I actually have a good portion of sugar through fruit in the morning. My carbs are evened out in a steady level with every meal. What is your diet like? What is your current intake level of carbohydrates?

Stan,

i eat about 40 to 50 carbs a day. I know that's low but my symptoms are pretty bad right now. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 10 years ago and I went on a strict diet to control it and I got much better and thought I could go back to my old habits (wrong!).

As I feel better, i'll add more carbs. Some carbs are easier for me to tolerate and some I have to stay completely away from. I guess everyone is different in what effects them. When my symptoms are better I can spread out my carbs and I feel fine. Late afternoon is my problem time...I feel terrible, but if I eat something with a small amount of carbs, I feel much better.

I totally agree with your advice on a good diet for hypoglycemics. Brewers yeast is a great supplement and eating every few hours is critical. It's so nice of you to take the time to patiently explain what to do to feel better. People really need the help. I was so confused at first. Keep up the good work!

Dj

Wow, you're doing good on only 40-50g of carbs? That's pretty impressive, I heard everywhere you should never drop below 60 if you're hypoglycemic, but again, everyone is different in the end. Have you tried squash? Where are most of your carbohydrates coming from? What's your current fat and protein intake?

Hi stan,

yes, I know that my carbs are low. Primarily I get the carbs from vegetables, some unsweetened lowfat yogurt, and a few berries. I intend to increase them once my blood sugar is under control. I haven't tried squash but I will once I up my carbs. I hear yams are a good carb too. I stay away from anything with added sugar, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice etc.

I'm sure my fat intake is rather high...Probably over 100 because I eat quite a bit of meat, eggs and nuts. The yogurt and cheese that I eat are usually low fat. I don't know exactly how much protein I eat but i'm sure that's high too. I will eat less protein once I can increase the carbs.

What kind of symptoms did you have that let you know you were hypoglycemic? I used to have dizziness and now I have heart palpitation. Isn't it strange how symptoms change with the same condition. I used to have really bad reactions to low blood sugar....An adrenaline feeling....Fast heartbeat, a pressure in my head, sweating, shaking, just horrible.

Since i've been following this diet I have so much more energy and I don't need as much sleep! It's amazing. Thanks for any input.

Dj

Hello diana,

has ur hypo been so bad that it wakes u up at night? If so, what did u eat during the night to relieve this?

Hi,

yes, I have had hypoglycemia wake me in the middle of the night. It's very disturbing. Out of a sound sleep my heart starts racing and it's difficult to breathe.... Almost like a panic attack. I usually eat an egg, meat or even some almonds. It takes a while for my blood sugar to raise but it's better than eating something with carbs, feeling better in a short time, only to crash again in a few hours. It starts a rollercoaster effect with your blood sugar. The key is to keep it as stable as possible to avoid the highs and lows.

I think it's important to eat something before you go to sleep. Even if i'm not hungry, i'll eat some protein. I've tried warm milk and that really sets me off! I guess too much lactose (milk sugar).

Hope you'll feel better soon.

Dj

Yeah, most people don't know it but milk products are bad news for hypoglycemics because they essentially contain a simple sugar. Lactoes isn't purely a simple sugar, but once your body digests it it turns into glucose too quickly. Have you tried drinking a glass of soy milk? Have you been drinking it when you have your brewer's yeast? I've read, and from experience can tell you, that it should only be eaten on an empty stomach upon getting up and before going to bed and must always be mixed with some form of calcium be it soy milk, regular milk (if you can handle it) or a calcium tablet, because it has a high phosphorous content that strips some of this out of the body and can easily upset a hypoglycemic's fragile system. I'm never hungry, if you're curious, or just to tell you. Most of the time i'm not hungry at all when I eat, I just do, have to eat by the clock, otherwise I get sleepy (used to get depressed and a bunch of other things, so i'll go with this for now!). Jenny, you might need to almost eat another small meal considering your current treatment. I suggest having an egg, some nuts (no peanuts or cashews), some lettuce, a tablespoon of olive oil and a small piece of meat (the last can be avoided, but if you wish, go ahead). Try that. I always found early on that large meals (before I knew what to eat) would make me feel better. Sometimes even drinking water did the trick, but regardless I noticed putting something in there had an effect, so considering your current symptoms this additional small meal may make you quite relaxed. Eat the olive oil, nuts and meat/egg before the lettuce.

I have recently been diagnosed with hypoglycemia; in the process of seeing my endocrinologist and a dietician. I now know that caffeine (something I love) must be avoided because it sets off my adrenal gland and I get horrifying tremors, heart palpitations and now, panic attacks because of it. My question is - I enjoy red wine and read that it's okay to drink as long as you eat a carb to level the sugars (ie., wheat pretzels, nuts, etc). Does anyone know the answer?

It's not okay to even try until you're better. Don't go by this diet, please. There is a revised and better version I made of it.

is it hard to diagnose hypoglycemia? I heard it's symptoms can be mistaken for panic attacks??

It's not really hard. All you need to have done is a GTT, possibly A1C to rule out rare forms of diabetes and maybe a liver test too to make sure there aren't any problems there. It's an annoying test, but you'll get the results the day you do it.

According to my 5-hour GTT, I was told I was hypoglycemic (my numbers dropped to 45 after drinking the glucose), but then slowly leveled out. I was symptomatic; trembling, shaking, dizziness and feeling faint. Actually, on a daily basis, I feel like I'm drunk if I don't eat within 2-3 hours. My endocrinologist reviewed everything with me and says I'm not really hypoglycemic. He gave me a glucose monitor and checked the numbers. Most seemed to be at 90 - never higher at the time of symptoms. Based on that he does not feel I have hypoglycemia, but I feel this symptoms every day, all throughout the day, until I eat protein or a good carb. What could I be experiencing or could I be misdiagonsed?