hypoglycemia- UPDATE 10-19 it's diabetes mellitus (post 34)

[aTailOf2Kitties]

went to Dr yesterday and they said hypoglycemia, but they were sending blood off too, cuz my thyroid felt odd on one side.

So can you guys tell me what a typical day's eating schedule is like for you? Is extreme thirst all a part of this too? My throat's so dry I can barely swallow, even while drinking water.

[mrspunkysmom]

went to Dr yesterday and they said hypoglycemia, but they were sending blood off too, cuz my thyroid felt odd on one side.

So can you guys tell me what a typical day's eating schedule is like for you? Is extreme thirst all a part of this too? My throat's so dry I can barely swallow, even while drinking water.

Hypothyroidism can make you dry and thirsty. It also messes up your metabolism by slowing it down. Your hair can turn to thatch and your skin can get dry and flaky. Creams do not help. And sometimes hyperthyroidism can have similar symptoms.

If I don't eat at a certain time, I get shaky, tired, and grumpy. Then I am a bit light for a while after I eat. Eating on time is best.

Hope you can figure out what's up so you can feel better. I hate feeling like crap.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

truth be told, I only feel good for about 30 minutes out of every 3 hour period.

I did not know about thyroid problems leading to hypglycemia, thank you MrSpunkysmon! I have a thyroid ultrasound scheduled for Thursday, so maybe that will explain a few things. Plus my hair has been shedding a little more than usual for quite a while and that would make sense too. No flaky skin thankfully, but as mentioned before I do have a chronically dry throat.

[mrspunkysmom]

truth be told, I only feel good for about 30 minutes out of every 3 hour period.

I did not know about thyroid problems leading to hypglycemia, thank you MrSpunkysmon! I have a thyroid ultrasound scheduled for Thursday, so maybe that will explain a few things. Plus my hair has been shedding a little more than usual for quite a while and that would make sense too. No flaky skin thankfully, but as mentioned before I do have a chronically dry throat.

I don't know if it does lead to hypoglycemia. However, the thyroid hormone impacts a lot of body functions, so who knows. It can also affect muscle tone. I also have diabetes, (probably should have said that) probably from trying to eat a lot to keep my energy up. The thyroid is hard to get right sometimes.

It will also mess up your menses.

Hope you can get some resolution and feel better soon.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

now I'm really starting to wonder what is up. My boyfriend tested my sugar right before bed last night 9PM-ish, after I'd eaten a couple of pistacios. It was 130-something. I wasn't hungry so I didn't eat a full serving. Cats woke me up at 1AM so I ate a small handful of peanuts. At 4AM I ate a hardboiled egg. At 6AM (2 hours after the egg) I tested and glucose was 158. At no point has my glucose actually tested low. I am still going to eat a little bit every few hours like the dr told me, but I'm gonna try to remember to test first and keep track of things, now that I know I have a meter.

I feel much better this morning than I have in the past. Slight headache, but no shaking or confusion yet.

[wombat2u2004]

I thought doctors prescribe Glucose drinks for diabetics, and that knocks out having to eat every couple of hours. I'm not sure, I think I heard that once from my Mrs and it sort of stuck in my mind. I'll go ask her later about that.

As for thyroid problems, all kinds of symptoms can show, because the thyroid and the parathyroids control so many different things, so thyroid problems may not be the issue here (although it's a good idea to get it checked out).
My Mrs had one of her parathyroid glands removed not long ago....they are very small, about the size of a small pea, but the one she had removed had grown to as big as my thumb. One of the main functions of them is to control the calcium levels.....and hers were haywire. Now she is back to normal.

[momcat]

I've been on insulin for several years now but there's something that might help you out.

There are times when my blood sugar crashes. Ask your doctor about using glucose tablets. They're available at most pharmacys, you don't need a prescription for them, and they come in yummy flavors. I keep some in my back-pack, on my desk at work, and here at home. While the tabs are NOT a substitute for eating, they'll buy you some time to get some food. Another thing you might want to consider, ask your doctor to recommend a good nutritionist. Maybe a nutritionist can work with you on a food plan that will help keep things in line.

[kittycats_delight]

Hypothyroidism can make you dry and thirsty. It also messes up your metabolism by slowing it down. Your hair can turn to thatch and your skin can get dry and flaky. Creams do not help. And sometimes hyperthyroidism can have similar symptoms.

If I don't eat at a certain time, I get shaky, tired, and grumpy. Then I am a bit light for a while after I eat. Eating on time is best.

Hope you can figure out what's up so you can feel better. I hate feeling like crap.

Holy crap...I never even thought about my thyroid. My mom has issues with hers that didn't start until she was in her mid thirties. My skin has become really bad. I have been using an olive oil based cream that the doctor recommended. He said it was one of the best but it does nothing for me. I am definitely going to the doctor on monday and asking him to have my thyroid checked.

Thanks for posting about that.

[wolfsoul]

I used to have moderate hypglycemia. During my first pregnancy, my body miraculously 'cured' my pancreas (pregnancy has been known to do the strangest things) and I no longer have an issue with it.
I constantly needed to eat; I kept very good track of my body and what I was feeling, so I knew exactly when and what I needed to eat. Typically I ate something small every 1.5 hours. Protein is very very important as it will keep your blood sugar from dropping too fast. So typically I would eat alot of eggs, seeds, nuts, meat, etc with my meals. I was also on a range of different natural remedies to help my pancreas, and digestive enzymes so that my pancreas wasn't overworking so it could heal.
The pancreas is typically damaged by poor diet (too much fat and sugar) and alcohol. A low fat diet is key, and losing weight is essential for an overweight person.
If my blood suagr is low, I will usually feel very warm. I get confused/frustrated/upset/sad very easily. My brain seems to slow down, I can't mentally process things nearly as easily. If things progress I get shaky, I feel faint, and I might pass out. It took me a while to realise the beginning signs (mainly feeling warm and emotional). If my blood sugar had already dropped too low, eating something high sugar like candy and keeping it under my tongue would pick me back up again or tide me over until I could eat a normal meal. I constantly carried candies or chocolate on me, just incase.
I have no experience with diabetes, but this is my experience with hypoglycemia. Hope this helps.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

this just in: Diabetes Mellitus type 2 . I will be on metformin starting today and have a class about it next week.

[smokey the elder]

There are loads of good information about diabetes out there; make sure you get a good endocrinologist, and keep after your blood sugar testing. There are a lot of diabetic cookbooks out there, too.

The business with the liver dumping glucose happens in cats; that's one thing I learned when I had a diabetic cat. It can, counterintuitively, come from an insulin overdose (at least in cats.)

Good luck! Diabetes is a drag but at least now you know what's wrong.

[mrspunkysmom]

There are loads of good information about diabetes out there; make sure you get a good endocrinologist, and keep after your blood sugar testing. There are a lot of diabetic cookbooks out there, too.

The business with the liver dumping glucose happens in cats; that's one thing I learned when I had a diabetic cat. It can, counterintuitively, come from an insulin overdose (at least in cats.)

Good luck! Diabetes is a drag but at least now you know what's wrong.

But the sugar dump explains why my body doesn't react consistently. I would eat and exercise consistently yet sometimes I would feel great and other times extremely tired, sometimes from high blood sugar, sometimes low. And this sounds crazy but not eating on time can cause the blood sugar to rise.

ARGH!

[momcat]

An excellent resource for information about diabetes is the American Diabetes Association website.

[mrspunkysmom]

this just in: Diabetes Mellitus type 2 . I will be on metformin starting today and have a class about it next week.

You get a class? Wow, the docs just prescribed the metformin and let me be. I've had to research the net to find out what i needed to know. And try to pin the doctors down on what's happening.

Good luck with it.

[beeniesmom]

this just in: Diabetes Mellitus type 2 . I will be on metformin starting today and have a class about it next week.

The classes are good. They helped me and so did Metformin. I did really well on the drug. Then had to stop when I got pregnnt with Laura. Yo will see how much better you will feel. I'm glad they found out what was wrong.