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I don't really know what's wrong with me. Sure I did some crash dieting in the past and became borderline anorexic but now when I try to eat to gain weight it seems the list with the food I have to exclude has become larger and larger. My tests don't show any diabetes, but I have overactive thyroid and I seem to have the tingling in extremes, eye problems, and my pancreas produces excessive insulin after I eat glucose/carbs. I no longer can tolerate apples, bananas, tangerines or any sweet fruits, only berries, but not blueberries. No baked goods and breads anymore. Even artificial sweeteners like maltitol in the Atkins bars will make me hypoglycemic.
So all grains and potatoes are out, crab-heavy stuff are limited, but I thought yogurt was supposed to not lead to hypoglycemia after eating? The other day I munched on too much cashew nuts and now I know they're also carb-heavy and will avoid them. However since that day, I'm on a BS roller coaster where even full-fat yogurt seems to make me nauseous after eating, like it causes too much insulin spikes. I really have no one to turn, studying abroad and the doctors always ignore me. And it doesn't help that, while I am losing weight (maybe due to an again overactive thyroid, I was on 12.5 mcg of Levo + 5g of Carbimazole, and when I tried to increase the Levo to 25 mcg I got hot flashes and panic attacks which tells me I am more hyper). I just ate some greens and quinoa and I got that sick feeling I get when I go hypoglycemic.
Now I can no longer tolerate fat as well as carbs these days, so what is left - protein. I.. really don't know what to do anymore, it's like fighting with your body. And all advice on diabetes and pre-diabetes is for reducing weight, well at 183 cm weighting 55 kilo is already dangerously underweight, my body index last months has been between 16 and 19, which is terribly low. But I have to gain weight, yet LCHF eating doesn't help. I cannot up my carbs, as even apples make me hypoglycemic. Why is that when I indulge in carbs like cashew or apples I have to take some days off to recover where every food causes reactive hypoglycemia after eating, even low carb one? Basically I feel best on low-fat meat like poultry, but I have to eat tones to gain weight on it and it's expensive. Why does my body hates me when I do my best eating healthy? I will never do another fruitarian diet ever again. I plan to visit my doctor asap and get some test done, and hope he puts me on metformin. And I hope it's not type 1, but my last results showed my own body produces TOO mcuh insulin post-eating so maybe it's pre-T2 or insulin resistance? Strangely, I'm skinny. Maybe I have gained 'skinny fat' as they say even little visceral fat in skinny people causes resistance?
I know some sugar under my tongue removes the bad feeling, but I cannot use that forever. If I cut out dairy and nuts I'm left with lean meat and veggies - I have to eat tones to gain any weight and I'm a college student, so it will be too expensive for me.
Oh, my A1C was perfect. I have hyperinsulinemia with Insulin going to 110 one hour after glucose.
Strangely, during my test I didn't go hypo, but I know it's worse when I am not tested. Strangely I've had insulin spikes, followed by hypo symptoms after anything with grains, potatoes, and even the supposedly healthy oats. So if I avoid carbs I should up the fat to gain weight? Well, too much fat is also bad for the pancreas as it causes pancreatitis and clogs the arteries they say. So cheese and butter are dangerous for the heart, and I cannot have yogurt because it also spikes my insulin, causing my BS to drop suddenly. So only poultry, fish and heavy on the olive oil and nuts in moderation? Anyone who has underwent anything similar? I'm just 28 and skinny, I walk a lot, I don't smoke or drink, I don't fit the profile, goes to show Diabetes is a b*tch. Maybe my metabolism is too fast due to my hyperthyroid, causing a rapid influx of sugar, leading to an Insulin spike, followed by a rapid decrease in BS?
Are you testing your blood sugar when it feels low, or just judging from the way that you feel? Not everything that makes you feel bad after eating is diabetes. Food allergies can make you feel lightheaded, sore, dizzy, like you're going to die, etc. You could also have an eating disorder and be having anxiety about the foods that you're eating.
When you eat yogurt and feel bad, what's in the yogurt? Some yogurts have a lot of sugar.
Can you drink protein shakes? Also, tuna is a good cheap way to get protein.
In this country you have to be Dx as Diabetic to get the glucose meters which means I have no access to them.
I know it's hypoglycemia because sugar under my tongue almost instantly relieves that awful feeling when the sugar gets into my bloodstream. It's like my brain is starving for fuel. My body is no longer overweight like I was (due to hypo and largely carb/wheat-based diet), but I guess I'm still insulin resistant. I also have very fast metabolism (TMI but my food is fully digested and well ready to be disposed only after a few hours...lol) which tells me I might go hyperthyroid often, despite what my early morning results claim. Maybe due to fast metabolism my blood sugar spikes too fast, causing too sudden/rapid release of way too much insulin and then my BS goes low just as rapid, causing all the symptoms.
The yogurt was plain with 5% fat. Yes, I guess I'm going the boiled eggs/butter/tuna/cheese route as it's cheaper for a college student who needs to gain weight. Maybe some olive oil as well, also most veggies and olives. I'm quitting nuts, as it's easy to indulge and I do indulge, often getting Insulin spikes and hypoglycemia after that. I read that only macadamia is good for diabetics of all nuts, and yet I indulge in cashews and peanuts that are the worst. I can't drink protein shakes as they put sugar, or artificial sweeteners in there like Splenda and I get bad reactions to them. The sole thing that I react to pills like 10 minutes after ingestion and I get reactive hypo even 30 minutes after eating seems to me to mean that my metabolism is too fast, most probably it's the thyroid. Thankfully I have some Carbimazole left, but right now I have no money for tests, so it's a guessing game really.
My case is weird as my HOMA is perfect, they cannot diagnose me with D, yet I have tingling in hands and feet from time to time, cold extremes and eye problems (seeing dark spots like inflamed nerves), all classic symptoms. I guess I need to make my digestion/metabolism slower somehow, but I don't know how except with Carbimazole, stopping my thyroid, but I've had some hypothyroid spells in the past. But getting panic attacks and hot flashes after increasing thyroid hormone means I'm hyper right now which could explain me not gaining weight despite eating. Anyone know how to slow metabolism or at least digestion, as all advice online for insulin resistant people is for making it faster? I am stuck in a weird circle where I have to gain weight asap, yet I apparently have hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, judging by the huge amounts of insulin my pancreas produces when I ingest carbs/gucose. Really weird case. I thought insulin resistant people cannot keep weight off.
It's not anxiety as sugar under my tongue instantly relives me. But if I ingest sugar dizziness ensues.
Fish feels OK so far, as well as olive oil. But I had some dizziness after eating cheese, so I guess in addition to carbs I have to avoid saturated fats as well, which servery restricts my diet to fish, olive oil, macadamia and olives to gain weight.
OP, you're pre-diabetic. Thyroid disease predisposed people to pre-diabetes and diabetes. To get tested, you'd have to eat a carby meal (let's say: oatmeal with milk and fruit, a common breakfast) then get your blood sugar tested 2 hours later. By the time 2 hours rolls around, you'd probably be heading for the emergency room, you'd feel so sick. So it's not a test you're able to do safely.
The yogurt--was it fruit yogurt, or plain? Yogurt (plain) has more carbs than cottage cheese (lactose). If you can't tolerate plain yogurt, that would be why. You need to go on a low-carb diet, but not radically low-carb (too few carbs, you'll lose weight). At every meal, eat a source of solid protein: fish, red meat, poultry, eggs (4 eggs, but only 2 yolks), cheese, cottage cheese. Or if you like plain yogurt, add whey protein powder to it, to boost the ratio of protein to carbs. Also tofu is fine, if you like it.
Nuts are out, except in a small amt. in salad. Almonds are the lowest-carb nuts, you can experiment with those, but still--not a whole handful. Root vegetables are out--too starchy, including carrots. Fruit is out, except seeded berries like raspberries, blackberries, and in small amts.
How to gain weight? IDK, you'd have to get your thyroid under control, first. But you should be able to tolerate fat; I'm not sure what's going on with you, dietary fat-wise. I'm thinking your body's reacting more to the carbs in yogurt, not the fat. So you can have omelets with lots of cheese, and some green veggies (yellow squash or zucchini, green onions, peppers if you like, spinach). You can have bacon with your eggs or omelet. Experiment with nice sauces over fish. 1/2 avocado stuffed with tuna or chicken salad should be ok (not too many carbs in 1/2 avocado).
I recommend 2 books. "Protein Power" by a husband/wife MD team. It has charts so you can see how many carbs different foods have. It's for losing weight, but you don't have to slash carbs quite as radically as they require, since you don't want to lose weight. Book=cheap on Amazon.
There's a good diabetes reference work, that discusses all the artificial sweeteners out there, among other things. And you're absolutely right; the ones you've been ingesting (anything ending in -ol, he says) provoke an insulin response, and are a no-no. Of course, normally that would help you gain weight, but you can't tolerate excess insulin, so you don't have that option for weight gain. Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins...betes+Solution
The author of the second book is an MD with Type 1 diabetes. He's been able to live insulin-free by getting very radical with his diet, to eliminate nearly all carbs. He's available once/month for phone consults, so you might give him a call. Not sure if he could help you re: how to gain weight in your circumstances, but he might be able to refer you to someone.
You likely (barring a miracle) will have to find a doc who does not accept insurance in order to get qualified help. There are docs who take only out-of-pocket payment, and they're usually more attentive and knowledgeable than the insurance mill docs. But you should try a few endocrinologists through your insurance, first, to see if anyone can help with that thyroid issue.
Good luck! You're on the right track, you've figured some of it out through trial and error. Here is confirmation that you're spot on with some of your conclusions.
P.S. Protein stabilizes blood sugar; it keeps insulin under control. Carbs stimulate insulin. Fat is neutral. Once you get on a good protein-based diet, you'll see your blood sugar stabilize. It may help you to carry "emergency protein" with you, if you have a long time between meals; carry 4 oz. of cheese with you, in your car or in a small cloth grocery bag, or something. You need to keep your blood sugar stable.
Also: exercise helps keep your blood sugar stable. Building lean muscle mass helps keep insulin under control; it helps your body deal with carbs. Take a brisk walk daily, or swim, or bike. Work out at the gym if you don't already. This should be part of your diabetes-prevention program, as a thyroid patient pre-disposed to diabetes.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 12-11-2016 at 10:36 PM..
You don't sound pre-diabetic to me. You produce too much insulin. You need to see an endocrinologist. A regular doctor may not be able to help much. It sounds like a metabolic disorder. We are not doctors here and can only offer our opinions and suggestions. Fat does not clog your arteries, cholesterol does (on some people). The problem with cholesterol and your arteries is inflammation, not density. Certain types of fats like seed oils cause inflammation. If you are on low carb do not fear fat. It doesn't work like that. I know it's probably counter intuitive based on your comments. Many are still on the belief that fat clogs your arteries. Fat is one of the foods that does not cause an insulin response.
to the OP, if you had diabetes or pre-diabetes, hypoglycemia would come from an overdose of medication or too much injected insulin, neither of which is the case. A diabetics' main problems is hyperglycemia not the hypo and in treating it these things could happen, so...
Hypoglycemia in people without diabetes is much less common. Causes may include the following:
1. Medications. Taking someone else's oral diabetes medication accidentally is a possible cause of hypoglycemia. Other medications may cause hypoglycemia, especially in children or in people with kidney failure. One example is quinine (Qualaquin), which is used to treat malaria.
2. Excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking heavily without eating can block your liver from releasing stored glucose into your bloodstream, causing hypoglycemia.
3. Some critical illnesses. Severe illnesses of the liver, such as severe hepatitis, can cause hypoglycemia. Disorders of the kidney, which can keep your body from properly excreting medications, can affect glucose levels due to a buildup of those medications. Long-term starvation, as may occur in the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, can result in the depletion of substances your body needs in gluconeogenesis, causing hypoglycemia.
4. Insulin overproduction. A rare tumor of the pancreas (insulinoma) may cause overproduction of insulin, resulting in hypoglycemia. Other tumors may result in excessive production of insulin-like substances.
Enlargement of beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin (nesidioblastosis) may result in excessive insulin release, causing hypoglycemia.
5. Hormone deficiencies. Certain disorders of the adrenal glands and the pituitary gland can result in a deficiency of key hormones that regulate glucose production. Children with these disorders are more prone to hypoglycemia than are adults.
Without knowing more about you (OP) I would guess your problem is either #4 or #5. With diet and/or medication you could control your condition. Here is a list of some medications. https://www.drugs.com/condition/hypoglycemia.html
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I will never do another fruitarian diet ever again. I plan to visit my doctor asap and get some test done, and hope he puts me on metformin. And I hope it's not type 1, but my last results showed my own body produces TOO mcuh insulin post-eating so maybe it's pre-T2 or insulin resistance? Strangely, I'm skinny. Maybe I have gained 'skinny fat' as they say even little visceral fat in skinny people causes resistance?
which tells me I might go hyperthyroid often, despite what my early morning results claim. Maybe due to fast metabolism my blood sugar spikes too fast, causing too sudden/rapid release of way too much insulin and then my BS goes low just as rapid, causing all the symptoms.
