Diet for Hypoglycemic???.
Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe
What test did he do? If he only did a fasting blood glucose, you won’t necessarily know what’s going on. You should probably have an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test), and an HbA1C (glycosolated hemoglobin). The OGTT will show how your body responds to sugar over a couple of hours, and the A1C will show how your blood glucose has been over the last few months. At the time I was diagnosed with glucose intolerance (I also had reactive hypoglycemia), I had a normal fasting glucose and a normal A1C, but my OGTT 1 hour and 2 hour numbers were closer to diabetic than normal. If you really do have hypoglycemia, the best treatment is prevention. That means *not* eating sugar, but eating low glycemic carbs combined with adequate protein and fat to keep blood glucose stable instead of swinging up and down. If you eat sugar, you get your blood glucose up temporarily, but you just cause another reaction.
Response:
I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion.
IMO symptoms are as important as numbers, if not more so. I am hypothyroid, show all the signs, but my bloodvalues are within the normal range, so according to the doc I am fine. My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe
I have no insight in diets for hypoglycemia, but I recall I was tested for diabetes once and they wanted me to come in at preset times during the day for blood sugar tests. When I asked why, I was told that some types of diabetes are better detected in the morning before you eat, while others are more prominent right after eating. If you were tested only once, they could miss out on the real results if they picked the wrong time. — — Ilse mom to Olaf (07/15/2002) TTC #2 "What’s the use of brains if you are a girl?" Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD
Response:
Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe
Response:
This might help http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtot19.htm
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe
Response:
I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. IMO symptoms are as important as numbers, if not more so. I am hypothyroid, show all the signs, but my bloodvalues are within the normal range, so according to the doc I am fine.
Yes. And one of the weird things about reactive hypoglycemia is that it might not be true hypoglycemia, i.e. the numbers are normal, but the symptoms and the treatment are the same. For example, if your blood glucose is 120 mg/dl, that’s a normal number. If it’s 80, that’s still normal. However, if it drops from 120-80 in 30 minutes, the rapid drop, rather than the absolute levels, can cause symptoms of hypoglycemia. My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe I have no insight in diets for hypoglycemia, but I recall I was tested for diabetes once and they wanted me to come in at preset times during the day for blood sugar tests. When I asked why, I was told that some types of diabetes are better detected in the morning before you eat, while others are more prominent right after eating. If you were tested only once, they could miss out on the real results if they picked the wrong time.
Yup, that’s where an OGTT comes in handy.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe What test did he do? If he only did a fasting blood glucose, you won’t necessarily know what’s going on.
I’m pretty sure he did a fasting blood glucose. (I tthought it was called a plasma glucose.) You should probably have an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test), and an HbA1C (glycosolated hemoglobin). The OGTT will show how your body responds to sugar over a couple of hours, and the A1C will show how your blood glucose has been over the last few months. At the time I was diagnosed with glucose intolerance (I also had reactive hypoglycemia), I had a normal fasting glucose and a normal A1C, but my OGTT 1 hour and 2 hour numbers were closer to diabetic than normal.
Ok I will look into it! Thanks. If you really do have hypoglycemia, the best treatment is prevention. That means *not* eating sugar, but eating low glycemic carbs combined with adequate protein and fat to keep blood glucose stable instead of swinging up and down. If you eat sugar, you get your blood glucose up temporarily, but you just cause another reaction.
Ok thanks for the tip! Would a Ultra-Slim-Fast shake drink be Ok? Or would fruits be better? Actualy, I don’t like eating fruits because they are very acidy and because of the acid, they irritate my mouth and they irrittate those canquier sores that I get on my gums and my tongue. Like apples and oranges and strawberries.. those are all acidic and they irritate my mouth pretty bad. Joe
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Joe writes: I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). So you are not hypoglycemic.
A single fasting blood glucose test rules out neither hypoglycemia nor diabetes. Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. If you are only going to believe in what you want to believe no matter what the facts might be, why go to the doctor in the first place?
The doctor in this case did not do his job. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. You’re not hypoglycemic, but you’d rather cling to a comforting illusion than face an unpleasant reality.
And what reality is that? But that’s just my personal opinion. Are you are doctor yourself?
Are you? My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. There are zillions of conditions that can cause these symptoms, including psychological conditions. The doctor seems to have ruled out hypoglycemia and diabetes, so it must be something else.
The doctor has not performed enough tests to rule out anything. Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? People with true hypoglycemia (which is very rare) may prefer diets with low glycemic indices, that is, diets containing foods that do not rapidly raise blood sugar. A large number of small meals may be preferred to a small number of large meals for the same reason.
Reactive hypoglycemia, which is usually not "true" hypoglycemia but is much more common, and causes the same symptoms, and can be treated with the same diet. But you don’t have hypoglycemia, so what difference does it make?
See above.
Response:
Joe writes: I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word).
So you are not hypoglycemic. Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show.
If you are only going to believe in what you want to believe no matter what the facts might be, why go to the doctor in the first place? I’m quite certain that you would put infinite faith in the numbers if they had supported your predetermined conclusion. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers.
You’re not hypoglycemic, but you’d rather cling to a comforting illusion than face an unpleasant reality. But that’s just my personal opinion.
Are you are doctor yourself? My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea.
There are zillions of conditions that can cause these symptoms, including psychological conditions. The doctor seems to have ruled out hypoglycemia and diabetes, so it must be something else. Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics?
People with true hypoglycemia (which is very rare) may prefer diets with low glycemic indices, that is, diets containing foods that do not rapidly raise blood sugar. A large number of small meals may be preferred to a small number of large meals for the same reason. But you don’t have hypoglycemia, so what difference does it make? My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia?
Which results? Your test results show no hypoglycemia. Your symptoms are too vague to be diagnostic. Your doctor’s recommendations are sound. And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up?
Nothing raises blood sugar like glucose. And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect?
Because you have psychosomatic illness, or because something else is wrong with you. Based on the tone of your post (denial of hard test data), I’d vote for the former. — Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
Response:
Thanks! Looks good.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This might help http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtot19.htm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe What test did he do? If he only did a fasting blood glucose, you won’t necessarily know what’s going on. I’m pretty sure he did a fasting blood glucose. (I tthought it was called a plasma glucose.)
Fasting just means that you hadn’t eaten in several hours (usually first thing in the morning) and plasma means that they tested only the plasma (home glucometers test whole blood). So it was probably a fasting plasma glucose. You should probably have an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test), and an HbA1C (glycosolated hemoglobin). The OGTT will show how your body responds to sugar over a couple of hours, and the A1C will show how your blood glucose has been over the last few months. At the time I was diagnosed with glucose intolerance (I also had reactive hypoglycemia), I had a normal fasting glucose and a normal A1C, but my OGTT 1 hour and 2 hour numbers were closer to diabetic than normal. Ok I will look into it! Thanks.
It should be much more informative. If you really do have hypoglycemia, the best treatment is prevention. That means *not* eating sugar, but eating low glycemic carbs combined with adequate protein and fat to keep blood glucose stable instead of swinging up and down. If you eat sugar, you get your blood glucose up temporarily, but you just cause another reaction. Ok thanks for the tip! Would a Ultra-Slim-Fast shake drink be Ok? Or would fruits be better?
Try to eat several small meals throughout the day that have plenty of protein, in order to keep blood glucose stable. If you do start feeling lightheaded and you think your blood sugar is low, have just a couple of ounces of fruit juice, or a piece of high-sugar low-fat candy (fat would slow down the absorption). It doesn’t take a lot of sugar to bring your blood glucose up. Then, after it’s up again, eat something with some protein and just a little bit of fat to keep it at normal levels. Too much sugar will just make it crash again. Try to avoid the Slimfast if you can.
Response:
First thing is if you don’t believe the first doctor, go to a second doctor and get tested again. Just for insurance. Second is make him tell you what the results have to do with hypoglycemia and keep making him explain things until you understand. Not all doctors are good at that. Third is make him tell you what those symptoms could add up to that is not hypoglycemia. They are not normal. Never let any doctor dismiss your symptoms. Last is change doctors. Any doctor who prescribes candy instead of a high-fiber complex sugar snack such as fruit, for somebody who can tolerate fiber, slept through the lecture on nutrition. Prescribing candy is an excellent way to drive you into diabetes. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe
Response:
Your doctor is giving you somewhat bad advice. It’s like you went to him and said "I keep cutting my finger when I put this knife on it", and he gives you a bandaid. Simple sugars will give you a quick fix but altering your diet so as to eat less simple carbs and more complex carbs will go a long way in improving your condition, if it’s even diet related that is. Look into low glycemic foods. Buddee.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Group, I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. But that’s just my personal opinion. My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. (Before 2 days ago, I didn’t have any nausea.) Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? The doc says if I feel hungry or if I think my blood sugar is getting low, I can eat a bite of a candy bar and drink a sip of cola (but not diet cola) to get suga in the bloodstream going. I said what about the saturated fat in the candy bar? He says it doens’t matter as long as I just take a small bite every so often, just to get up the blood sugar. Personally, I don’t really like candy bars (at least not eating them all day) and I don’t like regular cola either, so I’d raterh eat something different! But he says that’s the best choic, besides Glucose pills. But he says it’s cheaper than glucose pills and it’s more convenient , so he recommends candy bars and cola sips. :( My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Thanks. Joe
Response:
Sarah Jane writes: A single fasting blood glucose test rules out neither hypoglycemia nor diabetes. A normal fasting glucose rules out acute hypoglycemia, but not chronic or intermittent hypoglycemia. It also does not _confirm_ any type of hypoglycemia.
Exactly. Reactive hypoglycemia has not been ruled out. That’s why I said he needs more tests. The doctor in this case did not do his job. Sure he did. The patient just didn’t hear what he wanted to hear. He wanted confirmation of the disease that he had already decided he has.
The doctor did not test for reactive hypoglycemia, which is the most common form of it. Again, nothing has been confirmed, and reactive hypoglycemia not ruled out. More tests are needed. And what reality is that? That he does not have hypoglycemia.
He may indeed have reactive hypoglycemia. Are you? No. But I’m not doing the diagnosis here. A doctor has already done that, and a non-doctor refuses to believe the results.
The doctor made a non-diagnosis. He did not peform the necessary tests. The doctor has not performed enough tests to rule out anything. He hasn’t obtained any results at all that would support a diagnosis of hypoglycemia.
If he did more tests he might. Not necessarily, but it’s still a possibility. Reactive hypoglycemia, which is usually not "true" hypoglycemia but is much more common, and causes the same symptoms, and can be treated with the same diet. In this case, there is no evidence for any form of hypoglycemia,
Yes there is. There are symptoms that could be consistent with hypoglycemia and/or insulin resistance. and one does not assume hypoglycemia by default and then try to disprove it.
You perform all the tests needed to confirm it or rule it out.
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I had the same symptoms. They weren’t in my head. I was tested for diabetes. Thankfully, I didn’t have it. In any case, my symptoms went away when I lost weight (and possibly from taking medication to control high blood pressure.) Maybe Joe’s symptoms don’t qualify as meeting the thresholds for hypoglycemia or diabetes, but if they’re close, he could very well experience the symptoms. Those numbers are an arbitrary guideline that are diagnostic for *most* people but some people may slip through the cracks and experience symptoms at a lower level (or conversely, be asymptomatic at the diagnostic level.) Just my two cents 
Cat
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Are you getting adequate vitamins and minerals? Cat
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To keep your blood sugar more even, eat several small meals spread out over the course of your day, instead of 3 big meals. I had the same symptoms you’re talking about. When I started dieting, they went away. I attribute it to eating healthy foods and avoiding sugar and too much fat in my diet. Also, eat some protein every day. If your symptoms don’t improve, see another doctor and insist that you get some help. Cat
Response:
Sarah Jane writes: A single fasting blood glucose test rules out neither hypoglycemia nor diabetes.
A normal fasting glucose rules out acute hypoglycemia, but not chronic or intermittent hypoglycemia. It also does not _confirm_ any type of hypoglycemia. The doctor in this case did not do his job.
Sure he did. The patient just didn’t hear what he wanted to hear. He wanted confirmation of the disease that he had already decided he has. And what reality is that?
That he does not have hypoglycemia. Are you?
No. But I’m not doing the diagnosis here. A doctor has already done that, and a non-doctor refuses to believe the results. The doctor has not performed enough tests to rule out anything.
He hasn’t obtained any results at all that would support a diagnosis of hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia, which is usually not "true" hypoglycemia but is much more common, and causes the same symptoms, and can be treated with the same diet.
In this case, there is no evidence for any form of hypoglycemia, and one does not assume hypoglycemia by default and then try to disprove it. — Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
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Joe writes: Actualy, I don’t like eating fruits because they are very acidy and because of the acid, they irritate my mouth and they irrittate those canquier sores that I get on my gums and my tongue.
How do you know these are canker sores? — Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
Response:
Sarah Jane writes: Exactly. Reactive hypoglycemia has not been ruled out. That’s why I said he needs more tests.
You’re taking for granted that he has occult hypoglycemia. There is no reason to make that assumption, beyond his own uninformed speculation. There are many possible causes for the symptoms he describes. A doctor will try to find the true cause, rather than try to find evidence for a cause that the patient has already imagined without justification. The doctor did not test for reactive hypoglycemia, which is the most common form of it.
He had no reason to. The patient’s symptoms could arise from many causes, and the mere fact that the patient feels convinced that these symptoms must be due to hypoglycemia doesn’t make it so. Many patients get convinced of all sorts of bizarre things, and it’s up to a doctor to find out what is really going on. Again, nothing has been confirmed, and reactive hypoglycemia not ruled out. More tests are needed.
More tests perhaps, but not necessarily tests for hypoglycemia. He may indeed have reactive hypoglycemia.
And he may not. And statistically, he almost certainly does not, no matter what he might believe. The doctor made a non-diagnosis. He did not peform the necessary tests.
He performed the tests he deemed necessary. The patient showed no clinical signs of hypoglycemia, just as he showed no clinical signs of a thousand other disorders. One does not test for disorders for which there is no evidence. Thousands of disorders cause symptoms such as fatigue and nausea and headaches, and hypoglycemia is among the least common of the disorders with such symptoms. If he did more tests he might. Not necessarily, but it’s still a possibility.
Why would he conduct more tests looking for a disorder for which he has seen no evidence? The idea is to find out what is really wrong, not to confirm or invalidate the patient’s imagination. Yes there is. There are symptoms that could be consistent with hypoglycemia and/or insulin resistance.
Those same symptoms are consistent with thousands of disorders. Why concentrate on hypoglycemia specifically? Especially since it is a rare condition? You perform all the tests needed to confirm it or rule it out.
No, you don’t. You look at all disorders that can produce the clinical signs that you see, and you pick the one that is most probable. In this case, hypoglycemia is way down the list, so you don’t need to rule it out, unless everything more probable has first been ruled out before it. — Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
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really?
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Are you getting adequate vitamins and minerals? Cat
Probably not. I haven’t been taking any. Why?
Response:
Joe writes: I have been showing the symptoms of hypoglycemia. But just got a plasma glucose test (along with a thyroid and several other tests) and the doctor says there’s no signs, and (this was interesting) the results indicate that I won’t have hypoglycemia, nor diabetes, for at least 6 months from the date of the test, which was 10 days ago. The doc says I might *think* I am hypoglycemic, but that I’m not (at least according to the numbers). He says the blood sugar levels are *perfect* (his word). So you are not hypoglycemic.
Maybe, maybe not. Apparently you believe 100% that the numbers of *that* particular test result are foolproof as what I have or what I don’t have. Doctors have been known to misdiagnose (or fail to diagnose) but I was sure the tests would come back that I am hpypoglycemic or diabetic. Personally, I don’t put much faith in what the numbers show or don’t show. If you are only going to believe in what you want to believe no matter what the facts might be, why go to the doctor in the first place?
Good question. Well, before I went to the doctor, I thought I was diabetic or at least near-diabetic, because of my symptoms. I was looking into what my symptoms might indicate. Then I was told that a doctor wouldn’t prescribe *anything* for me unless an official blood test showed that there was something. So, I asked the doctor to call for an official test. I’m quite certain that you would put infinite faith in the numbers if they had supported your predetermined conclusion.
Maybe. I have been showing many *symptoms* and to me, those are just as important as the numbers. You’re not hypoglycemic,
See above. but you’d rather cling to a comforting illusion than face an unpleasant reality.
No. You are confused. I believe in one very important thing: Intuition. Intuition is not an illusion. It has been knowledge and intuition which has helped me as much as "numbers" when I’ve diagnosed myself in the past. But that’s just my personal opinion. Are you are doctor yourself?
No, but so what? Are you? If so, what kind of doctor are you? My symbptoms are hunger, weakness, fatigued, can’t concentrate well, bad headaches, insomnia, going to the bathroom very frequently, and (for the last 2 days) nausea. There are zillions of conditions that can cause these symptoms, including psychological conditions.
Perhaps. But I have intuition as a guide, and I know my own symptoms *much* better than you know my symptoms, and I know my own medical history infinitely better than you know my medical history. The doctor seems to have ruled out hypoglycemia and diabetes, so it must be something else.
So i.e. you place 100% faith in the numbers of *that* particular test. How do you know that the test was the best possible indicator for my conditions at the time I took it? Anyway, my question is, is there a specia diet for hypoglycemics? People with true hypoglycemia (which is very rare) may prefer diets with low glycemic indices, that is, diets containing foods that do not rapidly raise blood sugar. A large number of small meals may be preferred to a small number of large meals for the same reason. But you don’t have hypoglycemia, so what difference does it make?
See above. My questions are, do those results jive with what you guys and gals understand to be true of hypoglycemia? Which results? Your test results show no hypoglycemia. Your symptoms are too vague to be diagnostic. Your doctor’s recommendations are sound.
See above. And does anyone have any better suggestion for getting blood sugar up? Nothing raises blood sugar like glucose. And why would I have all these symbptoms but the numbers are perfect? Because you have psychosomatic illness, or because something else is wrong with you. Based on the tone of your post (denial of hard test data), I’d vote for the former.
You’re welcome to post unsubstantiated rubbish about psychosomatic illness, which you would like to falsely attribute to me. Based on the tone of *your* post, I’d say you are a bit of an egotistical snob. Are you a doctor? Joe
Response:
Sarah Jane writes: How so?
By indicating that more tests are required to rule it out. I didn’t say that the test results would *definitely* show hypoglycemia, only that it hasn’t been ruled out.
But there exists an almost infinite number of disorders that have not been ruled out. Why work to rule out hypoglycemia specifically if no evidence of its presence has been found? In medicine, you look at symptoms first and then eliminate the likely causes one by one through a process of elimination. You do not listen to the patient’s guess of what’s wrong, then try to prove or disprove his speculation with tests. Hypoglycemia is quite rare, and the symptoms the patient gives are very common and occur for a great many disorders and illnesses, and so there is no reason to work to eliminate hypoglycemia unless and until all other, more probable diagnoses have been eliminated. He should do more tests and find the cause of the symptoms, whatever that may be. This doctor didn’t do that.
His symptoms are vague, and it might be difficult to know where to begin, since so many diseases cause these symptoms and differential diagnosis is so difficult. And given the extremely subjective nature of some of the symptoms, the doctor may wonder how much of them is real, and how much is imagined by the patient, particularly when a patient presents with a very precise but unfounded belief that he has a particular illness. He didn’t test for any other cause either though.
See above. The doctor made no attempt to find out what was going on. He prescribed candy, fer chrissakes.
I suspect that was psychological, not medical. The patient was determined that he had hypoglycemia and wanted treatment for it, so the doctor suggested something. The doctor didn’t do any other tests at all.
More tests may not have been warranted. If doctors did a battery of tests for everyone complaining of a headache, fatigue, or nausea, the hospitals would burst at the seams, and the entire society would go bankrupt trying to pay for the cost of the tests. Reactive hypoglycemia is very common.
Reactive hypoglycemia is just as benign as it is common. And as the name implies, it does not persist for long periods and thus cannot be blamed for symptoms that last for long periods. Which is what in this case?
Hard to say. The symptoms match an extraordinary number of diseases. Since the symptoms themselves are not hugely of concern and may pass, the doctor may have held off until he sees something more specific that can justify a targeted group of tests. You can’t just test for everything in the book that causes nausea and headaches, and if the patient has no other symptoms that allow things to be narrowed down, there isn’t a great deal that you can do in practical terms. — Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
Response:
Sarah Jane writes: Exactly. Reactive hypoglycemia has not been ruled out. That’s why I said he needs more tests. You’re taking for granted that he has occult hypoglycemia.
How so? I didn’t say that the test results would *definitely* show hypoglycemia, only that it hasn’t been ruled out. There is no reason to make that assumption, beyond his own uninformed speculation. There are many possible causes for the symptoms he describes. A doctor will try to find the true cause, rather than try to find evidence for a cause that the patient has already imagined without justification.
Right. He should do more tests and find the cause of the symptoms, whatever that may be. This doctor didn’t do that. The doctor did not test for reactive hypoglycemia, which is the most common form of it. He had no reason to. The patient’s symptoms could arise from many causes, and the mere fact that the patient feels convinced that these symptoms must be due to hypoglycemia doesn’t make it so.
He didn’t test for any other cause either though. Many patients get convinced of all sorts of bizarre things, and it’s up to a doctor to find out what is really going on.
The doctor made no attempt to find out what was going on. He prescribed candy, fer chrissakes. Again, nothing has been confirmed, and reactive hypoglycemia not ruled out. More tests are needed. More tests perhaps, but not necessarily tests for hypoglycemia.
The doctor didn’t do any other tests at all. He may indeed have reactive hypoglycemia. And he may not. And statistically, he almost certainly does not, no matter what he might believe.
Reactive hypoglycemia is very common. The doctor made a non-diagnosis. He did not peform the necessary tests. He performed the tests he deemed necessary. The patient showed no clinical signs of hypoglycemia, just as he showed no clinical signs of a thousand other disorders. One does not test for disorders for which there is no evidence. Thousands of disorders cause symptoms such as fatigue and nausea and headaches, and hypoglycemia is among the least common of the disorders with such symptoms.
The doctor didn’t look for anything else either. If he did more tests he might. Not necessarily, but it’s still a possibility. Why would he conduct more tests looking for a disorder for which he has seen no evidence? The idea is to find out what is really wrong, not to confirm or invalidate the patient’s imagination.
And again, the doctor made no attempt to rule anything else out either. Yes there is. There are symptoms that could be consistent with hypoglycemia and/or insulin resistance. Those same symptoms are consistent with thousands of disorders. Why concentrate on hypoglycemia specifically? Especially since it is a rare condition?
Again, the doctor made no attempt to find out what was causing the symptoms. You perform all the tests needed to confirm it or rule it out. No, you don’t. You look at all disorders that can produce the clinical signs that you see, and you pick the one that is most probable.
Which is what in this case?
Response:
Patricia Heil writes: First thing is if you don’t believe the first doctor, go to a second doctor and get tested again.
And be sure to tell him the results you want to get on the test. If he doesn’t take the hint, look for another doctor, and so on, until you find want that will tell you what you wish to hear. Third is make him tell you what those symptoms could add up to that is not hypoglycemia.
That would be a pretty long list in this case. Additionally, symptoms like that are so common and vague that it isn’t always possible to find a cause. Any doctor who prescribes candy instead of a high-fiber complex sugar snack such as fruit, for somebody who can tolerate fiber, slept through the lecture on nutrition.
You can always file a complaint if you feel that he is committing malpractice. Prescribing candy is an excellent way to drive you into diabetes.
Sugar does not cause diabetes, despite urban legends to the contrary. — Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.
