Hypoglycemia Forum - doctor for hypoglycemic symptoms ?

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Q: doctor for hypoglycemic symptoms ?

asked by: sd24801 on October 23rd, 2008

New User

About 2 years ago I started getting really shaky and weak and would need to eat to feel better. I didn't know what was wrong and would eat candy bars and feel better and then feel much worse. I would get shaky, then feel like my ears were getting closed off, get dizzy, and then things would start to go white. I also get unusually angry at things. I passed out a few times and then went to a g.p. He checked my thyroid as hyperthyroidism runs in my family and said it was in the normal range.

I then went to an endocrinologist. They ran a urine test and a whole bunch of blood tests and I kept coming back normal. Then I fasted for a day and got some hormone injection and they took several vials of blood and saw that my sugar tanked. He said that it appeared that I had hypoglycemia but didn't know what it was caused by. He started asking me personal questions and I told him that I was stressed out as a retail manager and had just found out my fiance had cheated on me and called our wedding off. He thought I had stress aggravated hypoglycemia and wanted to prescribe me lexapro. I didn't want to take it and he said to avoid eating sugar and to keep coming in for more tests. I never went back that month and then I changed jobs and had no insurance for awhile and just never went back. I started eating less sugar and felt a little better and got my life back in order but kept having the attacks daily. I also realized that when I was a little kid I would always get cranky if I didn't eat and had been hospitalized several holidays for throwing up and dehydration. I don't know if that was due to the holiday sugary sweets or what the deal was.

I am now not stressed at all but feel much worse. It was bad the last two years but now I am always mentally drained at work, have a hard time getting up in the morning, have the shaky feeling like you are going to pass out dizzy feeling several times a day and get angry during the bouts. The only thing that makes me feel better is eating. I am also about 50 lbs underweight for my height and I eat a lot. It would make sense to me that I have the hyperthyroid based on my weight, symptoms, and family history but I am always in the high side of the normal range. I really don't want to feel crappy all day every day and don't know if I should see the endocrinologist again or see a regular doctor. I can't get into the endo I was going to until December as his schedule is full. What would you all do? The endo a few years ago was going to keep running more tests but I am not sure what else they would be for. I am just wondering what type of doctor I should go see and how you really know if your doctor is good or not...

Replies(5)

wkares

replied on October 25th, 2008

New User

Hypoglycemia

I was once diagnosed as such. hypoglycemic. The very odd thing was by a allergy specialist. As soon as all the symptoms bottomed out; I felt like an addict on withdrawal from drugs. I was miserable 24/7. Very weak, sleepy, grouchy, you name it I had it. Very emotional. Only doctor results were putting me on a strict diet. He gave me a list of foods I could eat and a list of foods to avoid. To top it off, I had severe allergies which added to the misery. Not over weight, non smoker, non drinker. But I was still miserable. I never felt full, always hungry. The more I ate, the sicker I felt. When I did start the diet procedure. I felt even worse for about 2 weeks. I litterly was starving to death. Then as each day proceeded, I felt like a newborn starting over. I started to feel 100% again, but without my normal food I loved. It was completely a no sugar, no caffiene, nothing cooked on top/stove; only with safflower oil (not sunflower). NO CHOCOLATE. No reg. milk---only skim milk. Meat baked in oven. Boiled items also. Absolutely nothing fried (with reg. grease). NO FLOUR. If I fixed gravy, it would be with water. okra/squash boiled/baked/or cooked with just safflower oil, no flour. Only thing I drank was milk, water, grapefruit juice. I cut back on all portions of everything. (saucer size plate)The main ingrediate to the entire diet was FRESH FRUIT. No, not canned but fresh. The main challenge was watching everyone around you eat what they wanted; right in front off you; and you couldn't have it.----EAT PLENTY OF VEGIES------If you stick to this diet you will feel better in no time. At the beginning it will be hard. I know you can do it.(Nothing spicy or hot/spicy---NOTHING) NO ONIONS/GARLIC PRODUCTS...If you smoke, QUIT. EAT EVERY 3 to 4 HOURS. GOD BLESS YOU!

Konnor

replied on October 25th, 2008

New User

Search on the web for a hypo diet and get on it as soon as you can.

There is one on this forum that is fairly strict, but should do the business. It's working well for me.

http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic119108 .html

It might also be worth buying a blood sugar monitor and seeing what going on throughout the day.

Your weight should stabilise on the diet as you will need to eat every 2-4 hours. Like you I have a monster appitite and fast metabolism, which fortunately isn't so ravenous now I'm on the diet. My weight is stable with a 3000 calorie a day diet, which isn't too much more than the average male should be consuming. My hope is that once my energy returns and my tolerance of carbs improves I can up this to start putting on some weight at the gym.

If like me you have been eating alot of sugar and crap for a number of years then this may contribute towards a fast metabolism. I would only be speculating though.

Good luck!

sd24801

replied on October 25th, 2008

New User

Thank you both for the reply and advice. When you say you eat every 2-4 hours are you eating a whole meal, snack, etc? I see what foods are included on the diets but I wasn't sure what portions you are supposed to eat at a time.

I used to eat a lot of sugar and crappy foods but the last 2 years I have been pretty good about no sugar. I do eat a lot of white bread, pizza, pasta, and potatoes though and I assume those things are bad for me.

My endo was able to bump me up to Nov 14th so I'll let him finish running his other tests and see what they come up with.

I have also never used a personal blood sugar monitor. Does that just tell you what types of foods make you in particular tank afterwards so you know to avoid them? Also, how does it work? Does it prick your finger or is it a urine thing?

Also, if you do these diets will you ever be able to eat carby foods again or are you stuck on it forever?

Thx!

Shawn

Konnor5092

replied on October 26th, 2008

New User

It's sort of a small meal every 2-4 hours.

For example I would eat

- a tomato
- an avocado
- 1/4 of a full cucumber
- half a tin of chickpeas
- seasoning

Which would be around 400 calories in 1 sitting.

All those foods you mentioned are very bad. White bread is perhaps the worst food for a hypoglycemic. Pizza and white pasta are likely to contain the same fast acting properties. Potatoes are a healthy food, they just cause a rise in blood sugar and therefore should be avoided.

As time goes on you may be able to tolerate some occasional sources of fast acting carbs. I've heard from people at both ends of the spectrum, those that now have no GI issues to those that need to maintain a strict diet indefinately. What's probably a dead cert is that you won't be able to consistently eat the stuff you used to. Occasionally, perhaps

However there will be a mental shift in your perceptions over time and even if you think now you can't live without certain foods, you may evolve to a point where you just dont' want to eat any bad stuff. For me personally I used to load foods with sauces, as well as the hidden sugar. Now that has been removed the natural flavours of foods have been enhanced, and what may seem bland to others its actually quite enjoyable.

The blood glucose monitor is a finger prick. And yes it can be useful for keeping an eye on whats happening for the many 'maybe' foods such as fruits or root vegetables. It will beneficial to have some readings to take to the endocrinologist.

sd24801

replied on October 26th, 2008

New User

I usually start to feel dizzy and brain foggy about every 2-3 hours after eating, so then do you still eat a normal but good breakfast and dinner and just supplement those with that type of small meal you mentioned when you start to feel bad or do you just eat the extra ones regardless every 2-4 hours regardless so that you don't feel bad at all?

This all kind of sounds like the principles in a macrobiotic diet about taking out the bad and replacing with the good, but just more geared to us in the types of food.

Even though I love all types of food, I would love to have the possibility of feeling normal again. It is nice being in this group now. I didn't realize there were so many people that had this and had good effective ways of dealing with it. Some days I just get so pissed when I have to focus at work as I have a high pressure sales job and then everything just starts to get cloudy.

So do you avoid alcohol entirely or just drink in moderation? I usually don't drink beer and just stick to the hard stuff if I am to go out socially with a crowd. Is one or the other worse?

I'll check out the monitor thing. I assume I can get one at walgreens or maybe I'll just check the net.

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