What does low blood sugar feel like?

[taniaaust1]

At the most extreme version, I would get shaky, dizzy, muscle twitches, mental confusion, hard to put words together, hard to walk straight, headaches, worsening of my breathing and even agitation.

I dont know about the breathing part or the headache part but I know low blood sugar can cause the other symptoms you mention there as they are ones I get with it.

freezing feeling

I used to often have that feeling back when my blood sugar was at its worst lows according to lab blood tests but dont know if the feeling was connected to my low blood sugar or just the fact my ME at that time was worst.

 

[taniaaust1]

I know there are glucose tablets for diabetes (but have never seen one and not sure if they are prescription or OTC?) and wondering if this could help me when I get this episode but not able to eat? I already take salt stick tablets so I may as well take sugar tablets too LOL.

Diabetes can get dangerous blood sugar drops due to misjudging their injectable insulin needs.. hence may need to get it up very fast (or pass out) hence needing glucose tablets for them.

I personally do not at all recommend those for you if you have an issue as what happens is your body will get a sudden hit of glucose, which does get the sugar up fast but unfortunately what it also does do is this gives just a quick hit and wouldnt be what you are needing if low sugar is your issue. If this is your issue you need to keep your sugar stable and that is done by "complex" carbs which stay in the body longer and dont give a quick sudden hit.

Taking simple carbs like glucose, can also cause a spike in a persons natural insulin level (note diabetic people have issues with their own insulin hence why they inject it).. that spike then causes insulin to suddenly increase. What happens when a person gets an insulin spike.. it then drops the sugar. So taking a simple carb can cause a person who isnt diabetic but has a low sugar issue, fluctuating sugar levels and could even have the end result of making things worst, making the sugar even lower due to the insulin produced.

If you are getting low blood sugar, you need to eat every 2-3 hrs during the day.. complex carb ones best to be giving you a steady sugar level. eg a cracker with some cheese.

 

[taniaaust1]

I used to be hypoglycemic when I was younger, don't feel I am any more. Those symptoms absolutely can be low blood sugar. Do you get nausea? If I went without food for too long I would actually get sick.

I too get nausea often if I go too long without eatting. A big issue with ME people thou is the autonomic dysfunction issue, as that can also be taking away our appetite so we also may not get a hunger I need to eat feeling (or it can be going other way and we can feel terribly hungry).

 

[taniaaust1]

Diabetes is the body's inability to create... sugar (brain fart there...) .

Diabetes people dont create enough insulin.

 

[taniaaust1]

@Gingergrrl

I have to warn you about doctors and this subject. Try to avoid having them run a Glucose Tolerance Test, this can cause a crash simply due to metabolic stress without exercise. Hypoglycemia is a condition, not really a disease, and I have had ignorant doctors tell me to carry a candy bar with me in case I have an attack. This is a temporary solution which then precipitates yet another cycle of endocrine oscillations. Even when they see the results from a GTT indicating that your blood sugar goes too low, they don't really have anything to do about it except tell you not to do things resembling a GTT. Duh!

Sometimes thou the issue of having low blood sugar is due to hyperinsulinemia (that was the issue in my case) and the only way to find that one out is throu a 2 hr glucose tolerance test with the INSULIN LEVELS INCLUDED. (suspect this if you have issues with foods). Places generallly dont check the insulin levels unless the doctor puts it as an extra thing on the 2hr GTT form.

Eatting a low carb diet to control blood low sugar which gets low due to high insulin spikes.. the dietary needs are different to others who get low sugar as one is then doing things to avoid insulin spikes too eg no drinking of low fat milk or dairy products as you need the full cream milk as it helps stop an insulin spike. Including of eggs or meat every meal to help prevent insulin spikes.. slows down food absorption etc.

those who have hyperinsulinemia, would never be told to have a candy bar as it makes the whole issue worst and one could end up with even lower sugar.

 

[taniaaust1]

Thanks, Sushi, and this is extremely helpful. The last few days I have been having a lot of cognitive difficulties and I think it is b/c I am not eating enough food and then when I do eat, it is one big meal (although it would probably be considered small by any normal person's standards.)

My goal for the new year is to figure out a plan for my food and water/fluid intake that I can stick with the way I do with my medications. I am diligent with the meds and keep a notebook and track when I take them and never miss a dose. But I can easily not eat the entire day and it is already 4 or 5 pm before I have realized.

I am open to any suggestions if anyone is already doing such a plan so I can steal it learn from it .

Maybe try to time at least one of your meals to your meds. either eat immediately before or after them. I assume you take some in the morning.

 

[taniaaust1]

I have had issues with hypoglycaemia (not diagnosed) once I became ill. It is not so bad now, but the thing that always makes it worse is too much sugar. Not eating any stabilised my blood sugar and increasing protein intake. I COULDNT EAT ONLY ONE OR TWO MEALS A DAY AS I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO FUNCTION AT ALL IF I DID! -Oops sorry caps lock not shouting-

Recently I have been eating sugar a bit again, and my consumption has crept up too much and then I started having a big problem with getting shakiness and internal wired feeling and left sided abdominal pain if I eat any sugar, unless I eat it startight after a large meal. If I eat a biscuit say after just a snack it still affects me badly. If it is after a large main meal it is ok - anyone know what this is?? or had this? Obviously I am now trying to avoid sugar as much as possible - but I have struggled all my life with sugar cravings and used to love to bake.

That's exactly what hyperinsulinemia can do and to me from what you wrote there, I think that you have this. You'd be being okay with your large meals as you are having more protein in that meal eg some form of meat to stop the abnormal insulin spike. You have nothing to stop the abnormal insulin reaction I think you are having, with that biscuit

Hyperinsulinemia often causes too low blood sugar.. eg excessive insulin spike= low sugar. Should try to get a 2-3hr glucose tollerance test done with the insulin levels included. (hyperinsulinemia my specialist in this calls it the "pandora's box of illnesses" as it can give one so many different symptoms. http://www.agale.com.au/PANDORA.htm (here's the respected specialist I see website.

I highly suggest you check his articles on this out http://www.agale.com.au/IR.htm including the testing procedure one as many places do not transport the test to the lab on ice and the insulin can degrade then giving a false negative result.. missing the person did have insulin issues).

This kind of hypoglycemia requires a slightly different diet to hypoglycemia not from this cause. It also is a prediabetic state and means its very likely you will end up with diabetes. My specialists both told me "You will end up with diabetes if you are not on a suitable diet for this".

Sadly I havent been able to avoid even thou we caught this state very early at a stage in which it was only sometimes showing up on the tests in the high insulin range...and my sugar was just either low or normal at that point, now my sugar is high and to diagnosable diabetic level. The low carb diet failed to slow the diabetes progression (at least thou its helped me re symptoms).

The normal recommedations given to those who have hypoglycemia.. will not be suitable for yours. For many who have hyperinsulinemia, things like cracker biscuit snacks often recommended for hypoglycemia are not suitable (They are on my specialists not to have list) and you may need far more protein for a snack and to include in your meals.

You may have to consider the sugar in milk and even the carbs in things like nuts eg I have limits on how many I can have per day one specialist told me no more then 10-12 due to the carbs in nuts.

Im limited to having one small piece a fruit a day as for someone who has hyperinsulinemia.. fruit is full of simple sugar! So a snack of fruit can cause issues if one isnt watching how much one has and some fruits are too high in carbs for those with this issue (eg oranges/bananas).

Do not have "skim" dairy products if you have this issue as you need the fat to slow down an insulin spike. You may need a very strict diet.

Those with hyperinsulinemia need a much higher content of protein with what they are eatting to help prevent too large insulin spikes. So you probably need to eat meat, fish or eggs with every meal!

 

[drob31]

I'm still trying to figure out what causes my hypoglycemia but it has been a hallmark of my illness. If I don't eat every 3 hours I start to feel bad. As others have mentioned I rarely feel hunger before the onset of hypoglycemia.

One thing I definitely recommend is avoiding high carbs. Glucose tablets might get you out of a hypoglycemic state but real food would probably be a better idea.

Blood sugar homeostasis is mostly a feedback mechanism between the liver and the pancreas, but cortisol plays a part as well and I wonder if it may be part of the problem. Perhaps a cortisol spike is causing a blood sugar spike which then causes reactive hypoglycemia.

You know, I've noticed that when my cortisol is elevated in the morning, according to lab work, my fasting blood sugar is also elevated. Example: free fasting cortisol was 1.4 (ref: 0.6 - 1.2). The same morning my fasting blood glucose was 102. It's never that high. It used to be in the low 90's.

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Sushi This is my first attempt at using the Multiquote feature (for a bunch of posts from Tania) and I have to say it is easy and I really like it! (I should clarify it is easy on the computer but on my phone, I don't even know how to do the regular quote!)

Severe hypoglycemia showed up twice on my standard blood test results which was how I first found out I had this.

Tania, what are the standard blood tests called that would capture this? I know they may have a different name in Australia than the US but am curious. Did an endocrinologist do these tests?

I personally do not at all recommend those for you if you have an issue as what happens is your body will get a sudden hit of glucose, which does get the sugar up fast but unfortunately what it also does do is this gives just a quick hit and wouldnt be what you are needing if low sugar is your issue.

We ordered some glucose tablets on-line but they haven't arrived yet and I am going to talk to my CFS dr and Endo to see how to proceed. I definitely do not want to take these tablets if they are not the right thing for me. Do you think in an emergency if someone (non diabetic) has a hypoglycemia episode and no food available, that one of these tablets could be okay?

So taking a simple carb can cause a person who isnt diabetic but has a low sugar issue, fluctuating sugar levels and could even have the end result of making things worst, making the sugar even lower due to the insulin produced.

Or could using these tablets make a non-diabetic later become a diabetic? I want to make sure I understand .

If you are getting low blood sugar, you need to eat every 2-3 hrs during the day.. complex carb ones best to be giving you a steady sugar level. eg a cracker with some cheese.

I am really thinking about eating dairy again b/c a piece of gluten free toast or cracker with cheese is something easy to make that I can tolerate even if I am not hungry or feeling nauseous.

I too get nausea often if I go too long without eatting. A big issue with ME people thou is the autonomic dysfunction issue, as that can also be taking away our appetite so we also may not get a hunger I need to eat feeling (or it can be going other way and we can feel terribly hungry).

I am starting to think the autonomic dysfunction has messed with my ability to feel normal hunger and thirst like I did earlier in life.

Sometimes thou the issue of having low blood sugar is due to hyperinsulinemia (that was the issue in my case) and the only way to find that one out is throu a 2 hr glucose tolerance test with the INSULIN LEVELS INCLUDED.

Would this test also be best to do with an endocrinologist?

Maybe try to time at least one of your meals to your meds. either eat immediately before or after them. I assume you take some in the morning.

My morning meds are separate b/c I can't eat for an hour after my thyroid medicine and I am never hungry in the morning. Now I am forcing myself to eat something after an hour and take the rest of my morning supplements at that time. I am trying to eat three times per day (which is a big improvement for me) and work up to eating something small every few hours like you guys are all recommending.

Thanks, Tania, for all the feedback.

 

[Sushi]

@Sushi This is my first attempt at using the Multiquote feature (for a bunch of posts from Tania) and I have to say it is easy and I really like it!

Glad you are liking it! I've used it here to "grab" a quote from Butydoc that was on another thread. Someone else mentioned leptin, but you might not have noted its significance. Apparently many of us are high in leptin and leptin reduces appetite as well as being a pro inflammatory cytokine.

The most interesting piece of new information was about the super cytokine Leptin. One of the professors at Stanford measured the cytokine level, including Leptin, daily on a large number of patients. He had them fill in a questioner about how they felt each day and then matched their blood work to the answers. What he found was that the Leptin levels would rise or fall consistent with the patients level of fatigue. Apparently Leptin is a pro inflammatory cytokine.

Regulation of appetite: role of leptin in signalling systems for drive and satiety.

However, the so-called long-term regulation of body weight has recently been given substance by the identification of a chemical signal believed to link the brain with adipose tissue stores.
ANALYSIS:
This signal, leptin, is in position to modulate the expression of a drive to eat. Studies on the relationship between leptin and perceived hunger, and on the eating behaviour of leptin-deficient individuals, are consistent with the intervention of leptin in a drive system.

Tania, what are the standard blood tests called that would capture this? I know they may have a different name in Australia than the US but am curious. Did an endocrinologist do these tests?

In the US the only routine blood test I can remember that measures blood sugar is morning fasting blood sugar. This is likely to miss a problem with hypoglycemia. The three hour glucose tolerance test is also a standard test (I did it at a Quest lab) and it will show whether hypoglycemia is a problem. Any MD can order this test. (or probably and ND also).

Sushi
P.S. Best wishes for your appointment with your doctor!

 

[taniaaust1]

Tania, what are the standard blood tests called that would capture this? I know they may have a different name in Australia than the US but am curious. Did an endocrinologist do these tests? .

No not tests endocinologist needs to do but basic standard health blood test check which every gets done at their doctors every now when having a health check. Its called "general chemistry" blood test (panel) or "biochemisty" test panel.

I'll copy mine here, its probably called the same where you are. (the measurement units may be different thou between Australia and America .. but you can by the bottom of the my results what is normal range and where mine was).

ps ignore my crocked scanning lol. My sodium (too low) and chloride (too high) and AST (too high) were all out of normal range the day I got my worst hypoglycemia result 30th Jan 1998. (The normal ranges are in brackets at the bottom of the test.. glucose between 3 and 6.9mmol/L was normal range.. mine was at a level in which can cause unconsciousness in some or near that).

Note its very hard to catch hypoglycemia in blood tests as most may only be experiencing for a short bouts of it..but I had it consistantly for quite a long time. Both of those hypoglycemia results were on days where I had to drag myself out of bed where I'd been for weeks, to get myself to a medical appointment (I was very sick at time).

I just found the following link which I thought was a good one and talks about what hypoglycemia is in what is probably the measurement used for America http://www.joslin.org/info/is_low_blood_glucose_hypoglycemia_dangerous.html

 

[taniaaust1]

We ordered some glucose tablets on-line but they haven't arrived yet and I am going to talk to my CFS dr and Endo to see how to proceed. I definitely do not want to take these tablets if they are not the right thing for me. Do you think in an emergency if someone (non diabetic) has a hypoglycemia episode and no food available, that one of these tablets could be okay?

If its an emergency eg you are going to pass out, you got to do whatever you need to do and glucose tablets would be fine. (but still get some decent food into you if that happens as I said, those only give a quick boost and then you your blood sugar could drop worst if you have insulin spike due to it).

There has been many a time when Ive had to literally drop whatever Im doing and make seeking out food a top priority due to issues like this. I'll actualy get into a quite desperate state if I cant get food fast. My friend knows all about that.. I got horrifically cranky and go quite unreasonable, he can always tell when I have a sugar or a high insulin issue going on.

Being hungry can according to my specialist can trigger off insulin being released by body too, from what you've said that doesnt seem to be your issue but its a big one of mine.. its like I need food RIGHT NOW!!! The need to get food into me gets as desperate as the need to lay down when Im getting bad POTS.

Or could using these tablets make a non-diabetic later become a diabetic? I want to make sure I understand .

If you dont have high insulin causing your low sugar (pre-diabetes state), I dont think it would at all be an issue. Just remember that you could just come down off the sugar with a bit of a crash.

I am really thinking about eating dairy again b/c a piece of gluten free toast or cracker with cheese is something easy to make that I can tolerate even if I am not hungry or feeling nauseous.

or If you eat something like one of those kiddy packs of sultanas, I'd assume they'd raise glucose quite fast but also keep releasing it for a while while digestion taking place. Half a banana? You dont need to eat much.

I am starting to think the autonomic dysfunction has messed with my ability to feel normal hunger and thirst like I did earlier in life.

Sometimes my ability to get thirst is sometimes way messed up due to that, I can get shockening dehydrated by forgetting to drink and not realise what has happened till Im about to collapse. I keep the regular drinking thing in mind.

My morning meds are separate b/c I can't eat for an hour after my thyroid medicine and I am never hungry in the morning.

ah that makes it harder when you cant eat food for that long around a medicine.

Now I am forcing myself to eat something after an hour and take the rest of my morning supplements at that time. I am trying to eat three times per day (which is a big improvement for me) and work up to eating something small every few hours like you guys are all recommending.
.

Its not easy esp trying to remember to eat every few hours.

I constantly have to monitor my food, my drink and my health and energy level and the temperate around me all the time. Take my mind off of those eg go over my limit by a minute or two, get too hot, forgot to take a drink for an hour while doing something etc etc and I can very quickly end up in huge trouble (needing an ambulance). Its takes energy to watch all this stuff.

 

[jann1033]

Diabetes is the body's inability to create... sugar (brain fart there...) Hypoglycemia is when the body doesn't get enough to maintain a proper level. If you can eat 6 small meals, or snack during meals, it might help. Sugar isn't what you need, although if you are too nauseous to eat, it will make the nausea pass.

Sorry to be so brief, time to leave work.

Oh, brain fart passed. Insulin!

And edit: I agree with Comet, I never feel hungry.

Actually that is incorrect. With type 2 diabetes you may make an adequate amount of insulin but your body can't utilize it, you may not make enough insulin or both. Hypoglecemia means your blood sugery is low. That can be from not eating, medication, all kinds of reasons and can often be a precursor to diabetes.

Actually if you are hypoglycemic you do need a simple sugar, hard candy, O J, glucose tabs(not chocolate, dang it!) to rapidly increase blood sugar and some protein to help it stabilize.

I posted on another thread how crazy my blood sugars have been. I got type 2 diabetes about 19 years into CFS, was hypoglycemic for a number of years before(before they realized it could be a precursor). The more my CFS flares, there seems to be a corresponding flare in my diabetes. My blood sugar is considerably elevated, even with the meds i take to control it.

If your body is accustom to unusually high or low blood sugar you may not even consciously notice it anymore. When mine has been high but goes back to lower the only thing i notice is i crave fruit. Thats my body trying to raise to the high level it is used to. So it has to be much higher (or lower) for me to be aware of it in other ways, like over 200, for me to get blurred vision etc

Sorry if thisi
s repeat my brain stinks and cant remember all the comments

 

[brenda]

Diabetes: The Echo Effect by Jon Barron

Over the years, I've talked about various aspects of diabetes, but never actually devoted an entire newsletter to the subject. Yes, high fructose corn syrup, starches, and added sugars are a problem, but they only scratch the surface of the issue.

The Diabetes Echo Effect

Type 2 diabetes is not like any other disease. Most diseases such as cancer and MS are linear. In other words, you get the disease and it progresses in a straight line, from point A to point B. It may have regressions and remissions in which it backs up on its linear path for a bit, but then it picks up steam and once again proceeds on down the same track to its ultimate conclusion. Diabetes does not do that.
Diabetes actually follows multiple, mutually reinforcing paths -- an echo effect if you will, with each echo reinforcing and amplifying all the other echoes, or "effects". This distinction is of vital importance because it mandates multiple points of intervention if you wish to reverse diabetes and not just slow its progression.
Reversing Diabetes Begins with Understanding Insulin....

Read more here.

 

[Valentijn]

Does this seem to match with low blood sugar and is that another sign of dysautonomia or of ME/CFS (in someone who is not diabetic?) Thanks for any info in advance and I appreciate and read everything!

It sounds like an OI issue. When my fiance's blood sugar gets low (he has Type I Diabetes), he gets irritable and agitated. It's a much more energetic response than we get with OI. Your symptoms sound exactly like my OI issues, not like his hypoglycemia. I have checked my blood sugar at times using his monitor, and it's normal during these episodes.

 

[Sherlock]

I have seen amnesia occur from fasting hypoglycemia, so symptoms can vary.

 

[Gingergrrl]

It sounds like an OI issue. When my fiance's blood sugar gets low (he has Type I Diabetes), he gets irritable and agitated. It's a much more energetic response than we get with OI. Your symptoms sound exactly like my OI issues, not like his hypoglycemia. I have checked my blood sugar at times using his monitor, and it's normal during these episodes.

@Valentijn I am still sorting this all out and it sounds like there is a lot of overlap between the symptoms of OI and of hypoglycemia. I definitely have OI and major autonomic problems with blood volume and electrolytes but I think I was having these additional hypoglycemia issues b/c I was eating so little food or just 1-2 "meals" (if you can call it that) per day. I have worked really hard to change this and have not had one of these episodes since (although I continue to have OI, shortness of breath and all kinds of other horrible stuff .)

 

[Valentijn]

I definitely have OI and major autonomic problems with blood volume and electrolytes but I think I was having these additional hypoglycemia issues b/c I was eating so little food or just 1-2 "meals" (if you can call it that) per day. I have worked really hard to change this and have not had one of these episodes since (although I continue to have OI, shortness of breath and all kinds of other horrible stuff .)

Yeah, missing meals (or snacks) doesn't seem to work too well for us usually If the problem comes back, it's pretty cheap to get a blood glucose meter and testing strips.

 

[jimells]

I think I was having these additional hypoglycemia issues b/c I was eating so little food or just 1-2 "meals" (if you can call it that) per day. I have worked really hard to change this and have not had one of these episodes since

It's good to see you have made good progress on this