Non-diabetic hypoglycemia + IBS

[EnikoF]

Hi everyone, do any of you also suffer from non-diabetic hypoglycemia? This is not a diagnosis I got but I get hypoglycemia very often, for example when I don't eat enough carbs. I have tried every diet you can imagine. When there is a diet that helps with the bloating and stomach issues, then I get hypos. In a comment, under a youtube video, I read that b12 helped with some similar issues but only after taking it 5 months. So I started to take a b complex vitamin with high b1 and b12. I'm wondering if what your thought are on this.

[BabsyWabsy]

Hi EnikoF, I used to get this in my teens, a very long time ago. Thinking back, our family diet was pretty carb heavy. Toast and jam or porridge and golden syrup at breakfast for example. We were on a tight budget of course, but I always felt I 'needed' more protein, which could be in short supply sadly. By lunchtime, I would often be light headed, dizzy and bad tempered until I got home for lunch. Once recharged, I could feel very tired. It didn't happen everyday, but was never investigated.

[EnikoF in reply to BabsyWabsy]

Hi BabsyWabsy (I like your name. :)) Thank you for your reply. I had similar diet growing up. But for years, it's been a lot better and not carb heavy. This is why I don't understand. Did your symptoms go away after changing your diet?

[BabsyWabsy in reply to EnikoF]

Yes, they did. I rarely get it these days and can usually pinpoint it to missing a meal or something. These days, I make sure I have protein at almost every meal. But, I find I must limit sweet stuff to a minimum, or I can end up on the loo, sweaty, grey and feeling like I might pass out or die. I do wonder if the vagus nerve was affected all those years ago, before we recognised the impact. My daughter occasionally picks up ketones on my breath, even if I have eaten. She is very sensitive to this, having 2 kids with type 1 diabetes. I also have a niece with T1D. All three diagnosed aged 11-12. So maybe there is a familial thing going on?

[EnikoF in reply to BabsyWabsy]

I think it has something to do with genetics. My younger niece has very similar problems (she is just 6) but not as severe as mine. And I've always had digestive problems but it got a lot worse 9 years ago.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to EnikoF]

I think you may be right. I have had digestive issues all my life, my parents did too, but we 'didn't talk about it'! My maternal grandmother had diverticulitis. One brother has Barret's oesophagus, the other has Crohns. So definitely something genetic going on.

[EnikoF in reply to BabsyWabsy]

My dad and my sister doesn't have any digestive issues but everyone else does. They tried to blame mine on my troubled childhood but my sister had the same and she has no digestive issues or any chronic illnesses apart from asthma.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to EnikoF]

There must be a genetic component at work here. I also have asthma. My Mum started to have serious allergies in her 40's, including asthma. That's when mine started too, and it looks like my daughter may be going the same way. My boys do not seem to be troubled in this way.

[Mugs19 in reply to BabsyWabsy]

The PMS diet worked for me.It gives a small regular dose of carbohydrate every three hours. About 30 calories or eg a ryvita. If we add some protein eg houmous, cottage cheese it keeps the blood sugar level so that it never plummets.Main meals need to have their carb content reduced eg 100g potato Mac so that you don’t get fat. This worked for me. I was never hungry and lost 7 + stone and reversed my diabetes. I ate well - plenty protein, veg and fruit.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Mugs19]

Hi Mugs19, I don't think we have 'met' before. You have a lot going on, I read your profile, so loads of experience to share, thank you for sharing. I think small regular meals would be a great idea. As I get older, I find my appetite is smaller. When I first retired, I was overweight. My job had involved a lot of taste panels, so basically, I ate for a job and had piled on a fair bit. It was a relief not to be eating all day, and I was happy with a late breakfast and early evening meal. I lost three stone in fairly short order, which panicked my GP team. But all was well. I had just shed the excess. These days, I am better with a protein breakfast, a mug of soup at lunch time, protein and veg, sometimes rice, as in last night's duck & veg stir fry, early evening, but in moderation. If I eat too much, I am up for a very early morning bm. Not ideal.

[xjrs]

I used to be severely hypoglycemic until my mid 20s, when I found out the cause of having too much sugar in the diet and it advised to cut sugar and eat low GI foods. Fibre can help you feel fuller for longer, plus always balancing fibre/carbs with protein and healthy fats (such as olive oil drissled over a meal) in each meal. This fixed me.

By the way, if you are having problems with slow release carbs such as fibre with your IBS, try Alflorex probiotic since it helps to digest complex carbs and kicks into touch any bad bugs dominating which give symptoms. I had a very limited diet prior to Alforex, but now can eat a huge amount of low GI and fibrous foods, though I still have some food intolerances remaining.

[EnikoF in reply to xjrs]

I eat a lot of fiber. (and unfortunately I'm always horribly bloated because of it but my brain can not function when I don't eat lots of vegetables.) I'm a pescatarian and my main problem has always been low protein intake. I stopped eating butter and now only use olive oil. (it's been a year now). From both of your answers, I figured that I will have to stop eating sweets. To be honest, even fruits cause burning sensation in my face.

This Alflorex sounds very promising. I can see that there are different products. Which one do you take if you don't mind me asking? Thank you!!

[xjrs in reply to EnikoF]

I use the original capsules:

precisionbiotics.co.uk/alfl...

I have one daily with water just before breakfast on an empty stomach. If they help you, you can get them cheaper on subscription and also if you are a 1st time user with a 3 month trial.

[EnikoF in reply to xjrs]

Thank you! I will definitely order it.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to EnikoF]

Just a thought. Have you looked at 'pollen mouth' if you have problems with some fruits?

[BabsyWabsy in reply to xjrs]

Could this be common in a certain age group? I know that we had a lot of sliced bread once the Chorleywood process revolutionised bread making in the early 60's and I have often wondered if there is a connection. These days, I have protein and fats and usually veg of some sort with every meal, and as long as I limit sugar (and avoid wheat because I'm allergic), I'm fine. Apparently, current research shows a connection between it and the incidence of IBS.

[xjrs in reply to BabsyWabsy]

I hadn't heard of that, but even wholewheat bread can be highly milled which would increase the GI of the loaf. I make homemade bread in a bread maker using stoneground, wholemeal flour which should be lower GI.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to xjrs]

True. My Mum favoured Hov*s, so, although 'brown' not wholemeal, she felt it was better for us. Marketing eh?

[Bracondale]

Are you eating enough in general? Eating lots of carbs without fat and protein will prompt a high insulin response which will make blood sugar plummet so making you feel hypoglycaemic. Eating enough protein and healthy fat with each meal will slow absorption of carbohydrates and so help even out blood sugar levels and avoid the highs and lows. Eating lower glycaemic index/complex carbs/more fibre also decreases rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Bracondale]

Works for me, though I need to be careful not to over do the fibre at the same time.

[Lincolnlady123]

Hi There.

I had to reply as this is exactly what I experience and it has been going on all my life! The only answer I have ever found that works is to eat little and often. This pattern certainly does not fit in with everyone else’s meal times and has caused certain issues.

It has helped that i have identified a pattern which is that by 3 pm every afternoon my blood sugar plummets and I need a snack to boost it back up. If I don’t , I am light headed, shaky , irritable and know I am unsafe to do anything that needs concentration , like driving ! It doesn’t matter much what I eat at lunch , it still happens.

The only time I raised it as medical issue was when I was pregnant , over 30 years ago, but as I was not diagnosed diabetic, no one was worried.

As i said , the only way to control it I have found is small meals/snacks often. Adding IBS into the equation complicates things further but overtime I have worked out mainly what I can tolerate . I hope you can do the same. Sending you best wishes x

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Lincolnlady123]

That is very interesting. It looks like quite a few of us have similar issues with hypoglycaemia. Could this be another facet of our common symptoms? Mine wasn't an issue when pregnant, although I did once have a male midwifery student who couldn't find my blood pressure. It was lower than he expected...

[Luisa22]

I wonder if blood sugar issues might be genetic in origin? I don't know, and am no expert. But I only say that because I do all sorts of things one "isn't supposed to do", and never suffer symptoms of blood sugar ups and downs.

For instance, I often have toast with honey for breakfast (just because that's kind on my belly) and never get any "sugar high" from it or "sugar crash" a little while later. That seems to last me for hours in a very steady way, and I probably won't need to eat again until 6 or so hours later when I have a proper dinner, including protein, carbs and vegetables. as a matter of course.

I seem fine eating carbs of any kind, and sugar itself doesn't bother me in any way. It doesn't appear to work like a demon in my life. Mind you, I don't eat masses of sugary things, but I don't shun them either.

I have never been able to relate to any kind of "sugar high" or "sugar low" from what I eat.

So that doesn't kind of make sense according to the current thinking and what we are advised. I guess it's just me, and I can be weird!

I've had what I call "funny turns" rarely but sometimes, which I believe is vagus nerve irritation, but never as far as I know caused by blood sugar levels.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Luisa22]

Fascinating how we all react differently. I don't get a 'sugar high', but recognise if blood sugar goes low. I sometimes have GF toast and honey too, but with nut butter too. I am normally hungry again within a couple of hours. There may be a correlation?

[Luisa22 in reply to BabsyWabsy]

Yes, it's fascinating that we're all so different.

I remember once when I always felt awful when I woke up. Someone told me it might be low blood sugar so I kept half a banana by my bed and forced myself to eat that before getting up. It made no difference and was certainly not helpful. I'm not geared for eating as soon as I wake up. My body can't cope with it.

There was another cause obviously for "feeling awful" and it was "just IBS" and not low blood sugar.

I would say if you start to feel hungry again very soon after your toast and nut butter/honey breakfast, then maybe that's not enough for you. Maybe a more protein based breakfast (like boiled eggs etc) might suit you better?

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Luisa22]

Hi Luisa, thank you for your considered response. Apart from a level of urgency, I usually feel OK when I get up. A banana wouldn't work for me either due to 'pollen mouth', they make me feel like I am choking, and I really dislike the smell. Many years ago, when I was pregnant, my lovely husband always brought me a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit in bed. As a result, I avoided morning sickness. Sadly, he is no longer with us, but he continued to bring me a mug of tea until he was unable to climb two flights of stairs. I normally make sure to have protein at breakfast, which might be sardines or poached egg & beans on GF toast, or cheese on toast, occasionally, bacon, egg & homegrown tomatoes, sometimes a mushroom & herb omelette. Nut butter is only if I am in a rush and is not enough. I often carry GF cheese oatcakes (handy little packs) with me for use in an emergency when I am out and about.

[RuthBlossom]

I've also dealt with non-diabetic hypoglycemia for as long as I can remember. Like you, I don't cut carbs completely, but I’m very careful about the types and amounts, and I always pair them with protein to help keep my blood sugar stable. I just started taking a B complex with high B1 and B12, hoping it will improve my energy levels, which have been quite low.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to RuthBlossom]

Same here. I also take a strong B vitamin complex, but have taken it for years, so hard to know the impact. I hope it works for you.

[Starfush]

try intermittent fasting, also high fibre and gut microbome are important.