Diabetic Diet & Blood Gluecose

So obviously, hypoglycemia = too little blood glucose.

When drinking alcohol, the body converts that to glucose.

So if someone drinks a lot of alcohol, wouldn’t they have a lot of blood glucose that got converted by the liver?

How would that cause HYPOglycemia?

Alcohol LOWERS blood sugar.
That’s why people with alcohol poisoning die.

The alcohol stops the liver from producing glycogen.This keeps sugar levels at a normal level.
Without that or any high carb food, you will get lower and lower,

If you drink, do so moderately and always eat carbs when you drink and after you drink.

I have hypoglycemia without diabetes but I’ve been hearing that I should eat more sugar and I’ve also been told to eat less…what is it?

Basically you should be eating up to 5-6 small meals throughout the day, and each meal should not be spaced more than 3 hours apart. This ensures that your sugar levels remain stable and do not fall drastically.

Diets that avoid foods with lots of sugar in it is also a must, this prevents the sugar in your body from going too high or too low, and causing a lot of spikes. Some foods which are most avoidable are ice creams, candies and sweets. Avoiding any form of breads and soups is also a good idea as they too contain high quantities of sugar in them.

Carbohydrates are known to raise your sugar levels to normal within a few minutes of taking them and a small amount of carbs (10-20gm) can do this instantly or in some cases glucose tablets can help.

Hope this helps.

OK, so i know hypoglycemia is low blood sugar and something about not being able to turn glucose into glycogen, but why can’t it? and what does insulin have to do with it? whats the best way to manage not fainting if you do have it?

Dear Chan Ell,

Your question actually asks about the 2 sides of the blood glucose issue. HYPOglycemia indicates that either you consume too few carbohydrates (sugars) or your pancreas produces too much of the hormone that metabolizes (uses up) your carbs. HYPERglycemia indicates that your pancreas produces too little or no insulin to metabolize the carbs, so the sugar will be too high (not metabolized).

Fainting can occur in either extreme, but fainting from low blood sugar (HYPOglycemia) can be fatal. If you have diabetes, please be sure that someone in your household is informed that he/she must feed you something very sweet – like orange juice, Pepsi or Coca Cola immediately. You should also have pure glucose (tubes sold in any drug store), gel or tablets, and let family/friends know where it is at all times to be used in an emergency.

Insulin must only be used in case of HYPERglycemia (high blood sugar) and can only be gotten with a doctor’s prescription.

Your question(s) indicate that you really should speak with your doctor about this whole matter. If it is for you or a family member, a simple, routine blood test (called A1c) can be done to learn whether someone has HYPO or HYPERglycemia. Please don’t wait. Then you’ll have nothing to wonder about or fear. OK?

I’ve tried all kinds of foods and nothing seems to help alleviate the shaking in my hands or weakness in my body from hypoglycemia – anyone got any ideas?

Protein, as in yogurt, peanut butter, cheese, eggs. Eat 6 small meals/day. Stay away from sugar
which will spike your blood sugar too quickly. Don’t skip meals.

Is it possible to experience weight loss with hypoglycemia?

Hyperglycemia will cause excessive thirst and urination, over an extended period ketoacidosis which could cause a series of problems if left untreated. Hypoglycemia will cause confusion, clammy skin tremors, fainting. If they are diabetic you can lose weight with both high and low sugars. If it’s hyperglycemia the thirst will be present, with hypoglycemia they may not be eating enough. They should have their sugar checked by a reliable source, MD, someone with a glucometer and new strips

After over a year of wired symptoms, my mom and I discovered it could be hypoglycemia. I looked it up but I would like to know for sure. And I am to poor to go to the docter.

Try a free clinic . YOU Need to see a dr. only a dr can order the tests

If the A1C test is used to determine average glucose levels over several weeks or months, how can it be effective in determining hypoglycemia (especially reactionary hypoglycemia)? It seems like a time-response test like an OGTT would be better to observe glucose levels "crashing".

I think if blood sugar levels were sustained low enough to reflect in an A1C as consistent hypoglycemia, you’d be dead. A1C is best in determining sustained hypERglycemia (high blood sugar levels) over a three month period in diabetics.

What can a person do to prevent symptons of hypoglycemia if they need to restrict protein?

You have to eat small snacks/meals throughout the day to maintain proper sugar levels and drink plenty of fluids. I keep some fruit or yogurt around and avoid food that is highly processed. There is a yogurt made for kid’s lunch boxes that thaw out by lunch time if you need to eat at your desk. I also inform my boss of my medical condition so they know I need small breaks to eat. I accomplish this by dividing my lunch time into two fifteen minute breaks. The yogurt will help make your digestive and immune system work better. Trail mix or dry fruits are also great to keep around.

I’m thisclose to approaching my mother about being taken to get tested for hypoglycemia, but would like for reference other people’s experiences with early symptoms. Thank you so much everybody.

dizzy
dont know whats goin on
shaky
kinda cold
confused
blurry vision
fatigue

besides taking too much insulin can this happen naturally? it never happend to me before but my uncle who is type 2,without insulin,had to go to the ER for severe hypoglycemia.

So i’m little confused since diabetes is "usually" high blood sugar.. correct me if i’m wrong please!

You are absolutely correct, my friend, diabetes mellitus IS about high blood glucose (sugar) levels.

Insulin is NOT the only way that a diabetic patient might experience hypoglycaemia [hypoglycemia, if you prefer the American spelling]. Certain anti-diabetes drugs (tablets) can also cause blood glucose levels to fall to the point that hypoglycaemia is experienced, as can missing meals (or being late with them), and harder than ‘normal’ amounts of exercise/work.

Does your uncle not get ‘warning signs’ when his blood glucose level is falling? (Some of these warning signs could include feeling nauseous, a jittery or nervous feeling, a rapid heartbeat, mood changes, blurred vision, and difficulty walking. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, coma, and may be fatal. He may experience some, but not all, or none of these symptoms.)

If your uncle does NOT experience any of the symptoms mentioned, it MAY be that he has become hypoglycaemia unaware. That’s something worth mentioning to his doctor though, often, there’s very little that can be done about that situation. It would mean that your uncle may need to test his blood glucose levels more frequently.

Whatever the outcome, I do hope that your uncle makes a speedy recovery.

Be well.