What is causing this?

About four hours after breakfast or lunch almost everyday I experience the following symptoms unless I EAT!  Some days are worse than others.  I know people who can function ALL DAY and not eat (ie my husband).  I can't function because of this issue unless I EAT.  If I'm even a few min's late to eat for lunch it throws me off for the whole day.  Now, if I'm late for breakfast, it's okay.  I can go until about 10 or 11 o'clock without eating but if I do eat breakfast, which I do daily, then I HAVE to eat something of substance (ie carbs or protein) 4 hours later.  A nutra bar, fruit, or salad won't cut it.  I'm not sure if it's hypogycemia or something else.  I usually label it as "My blood sugar just dropped like a rock".  Any ideas on what it is, other than "Your hungry" and what I can or should do about it?

4 hours after breakfast or lunch I get:

Lightheaded
Shaking
Weak
Confused/Dazed
Can't think
Head ache
General "Not feeling well"
Metal taste in mouth
Sweating
Gotta Eat NOW!
Panicky

I've had a glucose test which did not show any issues BUT I wasn't showing these symptoms.  I don't think the TEST triggered them.

Thanks!

That's what mayo clinic and webmd both show as symptoms of hypoglycemia.  It may be a condition in and of itself of there is an underlying cause.  You need to visit a doc and have your blood checked.  At least to know what's happening.

I got diagnosed with type II diabetes Oct '06.  After i started to get my eating and weight under control I had a few of these spells.  I Must eat about every three hours with some carb involved.  Protein, too, to stabalize the blood sugar.

symptoms:

Adrenergic manifestations

• Shakiness, anxiety, nervousness, tremor
• Palpitations, tachycardia
• Sweating, feeling of warmth
• Pallor, coldness, clamminess
• Dilated pupils

[edit] Glucagon manifestations

• Hunger, borborygmus
• Nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort

[edit] Neuroglycopenic manifestations

• Abnormal mentation, impaired judgement
• Nonspecific dysphoria, anxiety, moodiness, depression, crying
• Negativism, irritability, belligerence, combativeness, rage
• Personality change, emotional lability
• Fatigue, weakness, apathy, lethargy, daydreaming, sleep
• Confusion, amnesia, dizziness, delirium
• Staring, "glassy" look, blurred vision, double vision
• Automatic behavior, also known as automatism
• Difficulty speaking, slurred speech
• Ataxia, incoordination, sometimes mistaken for "drunkenness"
• Focal or general motor deficit, paralysis, hemiparesis
• Paresthesias, headache
• Stupor, coma, abnormal breathing
• Generalized or focal seizures

I've suspected it for a while.  I just found this article.

Reactive hypoglycemia occurs within four hours after eating, when blood glucose levels fall below 70 milligrams per deciliter. The person has symptoms, but the symptoms are relieved after eating or drinking something with calories. The cause of reactive hypoglycemia is unclear.

I think I need to find a specialist to properly diagnose and treat it but I'm not sure what kind of doctor I should look for: Nutritionist, Internal Med, or other. 

you might try eating a small meal or snack including both protein and carbs every three to four hours. it might not need any more treatment than that. i don't know what your calorie allowance is per day, but if you can break it into five or six meals (200-300 cals) spread out through the day, making sure that each one has protein--because that won't trigger as much insulin response--you may find the symptoms disappear.

Thanks.  Your are so right.

Can I whine for a second....Pity Party!

It's so hard being a mother of two working in and outside the home full time, running from meeting to meeting, AND trying to lose weight to squeeze all these small meals in.  

By the time I do get to eat, I'm so panicky and the cravings are SO BAD that I grab things that are not appropriate.  I know, I know, planning.   Failure to plan is planning for failure.  I need to plan on the snacks and prepare for them.

I think I need to find a nutritionist that can help me plan on small mini meals that:  1) will help my weight loss (need to lose 50 lbs) 2) keep my blood sugar steady 3) be quick and easy for the Mom on the go (who puts her health last) 4) tastes decent so I will acturally eat them.

I've tried to lose weight so many times but the symptoms of the hypoglycemia (masked as "no will power") cause me to "pull the rip cord" everytime. 

Thanks for letting me vent.  I'm done feeling sorry for myself for now.  Let me see if I can come up with another "plan" to deal with this but I don't think I can do it alone.  I've tried that several times.  I need help.

If anyone has any lists of good lists of hypoglycemia food ideas that are quick, easy, and low cal please feel free to post them.  Right now I'm eating a Tuna fish salad sandwhich on whole grain bread with water.  I have no idea if it's the right thing but I'm trying.  Later I'm going to have either an apple (right choice) or come cheese and crackers for a snack (probably not so right).  Today I was prepared.  Tomorrow I might not be.

Hi

I have had the same problem I actually started eating every hour to keep symptoms at bay but now I can go 2-3 hours depending on what I eat. I seem to be very sensative to any breads (I dont eat much bread anyway due to allergys) and even plain brown rice even if I add lots of oil. I do best on mostly vegetables and protiens and fat If I stick with this than over a week or so I feel great and can go for longer periods of time without eating.

I have been eating lots of fruit latly and I'm fine as long as I grab a few bites every hour.

Here is my strategy. I make a big salad while i have some chicken breast or turkey burgers on my Foreman grill. Then I cut up chicken and add 1/2-1 tbs olive oil and basalmic vinegar and toss with salad. I divide into 2 containers and then I fill another container with fruit. Since I have pre-measured m food and I know how many calories in each container I can grab a bite or 2 (sometimes thats all it takes) antytime. I dont have to think at all about calories all day. I usually have 300-400 cals left over for dinner and another snack. Man times I fix dinner at the same time on the grill this way I really only "cook" once a day and it doesnt take anylonger for 3 chicken breasts than for 1.

If I wait untill I'm starving and cant think straight I binge so this has helped me alot. I have other snacks also that are easy like 1 cup of peas and a chicken or turkey frank it ends up being like 160-190 cals and its simple. to make

good luck:) and I know you can do it.

I prepackage snacks for myself.  Granola with nuts.  Trailmix.  yogurt.  I have a backback that I keep those kinds of things plus a roll of lifesavers and a few small juice boxes for those just-in-case times.

Again, the protein will help the carbs get released slowly.  You may want to check out the glycemic or insulin indicies.  They show you foods that spike your blood sugar faster than others.  Some carbs take longer to be broken down (whole grains) while others are broken down rather quickly (rice, some potatoes, processed grains).  Armed with that knowledge you can make better choices for you meals

Yep, I can relate. Except I can't go as long as four hours, especially if I've eaten some unrefined carb or something laden with sugar. Like pancakes... omg... pancakes do me in within an hour or two!!

I've had great success with the following plan:

1) Incorporate at least 30 minutes walking every day, particularly on HILLS (walking downhill helps regulate insulin)

2) Reduce - nearly eliminate - refined sugar and carbs. I only ever eat something like ice cream or birthday cake if I've just had a protein-rich meal. Birthday cake or candy on an empty tummy is TOXIC to me. It's like mainlining sugar.

3) Reduce whole grains. Don't eliminate them, but reduce them. You need to play around with this and find what works for you. I find it works best if I have no more than 2 servings a day. You might be able to tolerate more - you need to experiment for yourself. I have no problem with other types of carbs like fruits and veggies, it's just the grains, even if they are whole, and especially if eaten without a source of protein to help slow their digestion.

4) Up your intake of healthy fats. A great snack to bring to work is walnuts. A handful of walnuts can get me through a few more hours, and the effect is pretty fast. It's a wonderful emergency antidote for the sugar shakes!!

5) Base your meals around protein, 3 oz serving per meal.

Typical day for me:

Brekkie: either no-sugar-added yogurt & fruit, or GoLean cereal (high in fiber and protein) w/soy milk and fruit; oatmeal works okay but only if I add in flax seed, otherwise I get the sugar shakes.

Lunch: salad or veggies with 3 oz protein and a serving of healthy fats like olive oil

Dinner: veggies, 3 oz protein, and 1/2 cup of whole grain

Snacks: walnuts when you need them, munch on GoLean cereal, Apple can be good because of the fiber, also cold baked sweet potato has a lot of fiber, berries; cheese - good, crackers - not so good.

A few revelations about this I've learned today in my quest for knowledge.

- hypoglycemia is one of the main reasons people "fall of the wagon" from diets. 

- Unlike diabetes, a person with hypoglycemia needs protein and/or complex carbs to "restore" recover from their "attack".  Whenever I was having what I callled a "low blood sugar attack" I would go in search or sugar and then get frustrated because it did nothing for me and did not relieve the symptoms.  I wondered why I responded to something like cheese and crackers much quicker.  Now I understand why.

- I also know why I'm dying "starving" by lunch.  I must be getting a lot of sugar in my breakfast which is causing me to crash by lunch.  Same for dinner. 

One thing I've seen repeated over and over is to get protein into each meal to stabilize the blood sugar. 

What are some good protein items for breakfast that are going to help my weightloss? 

This thread has made me think. I eat every three hours - unless I am so ill  I need to lie in my bed all day (not for some years). And I often get tremors or palpitations if I don't. I have to eat something as soon as I get out up in the morning. However, one thing that has always worked with me is yogurt. For breakfast, with a biscuit or oats, it drives hunger away - for the next three hours! You might want to try it.

I will, thanks.

Okay so sugar (in the form of sodas or candy) do not alleviate the hypo-G issues, only protein or carbs, but riddle me this this?  How come I can have a glass of White Zin and all the hypo-G issues disappear.  Okay, I expect some comments back about "no caring after alchohol" but I'm really puzzeled about it from metabolic understanding.  I've read that wine converts to pure sugar but I guess it's the bread kinda sugar and not the candy type of sugar.  I mean one sip and my head clears immediatly and all the shakes go away, etc.... 

I dont know why but that happens  with me too. Maybe we should drink wine every hour or 2.

this thread has made me wonder if i have hypoglycemia. i get lightheaded and have avoided candy bars because sugar makes me lethargic and depressed. most people would be hyper after having a candy bar, but it does the exact opposite for me. same thing for caffeine. i just get so tired after having sugar or a big meal.

Protein sources for breakfast:

- Eggs (and hardboiled eggs make another great, portable emergency high-protein snack for work)

- No-sugar-added yogurt (try it with berries and sliced banana... yumm)

- Kashi GoLean Cereal (has 13g of protein)

- A cup of milk with your cereal

- Chicken, fish - why not ??? (well, okay ... I know why not... I can't stomach the thought of dinner/lunch foods for breakfast, YMMV though!)

- Throw nuts into your cereal or oatmeal or yogurt

- My DD's personal favorite: one slice whole wheat with a single slice of American cheese... put it in the toaster oven and make a "toastie"

- Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced banana

- Protein shake (if you're into that sort of thing)

If you want waffles, one thing I used to love to do is top my waffles with a ton of no-sugar-added yogurt and sliced kiwi.

If you  want pancakes, experiment making them with protein powder, or chopped nuts, or both.