Hypoglycemia

uwdawg07

Does anyone on here suffer with hypoglycemia? I have it quite severe and can get down to a blood sugar reading of 30 during exercise if I don't catch myself dipping in time. I've had this for as long as I can remember. My blood sugar hangs out really low, and testing at random times during the day usually brings me a reading in the 60s or 70s.

If you have it, how have you managed it? What do you eat before exercising, or do you take a quick sugar snack during exercise?

I eat on an exact time schedule and try to avoid refined carbs, but I'm still not stable. Even standing up or going up the stairs can cause such a low that my vision goes out.

Has anyone visited an endocrinologist about it and what did they say? My doctor hasn't been too helpful, and I'm thinking of going to see a specialist, but I'm just wondering if they will tell me anything I don't already know.

Living like this is really stressful and discouraging sometimes. I hate that I can't just go out like other people...my whole life revolves around thinking about what to eat, when to eat, staying on schedule, etc.

sarahrbraun

I would ask for a referral to a specialist. I don't want to scare you, but your story sounded familiar--I saw a medical diagnosis show on the Discovery channel a while back, and this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid_oxidation_disorder was the child's eventual diagnosis. It might be that what you are doing to fix your issues is accidentally making them worse!

Crochetluvr

If this is a recurring thing, I would definitely talk to an endocrinologist. I have had 2 hypoglycemic episodes, but as long as I don't go more than a few hours without food, I am ok. I always keep a snack bar in my purse just in case. Some say you should carry glucose tabs if you are prone to these episodes.

izziebear01

I'm hypoglycemic. It took me a long time to get stabilized. I've had it since I was 14. Don't worry, you're not alone.

I have seen all sorts of doctors for it. I also have 200+ cholesterol and I'm under 25. So I have to be careful.

For me, the key to hypoglycemia was breakfast. If I do not do my morning's right, I'm all thrown off.

Two impt points:

1. If you want to exercise in the morning (I recommend you don't), do it after you eat breakfast. And not right after coffee.

2. High protein meals in the morning. Until you're stable, I'd eat ultra high protein all day. Keep to the calories, but protein's your friend.

Some breakfasts I found work well:
1. 16 oz coffee, 1/4 cup of milk, 2 sweeteners (not sugar!); Danon Light & Fit 80 cal yogurt, 1/4 cup FiberOne Cereal (80 cal one, high fiber, high protein), and 1 hard boiled egg, no yolk. 160 calories ; 28 carbs; 12 g protein

2. 3 egg whites scrambled with 1/4 cup part skim milk Mozzerella cheese, 1 cup spinach, 4 oz diced chicken breast. 340 calories; 10 carbs ; 9 grams of fat ; 47 g protein

3. 2 glass of fat free milk, 1 Danon Light & Fit Yogurt, 1 Apple, 1 Mini Baybel Light by Laughing Cow: 275 calories, 13 carbs, 3 grams fat, 19 g protein

Keep the breakfasts over 10 g protein and under 300 ish calories and you'll be good. If you're unstable and you've been feeling weak, stick to 15 g protein breakfasts, 17-22 ish g protein for lunch. The earlier in the day I eat the protein, the better I feel.

I would not worry about the carbs too much. If you do breakfast right, the rest I find falls into place. In the morning, I'd stay away from heavy bad carbs like: toast, pancakes, waffles, donuts, syrup, etc. Just save budget room for them at dinner!

The more you do you cardiovascular exercise, the more I am able to be stable. At least 3x/week for 30 min each time works best for me. Anyless I can get thrown off.

If you get stuck, 5 smaller meals instead of 3 big meals helps a lot too.

Good luck! I hope this helps! We have to stick together!

kiwilan

My doctor when I was 15 said I had low blood sugar levels and I was nearly fainting in gym class in school. I saw a different doctor a month ago because my shaking was getting a lot worse. So the choice I was to go onto a diet. A low GI diet which focuses on glycemic index on foods. The food you take have are slow releasing foods which makes you feel for longer. She said that when you have something sugary it may push up your blood levels but then come crashing down. So that is what I've been going for the last month. I've been having wholemeal bread, only boiled new potatoes and only pasta with 100% durum wheat. But it has been really good for me. I've hardly had any shaking
I said that I shake during a workout at the gym and she simply said that my body might not favour the high impact exercise at the moment. Which I totally agree with!
If this didn't work then she said I'd have a blood test to see if it was hormonal imbalances, diabetes or a thyroid problem.

VMarkV

For non-diabetics, blood sugar is very stable. Normal fasted is 70-110mg/dL. I suspect improper hydration could be a culprit for giving you a false low blood sugar from exercise since testing equipment relies on blood concentration/volume. Undereating/starvation/anorexia can also result in low blood sugar.

somanyrhoades

I am a nurse, and as a health care professional I seriously recommend that you see an endocrinologist to rule out a serious condition. Most people, if their blood sugar dropped to 30, would be in a coma. You mentioned that you pass out or feel like you are going to frequently, which could result in injury. I would try to get in as soon as possible, figure out what the underlying issue is and treat it accordingly. If it's nothing serious then your doctor or a dietician can give you a diet plan that will help with it, which would probably include eating foods low on the glycemic index. the glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how rapidly carbs are digested and processed by your body. the higher the GI, the quicker it's digested, which means you blood sugar drops quicker. Foods low on the GI are processed slower by the body which keeps your blood sugar more stable. A general rule of thumb-- the more refined a carb is, the higher the GI. eating a sugary snack probably isn't going to help you if it's high on the GI, because it will just make your blood sugar drop further (the influx of sugar causes a release of insulin from the pancreas which drops blood sugar). Try eating things that have a low GI. They keep your blood sugar more stable. And don't forget to make an appointment with an endocrinologist. Hope I explained things well enough and I hope this helped some! Feel free to ask questions about anything you don't understand or I made confusing. Also, here is a website where you can look up the GI for foods.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/index.php

izziebear01

mandalt27 -- I am quite impressed by a 5am workout! I get up early to go to work and I can hardly do that! If mornings are the only time you can work out, do it. If you have to drink coffee beforehand, do it. But with caution. Caffeine wakes you up but also dehydrates you. When you're hypoglycemic and you become dehydrated AND you have not had a high protein breakfaast, it can be a disaster. I cannot imagine doing a 5am workout without large cup of coffee.

So this is what I would do if I were you: I'd drink the coffee. But for how much coffee I drink (i.e. 16 fl oz), I'd drink that much water BEFORE I work out (16 fl oz). I'd also have a yogurt and the 1/4 cup of cereal before the workout. My hypoglycemia's too out of whack to workout before food and water. I've fainted on the elliptical at the gym before. Not a pretty sight!

After my workout, I'd drink another glass or two of water, then continue my day as usual. When I've done early workouts, this works okay for me. It's not great but it's doable. I like going before work but my body does not. Sometimes I just have to listen to my body. It's telling me something I don't know.

So if going early morning works for you with coffee, go for it. But don't be surprised if you run into some headwinds later in the day.

Canderson00

complex carbs and proteins. food item that sustain your blood glucose without making it spike and drop. ie: Nuts and Unrefined whole grains, dense vegetables.

NikkiSixGuns

Yes, and it can be horrible. With help from my doc I was able to get it pretty much under control. I still have episodes when my day doesn't go according to plan.

The key for me is eating regularly. I snack every couple of hours all day long, and my meals are quite light (like 300 calories or less). I get into trouble when I get called into an unexpected meeting that takes 4 or 5 hours and I miss a couple of snacks. But as long as I take care of myself, I'm pretty much good.

If I've been eating regularly, I don't have trouble with my workouts. I also do a 5 a.m. workout before the workday starts, and I do it on an empty stomach. But my condition doesn't seem to be nearly as severe as yours.

I would definitely talk with your doc and see what they recommend.

floridaboater

I have always had blood sugar issues but never knew what it was...I now know that I need to stick to a high protein diet. Nothing else seems to work...give me a white bagel for breakfast and I am back to sleep! Give me an egg white scramble with cheese and I am good to go!

poodlelaise

As a diabetic, I was having problems with hypoglycemia during exercise. Even if I started a workout with a high blood sugar reading, it would drop too low within 20 minutes. My endocrynologist recommended drinking gatoraid instead of water during the workout. I either use a small bottle of the regular, or a large bottle of the low calorie version. Either way is around 45 calories, and 12 -15 carbs. It totally does the trick for me.

LoveMyLife_NYC

First of all, I would definitely see a specialist or nutritionist. Low blood sugar is dangerous, especially if there is no one else around you when you are exercising.

I have hypoglycemia too, though not that bad. I eat high protein snacks all day, so like 6 mini-meals work better than 3 large meals. And if you're going to eat something with sugar (like a piece of fruit) always pair it with a protein source (even just a piece of cheese).

AReasor

Definitely see a Doctor. Self diagnosis or a delay in treatment can lead to some pretty scary stuff.

peachNpunkin

I too have problems with hypoglycemia. Mine is related to having celiacs disease. It took them a long time to figure out I have CD and it causes my blood sugar to drop drastically. Before I was diagnosed, I was seen by every Doctor that I could find. I was called a hypochondriac, I was told I had stomach cancer, I was told that I needed to get my head straight.

I am a nurse too, and I still have problems with my sugar dropping. My suggestion is to always carry glucose tabs in your pocket, so when you feel like you are dropping, you can pop one in your mouth.

Otherwise, eat a high protien diet and try to limit your carbs to complex carbs. Stay away from simple carbs. And make sure that you eat a good protien filled snack before you workout.

With all that said, you do need to seek medical attention and find out what really is going on in your body. It may be something very simple, or it may be something quite serious. Take care of yourself.

TXgirlMandy

I do not have any medical background so I can offer you little/no medical advice. We have been dealing with this for the past year with my 4 year old. She was ending up in the ER every other week with blood sugar levels usually between 20-40 that we could not reverse with any food or drink (would just cause her to throw up and further decrease her blood sugar levels). After tons and tons of testing, they determined that the cause was low growth hormone and she is now on daily hormone injections. However, the endocrinologist did say that this was a good prognosis as there are several other disorders that can cause hypoglycemia which are much more serious. I would highly encourage you to ask for a referral to see an endo asap! Blood sugar levels that low can cause cause long term effects. Even during testing in the hospital, they would never allow her blood sugar to get below 50 under direct supervision of a large team of doctors. They would immediately intervene and stop testing.

uwdawg07

Sorry I never replied and thanked you all for your posts!! I wasn't sure how to go back and find this thread after I started it...

So, thank you!

Like I said in my first post, my doctor has been of no help. I asked her to refer me to a good endocrinologist, because they are hard to find around here, and she just said "you don't need to see one, when your blood sugar drops, eat something."

Ok. Not helpful!
I had two CT scans recently, so it isn't a pancreatic tumor that's causing it. I did have a blood test a couple years ago that showed an astronomically high insulin reading. I was very overweight at the time, but like I said, I've had this problem for as long as I can remember, even when I was a super fit 110 pounds.

I started seeing a registered dietitian. She put me on higher calories and more complex carbs, slightly more fat and way more protein. We will see how it goes.

She is going to have some more blood tests ran on me. She said that I probably just have an overly sensitive pancreas and that my body does not respond properly to food. But she was amazed that I can go into the 30s. She said I am definitely extreme. And especially because my worst lows are 30 mins to an hour after eating. It usually doesn't happen that fast, especially when someone eats as well as I do!

Did have a bad episode tonight during exercise, but that was my fault because I had some frozen yogurt before dinner. Big no no!

And I never exercise alone and I don't drive off unless I've checked my sugar and I'm high enough.

Such a frustrating way to live!!