Severe Hypoglycemia in Response to Gluten or Corn Consumption

[Stargazer1111]

Whenever I eat something containing gluten or corn, I get severe reactive hypoglycemic reactions. Normally, when I eat a gluten-free and corn-free meal my blood sugar goes up to between 120-140 mg/dl and slowly comes down over the next few hours, back into the 70s or 80s. However, when I consume anything with gluten or corn, my blood sugar will go down into the 50s or even 40s, sometimes not even 30 minutes after finishing the meal. It happens literally every single time.

Other symptoms I get from consuming gluten include suicidal depression and an inability to sleep along with severe acid reflux and pain that feels like an ulcer in my stomach

Has anyone else in the world experienced this? It's perplexing and my doctor has no answer. 

[GFinDC]

Hi, There are many, many possible symptoms in celiac disease.  Depression has been reported by people before, and hypoglycemia.  Have you been tested for celiac disease?  If you want to be tested, you need to be eating gluten for 12 weeks prior to the blood tests.  There is also an endoscopy, which usually happens after a positive on the gliaden antibodies tests.

It sounds like testing may be too difficult for your health though.  In that case, you can still go gluten-free without a diagnosis.  One of the side "benefits" of gut damage is we can become intolerant to other foods besides the wheat, rye, and barley that bothers all celiacs.  That may be the issue with your corn intolerance.

If you do decide to try the gluten-free diet, don't expect instant resolution of all your symptoms.  It takes time for the bodie's immune system to stop attacking.  Weeks to months.  I'd say the first 6 months are the hardest and thing improve after that.  But progress is often not steady.

[knitty kitty]

Stargazer1111,

Hi! I had this happen to me, the glucose dropping drastically after eating gluten/corn containing meals.  My doctor was less than helpful.

There's two kinds of carbohydrates, simple and complex.  Simple carbohydrates are made up of one sugar molecule, easily absorbed into the digestive tract. 

Complex carbohydrates are chains of more than one sugar hooked together.  You need certain B vitamins to break the sugars apart so they can be absorbed into the digestive tract.  Without these vitamins, the complex carbohydrates cannot be utilized by the body.  The complex carbs stay all hooked together and are not absorbed.

Thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine, and pantothentic acid (B5) are needed to break down the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars.  If you are deficient or low in these B vitamins, your body can't break complex carbs apart and can't use them for energy.   

Your pancreas pumps out insulin which helps the simple sugars get into your body's cells. With a complex carb meal, the insulin helps all the simple sugars already in your bloodstream get into your cells.  Because the complex carbs can't be broken down and absorbed, no more simple sugars are getting into your bloodstream, but your insulin is still working and your blood glucose level plummets.  

Your neurotransmitters, like dopamine and serotonin, are made in the digestive tract.  Without the simple sugars, they can't be replenished and depression results. 

Pyridoxine (B6) and  Magnesium are  important to sleep.  Without magnesium to help B6 get into your cells, insomnia can result.  Magnesium is also important in preventing acid reflux. 

I strongly suggest you get checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Celiacs often have deficiencies because of malabsorption.  A one a day multivitamin isn't enough to correct or prevent deficiencies.  

Here's an article that might help explain...

Open Original Shared Link

Hope this helps!

5 hours ago, Stargazer1111 said:

Whenever I eat something containing gluten or corn, I get severe reactive hypoglycemic reactions. Normally, when I eat a gluten-free and corn-free meal my blood sugar goes up to between 120-140 mg/dl and slowly comes down over the next few hours, back into the 70s or 80s. However, when I consume anything with gluten or corn, my blood sugar will go down into the 50s or even 40s, sometimes not even 30 minutes after finishing the meal. It happens literally every single time.

Other symptoms I get from consuming gluten include suicidal depression and an inability to sleep along with severe acid reflux and pain that feels like an ulcer in my stomach

Has anyone else in the world experienced this? It's perplexing and my doctor has no answer.