Hypoglycemia Or Not

Yes, there are five types. Functional or fasting, which is when you have a low because you don't eat enough, easily resolved through eating regularly. Then there's reactive, where the body reacts to what you put in it. Followed by biological, which is rare, but the pancreas secretes too much insulin. You'd know very early on if you had this. The other type I forget the title for, but it's caused by tumors on the pancreas. Also rare. This would be a continuous sensation not resolved by eating. You most likely have reactive, basically your body adapts to you eating too much sugar/simple carbohydrates over time and sets into action an overproduction of insulin. You probably had symptoms of it before you had full blown anxiousness and such, but maybe didn't realize it. Think back. Unexplained fainting spells, need to take constant naps, etc. You'd be surprised if you think back. If you go to any doctor and they claim you have anxiety, immediately stop seeing them and find another. It's possible to search you area for a doctor who possible specializes or is at least familiar with hypoglycemia. The diet thing is really tough because everyone is different. High protein low carbohydrate works usually all the time, but you have to find the level proper for you. You should try to only get about 60-100g of carbohydrates per day. Also, regular meals are highly recommended, starting at one every two hours. Remember, keep meals small. Basically, separate what you would eat for three to four meals into 6-8 meals. You may be able to go 2 1/2 hours without eating or even 3 at first, find what works for you. Avoid grains for now and all types of white bread products. Eat nothing processed and try to have only organic food if possible. Do not drink anything with caffeine or artificial sweeteners (eat either). Try to eat around 100g of protein per day, perhaps more, making certain to eat a lot of fat with it. I, for example, currently have one tablespoon of olive oil with every meal, equally out to around 120g of fat per day with everything else. You won't gain weight, trust me, the increased fat is to slow down digestion and to give you slower sugar rises. For fruit, eat only berries at first, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. A rotation diet is also recommended. Basically, you don't eat the same thing for four days and rotate every four days. This way you can easily tell which foods seem to cause more of a reaction than others. Drink a lot of water and no juice whatsoever. Avoid beans. Let me know if you have any questions. It's good to count carbohydrates, you'd be surprised how much there is in certain foods. About the tests. The importance for hypoglycemia is not always how far the sugar drops, but how far how fast. Yours dropped quickly, so it's pretty obvious you have it.

Thanks for the reply. I know I have had this for years but wasn't diagnosed. I was always told it was anxiety. I am not saying it hasn't caused anxiety, it has. Since I thought it was anxiety I have been taking supplements such as sam e, 5htp, and gaba. I did not want to take the prescription stuff. I hope to stop taking these when I get this figured out. I have tried to watch what I eat and I eat 6-8 times per day as you also suggested. I only eat stone ground or whole grains, fruits, vegetables and proteins. I do eat low carb protein bars because it is easier to manage. I do eat splenda, is this bad? It seems highly recommended. It has been very difficult to find a doctor who understands what I have been going through. I have considered a nutritionist but I am not sure they would understand this either. Sometimes my symptoms are quite abnormal when I 2 hrs. Is up. I have trouble processing what I say and make strange noises and I am quite jumpy. My kids say "dad is putting on his show." they find it quite humorous. I am wondering where you found the info about the diet. You brought up some things I have not read on the net. One last thing, wht is "biological" hypoglycemia?
Thanks

It's not anxiety, and it doesn't "cause" it per say. Here's where the anxiety comes from. When the sugar starts to drop too low, the brain panics because it's only source of fuel is glucose. It can use ketones, but it takes awhile for this to kick in and you'll only feel sluggish and such. So, when the brain sense the drop, it causes a rush of adrenalin because it wants to get you to eat. Of course, if you're not aware of it, it may seem like anxiety because if you think about something that upsets you, it will, due to the hormones flying about. Also, after awhile, the brain starts to shut parts of itself off intermittently to keep everything stable. It has to keep the most important features running, so something like the neocortex, which is primarily for social skills, is not entirely necessary, so it diverts the sugar from there and you can get depressed, feel violent, have impulsive thoughts, you name it. Do not eat low carb protein bars, I do not suggest them. There are probably a ton of bad additives in there that your body has to work to get out of the system, thus causing more trouble for you. You can get all the protein you need from one single thing, an egg. If you want a good snack, have some hardboiled eggs handy. Splenda is terrible. "made from sugar" is a bunch of crap. There was a good article about this in discover magazine several months ago. Basically, to make splenda they have to replace a sugar molecule with one of chlorine. Of course, it's a very minute amount, but who wants to eat chlorine? Finding a doctor is hard. My family doctor back where my parents live is the only one I go to. He's familiar with my history and hypoglycemia so I couldn't be luckier. I don't suggest a nutritionist because they usually don't accept insurance and really only can give you what you probably already know. However, if you feel you're not getting a grasp of what you need to do, they can help and are usually pretty good at doing it i've heard, though i've never had to see one. Expect to go through phases, you won't get better all at once. First, it made it terribly worse, unless you've already passed this. Second, you'll suddenly feel great one day and then will experience sometimes violent mood/mental changes for a few weeks (up to 5 or 6, maybe more for some people depending on what they ate before the new diet). Then, they slowly start to get less and less intense, and eventually you even out, but yet don't feel totally well. You might get odd thoughts or sensations, but they don't cause the same problems and don't seem to bother you at all anymore. This is the third stage. After a few more weeks, you should be back to normal and then you can attempt to adjust the diet in terms of what you eat and how many times you eat. I've found the info through tons of different sites and books. The best one I can recommend is "hypoglycemia: the disease your doctor won't treat." excellent read and tons of good info. Biological is just what I call it I guess, i've heard some people inherit it and just have a pancreas that naturally secretes insulin too much, not in reaction to what they have eaten. It's very rare though.

It has been helpful just having someone who understands and believes what I have been going through. Thanks. I changed my diet probably 9-10 months ago and have experienced worse symptoms since then. It is likely because the condition itself has gotten worse. I may not have mentioned but I am taking a supplement that has gymnema and other herbs. It has certainly lowered my peak levels but I still have the symptomatic problems as noted previously. I will get the book mentioned and let you know what I am still doing wrong. I hate to give up the low carb bars because they are so convenient. Hopefully I can find convenient alternatives. Thanks again

There are plenty of alternatives. You may find it easier, though it might not sound like it at first, to make your meals the night prior, put them in the fridge, and carry around a bag with meals in it for you. That's what I do. Or put them in a cooler in the car or something. Let me know what you eat from day to day and i'll tell you what to fix. Please list ingredients of the protein bars or what not and the herbs you have been taking.