Gluten-Free Affecting Blood Sugar? Or Vitamin Deficient?

[ashara76]

I'm not diabetic, I don't have access to a glucose meter though I may soon buy one if these odd symptoms don't clear up in the next few days. I've also started a food diary, but with the intention of keeping track of my calorie intake, not sugar intake. I'm 4'11 and weigh 94 pounds. Believe it or not, that is better than what it used to be. For years I couldn't keep my weight above 90. I was (mis)diagnosed with IBS 20 years ago and only switched to gluten-free about three months ago. I had an initial colonoscopy 20 years ago but from what I remember (I was 12 at the time) that was to rule out cancer before the IBS diagnosis.

 

My weight has been steady around 93-94 even though my calorie intake has been cut from 2000 to between 14-1600. I have such a hard time finding food I can eat! I have always noticed that delayed meals cause me to feel "woozy" as my grandmother calls it...not dizzy exactly, but I have a hard time focusing, exhausted, low energy, etc. Normally, a snack of some kind would break me out of this.

 

Since switching to gluten free, especially the last three days, I am having a harder time getting out of these spells. I just want to lay down and go to sleep until I feel better. Instead, I force myself to eat. But now I feel full and still out of sorts. Am I deficient in something that is doing this, or my blood sugar fluctuating? I don't know. It hits me the worst around 1 o'clock. Usually I feel better after lunch and it carries me through dinner and the night.

 

Here's an example of what I eat in a day:

 

Breakfast 7:00 am

Gluten Free Van's Cereal, 2 helpings, 220 calories

1 cup 1% Lactaid 100 calories.

             OR

Gluten Free Chex Oatmeal, 2 helpings, 340 calories

 

Snack 10:00 am

 

Lactose Free Yoplait Yogurt, 170 calories

             OR

Mott's Strawberry Applesauce, 90 calories

 

Lunch 1:30 pm

Udi's Gluten Free Bread, 100 calories

Peanut Butter, 200 calories

 

Snack 3:00 pm

Gluten Free Luna Bar, Lemon Zest 180 calories

Gatorade, 200 calories

 

Dinner 7:00 pm

100% Cranberry Juice, 110 calories

Meat (pork chop, 2 chicken thighs, 1/2 ground hamburger), approx 140 calories

Veggie, 60 calories

Starch (baked potato, Gluten free pasta, jasmine rice), 100 calories

[cyclinglady]

Going gluten free will not impact your blood sugar. You could be developing diabetes -- hypoglycemia. I would advise getting tested.

Your diet seems to lack fat and protein which will keep you more satiated throughout the day. Might consider or research that. Why did you cut calories? Why did you give up gluten?

[nvsmom]

I agree that your meals are high in starches (which gets changed to sugar in the body) and that will cause your blood sugar to go up and down dramatically. It sounds like hypoglycemia to me too, perhaps being affected by low blood pressure too.  Perhaps switch to whole or 2% milk, get yogurt at 9% fat instead of 1-2%, and try adding more meats or nuts so you have more fats and proteins at every meal.  That should help your blood sugar stay more stable.... But I'm not a doctor, and am just guessing.

 

Perhaps try tracking your macros (protein, fat and carbs) along with calories.  A site like fitness pal can help with that.

[ashara76]

Going gluten free will not impact your blood sugar. You could be developing diabetes -- hypoglycemia. I would advise getting tested.

Your diet seems to lack fat and protein which will keep you more satiated throughout the day. Might consider or research that. Why did you cut calories? Why did you give up gluten?

I'm not trying to cut calories, I'm just finding it hard to get the same calorie intake as I did before. My GP had me switch to gluten-free since I'd been having a horrendous constipation-diarrhea cycle. As mentioned, I had been (mis)diagnosed with IBS, and had tried the various pills with no luck. I had been trying to control my symptoms through diet, but even that was not working. So he took me off gluten. Other than being told to avoid gluten, I'm pretty much on my own and in the dark on what I can eat. My BMs have vastly improved since the switch, and I no longer have the gut-slicing pain I lived with every day of my life. I'm just trying to figure this all out.

[cyclinglady]

Did your doctor talk to you about celiac disease? Did he offer testing?

Here is some information about celiac disease. Unfortunately you have to be eating gluten in order for the to be accurate.

http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/medical-professionals/guide/factsheets

I can recommend keeping a food journal to help identify intolerances.

I hope you fell better soon.

[CajunChic]

I get hypoglycemia often. I can drop to 30 after a PB&J sandwich : ( My endo said I am prediabetic, one of the lovely comorbidities of celiac. I eat low carb, and about 5-6 times a day. I haven't had an episode since changing my diet this way. The less you ask of your pancreas to to send insulin surges, the longer you can prevent full blown diabetes. That's what he told me. So I'm trying like heck to keep it at bay! Good luck!

[cyclinglady]

I get hypoglycemia often. I can drop to 30 after a PB&J sandwich : ( My endo said I am prediabetic, one of the lovely comorbidities of celiac. I eat low carb, and about 5-6 times a day. I haven't had an episode since changing my diet this way. The less you ask of your pancreas to to send insulin surges, the longer you can prevent full blown diabetes. That's what he told me. So I'm trying like heck to keep it at bay! Good luck!

Cajun,

Have you had a GAD antibodies test?

[CajunChic]

I don't believe, I'm not sure what that is!

[cyclinglady]

Just like thyroid or celiac disease antibodies, GAD tests for type 1 diabetes which can develop as an adult. It is called LADA (Lantent Autoimmune Diabetes). I have not been tested at this time since my doc and I agree that the treatment is the same whether I have type 1 or 2 for now. I decided against testing since I was barely positive on my celiac disease blood panel. I do have a home meter and basically eat to avoid any blood glucose spikes. Diet and exercise is working. LADA has a honeymoon stage which can last up to five years. So, I am monitoring for now. After a year, I think I am a type 2, but who knows?

About 10% of T1 diabetics develop celiac disease and I think it might be the same in reverse.

[CajunChic]

Just like thyroid or celiac disease antibodies, GAD tests for type 1 diabetes which can develop as an adult. It is called LADA (Lantent Autoimmune Diabetes). I have not been tested at this time since my doc and I agree that the treatment is the same whether I have type 1 or 2 for now. I decided against testing since I was barely positive on my celiac disease blood panel. I do have a home meter and basically eat to avoid any blood glucose spikes. Diet and exercise is working. LADA has a honeymoon stage which can last up to five years. So, I am monitoring for now. After a year, I think I am a type 2, but who knows?

About 10% of T1 diabetics develop celiac disease and I think it might be the same in reverse.

Very interesting! I'll ask on my next follow up. However, I was seronegative on the celiac panel so I'm not too sure if I make antibodies, lol!

[Posterboy]

I actually think gluten triggered my type II diabetes.  If I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease I wonder if I would have developed pre-diabetes in the first place.

 

Nevertheless nutriiton has helped me keep my sugars underway after going gluten free.  My a1c often would go over 7.5 without  metformin.  Once I took some Chromium Polynicotate to help my insulin work better my sugar routinely are a whole point lower.

 

After only taking it for a couple of months my points starting dropping to a more normal range.

 

Always be careful before taking any supplement to read up on it side affects.  I chose Chromium Poly because it seemed to be safer than Chromium Picolinate.

 

I hope it helps.  I know it helped my blood sugars.

 

This is not medical advice only my personal experience.  Please check with your doctor before taking any supplements to see if he approves.  But my specialist thought it might be a good idea and is happy with my results and so far I haven't had to take the metformin as of yet for my blood sugar despite being treated for type II diabetes.  I credit the Chromium but who knows it might of been coincidenc since I begin watching my carbs and diet too with the gluten allergy.

 

Posterboy,

[murphy203]

I think a checkup is in order for wooziness -- it could be something simple like anemia.  

[frieze]

your one o'clock sleepiness is probably related to your lack of protein at breakfast.  

[SportySue]

On 2/7/2015 at 6:50 PM, nvsmom said:

I agree that your meals are high in starches (which gets changed to sugar in the body) and that will cause your blood sugar to go up and down dramatically. It sounds like hypoglycemia to me too, perhaps being affected by low blood pressure too.  Perhaps switch to whole or 2% milk, get yogurt at 9% fat instead of 1-2%, and try adding more meats or nuts so you have more fats and proteins at every meal.  That should help your blood sugar stay more stable.... But I'm not a doctor, and am just guessing.

 

Perhaps try tracking your macros (protein, fat and carbs) along with calories.  A site like fitness pal can help with that.

 

On 2/7/2015 at 4:46 PM, ashara76 said:

I'm not diabetic, I don't have access to a glucose meter though I may soon buy one if these odd symptoms don't clear up in the next few days. I've also started a food diary, but with the intention of keeping track of my calorie intake, not sugar intake. I'm 4'11 and weigh 94 pounds. Believe it or not, that is better than what it used to be. For years I couldn't keep my weight above 90. I was (mis)diagnosed with IBS 20 years ago and only switched to gluten-free about three months ago. I had an initial colonoscopy 20 years ago but from what I remember (I was 12 at the time) that was to rule out cancer before the IBS diagnosis.

 

My weight has been steady around 93-94 even though my calorie intake has been cut from 2000 to between 14-1600. I have such a hard time finding food I can eat! I have always noticed that delayed meals cause me to feel "woozy" as my grandmother calls it...not dizzy exactly, but I have a hard time focusing, exhausted, low energy, etc. Normally, a snack of some kind would break me out of this.

 

Since switching to gluten free, especially the last three days, I am having a harder time getting out of these spells. I just want to lay down and go to sleep until I feel better. Instead, I force myself to eat. But now I feel full and still out of sorts. Am I deficient in something that is doing this, or my blood sugar fluctuating? I don't know. It hits me the worst around 1 o'clock. Usually I feel better after lunch and it carries me through dinner and the night.

 

Here's an example of what I eat in a day:

 

Breakfast 7:00 am

Gluten Free Van's Cereal, 2 helpings, 220 calories

1 cup 1% Lactaid 100 calories.

             OR

Gluten Free Chex Oatmeal, 2 helpings, 340 calories

 

Snack 10:00 am

 

Lactose Free Yoplait Yogurt, 170 calories

             OR

Mott's Strawberry Applesauce, 90 calories

 

Lunch 1:30 pm

Udi's Gluten Free Bread, 100 calories

Peanut Butter, 200 calories

 

Snack 3:00 pm

Gluten Free Luna Bar, Lemon Zest 180 calories

Gatorade, 200 calories

 

Dinner 7:00 pm

100% Cranberry Juice, 110 calories

Meat (pork chop, 2 chicken thighs, 1/2 ground hamburger), approx 140 calories

Veggie, 60 calories

Starch (baked potato, Gluten free pasta, jasmine rice), 100 calories

Go to: glutendude.com. He recommends and I listened to NOT EAT any gluten-free foods. Giving up ALL grain will help & no starches including vegetable starches. Cutting back a great deal on fruit but if you do eat fruit, dark berries (not strawberries) is best—no more than half a cup a day. No lectins (look it up), no yogurt of any kind or any dairy. Celiacs have to be strict strict script. Eat lots of good fats even if you have to take it in a shot glass every day. Hope this helps—it did/does help me!!

[Zprime]

Ref celiac disease has been cured here in Canada with fmt. Check my earlier post. Nobody wants to acknowledge theres a cure

[cyclinglady]

10 hours ago, Zprime said:

Ref celiac disease has been cured here in Canada with fmt. Check my earlier post. Nobody wants to acknowledge theres a cure

Sorry, but you are not correct.  One case study about a patient with refractory type 2 celiac disease (very rare) does not make a cure.  The only treatment for non -refractory celiac disease is a strict gluten free diet.  Celiac disease can not be cured, but it can go into remission.  

Edited September 18, 2019 by cyclinglady