Hi,

i think that hypoglycemia has many causes. Some people are just born with a tendancy towards handling sugar and carbs in a way that causes their pancreas to release too much insulin. Others develop the condition by eating an unhealthy diet of too much sugar etc. Also I feel that hormones can upset the balance in the body and cause hypoglycemia.

I know mine has been much worse since menopause. That causes so many symptoms and one of them is hypoglycemia. I think that a healthy diet can help many health problems, so there is hope.

I hate to sound cynical but I think the reason there has been so much research on diabetes is that there are so many medications that have been developed to control it ($$$) not so with hypoglycemia. I do think it can lead to diabetes in many people, but if you're careful you can keep that from happening.

Being overweight can be a result of hypoglycemia because the body handles carb and sugar differently. I know I have a tendancy to overeat to keep my blood sugar up which cause weight gain also so I have to be very careful. It's not easy.

Hope this helps.

Dj

Thanks diana,
i was just wondering if many of you were overweight when first diagnosed, like I was. I was not obese, but had about 40 extra pounds on me. My mom has had type 2 diabetes for 1992, I only recall her having one low blood sugar drop in all this time. I have cousins who have type 2 also, they never suffer or have suffered from hypoglycemia. If you google hypoglycemia, it seems to be a topic for type I diabetes mostly. I also wonder if not having a gall bladder would bring this on (low blood sugar) and, has anyone taken xenical on this list? Would xenical effect insulin levels, it is not supposed to go through your blood stream.
Teresa

I would say being overweight is only a possible symptom, but not a cause of hypoglycemia. If you're eating a diet that causes you to be overweight, likely it's doing more harm to your body than just making you overweight. When I say symptom, I mean that it's possible that though you may not be eating a lot, you're retaining weight, it happens to some people. But i'm talking only a minor amount, not anything ridiculous or something. Maybe 10-20 pounds overweight or so. Generally though, if you're eating bad and gaining weight, that's not going to be the only problem you're going to have.

Hi stan,
well I am abt 18-20 pounds over weight right now. I was 40 pounds over weight when diagnosed in dec 2004. I have followed my diet to a t since 17 or 18 days ago when I had my last bad crash. I have to admit, I was eating some fast food and sweets prior to the crash. I know I should not go off my diet but it is temping at times and I have kids that like their sweets around. In the 17 days since I started back up on the diet I have lost about 5 or 6 pounds. I still though have some symtoms, such as I start to sweat, get in bad moods, irritable and just tired. I usually eat some almonds fast and I feel better. I have never had the git test before. I check my suagr through a gloucose meter. I also suffer from sinus and allergy problems, and it´s worse when the climate is humid.
Do any of you on this list have a family history of diabetes in the family? People keep asking me if I am going to have this forever or will it go away. I tell them I really do not know.
Teresa
also from va

It will go away, but only if you stick with your diet for long enough. If you don't, you'll continue to have problems. You should stick with it for at least four months before experimenting, and when you do it should be in very small amounts at first. Both sides of my family have a history of blood sugar problems and my grandfather had hypoglycemia.

I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia when I was 17. I was not overweight and I was quite athletic. I believe my family history (my father had diabetes) and my consumption of large amounts of sugar contributed to my hypoglycemia.

Through diet and exercise I had been able to function normally for about 13 years. However, I too started to "cheat" by eating sugar and starchy foods, as well as, artificial sweetners. As a result, my symptoms came back in more debilitating and frightening ways. Imo, believe diet and exercise is the best way to go for this.

Without a doubt, right on the nose. Exercise is just as important as the diet.

I just have a few questions. I was diagnosed with Hypoglycemia in January of this year, only a couple months ago, and I really don't know all that I want to about it.. Is it permanent? Like, am I always going to have to carry something around with me to snack on every 3 hours or so? And also, I seem to always be anxious and nervous, and after most meals I get really "zoney". I can't concentrate for the life of me, and sometimes it kinda freaks me out. Is there anything I can do to stop the zoning and anxiety? Also, I have trouble sleeping because of the anxiety. Is there anything I can do to help myself sleep better?

The most important thing is getting your diet in check. Check my diet on this forum. The thread is called 'Hypoglycemia Rules and Diet.' Start there.

I was officially diagnosed when I was 23, though I belive I've been hypoglycemic since childhood. Even as a child I became dizzy when standing and became severely sick from any kind of sweets. I have never liked (because they always made me sick) sweets. Even as a kid I would rather eat eggs than cinnamon toast crunch. So why does everything I read tell me that hypoglycemia occurs because of eating too much sugar? I don't eat it and still my blood sugar is low and I feel tense, dizzy, and have tension headaches on a daily basis. My dr.'s have casually brushed off my concerns by saying that I really must just be eating too much junk food and sweets and not admitting it. This is not true and becoming very frustrating. I have to admit, however that in college, when I exercised 35-60 minutes a day I felt better than I ever had and felt little effects. After marrying, becoming pregnant, and finding little time for exercise, I have gained 60 lbs (no diet change) and feel the effects worse than ever.