogurt etc. to keep blood sugars stable. The perfect food for keeping blood sugars normal is a handfull of raw almonds.

You can use orange juice to bring blood sugars up, as one poster suggested, but keeping blood sugars maintained is much easier on your body than dropping and then continually trying to raise blood sugar levels.
One poster suggested her vitamins. Vitamins are not the solution to your problem. They are fine to take but they will not cure you or help maintain your blood sugars.
If you want more info on the glycemic index or a low glycemic lifestyle, feel free to message me.

I don't have hypoglycemia, but a friend of mine does. This web site has some really good basic information that you need to know. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/

Like others have said, you do need to see a doctor. If hypoglycemia goes untreated it can lead to serious conditions like comas. If you aren't diabetic, it can be related to other health issues that you need to get treated. I know without health insurance it is hard to go to a doctor, but this could be a very serious condition and not something that you want to try and treat on your own. Good luck!

Hi H.,

I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia years ago. If you feel yourself in the shaky state of low sugar then you need to give yourself a quick carb like orange juice. I've gotten myself in that same situation where I'm suddenly feeling really sick, but for me I would not feel hunger. So, the best key is prevention!

It is really important that you eat 6 small meals a day!!!!! I can't stress this enough. I eat breakfast, snack around 10:30am, lunch, snack at 3pm or else I start to feel it badly by 4 or 5 pm. We eat dinner between 5 - 6pm and then I'll have a light snack by 9pm.

what you're eating is just as important and how often you're eating. You need to eat a complex carb - i.e. whole grain bread with a protein. I'll give you a couple of examples of snacks that really hold me over.

1) 1/2 cottage cheese (a great protein source) with a pear or apple sauce mixed in.

2) 1/2 a Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bagel with 1 tbsp peanut butter on it. I usually drink a cup of milk with this too.

3) a bowl of Kashi cereal with milk

4) Granola mixed in with yogurt

5) a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter or refried beans and melted cheese on top.

Once you start doing this you will think of ideas of food that you like. It is so necessary that you watch your sugar intake. when you eat refined sugars and processed foods like crackers, those are quick sugars and they give you a sugar spike, which tells your pancrease to make more insulin. (Sugar and insulin have to be together to get in the cell.) When the sugar gets low the pancrease will still produce insulin thinking there's more sugar coming. Then you have to eat more sugar or you will feel hypoglycemic from too much insulin in your vascular system.

When you eat complex carbs they are digested slowly and therefore the sugar is released slowly into the blood stream and the insulin will do the same. This will keep your body in a balanced state.

I follow a method of eating called "Eating Clean". I have a few cook books by Tosco Reno. You could google it and find out more for yourself.

I'm also a registered nurse. You can treat this yourself. You need to educate yourself about how your body is working and how to properly feed it. I too have 4 kids and one on the way. I completely understand how this happens for you. Keep healthy snack handy at all times.

Good Luck!

I am not sure what area of the cities you live in, but there are some low costs clinics out there that you may be able utilize. I would suggest you see the Doctor. These symptoms sound like it could either be Hypolgycemia or Diabetes. My husband who is type II often experiences the same symptoms if he does not eat timely. Also, it would help to make sure you are mixing protien in with your snacks and meals to give you more "staying power".

Good luck to you and your family and I hope you feel better soon!

I get that too, exactly like you described plus my hands get really shaky and I feel like I'm going to faint. I also thought I was hypoglycemic so I went to the doctor and was tested negative.

I do have hypothyroidism though and have to get tested every 2 years for type 2 diabetes due to having gestational diabetes.

Try to eat more frequently and consistently, like 3 smaller main meals and then 3 healthy snacks in between. I try to eat something every 3 hours and then I don't the symptoms.

Hello H., I have had hypoglycemia for a little over 7 years now. It first started when I was pregnant with my 1st child. I usually ONLY have it when I'm pregnant, but occaisionally other times as well; its strange, mine comes and goes! So here's my advice- eat several (they say 6) small meals instead of 3 big ones, when u feel an 'attack' coming on eat a little something with sugar to balance your blood sugar until you can eat something with complex carbs that will take your ody a little longer to break down and is what u really need to keep your blood sugar level. Also, if u eat too much sugar throughout the day, it can screw up your blood sugar and bring on attacks more frequently, so use it in moderation, especially artificial sweeteners- they are an exciteotoxin (sp). I always keep a nutritional bar, pretzels, etc in my purse/ diaper bag so I'm prepared for the worst. I would also recommend Reli on glucose tablets. I keep them in my purse. They are actually made for people with diabetes, but they contain 4 grams of carbs per tablet so they work for hypo. Also. I have never had an episode that took that long to recover from, obviously my advise there is see a doc, but I know u probably can't right now. I will say from personal experience that the longer I waited to eat something the worse I felt and the longer it took for my body to bounce back. Do some research online for more tips from professionals too. If you have trouble reading this whole message (I'm typing from my phone so who knows! Lol) you can email me @ ____@____.com
Take care and good luck! Try to keep yourself eating right; I know it is hard I have 3 kids so I understand,(sometimes I end up skipping a meal because I just can't sit down to eat) but if you don't take care of you, you can't help them