Hypoglycemia again

[river]

I think my reactive hypoglycemia is very unpredictable and doesn't always respond to food choices.

I actually feel worse when I try to eat an healthy diet of unrefined foods than when I eat whatever I want. But there are days that eating whatever thing will trigger post-prandial hypoglycemia and there's nothing I can do about it.

I guess the parasympathetic nervous system impairment (as seen in the malfuction of the vagal nerve) leads to an excessive or deficient release of glycogen and a surge of adrenalin.

I'm starting to think that even better than trying to find a long-term solution through restrictive diets (ala fitness books) it might be better to find a way to stop the horrible symptoms when the hypoglycemia can be controlled without food. If eating 5 candy bars would stop the hypoglycemia I would do it and would just eat better the next meal.

So I'm more interested in short term solution for those days when the parasympathetic nervous system just doesn't work rather than a restrictive solution for life than won't make a difference in those days.

Any thought?
Want to help?

 

[Machair]

Hi River,

I am battling this too and am in the early days of giving up sugar. I am eating small meals and increasing protein, but am still having the hypo attacks especially at night. I know that in the UK outbreak in The Royal Free Hospital, so closely monitored by the late Dr Melvin Ramsey, patients were collapsing due to hypoglycemia. In his book he says "Many patients report the occurence of fainting attacks which abate after a small meal or even a biscuit, and in an outbreak in Finchley, London, in 1964 three patients were admitted to hospital in an unconscious state presumably as a result of acute hypoglycaemia."

Furthermore I had a virus related to polio, probably CoxsachieB, and as this, I believe has left the hypothalamus damaged. I have gained valuable help from a book about Post Polio Syndrome which actually covers CFS as the symptoms overlap.The website at www.postpolioinfo.com is the site of Dr Bruno, author of THE POLIO PARADOX, and in here he states, "since many polio survivors are hypoglycemic, fatigue and muscle weakness decrease when they eat protein at breakfast and small, more frequent, low-fat / higher-protein meals during the day."

There is some thought that ME/CFS resulted from the enteroviruses which thrived after the eradication of polio, so it is logical to assume they leave the sufferer in the same state years later.

I used to consume glucose tablets to cope with the hypo attacks but have stopped this as I think it was making matters worse.

I think little and often meals of protein may help. Dr Bruno also explains in the book that the glucose receptors in the brain are damaged in post polio and he has a comprehesive section on blood sugar. I would recommend this book as it has helped me, even if you just get it from the library.

Hope you improve - I'll help all I can- we are in the same boat!