IBS with Reactive Hypoglycaemia

[bluecat65]

I have had ibs for 21 years now. I got it after a bad bout of gastric enteritis that turned septic. I was laid up for 6 months & lost so much weight that l was only 5 stone. I now get servere right side pain, very bloated, lining loss & nausea.

Two years later l collapsed & was taken to hospital with Reactive Hypoglycaemia. I now have to eat every two hours. My blood sugar has dropped below 2 & l ended up in a coma & had to have 5 bags of glucose drip.

I take buscopan from the doctors but having ibs with reactive Hypoglycaemia is so difficult.

Does anyone else suffer with this & could you please give me some advice.

[bluecat65]

I have also a seen a specialist & been on forums trying to get help, but with no luck as usual.For the last 21 years now l just feel completely alone with this ☹️

[Cozmarine in reply to bluecat65]

Try high dose valerian capsules

[ANB80]

Hi. It sounds awful what you have been through. Very sorry to hear that.

I am also a sufferer of IBS and Hypoglycaemia. I never heard the phrase of "Reactive Hypoglycaemia" though. I have also never been tested for Hypoglycaemia. It was just kind of dismissed by doctors as me having Hypoglycaemia.

But anyway, I am certainly like you where I need to eat every couple of hours, even though the night. It is awful. I find it very difficult to lose any weight. Maintaining is also a problem. It is dead easy to put weight on but a struggle to maintain, and almost impossible to lose.

I have had Hypoglycaemia all my life, although it was only "diagnosed" in my early 30's. And I have had IBS since my mid-20's. I am now 41.

Unfortunately I don't really have any advice for you though as I struggle too. I also have some other health issues which effects what I can eat and drink so my diet is very strict.

[bluecat65 in reply to ANB80]

I’m so sorry to hear this….yes it’s really difficult to get a good balance when you have conflicting conditions.Doctors don’t seem to know much about Hypoglycaemia.

It was the specialist that told me it was reactive Hypoglycaemia due to some foods making my blood sugar crash so low.

Eggs are supposed to be good for this condition but they can be terrible for ibs.

Thank you so much for your reply, it feels good to hear from someone else with the same condition.

Take care x

[ANB80 in reply to bluecat65]

A few years ago I ended up drawing up a spreadsheet of foods with all my health conditions as columns. I then put an X in the columns that I could not have the food for that condition. Any foods with no X's on meant I could eat that. I found that massively helpful which significantly improved my conditions but they are still not to a satisfactory point.

Like you, it is good to hear from someone who appears to suffer with these 2 conditions as they are conflicting and a pain to deal with.

I try to eat oats a lot which seems to help both of these conditions.

Do you have any problems getting through the night without eating?

[bluecat65]

That’s a great idea with the food spread sheets. I always have a biscuit before I go to bed & that seems to help through the night but

If l wake up at anytime l do need to eat straight away.

I get really bad cravings for salty things & then sweet things.