Not sure what to think of this: blood sugar issues

[Greta]

I eat low-carb because I have learned from experience that I clearly, beyond any shadow of a doubt, function better, feel better, and basically must do so for my quality of life. I eat around 70 grams or so of carbs per day, roughly 20-25 grams per meal. I can squeeze in a bit more if I do it right before exercising (but I'm less consistent with exercise than I am with my diet).

 

I do, however, permit myself a "cheat meal" from time to time. The problem is that the cheat meals are becoming less of a "treat" and more of a horror lately.

 

Last time, for example, hubby took us out to a Mexican restaurant. I ordered fajitas thinking I would be getting a generous helping of meat, onions, and peppers, and I would simply skip the tortillas. Instead I got a generous helping of beans and rice, and a little bit of meat and onions. But I ate it, not wanting to reject a meal that my hard-working dh had paid for. Three hours later, back at home, I had a terrible blood sugar crash. I was shaking terribly, could not think straight, was pacing aimlessly around my house hoping that hubby, who was working in the yard, would call for help if I passed out (stupidly, didn't think to actually TELL him how I was suffering - that's how messed up my thinking was) and actually ended up curled up in the fetal position on my couch crying like a baby. I had scarfed down some candied peanuts as soon as I realized what was happening in order to bring my blood sugar back up, but that's how bad it got before I started to recover.

 

I realized that the last few times I had eaten rice, it had affected me really badly, so I swore never to do so again. Fast forward to today. No, I didn't eat rice. But I did eat a corn tortilla (as part of a beef taco) and some potatoes (with carne adovada and cheese). So note, in both instances I did NOT eat the carbs alone. I KNOW not to do that! But even with protein and fat, this amount of carbohydrate really does a number on me. This time, three hours later like clockwork, when I felt the blood sugar crash coming on, hubby had me eat some of these weird gummy things made by the Power Bar company, designed for endurance athletes to keep their blood sugar up. Well that worked a lot better than the candied peanuts, and I "only" got to the point where my hands were trembling so badly that I couldn't take a drink of water without the glass clanking against my teeth. But I didn't end up crying like a baby, so it was a success! :lol:

 

I'm not a hypochondriac, I promise (though you might suspect so from my recent posts!). But I am starting to wonder about my health. My grandmother died of complications from diabetes, but no one in my immediate family has it.

 

I wonder if low-carb eating makes one more susceptible to the effects of a high-carb meal? I'd love it if other LC-ers could weigh in on this. I asked my brother, who has eaten even lower-carb for even longer than I have, and he said that when he does cheat it does not affect him this way at all.

 

My doc has checked my fasting blood sugar before and it was perfectly normal. This does not surprise me as I feel fine on Sunday mornings when I fast before communion and do not eat until lunch time. It's only if I eat a high-carb meal, then a few hours later I feel awful.

 

So, what says the hive: should I just buck up and eat low-carb like I know I should and not have any more cheat meals? Or should this be addressed somehow? And if so, how?

 

Husband thinks if I would exercise more consistently I would be fine. Husband is an exercise fanatic who thinks it will cure virtually anything. :lol:

Edited July 2, 2011 by GretaLynne

[Pink Fairy]

Does this match your experience?

 

Reactive hypoglycaemia

 

Reactive hypoglycaemia is possibly the most common reason for hypoglycaemia in non-diabetics but is often overdiagnosed.

This form of hypoglycaemia is probably caused by an overproduction of insulin from the pancreas after a large meal with a lot of carbohydrates.

The insulin can still be detected even after several hours, although the level should be back to normal at this time. This condition is probably most common in overweight people and those with Type 2 diabetes, where the large demand for insulin can sometimes cause too much insulin to be produced in the pancreas. There is some evidence to suggest that reactive hypoglycaemia can precede Type 2 diabetes.

 

Here's the link that I got this from.

[Greta]

Does this match your experience?

 

Sure does! From the link you provided:

 

Hypoglycaemia can cause some or all of the following symptoms:

 

 

• paleness

• trembling

• perspiration

• a feeling of weakness

• rapid heartbeat

• hunger

• agitation

• difficulty concentrating

• irritability

• fatigue

• blurred vision

• temporary loss of consciousness

• convulsions

• coma.

 

These symptoms will often occur about three to four hours after a meal.

 

 

The symptoms go away within 10 minutes of eating sugar.

 

 

I've never experienced the last four on that list, but otherwise, yes, this describes it exactly. They recommend getting a home glucose testing kit, and this is something I had thought about. For me to go to the doctor and get tested would cost me MUCH more out of pocket than buying such a testing kit, so makes sense to start with the home test and then see if medical attention is needed.

 

 

Thanks for the help!

[Tap]

Reactive hypoglycemia is what I would guess too.

 

Ask your doc for an A1C test.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia

[Pink Fairy]

I think getting a glucose monitor is a good start and will give your doctor valuable info, but from what I read you will need to go in, especially since your symptoms are worsening. :grouphug:

[Greta]

Reactive hypoglycemia is what I would guess too.

 

Ask your doc for an A1C test.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia

 

Thanks for the link, this is very interesting. They mention that one of the causes can be hormonal, e.g. hypothyroidism. My Mom and my Grandma (this is the other grandma) both have hypothyroidism. Last time I had mine checked, three years ago, it was normal. But maybe that's worth revisiting.

 

Also, I'm not sure about this. It says:

 

For diagnosis, a doctor can administer an HbA1c test to measure the blood sugar average over the past 2-3 months.

I'm just not sure how useful that would be. Normally, I eat low carb, and normally I feel just fine. So I have a feeling that my "average" would look perfectly normal. It's just that on those rare occasions when I do eat lots of carbs, my body so clearly overreacts. What do you think? Would this test really be that helpful?

[Greta]

I think getting a glucose monitor is a good start and will give your doctor valuable info, but from what I read you will need to go in, especially since your symptoms are worsening. :grouphug:

 

Your advice sounds . . . well, sound. :) Our medical insurance got cut way back this year, so I have avoided an ultrasound that a doctor ordered (unrelated . . . I think!) and husband has avoided an MRI of his knee than an orthopaedic doc recommended. Sigh. So I'd definitely rather start with the glucose monitor and avoid the doctor's office. (The office visit alone would cost me more than the monitor, and that's not counting any blood work!). But if it looks suspicious, then it should be addressed. Thanks so much for your help!

[Pink Fairy]

You're welcome! :grouphug:

 

Medical insurance can be such a nightmare. :( I don't know if this will help, but when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes they gave me a glucometer--no charge. You could call your doctor's office and see if they do the same, since it would negate somewhat the cost of the visit. Plus the strips are really expensive (my mom monitors herself, and the strips run about $1 each) and they should give you some to start off.

 

My concern is that a few of the causes listed in the link I posted are serious, and in that case you don't want to postpone treatment any longer than necessary. Really you'd think preventative care would be so much cheaper for the insurance company, but they aren't known for using common sense as the standard.

[Greta]

You're welcome! :grouphug:

 

Medical insurance can be such a nightmare. :( I don't know if this will help, but when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes they gave me a glucometer--no charge. You could call your doctor's office and see if they do the same, since it would negate somewhat the cost of the visit. Plus the strips are really expensive (my mom monitors herself, and the strips run about $1 each) and they should give you some to start off.

 

My concern is that a few of the causes listed in the link I posted are serious, and in that case you don't want to postpone treatment any longer than necessary. Really you'd think preventative care would be so much cheaper for the insurance company, but they aren't known for using common sense as the standard.

 

Good points, all. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, thank you, again! :grouphug:

[Tap]

Thanks for the link, this is very interesting. They mention that one of the causes can be hormonal, e.g. hypothyroidism. My Mom and my Grandma (this is the other grandma) both have hypothyroidism. Last time I had mine checked, three years ago, it was normal. But maybe that's worth revisiting.

 

Also, I'm not sure about this. It says:

 

For diagnosis, a doctor can administer an HbA1c test to measure the blood sugar average over the past 2-3 months.

I'm just not sure how useful that would be. Normally, I eat low carb, and normally I feel just fine. So I have a feeling that my "average" would look perfectly normal. It's just that on those rare occasions when I do eat lots of carbs, my body so clearly overreacts. What do you think? Would this test really be that helpful?

 

Possibly.

 

I would suspect that there are times when your blood sugar is off of what would be considered a normal range, that you don't have the full crash feeling that leaves you helpless. An A1c, could show if you typically run high or low for the average person and give you a baseline to have discussions with your doctor about.

 

 

Your body is overreacting to sugar (carbs+sugar), and giving you too much insulin. If you overindulge....your pancreas goes a bit wonky, dumping too much insulin and your body feels the crash that you have identified.

 

The A1c will show what is happening if you eat your usual amounts (with only an occasional bad day). Even though you usually feel okay after a high protein meal with minimal carb, the A1c will show if your pancreas is still secreting a smidge too much insulin. You can have dangerous lows, that don't feel low. Maybe you aren't shaking violently, but just a bit 'off'. These lows may not feel like an immediate medical crisis, but small lows over the long term can be hard on the organs and brain in the long run.

[klmama]

Small amounts of protein every few hours is the key. Eggs and nuts are great. Cheese is good, if you can have dairy products.

 

Stay away from potatoes and white rice. Stay away from foods you know have a ton of sugars in them. All those carbs just make your blood sugar tank. If you find specific foods mess with your blood sugar, avoid them. Period. It isn't worth it.

 

Exercise can make it better if you consume some protein beforehand; if you don't, exercise may lead to a sudden drop. If you do exercise, keep some fruit and nut bars handy for a quick pick-me-up for the times you forget that pre-exercise protein (Lara bars don't have any added sugar, just what's in the fruit).

[HiddenJewel]

I believe you can get an A1C test through http://www.healthcheckusa.com without a doctor's order. They usually use LabCorp. Just search for a location in your area.

 

http://www.healthcheckusa.com/Diabetes-Management-Test/46855/

[Lawana]

Ask your doc for an A1C test.

 

 

 

If you prefer, you can do a home A1c. Bayer makes one for about $30 that gives you on-the-spot results. Reli-On is the WalMart brand that runs less than $10, but you have to mail in the test. Of course, you won't get a Dr's interpretation of the results.

 

If you are going to get a glucose meter, consider the Reli-On brand because the test strips are significantly less than the name brand ones. (As another poster noted, they run about $1 per strip, but the Reli-On ones are less than half that.) If you do decide to go the testing route, please PM me and I will send you all the lancets you will ever need.

[prairiewindmomma]

I would stop with the cheat meals, and I'd monitor from home. I'd monitor several times a day, before and after meals. You can find out online when you should chart. I'd find out what your normal looks like, and then I'd go have a cheat meal and see what happens.

 

Anectdotally, I experience the exact same thing. ;) If I know I'm going to carb up, I try to pair it with a lot of protein. The tortillas alone would not have set me off...only if I had had tortillas, rice, beans, and a big sopapilla or friend icecream.0

[Truscifi]

If you go with buying the meter and home monitoring, price the test strips, not the meter. The strips are the most expensive part of monitoring, and the cost differences can be drastic. Reli on mentioned by pp is, I think, the Walmart brand. Walgreens also has a decent store brand and their strips run around 50 cents per strip - this is what I use. Also, it can be helpful to get the next step up from the base model as it will have a larger memory capacity and can help you track your numbers. This has been very good for me because I am not the best about immediately writing my numbers down in the logbook. Also, mine gives weekly and monthly averages.

[Maus]

I'm married to a diabetic. His three sibs are diabetic, and his dad was a diabetic.

 

My son has reactive hypoglycemia. It looks pretty insane in a child. I've been asked more than once if he was ADHD when he was having an episode. He does fine with carbs as long as they are not eaten alone. He needs protein with each meal or snack.

 

Get (or do) an A1c. It gives a better overall picture than single tests.

 

When you monitor, monitor both fasting and two hours after eating ("postprandial".) Diabetics are "supposed" to have bad numbers in both places, according to the information general practioners have been trained with, but it isn't really so. A small but significant number have problems with one number, but not the other. DH, for instance, has nearly normal (or even too low) numbers fasting, but bad numbers postprandial. (I think you are supposed to be about 75-90 fasting and I know it's 110-140 postprandial.)

 

And, yep, the glucometer manufacturers get you on the strips. Many will even give you the monitors for free through doctors/diabetes counselors, etc. They know they've got a monthly customer who must buy only their brand of strips.

[FaithManor]

My ds has an inherited condition that is somewhat unspecified...a bit of a stumper for the docs, that causes him to have reactive hypoglycemia without diabetes. My paternal aunt has it, my sister has it, and my cousin has it as well so there is a genetic component. None of them are diabetic; my aunt is 72 so it is definitely not the normal hypoglycemia that tends to turn into type 2 later on. Her son has had this since he was 13 and he is now 41, A1c's never come back with a "high" reading.

 

So, when ds developed it, it was disheartening since no endo has ever been able to get a handle on what causes it or how to treat it effectively. I'm sorry to report that we "just" manage it with a strict, strict diet.

 

Protein and fat, regular intervals, and just about ZERO grains. We've found that grains with ds make the whole thing far worse than sugar ever could. But, he does not test positive for celiac nor does he have IBS problems. My sister does have IBS, but my aunt and her son do not so we can't see the gut connection. However, the endo does suspect that it is not an insulin problem as it is a metabolic problem caused by a gut reaction to the grains and it just doesn't present itself in the standard way. My aunt, cousin, and ds are very underweight. My sister was the only one overweight and with the help of a high protein, good fat, lots of fiberous veggies but almost zero fruit and no grains diet, she's shed nearly 75 lbs. in 8 months. She is almost at her target weight which will be very healthy.

 

So, while my family's case is rare, I did want to throw that out there so if your A1C's come back "normal" and an endo does not find thyroid to be an issue (though I still wonder if those tests are producing false negatives and my ds and family members might actually have thyroid issues), then you might have the "weird" case of gut issues that don't trigger the regular tests.

 

Ds has managed to gain 6 lbs. since November and it's been slow going. He recently got very lax about his diet and I've been super busy and was not as vigilant as I should have been (which I feel awful about) and ds got dizzy and blacked out (didn't lose hearing, just 100% tunnel vision, then blackness, then tunnel vision again) two days ago. I have felt like a bad mamma since then. He's also looking very pale again. Therefore, he is on an absolutely, positively not a single "grain" of grain diet plus cheese and nuts every two hours, no berries, (his favorite, but we need to keep the fructose down until we get a handle on it again), no cherries, etc. just citrus and green apples, lots of homemade yogurt from whole milk, meat at every meal, green veggies and red peppers but no carrots or squash, and butter/cashew butter/ or cocounut oil on EVERYTHING! He's feeling very stuffed because he's back on a mandatory minimum 3500 calories per day and this kid is not a big eater so he feels like I'm gorging him. But, his big thing is a total love of mexican. Since I don't want him to have the tortillas, I make salad and stick seasoned chicken and beef on it with enchilada sauce drizzled on top and dolloped heavily with cheddar cheese and sour cream. He is willing to eat big piles of that.

 

The other thing that I make him which really evens out his metabolism is bay scallops and shrimp scampi. I saute bay scallops and salad shrimp in butter, lemon juice, and garlic along with mushrooms, red peppers, leeks, water chestnuts, finely shredded cabbage, and celery. It's not a cheap meal to make, but at this point the money is a non-issue; we just need to keep him healthy. He will eat this by the bucket full and I always make a lot so there are leftovers for him to reach for. If you like seafood, try making a WHOLE bunch of this and then eat on it regularly through a three day period. It really seems to be a good combination for ds.

 

Faith

[Greta]

Thank you all so very much for the help! :grouphug: I did buy a glucose monitor, testing strips, and the A1c test kit at Wal-mart today. They were a fraction of what one doctor's visit would cost me, so I think it was a good investment. (Though if the numbers look "off" then I will go ahead and see my doc.)

 

I probably should have bought more of the strips, though. I got the smallest box, and it sounds like I'm going to need to test more often than I realized. Maybe I'll go back and exchange it for the bigger box.

 

Faith, thank you so much for sharing that specific information about which foods help and hurt your son. I had no idea about shellfish, or about citrus and green apples being better than berries! Interesting stuff.

 

Thanks everyone, I'm going to re-read all the replies, and do lots of reading online as well.

 

:001_smile:

[Greta]

I'm not sure how much data one needs to get a clear picture, but I tested my blood sugar twice today, and here's what I got:

 

Fasting: 106

 

Two-hours after a meal: 132

 

Those numbers are both higher than I would have thought. But are they high enough to be of concern? It doesn't look like reactive hypoglycemia after all with numbers that high, right? If that were the case, the 2-hr post-prandial number should be quite low, correct?

[ChristusG]

I'm new to this whole diabetic thing ( diagnosed with gestational diabetes last week), but yes, those numbers are high. I'd want to talk with a doctor.

[Greta]

I'm new to this whole diabetic thing ( diagnosed with gestational diabetes last week), but yes, those numbers are high. I'd want to talk with a doctor.

 

I was afraid of that. :( Looks like, from what I've read online, the fasting number is considered "pre-diabetic" and the post-prandial number would be also in other countries, but the ADA has weird standards, so it's just under their cut-off.

 

I am so sorry to hear about your gestational diabetes! :grouphug: My best friend had that with all three of her pregnancies, but she was very careful and took good care of herself and she has three lovely, healthy daughters. I'm sure all will be well, but you will be in my prayers.

[Pink Fairy]

Yes, the fasting is high. :( Great that you are catching it early, though, so hopefully you can avoid it developing into full blown diabetes.