Anorexia Recovery - Hypoglycemia?

Hi there,

I've been suffering from anorexia for around 5 years, prior to which I never had any experience of hypoglycemia. However, after having a steady intake for about a year since I started my recovery, I've noticed that if I miss a snack or don't eat for even 2-3 hours, I get incredibly sick and shaky, all my limbs feel heavy and I feel like I'm about to pass out or throw up. I'm still at a relatively low weight (BMI 14.8 - 15) so I suppose that can't help.

I asked my ED nurse if I could get a test but she said it was because my diet is too low. However, since then I began to eat a weight gain diet and have been for some time now and the symptoms are persisting... Mmm.. It's kind of annoying!! I mean, a good reminder to eat but really!

I have A Level exams coming up and on some days I have 8 or so hours of exams in one day, 4 hours at a time and I'm not allowed to eat in them and I can't afford to start shaking like crazy and passing out!

Is it possible that through years of restricting and also consuming ABSURD amounts of artificial sweeteners (60+ tablets a day - I've now given them up and gone cold turkey for 2 months - hallelujah!) I've somehow made myself hypoglycemic? Has anyone else experienced this? I don't want to annoy my nurse by banging on about it but I seriously think it's a possibility with the symptoms I'm experiencing, so perhaps I should insist on a test..

If you're feeling sick, dizzy and nauseous etc., don't assume it's hypoglycaemia...  Self-diagnosis is a dangerous business.  BMI 15 is not a 'relatively low weight' it's a 'dangerously low weight' with all kinds of serious medical implications that will become more pronounced over time.  So you must talk to your doctor as soon as possible ..... annoying a nurse isn't a legitimate concern.

In the meantime, assuming you're on 2500+ cals a day to gain weight?  Always keep energy-dense snacks and meals around you so that there is no possibility whatsoever that you'll either miss your intake target or go more than an hour or two without a snack.

I thought that I developed hypoglycemia when I started gaining, I had the same symptoms. Since I've been a healthy BMI it's gone off a bit - no idea if this is related. (I wasn't hypoglycemic though - had the tests).

It could be any number of things, especially since your weight is so dangerously low. I think you should bring it up with your GP and see if you can get some tests done, and meanwhile just make sure you're eating a weight gain diet and filling up every 3 hours or so, to avoid getting the symptoms. Have you got gaps between your exams that you can fit your meals or snacks into?

You could fill out this hypoglycemia quiz and take the results to your doctor (you may have to do a screen shot if you want to get all your answers in.. can't remember exactly what I did). They can look into your symptoms then, maybe do tests or suggest what else it might be.. 

Good luck with your A Levels lovely :) 

Aah thanks for the replies, guys. I took the test Fay - I scored 80% (hope I do that well in A Levels!!) Hmm..

Most of my exams are four hours long with no break, but I'm speaking to the co-ordinators to try and get special consideration to be able to eat a snack 2 hours through...!

GI Jane - yep I'm on a weight gain diet, I eat roughly every 2-3 hours with sometimes a four hour gap in the afternoon if I'm at school between lunch and a PM snack.. oddly enough it's the mornings that I find I get worse symptoms, despite the fact I eat breakfast at 7, a snack at 10 and then lunch at 1.. between breakfast and snack I always feel like I'm about to pass out, and then I eat and it goes away. Argh!

Whenever I go to treatment (for anorexia) I get severe hypoglycemia.  Have you gotten a finger prick or labs done to confirm that is really is hypoglycemia?  I never really got a good explanation for the dips in my blood sugar until one of my most recent hospitalizations.  

The doctor said that when your body has been starving/deprived of nutrients, and then, all of a sudden it gets lots and lots of food/energy, it doesn't really know how to react.  I think they said your body kind of "forgets" how to process sugar.  So, when you eat something, your body overcompensates and produces too much insulin (??? i think that's what she said) causing your blood sugar to dip down.  Its very important to monitor this.  When I was inpatient they did finger sticks on me every couple hours.  Actually, the most important time to check your bloood sugar is about 3:00 or 4:00am, or so I'm told, because this is when your blood sugar is often at its lowest.  

Please talk to your doctor about this.  Hypolglycemia can be very, very dangerous (as in DEADLY).  Please be careful.  

how many calories are you eating? perhaps you are gaining too slowly. i recall you having the same BMI in the weight gain forum and that was nearly 6mths ago

Fidget - I'm on 2500+.

I gained weight up to a BMI of 16ish then went away on holiday, got a stomach upset and lost a shedload of weight totally by accident, which then messed up my head (my head always gets worse when my weight goes down) and it was v. hard to gain it back, but I am gaining steadily (1/2 - 1lb a week)

Swimfan - yeah in IP (I was there for 2 years) they used to 'finger prick' me all the time but it was relatively stable then.. it's only in the last year that this has started happening frequently. Obvs I can understand feeling horrendous if I haven't eaten in 12 hours like it used to be,but I'm doing so well now it's really confusing!

I'm in the hospital now, and I also get that weird shaky, nauseus/sick to my stomach feeling.  It's so bad sometimes I can't stand.  For me, it's usually at its worst in the morning.  They always take our vitals in the morning, and whenever I'm feeling this way, I have severe tachycardia (very high pulse).  Like, my resting pulse is usally 130+ bpm.  Have you ever checked your pulse during one of these "episodes"?  The doctors still haven't found a cause or remedy for this problem (I have a halter monitor) so its very discouraging.  I always get this (tachycardia, sickness) when I am in the refeeding process, so that may have something to do with it...

Regarding your exams: Go to GNC or some other nutritional supplement store and get these little gel packs of protein / electrolytes. They fit into your pocket, and you can just rip off the top and drink it down really quick. They're meant for active recovery in athletes, so they should help you in case of a dizzy spell. You can also bring a baggie of almonds / trail mix/ whatever suits your fancy in your pockets, and just sneak a few in when you feel yourself fading.

Make an appointment with an endocrinologist. They can test you for various blood sugar issues. I am not anorexic but am hypoglycemic/insulin resistant and get sick if I don't eat.

 http://home.earthlink.net/~ekrimmel2/hypoq.ht ml

Mel: Eating in an exam, here, without consideration or GP letters, can get your grades nullified.

Mashed, I'll address your q's first - speak to your doctor about your symptoms and regardless of whether or not it is hypoglycemia ask if you can have a doctor's letter to help with your possibly being allowed to eat partway through. My sister's UC allows her unlimited unsupervised toilet breaks in exams; I am sure something could be negotiated to let you have something to keep your energy levels up.

Moving on to your BMI I would not be surprised if this is why you are feeling so dizzy and awful. You've been at 2500 for months. You're not getting anywhere quick enough, and prolonging it will hurt you. I'd consider making an up as well.

Bloodtests will easily confirm if you are hypoglycemic.

Best of luck to you.

Aah thanks everyone. I'm going on Wednesday morning to have a test for hypoglycemia. Was meant to go today since I phoned this morning to book an appointment:

(20 minutes after phoning)
Me: Oh, um, hello, sorry, I just phoned half an hour ago to make an appointment for a hypoglycemia blood test... Just wondering, am I allowed to eat before hand?
Lady: No. You have to fast for 12 hours.
Me: Oh. Well, no one told me that when I phoned - I've eaten breakfast!
Lady: There's very little point in you coming then.
Me: *facepalm*

I HATE doing 12 hour fasts before tests. A) My symptoms get AWFUL and B) it messes up my meal plan for the day, which I rely on a lot as an ED recoverer... BLARGH.

Lala - I know, I'm making an increase this week after weighing (provided nothing insane happens to my weight) It took me a while to build back up to 2500 after Morocco..  I loved that holiday so much, but things really went tits up afterwards.

Original Post by mashed_tatties:

Aah thanks everyone. I'm going on Wednesday morning to have a test for hypoglycemia. Was meant to go today since I phoned this morning to book an appointment:

(20 minutes after phoning)
Me: Oh, um, hello, sorry, I just phoned half an hour ago to make an appointment for a hypoglycemia blood test... Just wondering, am I allowed to eat before hand?
Lady: No. You have to fast for 12 hours.
Me: Oh. Well, no one told me that when I phoned - I've eaten breakfast!
Lady: There's very little point in you coming then.
Me: *facepalm*

I HATE doing 12 hour fasts before tests. A) My symptoms get AWFUL and B) it messes up my meal plan for the day, which I rely on a lot as an ED recoverer... BLARGH.

Lala - I know, I'm making an increase this week after weighing (provided nothing insane happens to my weight) It took me a while to build back up to 2500 after Morocco..  I loved that holiday so much, but things really went tits up afterwards.

 I hate fasting too. Make your appt. for first thing in the morning. If the Dr. office is not open early go to the hospital lab for the test. Most labs open at 6:30-7:00am. Then you can eat right after.

The above is a good idea! Plausibly, if you have a 12 hour fast and an appointment at 9am, you could go to sleep at 9pm the night before and then have a very long sleep. >_>

I've been told I have hypo-glycemia... basically, they told me to carry a container of glucose tablets in my purse for emergencies, crackers, and eat lots of protein- even in snacks. Eat a handful of nuts instead of a candy bar or half a slice of peanut butter toast or even beef jereky. So far, so good. I still have my issues (taking exams!!) but the high protein really works. Also, if you eat a candy bar- go for Snickers. The most protein in that (out of other candy bars!)

Hm. I haven't technically suffered from an ED but I do consume an unGodly amount of aspartame & sweet & low.. maybe there is some sort of relation!

Hey - I'm also hypoglycemic and sitting a level in a month (good luck us!) - basically I was really worried like you so I spoke to the exam officer at my school - told him the problem ( I think it helped that most of the staff are treading on post-anorexia egg shells around me!) and was told that all you need is a short doctors note and VOILA snacks galore!

Well maybe not galore!...As long as you speak to someone, get a note, and scribble out the labels on the food/drink (as if we would REALLY bother cheating that way!) it should be fine!

Good luck with it...and please do ask! I know its kind of embarassing asking (and rustling away in an exam hall) but if uni depends on these grades...ITS WORTH IT!

:)

p.s They've even offered to put me in my own corner in the hall so i can munch in peace! haha..i turned THAT one down!

There is nothing good about artificial sweeteners. Many studies have been done on the negative effects they have on your health. Many health problems have been linked to them. Artificial sweeteners actually work against you when it comes to fat loss.

 http://www.health-n-energy.com/ARTICLES/9arts weet.htm

http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/spl enda.aspx

http://www.emaxhealth.com/11/586.html

bruise_violet: spoke to my school and exam office today and snacks are fine for me too, providing there are no labels... they also offered that I could bring a cushion in in case my bum gets sore! I think NOT! Next thing we know, they'll be offering us a foot spa incase our circulation gets bad, a hot water bottle incase we're cold and someone to write for us if our post-anorexia hands get achey!

Totally know what you mean about the eggshells - all I have to do is yawn in a boring lesson and the phone starts ringing at home (IS SHE OK?!!! IS SHE SLEEPING?!) ... I feel kind of bad, like it sort of exploits the part of my ED that wants to be looked after.. Still, only a few weeks left!

GOOD LUCK to us!!

Yay! That's great about the food and so funny about the cushion!

Gee why didn't they offer ME a cushion?! hehe

Don't feel bad about exploiting it - loads of people in  my year exploit lazy spelling to get extra time - not really much difference with us!

Hope the exams go well :)