Thread: anyone with reactive hypoglycemia?

By eating carefully 5X per day and exercising, I have nearly zero symptoms over the past few months. Then suddenly the past few days the crashes and low blood sugar shakes have been hitting me with a vengeance late morning. I have not been eating holiday crap or sweets or large meals (except in reaction to these crashes the past few days), and I have been trying to keep my protein intake high.

The only thing I'm doing different is exercising in the morning rather than evening. I can't make it through my workouts because I get weak, shakey and ravenously hungry. Once I get this way, a small meal won't stop the cascade. I have tried exercising on an empty stomach and after eating breakfast; neither are working. Just now I quit 20 mins in to my 30 min. cardio workout, had a large protein shake with a banana in it (about 350 cals), but it didn't satisfy me, so I ended up eating some crackers and cheese and a bean burrito. So, about 800 cals total, which needless to say, throws my calorie budget off for the whole day. And now I'm carb loaded; predictably I'm already feeling tired and sleepy, and I have a crapload of work to get done today.

How can I pull myself out of this vortex? ..c::,f::

Unfortunately I don't really have advice for you. But I do have sympathy. I am severely hypoglycemic. It gets worse for me when it's cold out. I don't know why, it doesn't make sense, but year after year winter hits and the symptoms ramp up. I'm usually pretty good about catching myself when I get that first "somethings not right" feeling and the shakes/weakness starts, but every now and then it hits hard and the mental disorientation gets me. That's the worst part, my ex-boyfriend was good at finding me good food when I would say "I gotta eat now, the craziness is on it's way."

Maybe try eating a small(-ish) breakfast, wait a bit, start your workout but give yourself a tiny break in the middle to eat a granola bar/fruit/something small?

i can't help, but i have a lot of sympathy to offer. my bf used to have this kind of thing occasionally, then more frequently just before he developed diabetes. (most often, it would kick in just after him cleaning the appartment lol. how convenient an excuse not to do it ^^)
crossing my fingers for you hun!!

I don't know about the workout but the only thing that has helped me is really watching the carbs, sugar and caffeine intake before noon. I have to make certain that I eat a protein rich breakfast.

My usual breakfast is an english muffin with a little peanut butter and maybe a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese. I had to cut out milk (considered a carb by my dietician).

Hope you find a solution that works for you. The low blood sugar induced binges are no fun.

Oh and I was told that once the "crazys" begin try to eat a small high protein snack (i.e. spoon of peanut butter, cheese slice, turkey slice), then wait 15 minutes to see if the "weirdness" is lessening. If not then repeat.

It's hard to do because if you are like me and just want to eat everything to make it go away when your blood sugar gets out of whack, those 15 minutes can be VERY long.

Originally Posted by beki

Oh and I was told that once the "crazys" begin try to eat a small high protein snack (i.e. spoon of peanut butter, cheese slice, turkey slice), then wait 15 minutes to see if the "weirdness" is lessening. If not then repeat.

It's hard to do because if you are like me and just want to eat everything to make it go away when your blood sugar gets out of whack, those 15 minutes can be VERY long.

Best suggestion so far! When you exercise, you need more fuel in your body to keep your blood sugar from plummeting. You will need to change your breakfast and morning snack to make it possible for you to exercise without blood sugar crashes. IMHO, it's best to see a nutritionist, preferably one who has a lot of experience with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Tell her/him about your meal and exercise schedules which will allow her/him to suggest changes to either or both.

I was diagnosed with this when I was 17 after *several* fainting episodes.

First, are you eating breakfast before you work out? If not, shame on you! No seriously, you really should. In fact, you should probably eat breakfast before showering too, as the hot water will make you more prone to dizzy spells.

Second, if you feel that tunnel vision coming, try to dump half a packet (or a full packet) of sugar under your tongue and hold it there as long as possible. Then of course reach for the emergency snack and then get a small meal as soon as you can. The sugar will instantly raise you blood glucose levels so at least you can make it to food.

The last time I nearly fainted was probably three years, after getting lost with my husband (then boyfriend) on a hiking trip and being dumb enough not to make him stop so I could eat.

And just to add a note so that you don't freak out (though you might already know this), hypoglycemia is not a precursor to diabetes. People with diabetes have hypoglycemia, but it doesn't mean people with hypoglycemia will get (or are more likely to get) diabetes.

Originally Posted by maliam

And just to add a note so that you don't freak out (though you might already know this), hypoglycemia is not a precursor to diabetes. People with diabetes have hypoglycemia, but it doesn't mean people with hypoglycemia will get (or are more likely to get) diabetes.

*whew*

my doc says i probably have this. i don't know if this is helpful but mine seems worse at times and almost nonexistent other times. oh, i may have an idea. are you eating eggs for breakfast? a diabetic client of mine uses a boiled egg to bring down her sugar when it's too high. if you're eating eggs maybe you're getting that effect? possibly?

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think what I am experiencing is largely hormonal, now that I look at the calendar. PMS and reactive hypoglycemia can interact pretty badly.

Yes, I eat breakfast before I workout. Generally it is muscle milk, but this morning I tried having a breakfast sandwich made of an english muffin, scrambled egg, and cheese. The english muffin is pure refined carb so that might have done it. I generally don't eat bread or other starches before noon.

I forgot to mention, I was also advised to eat whole grain wheat bread instead of regular so I eat the Thomas' whole grain wheat english muffins. I guess something about the whole grain makes it slower to absorb into your system and that lessens the blood sugar spike that most carbs will cause.

Originally Posted by beki

I forgot to mention, I was also advised to eat whole grain wheat bread instead of regular so I eat the Thomas' whole grain wheat english muffins. I guess something about the whole grain makes it slower to absorb into your system and that lessens the blood sugar spike that most carbs will cause.

This is true but the difference is not all that much really. I do generally eat whole wheat bread when I eat bread. Whole wheat bread can still be a big glycemic load if you eat enough at one sitting.

Originally Posted by beki

if you are like me and just want to eat everything to make it go away when your blood sugar gets out of whack, those 15 minutes can be VERY long.

I hear you on that one!! I want to eat everything in sight to get that horrible, shaky, panicky feeling to go away.

One of the things that has really been good for me is drinking High Protein Boost (or Ensure, whichever you prefer) for breakfast. If I try to eat anything like cereal, toast, oatmeal, fruit, etc, it's hardly an hour before I feel worse off than I would if I had just skipped breakfast. But if I drink Boost in the morning, it holds me over pretty well for a few hours before I need to have a snack.

Likewise, if I know I'm going to be doing a lot of exercise, I'll pack a bottle of Boost in my gym bag or my purse.

Been living with this for thirty years (yikes, seeing that in print is startling). The guidelines I work with are fairly simple.

Eat first thing, at the same time every morning, alot absorption time. Then every three hours another meal eaten in order~ protein, vegetables & carbohydrates. If exercise increases so does the protein intake.

Absolutely no dieting, it's a stressor. Maintaining consistant body weight is extremely important, give or take three pounds of the doctor suggested body weight. I've found having an extra five pounds of body weight is a nice barrier against hypoglycemia & haven't had issues in seven years. I weigh every other day to prevent unexpected weight loss.

Never wait to eat out of politeness to others; eat, and then eat again with company. They would rather have you healthy. Carry healthy snacks with you & in your car, passing out in public is embarrassing.

Stress is a nasty catalyst (a period is stressful), consider increasing your protein intake. Stay away from refined sugars as much as possible. Haven't managed to eliminated it, I allow a tablespoon of ice cream or one cookie each day. Or, now that it's winter I allow a hot cocoa as long as it's dark chocolate & lightly used. Staying on schedule for sleep is ubber important, with thirty minutes of exercise daily.

The only situation I haven't figured out is when traveling to places where their day is my night (Egypt). I love to travel, but this completely screws with my health & had it get extremely dangerous on more than one occasion. I wear a medical ID bracelet for travel. Also recommend carrying a glucometer & teaching your family & best friends how to use it.

I know this sounds like a lot to maintain, but honestly, being prepared & maintaining the schedule has become such a habit we hardly notice it anymore. Good luck.

ps...your caloric intake seems a little low. Is that what your doctor ordered?

Yep, I eat small meals throughout the day and when I go too long between meals, I get the shakes and feel lightheaded. I try to eat something small when that happens, and then wait it out, to avoid the ravenous "must eat everything to make this feeling go away". A rice cake with peanut butter and raisins is my go-to food when it happens.

Before I work out, either during the day or at night (I am not a morning person at all and the thought of being at the gym early makes me cringe) I make sure I eat a regular meal or a large snack before I hit the gym. I will get really weak mid-workout if I don't and I workout for about 90 minutes each time, so it is really important that I eat first. Since you are working out in the morning, it sounds like you need to eat a bigger breakfast than you would if you weren't working out.

Originally Posted by nimah

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If I try to eat anything like cereal, toast, oatmeal, fruit, etc, it's hardly an hour before I feel worse off than I would if I had just skipped breakfast.

YES! This is exactly how I am as well. Two eggs can get me through until lunch sometimes, but two eggs plus wheat toast will make me crash.

Originally Posted by tink

ps...your caloric intake seems a little low. Is that what your doctor ordered?

I'm not sure if you are addressing me or not; I didn't mention my daily caloric intake, but 1800 maintains my weight, 1500 allows me to lose slowly, and anything under that is brutal and I can't do it. When I mentioned 800 cals, that was the amount I had eaten yesterday...by 10:30 am. By the end of the day I was over 2000

Have you tried eating beans and brown rice for lunch or dinner? This combination does really well for me. Or a black bean burrito with a whole wheat tortilla? I eat these a lot.

Hi Ssipes, I completely misunderstood, thought your total caloric intake for the day was 800. .w.: Couldn't figure out how an athlete/dancer could sustain on so little without issues. 1800 sounds completely realistic. So, now it's the variables. Timing of food intake/absorption time/exercise/stressors and rest.

May I suggest documenting (if you have time), diet & time of intake, exercise & time, and when these occur. There's a link, it's just figuring it out the triggers. Everyone is incredibly different/unique, makes it a challenge to figure out. Perhaps a significant other or best friend could help? That second pair of eyes certainly help me.

You don't, by chance, have coffee or caffeine in the morning, do you? It sends me on a crash unless I have it with a good dose of protein.

Originally Posted by Albertina

Have you tried eating beans and brown rice for lunch or dinner? This combination does really well for me. Or a black bean burrito with a whole wheat tortilla? I eat these a lot.

This is a funky combination for me. Without fail, this meal makes me crash HARD.

Tink, the part about stress is really true. That alone can make my blood sugar crash and/or feel like I'm still hungry.

The timing of your exercise could be culprit, Sedonia, as morning is still a period of detoxification. Your body is still in that process so adding a workout could be taxing it further.

am reading this thread with interest, my nephew has been having symptoms lately that resemble hypoglycemia and seizure activity,f:: his maternal grandfather had diabetes

Originally Posted by khalima

You don't, by chance, have coffee or caffeine in the morning, do you? It sends me on a crash unless I have it with a good dose of protein.

I've had hypoglycemia but keep it largely in check but definitely coffee can send me off on a sugar crash if I'm not careful to only have coffee with a meal.

Lots of good info in this thread which I plan to use, thanks sspies for starting it.