Hypoglycemia Forum - Results of Gtt

Conditions and Diseases > Hypoglycemia Forum > Results of Gtt - Stan, Can You Look?

Q: Results of Gtt - Stan, Can You Look?

asked by: lulu1346 on December 17th, 2007

New User

Hi Stan,

Finally got a 3 hr GTT after begging my gyno. to look at my blood sugar levels due to a suspicion of hypoglycemia. I have a family history of diabetes, but I am thin and healthy (very active) so he didn't think I fit the prototypical model for someone with blood sugar problems or insulin resistance.

My symptoms are mainly severe fluctuations in mood/irritability in reaction to certain foods, shakiness/weakness/dizziness when hungry or after eating a big serving of carbs. When I am hungry, I HAVE to eat or I lose it. I get really depressed from time to time and have notices it correlates with my diet and how well I am controlling my sugar intake.

I have severely changed my diet. I am extremely healthy. I eat plenty of protein but my problem still is in carb craving. I will still indulge in potatoes, chips, bread (whole wheat), etc. I eat carbs but healthy ones. I run a lot and do tons of yoga so I feel that my body NEEDS some carbs or else I will get too thin and too starving!!!!

Anyway, here are my results. He would only do 3 hours...

Fasting....85
1 HR.......72
2 HR.......59
3 HR.......75

Notice that my sugar never went up!! This was after a 75g sugar load and fasting for 12 hours. He just said that it is not considered a disease state of hypoglycemia but that my body just eliminates sugars too quickly. I KNOW that there must be something more to this. Do you think I am hypoglycemic? Aren't your sugars supposed to rise after the drink??

Please help...I'm confused. I've tried your diet but I find it too difficult with my active lifestyle. Do you think I need to cut back on exercise?

Replies(6)

lulu1346

replied on December 18th, 2007

New User

any feedback would be great...anyone have gtt results like this where numbers never go up???

Stan

replied on December 20th, 2007

Moderator

Did you read my new diet? It seems everyone goes to the old one. Those results are quite clearly displaying a problem, especially because you never go above fasting level at any point, at least not that they showed. In a normal response, it shoots up, and then goes back down a little below fasting and then levels out. I wish they went another hour at least, that's a little annoying. At this point, it may be good for you to get a glucometer to track your sugar when you feel like crap and to see what happens when you wake up, 30 min after eating, 1 hr after eating and so forth. If you can handle healthy carbs, that's perfectly fine, but many people are amazed to see how quickly your body adapts to eating a lower carbohydrate diet and how much weight you don't lose in some cases. Read my new diet and let me know if you have any questions, it's stickied on this forum part. But yes, there is clearly a glucose problem, at least your doctor was willing to give the test, many are quite reluctant and simply won't order it.

lulu1346

replied on December 21st, 2007

New User

Thx...

I did read the new diet. Usually the point after breakfast for me is the worst (like 10am)...seems no matter what I eat I crash at that point. Lately I have been eating 2 eggs w/ cheese and a sprouted grain piece of toast. Sometimes I have oatmeal with almonds and milk. I try to snack on cheese, nuts, things like that. I feel a world of difference when I eat this way but still have frequent crashes.

Lately I have noticed that I am crashing around 4am...waking up in a cold sweat, nightmares, etc. Then my blood sugar seems to level out. I do have a glucometer and check when I feel bad. Usually in the a.m. when I wake up it's around 72-75. It rarely reads above 90 ever. But once I felt shaky after drinking a glass of wine and it was 170 or something...so it seems all over the place. My grandmother is diabetic and had the same symptoms (hypoglycemia) before it turned into Type 1 at the age of 27. I am 29.

Seems that a big part of it is genetic for me. But I know I need to stick to the diet. Finally I have been able to give up munching on chips/popcorn/crackers/etc.

Do you know anything about hypoglycemia and pregnancy? I am planning to get pregnant soon. I've heard sometimes it switches into higher glucose levels...

Thanks for all of your advice. I appreciate it.

lulu1346

replied on December 21st, 2007

New User

One More Thing..

Stan, what are your thoughts on caffeine? Is decaf OK or should caffeine be 100% avoided?

Stan

replied on December 21st, 2007

Moderator

I unfortunately don't know anything about hypoglycemia and pregnancy, though I would say getting pregnant while feeling like garbage is probably not a good idea. Using a glucometer, that I finally have now, I find the same interesting information as well, it seems when I feel bad my glucose is reading normal, and it's been good thus far in the morning. Going over 90 is not bad actually, that would be considered a good thing. The only glucose test that showed something goofy was the GTT, so I'm not sure what happens when we're eating well, but something's going on. The one thing I always stress is that when you start the diet, especially after you may have been eating crap for a long time, don't expect to feel better immediately, it can take MONTHS. Read that again. What you can expect is to hate life while on this diet for awhile, unfortunately. It gets better in time, and you'll eventually feel really good. Caffeine is a big no no no. If you feel it seems okay, then go ahead, but the response in the body from it causes your glucose to rise, which then becomes a drop for us. I found that out the hard way one day when I thought that green tea didn't have any. Boy was I wrong. Decaf, as most people actually don't know, is not good either, there's still caffeine. It's funny because that's quite an improper usage of English, I'm not sure where it started. The prefix 'de' means without. But decaf still contains caffeine. What?

Stan

replied on December 22nd, 2007

Moderator

Hmmm, you know, thinking more about glucose readings, I don't think the levels you get are as important as correlating symptoms with them. I forgot that a normal person will experience a rise in glucose to usually around 120-140 after eating breakfast. Mine only raises a few points and never seems to go above 100. By the set standards, this is normal, but if not being caused by sugar, something weird is happening in there.

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