Does anyone else experience low blood sugar problems? This one also seems to baffle medics because i'm not in the criteria for diabetes. But, I figured this one out on my own when I realised it was in fact certain foods that triggered my panic attacks and eating foods slowly/low in carbs/smaller portions/more fats and protein, in fact stopped them all together, after 5 long long years of hell. I know low blood sugars are characteristic of a lot of related conditions to thyroid conditions, so i'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar? It's great to have the reassurance and feel you aren't so alone with these things that genuinely make you feel like you're loosing the plot.
I now have to be very careful with foods as my blood sugars go on a crazy wild ride. I was out with the dog today and all of a sudden, the panic started (got a little lackadaisy today, I think!). Be great to hear your stories regarding the blood sugars and what helped you to manage them more effectively. Although i've mostly got them under control, eating every 2-3 hours isn't always feasible, but needs must, I guess!
P.s this group has been a huge help to find and has given me so much support so far.
All the best,
L x
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I cannot give you advise about cation to take but can advise what will help your doctor to understand your problems and hopefully help. I see you have changed your diet to eliminate foods which increase blood glucose levels, certainly the low carb lifestyle helps to keep blood glucose level in the majority of the population. However regular episodes of low blood sugar are not good for your health. How often does the doctor measure you HBA1c and what levels are you getting?I assume you are using a finger prick blood glucose monitor to test throughout the day and when you find the level to be low. How low is it dropping? Do you have ‘hypos’ or just a drop to the lower end of standard? If ‘hypo’ how do you recover? This makes a considerable difference. Many people actually think they have low blood sugar when actually it’s high. Many people have the same feelings for both. Even diabetics can struggle in the early days after diagnosis. This makes doctors question patients commenting on their levels without testing.
I know a diary of events, food and general health comments along with your monitor will help your doctor find a pattern.
A diary sounds like a great idea, I should start doing this. My levels when at the worst are maybe around 8, and drop to around 3.9 (usually in the hour or two). I am managing to stabilize them (mostly). I eat slow releasing carbs, make sure they don't drop as otherwise I really can't control them, avoiding anything that drops the general sugar level too low.
HBA1c is a good idea. I will look into getting this tested (if it hasn't been already).
If going lower carb seems to help—consider whether you may have gluten sensitivity. Even if you’ve had a test for Coeliac Disease which was negative, you can still have gluten sensitivity. I did—and struggled for years with weird symptoms not unlike those you describe.
Thay’s because so many carbohydrate foods are wheat-based: bread, pasta, biscuits, many breakfast cereals etc.
If this is happening when you’ve eaten chocolate or potatoes rather than something wheat-based then something else is probably going on. But I thought I’d put it out there, especially after reading your post from yesterday.
Thanks so much, Jazzw . Sorry to hear you struggling for years and i'd glad you figured out about the gluten sensitivity. I also have a gluten sensitivity, but I really appreciate the tip
I think Miffie has given an excellent response. (My daughter is type 1 for 23yrs now).
We did come across somebody in hospital with constant hypo's years ago. She told us that the Dr's were baffled, and she'd been advised to eat often too.
I think there is probably a bit more info out there now. I found this article on non-diabetic hypo's that you might find interesting
Yes. But I have insulin resistant pcos. And there is a high crossover of thyroid disease and pcos.
I actually don’t eat often as I try to keep my blood sugar stable (ie I eat three meals a day and avoid snacking). So I have a high protein extremely low carb breakfast. This keeps blood sugar stable right from dinner through to lunch the next day. Then I have low carb with lunch and dinner. By that I mean half a cup of rice or sweet potato or some kiwis or something. Works for me anyway and I lost 2 stone.
If I must have something in between meals I try snd have something with protein or fat. Like apple and almond butter. Or chicken and Mayo.
Ooo thank you for these suggestions. Sorry to hear your struggle with this too. Also great to know about thyroid and PCOS... did you develop this as a result of thyroid? I've developed cysts on my ovaries which weren't there previously.
I have no idea - I got the thyroid problem in my early 20s and the pcos came in my 30s but there’s no telling whether I didn’t just have that already. If you have the cysts and you also have other symptoms like weight gain, acne, hair growth on face then likely I think you also have pcos. And if your waist to height ratio is more than 0.5 then likely you have insulin resistance which is the cause of your PCOS. and I’m afraid that means working on blood sugar stability. The insulin resistance causes all the other problems. It is very annoying.
I also gave up dairy which has high insulin growth factor and that’s really helped reduce the acne. But I would say the reduction in carbs has been the biggest thing - and the high protein breakfasts really helps with that so much.
I did a protocol via Claire Goodwin pcos nutritionist. She also does a podcast which was so informative and I listened to that before joining.
"Research has shown that up to 50 percent of those with Hashimoto’s have a carbohydrate intolerance. This means that when a high-carbohydrate meal is consumed, our blood sugar levels are more likely to spike quickly, leading to low blood sugar levels (reactive hypoglycemia), as well as feelings of nervousness, lightheadedness, anxiety, and fatigue."
Yes, I can literally feel this happening to me after a heavy meal, or sometimes if I have gone too long without food, then eat. I get dizziness, ectopics and faster heartbeat, blurred vision and feel edgy. I have hashimotos and am well aware just from experience that I have to eat small and often or I feel dreadful. I also get panic attacks. The worst effects are after things like spag bol, heavy in carbs and sugars. The pvc's I suffer from get bad the bigger the meal too. I have been off gluten now for a few years and am seeing some good results in many areas and have managed to lose 2 and a half stone without really trying and reduced my gall bladder pain to almost zero. (DR said not to bother cutting out gluten, it won't make any difference but I am still struggling to get rid of the blur eyes and dizziness after food and the palps are a constant thing every day, especially after food. It's really hard to figure out what bothers me as it seems to be anything and everything but I think I too will also keep a diary as another user suggested.
They doubled my propranolol dose because of the ectopics and I said that I don't really want to take too much propranolol because of it possibly interfering with my thyroid but my doctor said I don't have to worry about thyroid because I am taking Levo so all my problems are apparently solved. 'Once your levels are in range, you are essentially back to normal'. 'You can forget about that' she said.
That’s wonderful how removing gluten had such an effect you on. Just goes to show that diet and lifestyle can help with these issues. Doctors won’t be trained on lifestyle medicine so they will just rubbish it. Blood sugar issues are a stressor on the body so managing general stress is key too.
You make a great point about blood sugar. Fluctuations in blood glucose levels can cause stress in the body. The ups and downs make you crave more carbs which causes even further fluctuations. It's really important to try to eat more steady, slow release carbs. I've noticed that if I eat brown rice and pasta, I don't get the blur eyes anywhere near as much for the same portion size and if I down size the portion as well, then I get even less bother. For some foods, it's not just the type of carbs that cause me trouble, but the portion sizes too. I also have to watch salt. Salty processed foods are bothersome for me. Pepperoni and smoked ham is off the menu as much as I like it. It sends my palps crazy. I read that salt is not good for people with hashimotos as it further destroys healthy gut bacteria which in turn leads to a raise in blood pressure and inflammation in the body. It can make your heart work harder. I used to be able to tolerate salt far more before my diagnosis but now I really notice symptoms when I have anything salty or heavily processed even if it's just a one off take away treat. It's just not worth it.
It's the processed white salt you want to avoid. Natural sea salt is fine. I absolutely love Himalayan pink salt, but in small quantities. Plus processed meat has been linked to so many health issues. There's lots of studies on this. I eat very little ultra processed food and make my own food from scratch as much as possible.
Thank you for sharing your story with me Saltwater . It's very difficult to be told you're fine when you know you aren't, so I feel you there! Like Serendipitious said, doctors would not be trained on foods etc. I see food as medicine now, it has honestly changed my life, by changing my diet and helping me to manage things a little better. If I said this to the docs, they'd look at me like I had 10 heads. What I found as well is, a lot of herbs etc lower my blood sugars even further and then I can't seem to control them at all when I do this. I drink decaff green tea in small amounts to help with other symptoms. I also know once my blood sugars drop much further, this then raises the blood sugars even quicker, so I try to be mindful that I don't end up on a never ending rollercoaster haha, which I know other people experience too.
Nope! I do need to do this... i'm so afraid because of how high blood sugars/low blood sugars affect me. This started around a year ago... I had a hot chocolate on a train and I couldn't see straight, didn't know where I was, sweating etc... of course, mentioned this to the GP and that's why the 'mood stablishers' were suggested. The frustration. Thank you for your message and this idea, I should have a look at this option.
This post sounds like what I struggle with too. Literally controlling my blood sugar to not feel light headed or panicky is a full time job. I am gluten free and have hashimotos / thyroid. But also im oestrogen dominant.
I was thinking of buying one of those monitors you can put into your skin that tracked and reports on blood sugars 24 hours.
Wellness mama does a blog about how she done this and found the triggers for what rose her blood sugar and when.
I am going to try chromium as well.. Have you tried it?
So sorry to hear you struggle with this too! it's so difficult to manage, particularly when we don't fit the 'criteria' for support. That's a great idea regarding the monitor... I may look into this.
I was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycaemia when I had symptoms like yours. Through a prolonged glucose tolerance test at hospital. I'd thought I needed glucose as I'd read about that helping symptoms of low blood sugar. But it's the opposite of what I really need now I know what the cause is. I need to snack every 2-3 hours in the day, with protein being the best thing.
When I finally got T3 prescribed, this reactive hypoglycaemia lessened a lot, but I still need the frequent snacks to keep it at bay.
The symptoms are horrible - like a panic attack sometimes. Have you had your thyroid levels properly check, T3 as well?
That's really interesting to hear that the T3 could be causing this or at least, helps to lessen it!
I am awaiting my first thorough test results for thyroid, which, for the first time, will include T3. I really am praying that this shows something!
Yep! Panic attacks... I had these all day everyday for 5 years. Doctors told me I had a panic disorder and gave me beta blockers, which I realised just masked what was going on.
I used to feel panicky, shaky, absolutely shattered like I couldn't even sit and so had to lie down. But after decent food I was a lot better. And when I started T3 I was way better.
I still have to keep up my 'eating system', but I'm not ill with it like I was.
I have mashed up tuna mix, or hard boiled egg mix in the fridge, on half a slice of real good wholemeal bread. Nuts are good as full of protein, but I hate nuts!
Thanks so much lovely! This is so great to hear... it gives me some hope.
Really happy for you that you're managing this. Yes, I will be sure to post the results. There's no stopping me with this now, even if the results aren't in 'range'.
You could maybe request a blood glucose tolerance test? It takes several hours at hospital but that was how they diagnosed me with reactive hypoglycaemia
There is a chapter is Datis Kharrazian's book 'Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms' on blood sugar, insulin resistance etc (and also in his book 'Why Isn't My Brain Working'). Only last night I watched a bit of the Chronic Inflammation summit where Brian Mowll was talking about blood sugar. He said that blood sugar control is foundational for health and that approx 75% of people are believed to have some form of dysregulation. My HbA1c (too high for my liking, given symptoms, but not high) dropped quite well when I went gluten free. I am still planning on buying a monitor and I make sure I eat protein or fat with what carbs I do have.
Hi, my pleasure! The GP tested HbA1c with a full blood count plus bits, like coeliac, full iron panel, thyroid function tests (I was lucky enough to get a GP to test and a lab that didn't turn down the request, presumably because I'd had a partial thyroidectomy and he specified that he wanted FT4 and FT3). I have 3 HbA1c results from 2015, 17 and 18. Now they have given up on me so don't test anything! I use Medichecks for things like Vit D monitoring, active B12, thyroid and I see they do HbA1c too although I haven't used it, so if you can't get GP to do it and really want one you could try, funds permitting medichecks.com/products/dia.... ( I ordered my home blood glucose monitor yesterday so fingers crossed I can get it under better control). Best of luck
Thanks so much! I actually have ordered this... I found a coupon discount website too (nice treat! :)). Thank you for this suggestion, i'm hoping this will flag reactive hypoglycemia. I feel like it may not, depending on how long my blood sugars have been dropped for, right? I do a pretty good job at managing them, so it's hard to get tested because I know I have induce these things and I realllllly don't want to feel like that ha ha.
You are very welcome and thanks for the good wishes. My monitor arrived earlier so I'm just trying to work out how it works then we shall see.......All we can do is try to figure out one thing at a time and keep plugging away x
OMG you have described me to a TI also get same symptoms of anxiousness if my blood sugar drops. I’m currently googling like mad trying to figure it out.
My anxiety is up and down like a yo yo throughout the day keep getting panic feelings.
My HBa1c has always been borderline no family history of diabetes and I’m 7 stone 6 1bs on 50mgc Levothyroxine. Developed anxiety out of blue 5 years ago.
Please message me let me know how you are doing/coping tips etc I will always reply
Hi, sorry you are feeling so rough. I'd recommend Datis Kharrazian's book on the thyroid (see above) as he says blood sugar imbalances are a deal breaker for resolving thyroid issues. Lots of things that can affect thyroid function, the glucose rollercoaster being one of them, as it means your brain is not getting steady nutrients and cannot give the body (including the thyroid) the signals it needs. Unfortunately many of us have hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance for many years before our glucose goes out of whack, and our livers really take a battering, making conversion harder. Blood sugar even mildly imbalanced can affect you, so worth paying it some attention. Best wishes
So sorry for late reply as I have only just realised you had messaged me. Thank you for your advice especially the book will look into it. Feel definitely glucose rollercoaster as sometimes when I have felt “funny” I have checked my BS and it’s a little low. Now I try to have a little snack in between meals. Take care
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