What does a "sugar high" (hyperglycemia) feel like?

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  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
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    Hi, just in here to offer my 2 cents.
    I have ADHD and dyslexia. My parents noticed that my symptoms were alot worse if I had eaten a sugary snack or meal.... I made alot more mistakes in reading and writing and had much more trouble focusing on my schoolwork or sitting down. They put me on a low processed sugar diet for most of my childhood, no cake, ice cream, ketchup, jelly, etc. I was, however, allowed to eat as much fruit as I wanted, with the theory being that the fiber in the fruit slowed down the sugar absorbption and didn't make me nearly as symptomatic.
    As an adult, I can totally tell the difference in my performance at work if I eat too much proccessed sugar (including drinking juice). I make alot more mistakes, and incredibly fidgety, not patient at all, etc. I have to monitor my own processed sugar intake to time it to when it won't make a huge difference to my performance at work (eat dessert on Friday or Saturday night). I also have alot of trouble sleeping if I eat too much sugar during the day.
    I have had a ton of doctors tell me it's all in my mind, and that is ok. I'll continue to monitor it myself and help myself do better.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    I'm borderline hypoglycemic so not sure of the difference between the symptoms. I don't get a sugar high but I certainly get a sugar crash. With either hyper or hypo it's recommended you eat something every 3-4 hrs. LOL! preferably not sugary! :bigsmile:

    Something not sugary! That's blasphemy! :noway:
    Seriously though, I do need to cut sugar out. I just don't understand how the dietary fat or protein would function as energy if I axed most of my fruit intake and limited myself to non-gluten grains (quinoa and corn).

    Anything with calories is used by the body for energy (a calorie is by definition a unit of energy). You should be able to get plenty of carbs from non-gluten grains and vegetables. You don't need to drink juice, milk or almond milk - drink water.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    I don't know about hyperglycemia, but I know about hypoglycemia: sweaty, fast heart rate, sudden fatigue and desire to lie down, and a desperate need to eat your way out of the horrible feeling by bringing your blood sugar up. Of course, this can turn into a vicious cycle.

    Interesting. You see, I don't get any sugar lows (which proves to me I'm not diabetic); but I do get sugar highs sometimes (which is why I avoid candy and baked goods). I can see how the hypo to hyper could be a vicious cycle though.

    a) A diabetic would be SUGAR HIGH not low
    b) How do you know your sugar is high? Have you tested it on a meter or are you pulling this out of your *kitten*?
  • cal_73
    cal_73 Posts: 77
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    I always thought that people who eat high glycemic index foods to a point that puts a heavy glycemic load on the blood sugar would have a problem with blood sugar (temporarily) whether they are diabetic or not. And the only reason I come down from my hyperglycemic response is because my insulin is working but my blood sugar went up way too fast to produce enough insulin to keep the sugar from affecting me cognitively. I could be wrong and I might be a closet type 2 diabetic for all I know; I just know that I have an apple shape while in the healthy bmi range and it's being stubborn to fall off.

    I doubt high blood sugar has a major cognitive affect. If you think about it - the sugar is in your blood not your brain so why would it have a large affect on your brain? If we assume the sugar went directly from your blood to your brain (all your cells in fact) this would seem like a more plausible explanation for the ADHD symptoms. IE The sugar spike in your brain is affecting you not the sugar spike in your blood (which is probably not occurring anyway).
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    I always thought that people who eat high glycemic index foods to a point that puts a heavy glycemic load on the blood sugar would have a problem with blood sugar (temporarily) whether they are diabetic or not. And the only reason I come down from my hyperglycemic response is because my insulin is working but my blood sugar went up way too fast to produce enough insulin to keep the sugar from affecting me cognitively. I could be wrong and I might be a closet type 2 diabetic for all I know; I just know that I have an apple shape while in the healthy bmi range and it's being stubborn to fall off.

    I doubt high blood sugar has a major cognitive affect. If you think about it - the sugar is in your blood not your brain so why would it have a large affect on your brain? If we assume the sugar went directly from your blood to your brain (all your cells in fact) this would seem like a more plausible explanation for the ADHD symptoms. IE The sugar spike in your brain is affecting you not the sugar spike in your blood (which is probably not occurring anyway).

    I've read that certain chemicals can break the blood brain barrier. I just assumed adhd people had an impairment that caused the sugar to do this. I am probably wrong but I have all sorts of cognitive issues when I overdose on sugar.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    I don't know about hyperglycemia, but I know about hypoglycemia: sweaty, fast heart rate, sudden fatigue and desire to lie down, and a desperate need to eat your way out of the horrible feeling by bringing your blood sugar up. Of course, this can turn into a vicious cycle.

    Interesting. You see, I don't get any sugar lows (which proves to me I'm not diabetic); but I do get sugar highs sometimes (which is why I avoid candy and baked goods). I can see how the hypo to hyper could be a vicious cycle though.

    a) A diabetic would be SUGAR HIGH not low
    b) How do you know your sugar is high? Have you tested it on a meter or are you pulling this out of your *kitten*?

    Sorry, not feeding the troll except by saying "how do you know you're drunk and not just an idiot? Do you breathalyzer to make sure you're drunk before you act like an *kitten*?"
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    I have all sorts of cognitive issues
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    These are the symptoms of high blood sugar:

    Frequent hunger, especially pronounced hunger
    Frequent thirst, especially excessive thirst
    Frequent urination
    Blurred vision
    Fatigue (sleepiness)
    Weight loss
    Poor wound healing (cuts, scrapes, etc.)
    Dry mouth
    Dry or itchy skin
    Tingling in feet or heels
    Erectile dysfunction
    Recurrent infections
    Cardiac arrhythmia
    Stupor
    Coma
    Seizures

    It doesn't sound like what you're describing. Unless you're a diabetic, it's unlikely that you're suffering any symptoms of high blood sugar.
  • Avandel
    Avandel Posts: 283 Member
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    Can someone explain what a "sugar high" or hyperglycemia feels like to me. After a banana and orange juice breakfast I had a glass of orange juice, sugary apple sausage from al fresco, a nectarine, and baby carrots lunch and now I am feeling classical ADHD symptoms (something I was diagnosed with) but is this really clinical ADHD if I only experience inattentiveness and hyperactivity when I overdose on sugar? Or is this the feeling of a typical person's blood sugar getting too high too fast before it crashes down and gives me a lull where I reach for more sugar? I normally associate this feeling with my gluten sensitivity but now I'm thinking it's something else....

    Might I ask are there any other symptoms? is your vision affected at all? My hypo symptoms include an aura of sorts, when this starts I take a dextrose tablet. I have to sit down until it passes, usually 20 mins & I am incoherent during this time. This is when my sugar crashes, I do not experience a sugar high at any time before that. A hypoglycemic has low sugar, when we eat it our sugar goes up but when it starts to wear off the level dips lower than your normal low level, thus causing the symptoms. I have to be very careful if I eat a banana because the natural sugar content affects me.

    You had a lot of sugar for the first two meals, how long after did the symptoms actually show up?
  • sunrize_sc
    sunrize_sc Posts: 157 Member
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    I don't know about hyperglycemia, but I know about hypoglycemia: sweaty, fast heart rate, sudden fatigue and desire to lie down, and a desperate need to eat your way out of the horrible feeling by bringing your blood sugar up. Of course, this can turn into a vicious cycle.

    Interesting. You see, I don't get any sugar lows (which proves to me I'm not diabetic); but I do get sugar highs sometimes (which is why I avoid candy and baked goods). I can see how the hypo to hyper could be a vicious cycle though.
    quote]

    Just because you don't get low sugar symptoms does not mean that you are not diabetic. Most likely your right, you're not, but I wouldn't rule it out until you've had it checked. I am diabetic and my sugar would stay high all the time without taking my insulin. Might just be like you said earlier, that you are upping your calories.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    Can someone explain what a "sugar high" or hyperglycemia feels like to me. After a banana and orange juice breakfast I had a glass of orange juice, sugary apple sausage from al fresco, a nectarine, and baby carrots lunch and now I am feeling classical ADHD symptoms (something I was diagnosed with) but is this really clinical ADHD if I only experience inattentiveness and hyperactivity when I overdose on sugar? Or is this the feeling of a typical person's blood sugar getting too high too fast before it crashes down and gives me a lull where I reach for more sugar? I normally associate this feeling with my gluten sensitivity but now I'm thinking it's something else....

    Might I ask are there any other symptoms? is your vision affected at all? My hypo symptoms include an aura of sorts, when this starts I take a dextrose tablet. I have to sit down until it passes, usually 20 mins & I am incoherent during this time. This is when my sugar crashes, I do not experience a sugar high at any time before that. A hypoglycemic has low sugar, when we eat it our sugar goes up but when it starts to wear off the level dips lower than your normal low level, thus causing the symptoms. I have to be very careful if I eat a banana because the natural sugar content affects me.

    You had a lot of sugar for the first two meals, how long after did the symptoms actually show up?

    I get brain fog where I feel very fuzzy headed and I have to try hard to use my vision or else it goes double vision. Thinking is difficult and often incoherent if not just random and spontaneous (not racing just random). I am unable to see the big picture any more and my vision becomes narrow. I also get a headache in my forehead and in my sinus area. But after about 2 hours or so it all goes away. I seriously think it's a response to either having too much sugar in my system at once or because sugar in general is one of my intolerances. It's really hard to explain though.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    I have all sorts of cognitive issues

    Dealt with mean people my whole life. Being a guy who is very naive, altruistic, empathetic, sensitive, curious, and inquisitive I have more enemies than I do friends. But if you got to know me, I'm the nicest guy you'd ever meet. So please, please stop picking on me. You might get a chuckle out of it, but your harassment really hurts my feelings and I am going to ask you politely to stop. Will you please stop?
  • almostfortysix
    almostfortysix Posts: 69
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    I understand what your feeling. I think...As a child my mom would load me up on cereal and milk and send me off to school. I would be at school an hour and I'd feel sick my heart would feel funny and many times have to go lay down in the nurses offices. Most of the time I'd even have a temp. (crashing) The Dr. said it was anxiety.......Oddly enough as I got older I noticed if I had a good breakfast, eggs and fruit , no juice or cereal I wouldn't feel tired and sick. I told the Dr. this but after he told my mom it was in my head.
    As an adult and parent...my kids do not get cereal for breakfast and we always make them healthy meals. (If I could just get them to eat them)
    You might want to make an appointment with a good Dr. and see what they have to say.
  • littlepinkhearts
    littlepinkhearts Posts: 1,055 Member
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    I don't know about hyperglycemia, but I know about hypoglycemia: sweaty, fast heart rate, sudden fatigue and desire to lie down, and a desperate need to eat your way out of the horrible feeling by bringing your blood sugar up. Of course, this can turn into a vicious cycle.

    Interesting. You see, I don't get any sugar lows (which proves to me I'm not diabetic); but I do get sugar highs sometimes (which is why I avoid candy and baked goods). I can see how the hypo to hyper could be a vicious cycle though.

    a) A diabetic would be SUGAR HIGH not low
    b) How do you know your sugar is high? Have you tested it on a meter or are you pulling this out of your *kitten*?

    Sorry, not feeding the troll except by saying "how do you know you're drunk and not just an idiot? Do you breathalyzer to make sure you're drunk before you act like an *kitten*?"


    omG your response made me laugh....as for a sugar high? for me it's like I can't talk fast enough and I just have soooooo much energy all of the sudden. It's actually quite awesome if you have some stuff to do that takes a LOT of energy. But then you crash lol

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