Can someone talk to me about hypoglycemia and Type 2?

[meggie]

Is it true that hypoglycemia can be one of the signs that you are developing type 2 diabetes?

 

Back story: A few months ago, I found out my older brother was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Then last week I found out my sister also is pre-diabetic. If they are pre-diabetic then my younger brother probably is as well, if not full blown diabetic. Type 2 runs rampant in my father's side of the family. This worries me a great deal; I am so afraid of getting it as well.

 

All three of those siblings drink a ton of soda and junk food. I don't. I think I've maybe had it twice this year and we'll have homemade cream sodas at Christmas and Thanksgiving. We are trying to eat healthier, we do pretty well with healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. I would say about 80% of the time, they are healthy. We do green smoothies about 3-4 times a week. Our biggest problem is our sugar cravings. After the kids have gone to bed, it's not unusual for us to have ice cream or chocolate.

 

The reason I'm so concerned is because I've noticed that sometimes I get the shakes a few hours after eating. But it really depends on what it is I ate. For example, after eating pancakes and HFCS for breakfast, about four hours later I had the shakes. And one day I was having a super hard day, so we ate Pop Tarts for lunch. 5 hours later I had the shakes. Obviously the trend is lots of carbs and sugar causes a crash. I don't know if this makes me hypoglycemic. I don't know if this puts me on the path to developing diabetes. Going to the doctor is not an option. Would changing my diet and exercising be enough to switch this around? Can I buy a glucometer OTC? If I can, should I try to monitor my blood sugar levels? How would I know what was normal or not? Thank you.

[melissel]

:bigear:

 

I've been experiencing the same--not often, but often enough for me to notice it. I've been thinking about getting a glucose monitor to check my sugars. Jean in Newcastle recently posted about how she came to start monitoring her blood sugar and how much it's helped her. I don't have time to find the thread right now, but I've been meaning to look for it myself. I'll find it later if I can, and if someone hasn't already.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

hmmmmm I have type2 and am on 2 different insulins....I didn't have any pre-warnings before being dx with full blown diabetes.....sometimes I"ll have low low levels if I haven't eaten enough carbs or taken too much insulin or have gone too long between meals....not sure if just low blood sugars are a sign of diabetes.....

[mrs.m]

The reason I'm so concerned is because I've noticed that sometimes I get the shakes a few hours after eating. But it really depends on what it is I ate. For example, after eating pancakes and HFCS for breakfast, about four hours later I had the shakes. And one day I was having a super hard day, so we ate Pop Tarts for lunch. 5 hours later I had the shakes. Obviously the trend is lots of carbs and sugar causes a crash. I don't know if this makes me hypoglycemic. I don't know if this puts me on the path to developing diabetes. Going to the doctor is not an option. Would changing my diet and exercising be enough to switch this around? Can I buy a glucometer OTC? If I can, should I try to monitor my blood sugar levels? How would I know what was normal or not? Thank you.

 

 

I think this reaction is normal considering what you ate. I would be shakey and starving after a few hours of only Pop Tarts or Pancakes. (no diabetes in my family, my blood sugar is always fine when tested at Dr.) You need a protein to go with that to feel full longer and prevent a sugar crash. Even better to avoid Pop Tarts. (but sometimes you just have to have one! LOL!)

[myfunnybunch]

I need to eat protein for breakfast and have a mid-morning snack or I get shaky whether I've eaten carbs/sugar or not. So does one of my sons.

 

Start simple: Try balancing the carbs with more protein. Eat fewer simple carbs and more complex--ww bread, oatmeal. Less sugar. Eat a healthy snack two hours after a meal instead of going 4 hours between. Try eating fruit or granola in the evening instead of ice cream and chocolate. (Dh loves his late-night snack. He lost weight when he switched to those foods, and tends to forgo the snack more often.) See if that makes a difference. If you're still having a problem, then maybe you need more monitoring and a drastic diet change.

 

Coffee can do a number on your blood sugar too.

 

And making your diet even more healthy and exercising more is always a good idea. :)

 

Cat

[dirty ethel rackham]

What you are describing is Reactive Hypoglycemia. I have been told that it can be a sign of a predisposition to develop type II diabetes later on, but I haven't verified this. I have dealt with reactive hypoglycemia since my teens. What has worked for me is eating a low-glycemic index diet and balancing carbs with fat and protein. I never eat a meal or snack that is high in carbs without balancing it with some fat and protein. A breakfast of pancakes (even whole grain ones) would send me into a blood sugar crash for sure. I could have one pancake if I had some eggs and/or sausage to go with it. I can't eat an apple for a snack without some peanut butter, low-sugar yogurt or cheese. I don't leave the house without a portable protein source (nuts, small piece of cheese, etc.) to make sure that I can prevent a problem if I can't get food in an appropriate amount of time. Pop tarts are just a no-no ... white flour, sugar, no protein or fiber. Look at food to fuel your body. Some foods are just crappy fuel. You could look into getting tested for it, but I would try to treat it with an appropriate diet first. (BTW, even green smoothies can cause a problem - if they have lots of fruit and/or fruit juice without a protein source.)

[meggie]

:bigear:

 

I've been experiencing the same--not often, but often enough for me to notice it. I've been thinking about getting a glucose monitor to check my sugars. Jean in Newcastle recently posted about how she came to start monitoring her blood sugar and how much it's helped her. I don't have time to find the thread right now, but I've been meaning to look for it myself. I'll find it later if I can, and if someone hasn't already.

Oh thank you. I'll try and do a search for it too.

 

I think this reaction is normal considering what you ate. I would be shakey and starving after a few hours of only Pop Tarts or Pancakes. (no diabetes in my family, my blood sugar is always fine when tested at Dr.) You need a protein to go with that to feel full longer and prevent a sugar crash. Even better to avoid Pop Tarts. (but sometimes you just have to have one! LOL!)

Yes, we had gotten rid of all the junk food, but then my DH kept having to go without breakfast so he bought them so he could eat it on the road. The kids and I never ate any, except that one day. My goal is to start making healthy things he can take, but I'm not quite there yet.

I need to eat protein for breakfast and have a mid-morning snack or I get shaky whether I've eaten carbs/sugar or not. So does one of my sons.

 

Start simple: Try balancing the carbs with more protein. Eat fewer simple carbs and more complex--ww bread, oatmeal. Less sugar. Eat a healthy snack two hours after a meal instead of going 4 hours between. Try eating fruit or granola in the evening instead of ice cream and chocolate. (Dh loves his late-night snack. He lost weight when he switched to those foods, and tends to forgo the snack more often.) See if that makes a difference. If you're still having a problem, then maybe you need more monitoring and a drastic diet change.

 

Coffee can do a number on your blood sugar too.

 

And making your diet even more healthy and exercising more is always a good idea. :)

 

Cat

Thank you for all that good advice. We don't drink coffee here, so hooray! Don't have to worry about that. :lol: The pancakes thing was several months ago and I haven't done it since. I heard someone on the boards saying protein and a little healthy fat will help keep you satisfied longer, so I've been trying to incorporate that too by having hard boiled eggs on hand. Even steel cut oats with milk and sugar won't give me that reaction, so I'm not sure if it was just the syrup or what. The pancakes were 100% whole wheat and I've been making 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour bread. I had tried 100% whole wheat, but it wouldn't rise properly in my machine.

 

We'll try the granola trick. We love granola. Thank you for your help.

[linguistmama]

You can buy a glucometer OTC. If I eat poptarts or just pancakes I get shaky sooner than 4-5 hours later. Eating a significant amount of fat and protein with carbs helps me feel good as well as eating at least every 3 hours. For breakfast I usually have 2 pieces of ww toast and 3 eggs (when not pregnant). I need that much protein to help me feel well. Basically, I, for the most part, try to eat what I consider healthy. As much whole food as possible and protein and healthy fats. We limit the junk, although with pregnancy nausea we're falling off the wagon a lot. :tongue_smilie: But I've found that if I eat healthy most of the time I can have high sugar things sometimes and not get shaky. I think a glucometer could be a good investment given your family's history. It can help you see better how different foods, amounts etc affect you. I've never gotten one because with diet changes I feel well.

Edited October 3, 2011 by linguistmama

[meggie]

What you are describing is Reactive Hypoglycemia. I have been told that it can be a sign of a predisposition to develop type II diabetes later on, but I haven't verified this. I have dealt with reactive hypoglycemia since my teens. What has worked for me is eating a low-glycemic index diet and balancing carbs with fat and protein. I never eat a meal or snack that is high in carbs without balancing it with some fat and protein. A breakfast of pancakes (even whole grain ones) would send me into a blood sugar crash for sure. I could have one pancake if I had some eggs and/or sausage to go with it. I can't eat an apple for a snack without some peanut butter, low-sugar yogurt or cheese. I don't leave the house without a portable protein source (nuts, small piece of cheese, etc.) to make sure that I can prevent a problem if I can't get food in an appropriate amount of time. Pop tarts are just a no-no ... white flour, sugar, no protein or fiber. Look at food to fuel your body. Some foods are just crappy fuel. You could look into getting tested for it, but I would try to treat it with an appropriate diet first. (BTW, even green smoothies can cause a problem - if they have lots of fruit and/or fruit juice without a protein source.)

 

Thank you for all that good advice, especially the bolded. I think I will have to plan better as I often forget to eat (DH always asks how that is possible and I really don't know, but it's true) and then by the time I go to look, I'm about to crash. Then by the time I've made something, I have crashed.

 

I will try to look more into the reactive hypoglycemia, I hadn't known there different types. I'm sure I'm already predisposed as I'm overweight and it is so common in my father's side. After hearing about my brother and sister (they're only 29 and 31 for pity's sake!) I am just worried sick. Thank you for your help.

[mrs.m]

Meggie, if you need something quick to grab for a meal, keep some Clif Bars or Luna Bars on hand. They are well balanced and keep me full for a decent amount of time. Not as long as a meal, but I just get hungry in my stomach and not that weird floaty and shaky feeling.

[Lara in Colo]

Hypoglycemia is where your body makes too much insulin.

 

For me, eating sugar actually lowers my blood sugar.

I eat sugar (in any form,) and my body sends out so much insulin, that I actually end up with lower levels than I began with.

 

Like anything else that gets over used, the system wears out.

 

1) the body sort of does a "cry wolf" approach to insulin and ignores it (requiring more and more until it sort of stops listening altogether)

 

2) The insulin making parts wear out from over use.

 

Both of these lead to type 2.

 

I never have high blood sugar. 120 is uncomfortable for me.

 

I actually feel better at lower blood sugar levels (I feel best between 85-105).

 

The "cure" is the same as for diabetics--lower the amount of sugar you eat.

 

I found this the other day and it gives good information: http://hypoglycemia.org/

 

 

Lara

[Cheryl in NM]

Is it true that hypoglycemia can be one of the signs that you are developing type 2 diabetes?

 

Back story: A few months ago, I found out my older brother was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Then last week I found out my sister also is pre-diabetic. If they are pre-diabetic then my younger brother probably is as well, if not full blown diabetic. Type 2 runs rampant in my father's side of the family. This worries me a great deal; I am so afraid of getting it as well.

 

All three of those siblings drink a ton of soda and junk food. I don't. I think I've maybe had it twice this year and we'll have homemade cream sodas at Christmas and Thanksgiving. We are trying to eat healthier, we do pretty well with healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. I would say about 80% of the time, they are healthy. We do green smoothies about 3-4 times a week. Our biggest problem is our sugar cravings. After the kids have gone to bed, it's not unusual for us to have ice cream or chocolate.

 

The reason I'm so concerned is because I've noticed that sometimes I get the shakes a few hours after eating. But it really depends on what it is I ate. For example, after eating pancakes and HFCS for breakfast, about four hours later I had the shakes. And one day I was having a super hard day, so we ate Pop Tarts for lunch. 5 hours later I had the shakes. Obviously the trend is lots of carbs and sugar causes a crash. I don't know if this makes me hypoglycemic. I don't know if this puts me on the path to developing diabetes. Going to the doctor is not an option. Would changing my diet and exercising be enough to switch this around? Can I buy a glucometer OTC? If I can, should I try to monitor my blood sugar levels? How would I know what was normal or not? Thank you.

 

Two things:

 

1. You should be eating every 3-4 hours. Maybe your body just can't handle going 4-5 hours between meals.

 

2. I would be careful of those "pre-diabetic" diagnoses. I was diagnosed 6 years ago. I was told that if I did not drastically change my diet and lifestyle and take medication that I would have full-blown diabetes within 3 years. Guess what?! I didn't do anything recommended and I am safely below all parameters now. I understand you have a family history so that might make it a more plausible diagnosis. I'd just go slow and track your symptoms and what you are eating. It sounds like that's what you are already doing.

[The Girls' Mom]

You can get a monitor OTC...and test strips are much cheaper through Amazon.

 

My dh has it and has been told it is a precursor to diabetes. He starts noticing an impending crash at around 85. By 75 or 65 he feels really bad. By 60 he can't think straight. He has a hard time with breakfast.

[Momof3littles]

You might want to look into insulin resistance and reactive hypoglycemia. I react similarly to what you described.

[meggie]

Hypoglycemia is where your body makes too much insulin.

 

For me, eating sugar actually lowers my blood sugar.

I eat sugar (in any form,) and my body sends out so much insulin, that I actually end up with lower levels than I began with.

 

Like anything else that gets over used, the system wears out.

 

1) the body sort of does a "cry wolf" approach to insulin and ignores it (requiring more and more until it sort of stops listening altogether)

 

2) The insulin making parts wear out from over use.

 

Both of these lead to type 2.

 

I never have high blood sugar. 120 is uncomfortable for me.

 

I actually feel better at lower blood sugar levels (I feel best between 85-105).

 

The "cure" is the same as for diabetics--lower the amount of sugar you eat.

 

I found this the other day and it gives good information: http://hypoglycemia.org/

 

 

Lara

Thank you. I'll check out that website.

 

Two things:

 

1. You should be eating every 3-4 hours. Maybe your body just can't handle going 4-5 hours between meals.

 

2. I would be careful of those "pre-diabetic" diagnoses. I was diagnosed 6 years ago. I was told that if I did not drastically change my diet and lifestyle and take medication that I would have full-blown diabetes within 3 years. Guess what?! I didn't do anything recommended and I am safely below all parameters now. I understand you have a family history so that might make it a more plausible diagnosis. I'd just go slow and track your symptoms and what you are eating. It sounds like that's what you are already doing.

 

1) that's kind of what I thought at first, since during pregnancy it happened much more frequently, so I had to make sure I ate every few hours. Now that I'm not pregnant, I can't tell if it's because of the length of time or what I'm eating. When I eat a healthy, balanced meal, I can go that long. My midwife told me that if I truly had hypoglycemia, I'd only be able to go 3-4 hours, not 5 before getting the shakes.

 

2) And so far as their diagnosis go, I'm not about to comment on whether they should believe it or not, as I don't know what they're numbers were. In either case, I think both of them do need a major overhaul to how they eat, but it's not for me to tell them that. I'm hoping to take care of myself first and then if they ask for advice, have a better idea of what I'm talking about. I am just so worried about eventually getting it myself, that's not how I want to live. I want to prevent it if I can.

 

You can get a monitor OTC...and test strips are much cheaper through Amazon.

 

My dh has it and has been told it is a precursor to diabetes. He starts noticing an impending crash at around 85. By 75 or 65 he feels really bad. By 60 he can't think straight. He has a hard time with breakfast.

Thank you, that is good to know. I found some meters on Walmart.com, but the strips were expensive, so I'll check Amazon out. I'm thinking I don't need to be as gung ho as a real diabetic, but I just want to get a better picture of what is going on.

 

You might want to look into insulin resistance and reactive hypoglycemia. I react similarly to what you described.

I will, thank you.

[Cheryl in NM]

2) And so far as their diagnosis go, I'm not about to comment on whether they should believe it or not, as I don't know what they're numbers were. In either case, I think both of them do need a major overhaul to how they eat, but it's not for me to tell them that. I'm hoping to take care of myself first and then if they ask for advice, have a better idea of what I'm talking about. I am just so worried about eventually getting it myself, that's not how I want to live. I want to prevent it if I can.

.

 

 

I'm sorry, I wasn't suggesting you read anyone the riot act and I wasn't trying to read you the riot act. You seemed to be worried that you shared your family members diagnosis. That's why I shared my story. I wouldn't presume to tell someone something like above without their first asking. ;):)

[ChandlerMom]

Reactive hypoglycemia is considered a risk factor. I wouldn't be as concerned about that as the strong family history. I don't think it's a good idea to get a glucose monitor -- just going to drive yourself crazy with worry. Remember, your blood sugar is designed to vary widely.

 

Instead of a monitor, I'd recommend doing the research as suggested. I'm assuming your Dr does regular fasting glucose blood work (at least every year or so). If you weren't DX with GD during your pregnancy, that's a good sign. The whole thing about GD was that they realized that pregnancy enhanced insulin resistance and folks that failed the testing were more likely to develop Type 2 within 10 years. The test was developed as a way to screen the mom's for future diabetes risk, not for pgc risks.

 

Sounds like you are making positive changes. Adopting some points of a diabetic diet might benefit you -- things like keeping total carbs under control per meal and if you decide on that sweet treat, just make sure to eat it with some protein like cheese. Those things are good for all of us. :)

 

Lastly, if your fasting does start creeping up, consider adding cinnamon to your diet. A coupe studies found it helped reduce the glucose spike. A couple pre-diabetics in my family dropped 9 points on their fasting level after 6 weeks of taking cinnamon (my mom hadn't been under 100 in almost 20 years of testing 4x a year, but with cinnamon she dropped to 92 and is staying there).

 

So, don't panic. Just use this as an opportunity to educate yourself and take better care of yourself and your family. :)

[meggie]

I'm sorry, I wasn't suggesting you read anyone the riot act and I wasn't trying to read you the riot act. You seemed to be worried that you shared your family members diagnosis. That's why I shared my story. I wouldn't presume to tell someone something like above without their first asking. ;):)

Awww ok, gotcha. I'm hoping that this diagnosis will be the kick in the pants that they both need. I am worried about them, but I'm more worried that they won't change.

Reactive hypoglycemia is considered a risk factor. I wouldn't be as concerned about that as the strong family history. I don't think it's a good idea to get a glucose monitor -- just going to drive yourself crazy with worry. Remember, your blood sugar is designed to vary widely.

 

Instead of a monitor, I'd recommend doing the research as suggested. I'm assuming your Dr does regular fasting glucose blood work (at least every year or so). If you weren't DX with GD during your pregnancy, that's a good sign. The whole thing about GD was that they realized that pregnancy enhanced insulin resistance and folks that failed the testing were more likely to develop Type 2 within 10 years. The test was developed as a way to screen the mom's for future diabetes risk, not for pgc risks.

 

Sounds like you are making positive changes. Adopting some points of a diabetic diet might benefit you -- things like keeping total carbs under control per meal and if you decide on that sweet treat, just make sure to eat it with some protein like cheese. Those things are good for all of us. :)

 

Lastly, if your fasting does start creeping up, consider adding cinnamon to your diet. A coupe studies found it helped reduce the glucose spike. A couple pre-diabetics in my family dropped 9 points on their fasting level after 6 weeks of taking cinnamon (my mom hadn't been under 100 in almost 20 years of testing 4x a year, but with cinnamon she dropped to 92 and is staying there).

 

So, don't panic. Just use this as an opportunity to educate yourself and take better care of yourself and your family. :)

 

Thanks, DH thought a meter was unnecessary right now too. We agreed to work on our diet and see if we can get it under better control. I don't have a doctor and haven't done any testing. I had homebirths with my last two pregnancies and the midwives didn't do a glucose test. I passed the glucose test with my oldest.

 

Do you know how much carbs a person should be having a day? And how do you find out how much is in what you're eating? What does a diabetic menu look like? Thank you for your help, I'll try to start using cinnamon.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Do you know how much carbs a person should be having a day? And how do you find out how much is in what you're eating? What does a diabetic menu look like? Thank you for your help, I'll try to start using cinnamon.

 

In your situation, I wouldn't be looking at a diabetic menu, but a reactive hypoglycemia menu. It isn't about counting carbs as much as balancing those carbs with protein. Never eat a carb without protein and maybe some fat. Look at eliminating the white carbs and drastically reducing sugar. Those things will cause the blood sugar to spike which may cause an overreaction of insulin production which then causes a sugar crash.

 

This web page has good information on how to eat. (I am shocked that any good info comes from this source - the health center at my old university, but they did get it from the Mayo Clinic.)

 

Try keeping a food diary for a couple weeks and note how you are faring.

 

Here is a typical day for me ...

 

Breakfast

2 eggs

cup of tea w/ 1/2 tsp of honey and a drop or two of stevia

1 bowl of high fiber/low sugar cereal (24 gms carbs, 5 gms fiber, 4 gms protein)

1/2 cup milk

 

Morning snack

Trader Joe's pomegranate Greek Yogurt (12 gms carbs, 14 gms protein)

 

Lunch

1/2 turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread w/ lettuce and red pepper spread

1 bowl of lentil/vegetable soup

 

Afternoon snack

Apple w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter

 

Dinner

3 oz fish

2 small red potatoes

6 spears asparagus

1 cup salad

 

evening snack

1 babybel light cheese

[Lara in Colo]

Another thing to look at with diet is the gycemic index. You can get a copy at the library. This will tell you which carbs will spike your blood sugar. For instance white potato will, yam will not. This will help you to make a menu that will keep your blood sugar level. And I agree with PP about eating with proteins and fat.

 

Lara