Author Topic: Hypoglycemia [Low Blood Sugar]: Causes & Cures (Read 52281 times)

mexmarr · « **on:** July 20, 2006, 03:08:39 AM »

While I have never been officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia, I think that I have it. I have just never been to the doctor for it. I struggle with kieeping my blood sugar level up. I can't go too long without eating, especially in the morning. Frequently, I have to leave church to get a snack, and always carry something with me.

If my blood sugar lets too low, I get very shacky, can barely move my limbs, get nausous and lightheaded. I know that at that point I really need to eat something, but by then, I don't care or even want to.

Any idea or suggestions?

healthyinOhio · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2006, 03:20:41 AM »

Oh yeah, that's hypoglycemia all right. I have it too. Not as bad, but at times it gets like that. Make sure that you eat plenty of protein. And I mean real meat protein. It will help regulate blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is either hereditary or because of a poor diet.
Herbs for blood sugar and insulin levels are: gentian root, bilberry, and wild yam. Increase more fiber into your diet and stay away from really sweet fruits and un-natural sugars.
Hypoglycemia is known to be an effect of suffering from long term allergies to certain foods, especially milk; which I just so happen to be allergic to.
Caffeine also contributes to swings in blood sugar levels.
You are not pregnant, are you?

Chickory Chick · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2006, 03:39:29 AM »

Yep, Yep! I have never been "offidially" diagnosed with it either, but my mother had my brother tested and they were positive and she knew all the signs. It is hereditary in my family! Diet helps a lot! Whenever I would get emotional, my mother would tell me to go drink a glass of milk!

dara · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2006, 03:55:39 AM »

My mom was dianosed with epilepsy and put on strong drugs in college because of a hypoglycemic seizure! Thankfully she got a correct dianosis within a year, but she didn't get to finish school because the epilepsy drugs made her so ill

. Anyway, I think I have it too. I just eat often, and always have food available, in the glove box, diaper bag, etc... it's especially bad when I'm nursing. My hubby thinks I am always needing to eat, and it's kind of true. Eating more coconut oil seems to be helping too, as it is absorbed quickly, and burned as energy without going through the whole digestion process. I'm probably going to start having smoothies in the mornings. I am looking into a conection with hypothyroid. We'll see what comes of that. Just my 2 cents.

mexmarr · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2006, 05:12:49 AM »

Quote from: healthyinOhio on July 20, 2006, 03:20:41 AM

You are not pregnant, are you?Â

No, I am not, yet!

Interestingly, pregnancy is what really made me aware of this problem. Actually, it was the 3 miscarriages that I had in my first year of marriage. After that, my low blood sugar became a very big problem. I was a living zombie for a couple of months. I didn't think about it being my blood sugar level, just blamed the physical problems on the miscarriages, so.... the worse I felt, the less I ate.... I couldn't be on my feet to wash a whole sink of dishes without laying down. My house and I fell apart. My wonderful DH and I finally figured it out, and I am now able to keep it under control most of the time.

BarelyMax has been a big help. Seems to help keep it stable. I don't go anywhere without food, either. UNfortunately, I am too much of a chicken to give up sugar entirely..... If I eat it either before or after protein, it is OK. I just avoid it between meals.

InEverything · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2006, 06:35:39 AM »

My mom and I also always thought we had hypoglycemia and we have tried to treat the symptoms. I believe CANDIDIASIS is actually the cause for most people, Prescription for Nutritional Healing actually says they are related. When I treat myself for yeast my "hyploglycemia" symptoms go away. I thought you might want to look into that, killing the yeast and probiotics. Coconut oil in smoothies can really help.
We should start a prayer chain for us mothers who deal with low blood sugar!

healthyinOhio · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2006, 06:59:38 AM »

Interestingly, pregnancy is what really made me aware of this problem. Actually, it was the 3 miscarriages that I had in my first year of marriage. After that, my low blood sugar became a very big problem. I was a living zombie for a couple of months. I didn't think about it being my blood sugar level, just blamed the physical problems on the miscarriages, so.... the worse I felt, the less I ate

You know, I think Dara nailed it on the head when she connected hypoglycemia with hypothyroid problems. Have you ever taken your basal body temps in the morning to see if you have low body temps? Too low of temps, also known as hypothyroidism, could in fact be the reason, in your case, for the miscarriages. It would definitely be something to look into. And believe me, I have prayed many a times for the ladies on here who wish so desperately to conceive. Some of you I know by names and others I just ask the Lord to bless their "nameless" womb.

hedy · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2006, 08:47:23 AM »

I used to have it. I couldn't go without eating without feeling sick. When I cut way down on the carbs in my diet (to address another issue) the hypoglycemia went away!

Another interesting side note: as my insulin got more controlled, my low basal temps went up.

Dairae · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2006, 09:19:55 AM »

When my son was about 15 months, he had what I suppose you would call a hypoglycemic seizure. They did find is all the testing they did that his body doesn't produce enough coenzyme Q10. They aren't sure if that is connected to the hypoglycemia. Besides giving him that supplement, we just have to do the same old thing as everyone else. More protein and more frequent meals. He eats nut butter right before bed and I pop something in his mouth as soon as he wakes up.

The funny thing about him is that is the only episode he has ever had. You never can tell if his sugar is low by his behavior.

healthybratt · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2006, 07:10:55 PM »

Quote from: hedy on July 20, 2006, 08:47:23 AM

I used to have it. I couldn't go without eating without feeling sick. When I cut way down on the carbs in my diet (to address another issue) the hypoglycemia went away!

Carbs = sugar = yeast. $:-\$

Julia · « **Reply #10 on:** September 13, 2006, 10:53:15 AM »

I've been really struggling with low blood sugar, too, and it's gotten really bad since my last baby was born so I appreciate all the input here. One thing I am trying is licorice root. The How-to Herb Book says that it can help get your blood sugar back up and over time, it will help fix the hypoglycemia. It also says that if you're always eating sugar, producing insulin, having your blood sugar drop way down, and then eating sugar to get it back up and starting the process all over again, soon your pancreas will get tired and then you develop diabetes. Anyway, about the licorice, I just made a strong decoction of the dried root and keep it in a jar in the fridge. I try not to let my blood sugar get low with a better diet, which I'm working on (although I just read about the vanilla beans and that's going to make me want to bake desserts!), and which I'm sure you know about, but if I forget to eat in time and suddenly realize I'm "at the point of no return" then I take a sip of the licorice. I seems to help it go back up, not immediately, but eventually. This is big for me because if I don't drink it and my blood sugar drops then I have that weak, shaky feeling all day. But, I haven't really been able to experiment fully, because I am nursing and don't want to take too much, because I guess it is something you can overdose on if you use a lot over a long time. They used to make licorice candy with it, so I was thinking I could maybe get some of that real licorice candy and keep it in my purse for emergencies when I'm out, but haven't tried that. I just ordered a pound of licorice root from bulkherbstore.com. I ordered it cut, but next time I'll order it ground because it's harder to steep when it's cut. There's also a little info about it on there. They seem to have good prices - $6.45/lb for the licorice root and a pound will last you forever. I guess you could make a tincture of it but I don't know if the alcohol would then affect your blood sugar also. Let me know if you try it and get any results!

If anyone has any more advice on hypoglycemia I'd love it because I'm just realizing this probably the cause of a lot of things for me - tiredness, lack of focus, some depression, tiredness, tiredness, and more tiredness - I didn't even realize these were all tied together. That site someone gave with the diagnostic test was good. I will keep reading...

Julia · « **Reply #11 on:** September 13, 2006, 10:56:03 AM »

It looks like the Bulk Herb Store doesn't have the licorice ground anymore, just cut. So if you use it, just boil it for a while to get as many of the properties out as you can.

SteveTallent · « **Reply #12 on:** September 15, 2006, 05:30:48 PM »

When I almost passed out one time in Russia, I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. My mother had it so I was not surprised, but very disappointed. Nutrition is not the goal of Russian cuisine so I think that brought on the severe symptoms. We had a very amazing doctor come over and he helped with the diagnosis. He said that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypothyroid (low thyroid) and hypotension (low blood pressure) all go together. It is easy to test hypotension of course. My BP used to be 90/60. It is also easy to test for hypothyroid by taking the basal body temp before getting out of bed in the morning. If it is low, thyroid is low. I just stuck a thermometer under my arm for a few minutes before getting up. It was cold out, so I didn't mind an extra few minutes huddled under the covers.

Now, I don't have the problems that I used to. My BP is 115-125/60-80. Whenever anybody takes my BP, I always ask them how it looks. The regular response is, "Good. I wish mine were that good." I can eat sugar on a daily basis with no more problems than anybody else might have, (although I'm not a big sugar person, so I rarely get too much). So, what made the change?

Fasting. Complete water fast. I went 7 days the first time. I thought I was going to die (not really). It was amazing how much eating is a part of our lives. We talk over food, we make deals over food. We eat when we're happy, we eat when we're sad, we eat when we're bored. Hunger went away after two days, but appetite got stronger and stronger. I was breaking my fast in my dreams (what a nightmare, thinking I'd ruined it all). I vowed to God that I would even eat reconstituted scrambled eggs when I could eat again. And I did - once. It was an amazing time of trial, but I made it through. Isaiah says of fasting that "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward" Isa 58:8. My health sprang forth. Immediately afterward, my BP was 120/80. And there was something different about my countenance. People were staring at me on the Metro.

My system was completely reset. Everything worked better. Sugar tolerance up. Basal temp up. BP up. Susceptibility to infection down. Twas great. I've fasted twice since then for 5 days each. Both were times that my sugar intake had been above average or high, for extended lengths of time and my sugar tolerance was much lower.

I've heard lots of reasons why people can't fast, but I've never heard anyone that actually did fast say they wished they hadn't. I know for some people it is very difficult, but then so is going through years of feeling so-so on your best days, intermittent sugar crashes, and blacking out. Also, having to deny yourself even a taste of all those goodies just stinks.

mykidsmom · « **Reply #13 on:** September 15, 2006, 08:23:07 PM »

Quote from: kayinpa on July 20, 2006, 03:39:29 AM

It is hereditary in my family!Â Diet helps a lot!Â Whenever I would get emotional, my mother would tell me to go drink a glass of milk!

This is EXACTLY what we have to do with my daughter. She is such a sweet girl but when her sugar gets low she gets nasty like crazy! We know exactly what's wrong with her. We mainly stay away from sugar. She even has to be careful with fruit. She has to eat cheese or some other protein if she's going to eat a piece of fruit.

But here's something that all of you with hypoglycemia should tuck in the back of your memory (I also have this): Hypoglycemia is a precursor to diabetes. If you do not keep your blood sugars level you can eventually wear out your pancreas and will end up diabetic. When you eat sugar your pancreas kicks out insulin to counteract it which in turn brings your sugar down too low and you eat again and insulin is produced again and around and around you go. Protein and very complex carbs digest much slower thereby needing the pancreas to kick out less insulin.

The best way I know of to treat it is staying away from sugar. Life happens, birthdays come, etc. I do eat sugar at those times but I almost always regret it a couple of hours later as I'm crashing through the floor. I'm getting to the point now where I just don't even feel like it's worth even one taste of the stuff. I would highly recommend two books. The Low Blood Sugar Book and The Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein. Why a diabetes book? Because this guy explains in the best terms I've ever seen how the body works (pancreas, etc). Once you understand what happens in your body when you eat sugar and that it can wear your pancreas out it will help you choose what to eat. I've noticed there's a number of people with diabetes here (type I and II) and I just cannot recommend this book enough. I am fighting for all I'm worth to keep that from happening but it starts with keeping the hypoglycemia under control.

All the best,

patti

Julia · « **Reply #14 on:** September 16, 2006, 11:00:21 AM »

That is interesting about the fasting. Maybe it is like "resetting" yourself. How could you go without eating when your blood sugar was already prone to being low? A juice fast would probably really mess with your blood sugar, wouldn't it? I am thinking of fasting one of these days after I'm through with the pregnant/nursing cycle. I wonder if just eating really simple foods for a week, like vegetables and lentils or something, would be a way to fast while nursing. Well, thanks for the advice!

SteveTallent · « **Reply #15 on:** September 17, 2006, 02:02:48 PM »

The interesting thing about hypoglycemia is that processing of sugar actually works TOO well. Normal body sees sugar and pushes button to excrete insulin to process sugar. Hypoglycemic body sees sugar and pushes button repeatedly causing excretion of too much insulin. Sugar is processed too fast, used up and body crashes. When fasting, first the sugar ALREADY in the bloodstream is used. So that sugar would cause whatever problems it's going to cause regardless of whether you are eating or not. Next stored sugars in the form of glycogen are used as they are needed. They are not in the readily available for as those running around your system so you will start having problems like blacking out if you stand up too fast, or similar symptoms. BUT, you will not have the extreme crashes or the excessively ill feelings, because there isn't enough being excreted into the system at a time to trigger the hypoglycemic reaction. Next, mobilizable proteins are used. These are proteins that have been stored but aren't currently making up part of a necessary component, for instance a muscle. These proteins won't trigger the excretion of copious amount of insulin. All of this happens within the first three days. Now obviously, not ALL of any of those are going to be used. There will always be some stragglers, but those are the stages of "primary sources of energy". After three days, the body changes gears and the primary source of energy if stored fats. Think you have too much stored fat? Here's a way to remove some of it. The cool thing about burning fat is that there is an abundance of it in most of us (at least for a 5-10 day fast), hunger ceases, and ketones are a byproduct. Ketones make you feel good. I worked a 50 hour a week job while fasting once. It was office work. I've heard of guys working construction while fasting. The body is masterfully designed and accomodates your activities, up to a certain point. What it doesn't do is transition from dead stop to high speed instantaneously like it would when you are eating. If you wish to go for a walk, that's fine. Just ease into it. If you start to feel lightheaded, slow down. I've even heard of people excercising and running. I don't recommend it except for the first day. I think it's a great thing to do on the first day because it uses up the available sugars and proteins that much faster and you get to the fat burning that much sooner. The fat burning is really the part that cleans a person out and resets that person. Most of us can do pretty much anything while we are fasting, that we could do while feasting. It just might take longer and involve some breaks.

Water should be taken throughout the day in small amounts, as much water as possible. Daily bathing is recommended to remove toxins that might be excreted through the skin.

Julia · « **Reply #16 on:** September 17, 2006, 02:50:30 PM »

You know what I was thinking, I think the first time I noticed any symptoms of hypoglycemia was after I did a two or three day water-only fast in college. At the time I was a little overweight and would pretty much skip breakfast and lunch and try to eat low-calorie for dinner but ended up eating a lot of junk food if it were around. A lot of days I would eat 1200 calories or less, and some days I would eat way more because I would be so hungry and if there were chips or ice cream around or something I would pig out. I ate like this for a long time and just kept getting heavier little by little (I think this is what happens with a lot of people who constantly struggle with their weight, by the way.) So anyway, I did this fast, not for weight loss but for spiritual reasons, and after I got done I started noticing low blood sugar symptoms when I didn't eat. I saw it as a good thing because it made me eat breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day, and I would actually have my stomach growling for food in between meals. I lost about 30 pounds over the next couple years and never struggled with it or gained it back, except for during pregnancies of course, and I've managed to pretty much get within 5-10 pounds of my old weight after pregnancy (I was really pretty thin before pregnancy). So the fast and the beginning of the low blood sugar symptoms were about 10 years ago, and like I said, they were kind of a good thing for me, like my body was regulating itself, but now it's gotten so my blood sugar drops in the morning and I can't get it back to normal till lunch time, even though I'm eating all kinds of foods to see if they work - protein, grains, just plain grape juice - and not losing any of my baby fat, incidentally, and then after lunch I'm tired for the rest of the day. Anyway, I'm cutting back on sugar, trying to eat before the "point of no return", and using the licorice root and they are all helping, but if there is a "cure" like fasting or something else, I'm all for it.

My husband does juice fasts a lot - once for 40 days. I sure don't envy him! And it is kind of hard on our family not having him eat with us at meals, too, plus the kids and I eat a lot of dinners consisting of eggs or pb&j since he's not eating and I get a little hungry for real meals! That's just my part in the suffering

.

LadyLorien · « **Reply #17 on:** September 18, 2006, 02:50:40 AM »

I also had hypoglycemia, it started out in my third pregnancy. It caused me to be extremely cold waking up in the morning and as I would get up the room would spin. I had that in addition to regular dizziness and confusion during the day. My chiropractor diagnosed me with low blood sugar and encouraged me to eat less sugar and carbs, including less fruit. What I did was a "no sugar, no flour" diet, which is just that, NONE!! -You can eat anything else that you like - anything without sugar and/or flour and as much as you want. It worked fantastic AND I lost about 20 pounds in a couple months -(after getting over the pregnancy and birth). Now, I still have to watch what I eat, but mainly I have to be very careful with coffee - which I love. I have to mix half decaf with my regular, coffee - caffeine - really works your pancreas. Fasting and not eating regular meals, AND eating to much sugar and/or carbs is what I've read causes low blood sugar problems - and as mentioned, leads to diabetes. It may be better to get your sugar straight before doing a fast - I don't know. The "no sugar, no flour diet" is super for losing weight and getting your sugar under control.

P.S. I'm new here, so I hope I'm not just saying what's already been said.

4myhoonie · « **Reply #18 on:** September 18, 2006, 03:10:54 AM »

Quote from: LadyLorien on September 18, 2006, 02:50:40 AM

Now, I still have to watch what I eat, but mainly I have to be very careful with coffee - which I love.Â I have to mix half decaf with my regular, coffee - caffeine - really works your pancreas.Â

wow!Â i didn't know why, but i used to have a major problem with this, and i switched to decaf, which helped some of the problems.Â my chiro has always said i have weak adrenals and i had another dr. tell me i had a weak pancreas.

Quote from: InEverything on July 20, 2006, 06:35:39 AM

My mom and I also always thought we had hypoglycemia and we have tried to treat the symptoms.Â I believe CANDIDIASIS is actually the cause for most people, Prescription for Nutritional Healing actually says they are related.Â When I treat myself for yeast my "hyploglycemia" symptoms go away.Â I thought you might want to look into that, killing the yeast and probiotics.Â Coconut oil in smoothies can really help.
We should start a prayer chain for us mothers who deal with low blood sugar!

Quote from: healthybratt on July 20, 2006, 07:10:55 PM

Quote from: hedy on July 20, 2006, 08:47:23 AM
I used to have it. I couldn't go without eating without feeling sick. When I cut way down on the carbs in my diet (to address another issue) the hypoglycemia went away!

Carbs = sugar = yeast.Â Â $:-\$

this is soooo true!Â my sister and i both had it and hers was really bad!!Â we had food allergy testing done and found several.Â she had tried several different diets by different drs. (low fat, low carb, etc.) but all included her allergens.Â now she stays away from them, which is of course just a band aid for whatever is causing it.Â i have been trying to get her to do something more about it, but it's not looking like she will, especially now!!Â cuz she's pregnant!Â Â

Â i just hope she gets a content baby, it's been 7 or 8 years for her and she thinks her other 2 were never really content.Â she was young and just fed them all the time.Â i hope she doesn't have a screaming baby, like me. it would be interesting to see what would happen for her using something like yeast assassin, and staying away from all yeast related foods.Â though, for her, her problems completely stay away as long as she doesn't eat an allergen.Â she no longer has problems with sugars.Â

Beth · « **Reply #19 on:** September 18, 2006, 04:54:15 AM »

Has anyone ever tried green tea for their blood sugar problems. I've had blood sugar troubles for a long time. About a year or so ago my husband read an article in NGJ by Rebekah about green tea. She said she used it for low blood sugar. So my husband said try it. I did and you know it really works. I make ice tea out of it. I drink 1-2 qts a day. But I found that the kind you get already bagged in the store doesn't work as well. I buy from the bulk herb store. (www.bulkherbstore.com) I don't know what the difference would be maybe I make it stronger. Anyway I wouldn't do without it now. My husband can always tell when I run out. He tells me order some more.

Julia · « **Reply #20 on:** September 18, 2006, 11:29:12 AM »

Boy, I drink a ton of iced green tea and I haven't noticed a difference!

Maybe I'll try not drinking it for a while and see what happens.

Beth · « **Reply #21 on:** September 20, 2006, 04:45:49 AM »

Quote from: juliaofsunnyside on September 18, 2006, 11:29:12 AM

Boy, I drink a ton of iced green tea and I haven't noticed a difference! Maybe I'll try not drinking it for a while and see what happens.

Maybe I just make it stronger. I use about1-2 tsp. per qt. depending on how I'm feeling. If I feel like my blood sugar is out of wack then I make it stronger. Also I just don't get the same results from the cheaper brands. Maybe they aren't as fresh or something??

Nickole · « **Reply #22 on:** September 20, 2006, 05:07:19 PM »

Quote from: Beth on September 20, 2006, 04:45:49 AM

Â Â
Quote from: juliaofsunnyside on September 18, 2006, 11:29:12 AM
Boy, I drink a ton of iced green tea and I haven't noticed a difference! Maybe I'll try not drinking it for a while and see what happens.
Â Â Maybe I just make it stronger. I use about1-2 tsp. per qt. depending on how I'm feeling. If I feel like my blood sugar is out of wack then I make it stronger. Also I just don't get the same results from the cheaper brands. Maybe they aren't as fresh or something??

YES I have used this also with low blood sugar after reading Rebekah's recommendation. I was having bouts of lightheadedness and weak legs and such and after researched thought I diagnosed myself with low blood sugar, but I used a friend's blood tester thing, even did it at the right time, and it showed my blood sugar was normal. I don't know if it was just a post-pregnancy thing, but it was scary and happening often. Then I started drinking green tea (Jasmine, loose, from bulkherbstore, and STRONG) on a regular basis, and it's GONE. Hope this helps!

Julia · « **Reply #23 on:** September 21, 2006, 10:56:58 AM »

Okay, I'm going to try to drink it very consistently, since sometimes I make a different kind of tea for my second pitcher of the day (nursing mom

) or something, and I'll see if I feel any difference. Do you think you can be more "careless" with eating on time or eating sugar? It sounds like it regulates your blood sugar like licorice root does. It's not that I want to be careless, but just in case I am, you know

, it would be nice to know I have something else working for me. I do have the jasmine tea from the bulk herb store and I like it strong! Thanks for the tip!

Beth · « **Reply #24 on:** September 22, 2006, 04:24:27 AM »

Quote from: juliaofsunnyside on September 21, 2006, 10:56:58 AM

Okay, I'm going to try to drink it very consistently, since sometimes I make a different kind of tea for my second pitcher of the day (nursing mom ) or something, and I'll see if I feel any difference. Do you think you can be more "careless" with eating on time or eating sugar? It sounds like it regulates your blood sugar like licorice root does. It's not that I want to be careless, but just in case I am, you knowÂ , it would be nice to know I have something else working for me.Â I do have the jasmine tea from the bulk herb store and I like it strong! Thanks for the tip!

I make a tea with both green tea and red raspberry together I add a little spearmint for flavor. I still watch what I eat but I do eat that occassional dessert especially at fellowship meals (so many good cooks in our church) and I really do like sugar. But I think the green tea actually helps my sugar cravings as well?? But yes the food I eat and when I eat it is much more sensitive when I don't drink the green tea. I still try to be careful though.

~esposita~ · « **Reply #25 on:** March 20, 2007, 04:31:31 AM »

Quote from: SteveTallent on September 17, 2006, 02:02:48 PM

The interesting thing about hypoglycemia is that processing of sugar actually works TOO well. Normal body sees sugar and pushes button to excrete insulin to process sugar. Hypoglycemic body sees sugar and pushes button repeatedly causing excretion of too much insulin. Sugar is processed too fast, used up and body crashes.

Just a thought...if you have gone for an extended period of time without a lot of sugars and refined carbs, then all of the sudden for unreasonable reasons

you start eating all that "Junk" again, could your body over react? It seems that since we have had a helathier lifestyle, when we deviate from it we are more sensitive than we used to be. Any thoughts on that?

(The reason I ask is because I've been experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia lately...really since I've been pregnant, which I am sure has a role in it, but I've also been a bit naughty in my diet - since we've had a lot of company recently.)

zmama · « **Reply #26 on:** March 20, 2007, 04:50:03 AM »

Have any of you with hypoglycemia ever had problems with a rapid heart rate? My 10-year-old son has had one the last month and also seems to have all the symptoms of hypoglycemia. He's pale, dizzy, light-headed, tells me "I just don't feel good", etc., etc. What I've researched on the internet says rapid heart rate is one symptom; however, his pediatrician says "not so." I've asked twice and she refuses to do the test for that or high sugar, either. He's been tested for anemia and thyroid and both of those were fine. She just put him on a holter monitor to test the high heart rate. It seems to be worse when he's exceptionally hungry. He also has epilepsy and his particular seizures mostly happen at night...but they come in "clusters" that happen mostly when he's really hungry, like when he's having a growth spurt. In other words, all his symptoms seem to be tied to hunger and diet. He's an extremely picky eater. Protein, dairy, and fruits are not an issue but he gags on almost all veggies and would prefer carbs all day if I would let him. I limit them and give him other choices but he'd rather go hungry than try the other choices. Make sense? After reading all the above, I wonder how much of it is yeast related and if so how I can do a cleanse for him at his age and how I can reverse the effects of yeast? Any suggestions? Or has this been completely confusing?? Thanks!

mexmarr · « **Reply #27 on:** March 20, 2007, 05:25:03 AM »

Quote from: zmama on March 20, 2007, 04:50:03 AM

I've asked twice and she refuses to do the test for that or high sugar, either.

I'd find a new doctor. If you want a test done, and are willing to pay, they should do it. It does sound like it could be hypoglycemia.

Can you just go to a lab and request the test on your own? Or maybe a health ckinic or something.

GardenandHomeLife · « **Reply #28 on:** March 20, 2007, 09:14:04 AM »

I have all of the symptoms of hypoglycemia that have been mentioned on this board, and have what feels like a rapid heart rate (is he saying it feels like that, or are you checking it and it really is?). I haven't checked to see if mine really is.

I'm not sure that you need a doctor to tell you he has hypoglycemia. I haven't had any luck there, either. Our 8yo daughter was in a local ER with an obviously broken elbow and she sat there for FOUR hours and no doctor had ever come. I asked the nurse for some juice for our daughter about 3-1/2 hours into the wait, because she (8yo) was pure white, had slumped in the bed, wouldn't respond well to us anymore -- all the things she does when she has what we've self-diagnosed as low blood sugar -- and instead of bringing juice, the nurse brought a blood test, which is all fine and dandy, except that she said, "It's normal. We don't allow food or drinks in the ER." As soon as she left, Dh said, "That's it," and we walked out of that ER, ate pizza and Cokes in the van, and our daughter immediately went back to normal -- talkative, rosy cheeked, sitting up straight -- and we drove to a different ER where they immediately took care of the break in her elbow.

By the way, now that I know better, from learning online, Coke and juice are not the best for hypoglycemia. It's better to avoid sugar and eat some protein, which allows for a slower release of insulin. There is so much to learn! The juice/Coke do give my daughter and I a boost of sudden energy and we feel better, but then we go crashing down, below where we were in the first place.

I don't have any advice on the cleansing. I haven't tried one yet. For us, if we eat every 2-3 hours and eat protein and lower our carb and sugar intake, we do well. I'm going to try the green tea suggestion above, though!

zmama · « **Reply #29 on:** March 20, 2007, 09:20:26 AM »

Quote from: mexmarr on March 20, 2007, 05:25:03 AM

Quote from: zmama on March 20, 2007, 04:50:03 AM
I've asked twice and she refuses to do the test for that or high sugar, either.

I'd find a new doctor. If you want a test done, and are willing to pay, they should do it. It does sound like it could be hypoglycemia.

Can you just go to a lab and request the test on your own? Or maybe a health clinic or something.

My husband wants me to stomp my feet and insist on the test being done, so I will try one more time with the doctor when she calls with the report from the heart monitor. The lab at our pediatrician's office won't do anything without a doctor's order. I don't know of any other labs in town where I could just pop in and have it done. I can call the health department and find out, though. Thanks for the suggestion.

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Author Topic: Hypoglycemia [Low Blood Sugar]: Causes & Cures (Read 52281 times)

Dairae

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