extreme hypoglycemia (HELP!!!!!!!!!!!)

[fender99]

Ok so I know this might be in the wrong section, but its the most viewed section and i need help.

I have what I believe are hypoglycemic episodes that completely incapacitate me. It comes on so fast that by the time I realize its happening I can no longer stand. It starts with a warm flush in my face, and quickly becomes a raging full body sweat, accompanied by a ringing in my ears that makes me all but deaf to the noise in my surroundings, my eyes get glassy (from what my friends tell me) and my vision is all sparkles like right before you black out. I lose all strength in my body and slur my speech, at this point cant even hold my head up. The only thing that cures it is eating or drinking something that is extremely high in sugar. Soda is usually best. It used to only happen when I hadn't eaten in an unusually long time. but now it doesn't matter. It can happen while im eating. Also, i have to consume WAY more sugar than i used to in order to combat the symptoms. its completely random. If anyone has any insight at all please post it! I've been to the Doc, and been tested for diabetes as well as had a full blood panel and everything is normal. This is a really miserable feeling and im afraid if this were to happen while i am alone or even worse driving, that the results could be really bad.

Thanks for reading.
F99

[Jawcep]

I empathise with your situation but why have you posted this? Where is your question?

[Ashop]

Ok so I know this might be in the wrong section, but its the most viewed section and i need help.

I have what I believe are hypoglycemic episodes that completely incapacitate me. It comes on so fast that by the time I realize its happening I can no longer stand. It starts with a warm flush in my face, and quickly becomes a raging full body sweat, accompanied by a ringing in my ears that makes me all but deaf to the noise in my surroundings, my eyes get glassy (from what my friends tell me) and my vision is all sparkles like right before you black out. I lose all strength in my body and slur my speech, at this point cant even hold my head up. The only thing that cures it is eating or drinking something that is extremely high in sugar. Soda is usually best. It used to only happen when I hadn't eaten in an unusually long time. but now it doesn't matter. It can happen while im eating. Also, i have to consume WAY more sugar than i used to in order to combat the symptoms. its completely random. If anyone has any insight at all please post it! I've been to the Doc, and been tested for diabetes as well as had a full blood panel and everything is normal. This is a really miserable feeling and im afraid if this were to happen while i am alone or even worse driving, that the results could be really bad.

Thanks for reading.
F99

You need to eat more. Complex carbs every two hours. Things like otameal,,rice,,pasta. Get a glucose meter and monitor your blood sugar.

[yungone501]

Im no expert by any means but maybe you should suggest the doctor to draw blood during an episode of feeling like this...seems like a good idea anyways???

Im an automotive electrical technician, and the same principle is used in my line of profession. Car comes in with an intermittent short. I must keep the car and road test UNTIL the car recreates the problem while driving. Only then, can I accurately determine what the short actually is...WHEN THE PROBLEM IS OCCURING.

[Far from massive]

I have had the same thing since I was 28 or so (I am 55 now) luckily mine hits me a little slower but the effects are the same ( soaked in sweat, shaky, can't think etc) over the past couple of years since I have started doing a lot of cardio and probably most importantly eating right I have been episode free till today ( more on that later) what I have found is that by limiting your intake of sugars and caffeine and eating slow burning carbs like steamed lentils instead of bananas and sweet potatoes or God forbid Coca Cola ( this and coffee was my major downfall) I have managed to get my hypoglycemia into total remission.

OK about today, being the dumb ass that I am since I have managed to get it into remission I decided to start pinning slin PWO ;-) I had no troubles up till today when I ate a little less carbs than usual after my workout and 18iu's of slin and about 2 hours later had an episode.

Anyway try making the changes to your diet (low glycemic index carbs) Start doing lots of cardio and by all means don't drink soft drinks, consume less than a couple of teaspoons of sugar a day. By the way a 12oz Coke has about 28 grams of sugars in it so if you are drinking 3-4 a day you are comsuming a 1/4 pound of sugar a day!

[Far from massive]

Also they make a thing called a glucopen that is used by diabetics to reverse the effect of insulin in the body when insulin shock sets in. I do not know if this can be used effectively by a non insulin using patient but it would be worth asking the doctor as your situation sounds very serious.

I like yungones idea also, while trying to have an attack take place while the doc draws blood is difficult maybe you could get a blood testing kit and keep it with you and use it the next time you have an episode.

[fender99]

I have had the same thing since I was 28 or so (I am 55 now) luckily mine hits me a little slower but the effects are the same ( soaked in sweat, shaky, can't think etc) over the past couple of years since I have started doing a lot of cardio and probably most importantly eating right I have been episode free till today ( more on that later) what I have found is that by limiting your intake of sugars and caffeine and eating slow burning carbs like steamed lentils instead of bananas and sweet potatoes or God forbid Coca Cola ( this and coffee was my major downfall) I have managed to get my hypoglycemia into total remission.

OK about today, being the dumb ass that I am since I have managed to get it into remission I decided to start pinning slin PWO ;-) I had no troubles up till today when I ate a little less carbs than usual after my workout and 18iu's of slin and about 2 hours later had an episode.

Anyway try making the changes to your diet (low glycemic index carbs) Start doing lots of cardio and by all means don't drink soft drinks, consume less than a couple of teaspoons of sugar a day. By the way a 12oz Coke has about 28 grams of sugars in it so if you are drinking 3-4 a day you are comsuming a 1/4 pound of sugar a day!

Ok, i need to clarify that i NEVER drink any type of soda unless it is an absolute emergency. Otherwise it's water or milk. I get my carbs mainly from "whole grain" pasta and brown rice. I havent been into the oats much lately, im feeling burnt out with them. And havent included sweet potatos really ever. I suppose i should go to the diet section and officially have a critique with my condition and goals in mind. My diet IS admittedly lacking in carbs throughout the day, however it is also very clean and definitely not lacking in protein, and the fats Im getting are from good sources as far as i know. (at least 1 meal with red meat ED, avocados, i take an omega 3 supp, and flax seed in my shakes, almonds on occasion) Anyway, i'll start focusing more on my carb intake, although i'd really like to stay lean. This is getting too long, im going to keep a record of my diet over the next 3 days and post it in the diet forum. I need to figure out how to keep this at bay. Thank you FFM, any advice you have concerning necessary carbohydrate intake would be greatly appreciated.
BTW my current stats are:

6'4"
192 lbs.
body caliper says 10%
22 YO

goals are to gain as much mass as possible without going over 13%bf
I'll be posting my diet log in the diet section in 3 days.

[fender99]

Also they make a thing called a glucopen that is used by diabetics to reverse the effect of insulin in the body when insulin shock sets in. I do not know if this can be used effectively by a non insulin using patient but it would be worth asking the doctor as your situation sounds very serious.

I like yungones idea also, while trying to have an attack take place while the doc draws blood is difficult maybe you could get a blood testing kit and keep it with you and use it the next time you have an episode.

I will definitely ask the doctor about the glucopen. Also, when you say blood testing kit, are you referring to an insulin meter? or is this something different, like a home test kit for a full blood panel to be sent in to a lab?

[SlimmerMe]

I hear ya. The other day after cardio I had a sinking spell and it took all I could to make it back home. I tried to take a short cut and got even more side-tracked which put me back further. The feeling is horrible and should anyone get in my way at that low blood sugar moment I might snap their head off.

When I got home I told my dog to move out of my way and he moved REAL FAST.

I now know to never go out the door on an empty stomach. That is a must.

[Far from massive]

I would think that a constant intake of slow burning carbs would be critical to help stabilize the blood sugar, so the low carbs may be part of the problem. That said I am really glad/sad to hear you are already eating well, that is I am sad to hear it because if you were drinking a six pack of cokes a day then you might have an easy cure.

I am no dietician, but there are some very well educated and experienced members in the diet section.

However and probably most importantly, this is a very serious condition. Posting here is fine but you absolutely need to seek a second, or as many medical opinions as needed to find an answer to the problem, no matter what the persons qualifications on this board they can not treat you nearly as well as someone with hands on access and labwork and other testing available.

I had a close friend go to his GP several times and about a couple of years later a second GP. Both times he had the same complaint that he always felt like he could not breath whenever he exercised (by this I mean walk up a flight of stairs etc) but was never out of breath/panting. Anyway the first guy said he had asthma and gave him inhalers the second precribed antibiotics for a non specific bacterial infection of the lung. Well about a month later his car was broke down and I got him to come over to my house and kinda forced him to go to the hospital, within a couple of hours they had diagnosed him with cardiac failure, unfortunately even with good treatment it was so far along and he died about a month after diagnosis. So my point is that doctors in my opinion are like auto mechanics you send 10 guys to autotech school and you are lucky to get 1 good mechanic, same thing with doctors, along with a great deal of information it requires a sharp mind to utilize all that information so if you send a stupid rich kid to med school you wind up with a stupid doctor.

So don't fool around with this thing, continue to seek more opinions till you find an answer as the rate of progression that you describe sounds very severe and is nothing to take lightly.

Best of luck,
FFM

[Far from massive]

I will definitely ask the doctor about the glucopen. Also, when you say blood testing kit, are you referring to an insulin meter? or is this something different, like a home test kit for a full blood panel to be sent in to a lab?

Yeah insulin test kit sorry for the poor description. I would ask the doctor if he felt that would be helpful. However from what you describe it sounds like your body is definately having a very hard time regulating blood sugar.

[yungone501]

Not sure if anyone else can relate with me on this or not but ever since i began my hobby in bodybuilding and decided to get serious with my diet by eating 7-8 meals Per day....if i miss ONE meal, i begin to feel the same way. Anybody else relate? Before my diet swiched from 3 to 8, i never had these problems. Is it because you body just becomes accustomed to eating regularly this happens...curious.

[Flier]

Ok, i need to clarify that i NEVER drink any type of soda unless it is an absolute emergency. Otherwise it's water or milk. I get my carbs mainly from "whole grain" pasta and brown rice. I havent been into the oats much lately, im feeling burnt out with them. And havent included sweet potatos really ever. I suppose i should go to the diet section and officially have a critique with my condition and goals in mind. My diet IS admittedly lacking in carbs throughout the day, however it is also very clean and definitely not lacking in protein, and the fats Im getting are from good sources as far as i know. (at least 1 meal with red meat ED, avocados, i take an omega 3 supp, and flax seed in my shakes, almonds on occasion) Anyway, i'll start focusing more on my carb intake, although i'd really like to stay lean. This is getting too long, im going to keep a record of my diet over the next 3 days and post it in the diet forum. I need to figure out how to keep this at bay. Thank you FFM, any advice you have concerning necessary carbohydrate intake would be greatly appreciated.
BTW my current stats are:

6'4"
192 lbs.
body caliper says 10%
22 YO

goals are to gain as much mass as possible without going over 13%bf
I'll be posting my diet log in the diet section in 3 days.

Check the sugar content. How much are u drinking?

I´ve had your episodes as well, so know what u´re talking about.

The best I´ve ever felt was when I went on a strictly Protein/Fat diet, 0 Carbs.
After 3-4 weeks the body entered "Ketosis", and started burning Fat for energy since it found no Carbs.
Felt great, no ups/downs, no hunger pangs, great elevated energy level 24/7. Great results in the Gym.

It changed my life, and today I barely touch sugar, milk products (except Whey, Casein), grain products, potatoes, pasta, alcohol.

WE DON´T "NEED" CARBS!!!!!
The Aborigines and Eskimos don´t, and they are 10 times healthier than us. They do not have our modern deceases.