I Bottomed Out!

[conniebky]

So I get up this morning, don't feel terrific, feel tired and yucky (not gluten yucky)drive to work, remember I need celery for work, go in the store, get the celery.

Drive down the road a bit and become totally disoriented. Literally, I wanted to pull over and literally could not figure out how to. So I made a dangerous turn and got pulled into a lot, called my daughter, she didn't answer.

I said, oh, cool, Im going to faint in this car and the sun will come up and cook me.

So I get back out in traffic, get across the street to Walgreens. I walked in there and couldn't figure out where they would possibly keep their orange juice. So I go up to this man I go, "can you get me some oj I'm diabetic. Been there done that with the hypoglycemia thing - diabetic is a word people understand.

He goes and gets me some orange juice. I drink it and keep feeling worse. My daughter called me back, she's on her way, I was sitting by this Kodak machine it was to my right side and I kept thinking what is that bright light shining, it was bugging me.

After another whole hour, no better. Then this man that works there (BTW, I'm writing Walgreens a letter about how helpful everyone was) anyway, this man that works there, bless his heart, brought me some peanut butter crackers and said, "here, eat these, these will help" bless his heart, what a sweet man. I said, through sudden tears, I can't eat those"

They end up rolling me out front and get in my daughter's car, she brought me peanut butter I tried to eat that but when I get like that, I can't eat, but I got some down....she drove me to the hospital where she works, they got me signed in, then we waited for about 20 minutes, I was drinking oj and eating PB, and I go, "ok! I feel better, let's go!"

Well, she's a nursing assistant and knows all about blood sugar and all that, and she made me write down what I ate all weekend, and it was downright scary. rice. 4 cookies. some more rice. that's literally all I ate this weekend. I might have had a piece of chicken on Friday, but I can't remember.

So I got the lecture of all lectures and we went over moms for lunch and I couldn't eat that, neither. Karen G, you said something about your son -- you would give him enough juice so that he could eat, and when I read that, I thought, well, that's how I get, like I can't eat...

Anyway, then we went to the grocery and I'm stocked now. I got those bars you all were telling me about and lots of things to throw in my purse. She got me a huge bag of chicken breasts and a huge thing of frozen sirloin burgers so I can just throw 'em in a skillet right quick.

I also didn't eat supper last night or breakfast this morning, so, yeah, I learned my lesson. But my hypog. has NEVER been this bad. I literally couldn't walk, my legs felt like rubber and they felt cold, too. She took my vitals but never told me what they were. She wanted to call 911 but I said seriously, hon, we both know what this is and I'm not in peril.

Never ever ever again will I do that to myself (or my family) It's like my body doesn't store food anymore, like the breads were a sponge that hung around longer or something...I've lost 5 pounds, tomorrow is 3 weeks gluten-free for me. Mom says that's ok with the weight loss, she said anything more than 1.5 pounds a week the doctors don't like.

I just find it SO hard to believe that skipping a meal or two could put you on the floor. After we went to the market, we went over her house and cooked a burger on a plate and I drank a bunch of milk and a special K protein thing and now I feel better but not like myself, but not scary anymore.

She wants me to go to an internist and tell them all this and get me on a straight track. She says I'm trying to do too much all at once, without dr supervision.

[txplowgirl]

Connie,

Please keep something close to you at all times. Hypoglycemia left untreated can cause seizures as well as a diabetic like coma. It is not something to fool around with. Make sure you eat something every 2 to 3 hours. DO Not and I will repeat DO NOT skip evening and breakfast meals. (My mother hen attitude coming out here, lol) Even if you don't feel like eating you need to eat a little something. You were a very lucky lady today.

Stay well.

[kwylee]

You poor thing. I know it's so very easy to forget to eat anything, I have a "flatline" appetite in the few weeks I have been gluten/casein free and experiencing some "withdrawal". (It's actually been the best thing about this for me who needs to drop a few pounds). But I also know I feel BETTER when I do eat something agreeable, especially protein like chicken breast, so please don't forget to eat!!!!

[kareng]

Connie (stern look),

Sometimes we want someone to take care of us, but really we have to do it ourselves. If you need to, sit quietly with some paper and make a plan. That's the thing with Celiac and sugar problems, we must think about food ahead. Nothing is spontaneous. On to a new reality, my friend.

[chasbari]

I would make sure you are getting more protein. Looks like with the rice you weren't getting any to speak of. I just made a quick two day trip to NYC where I took as much food as I could with me. I ate all the time and still lost 10 percent of my body weight in 48 hours. Keep those calories up as your body is very busy healing at this point. When I eat lots of carbs I get hungrier by the second. When I eat lots of protein the appetite really calms down. Lucky for you your daughter is there for you. Glad you are here writing about surviving this!

[conniebky]

It was so interesting last night when we went to the gluten-free section of the market. I was OH! they (you all) said get this! Oh! they said get this! Most everything you all suggested was there and those Lara bars were 10 for $10. I had to scoot around there in one of those drive around carts, she wouldn't let me walk and I surely didn't feel like it.

Jif makes little "to go" cups so we got those to throw in my purse. And Cocoa Puffs listed wheat as an ingredient! no kidding!

Well, we never did pay for that orange juice at Walgreens, I'm going back today to thank them and pay for the orange juice.

My daughter said, "geez ma, you'll go a long way to shoplift a little bit of juice".

[ravenwoodglass]

I am glad your okay. I do agree that you should make an appointment with your doctor and get things checked out though. Just to be on the safe side you should get a fasting blood sugar and an A1C. Let's make sure you are not going from being hypoglycemic to diabetic okay?

[sa1937]

Connie, what a scary situation you went through and I'm glad it turned out well.

General Mills now has Nature Valley Almond Crunch bars if you can eat nuts (box is marked gluten free). They contain roasted almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds and have 6 gams of protein per bar. Very yummy. I picked up a box at my local Wal-Mart last week for $2.68 (pack of 6 bars). Handy to have on hand for something quick to eat.

[zergcoffeebean]

I know my situation isn't exactly the same. But I'm going through something simmilar. Only I get nauseated when I go hypo too. I don't know what to do about it. I've got like no food at home and I have to eat contantly. I don't understand. And I'm so hungry and sick feeling and there is a plate of banana muffins my mom made on the counter that I can't eat. And I just want to eat one. I want to cry.

Thank you for sharing your post with me. I'm glad to know that my experience is simmilar to yours. I hope you feel better soon!

[conniebky]

I know my situation isn't exactly the same. But I'm going through something simmilar. Only I get nauseated when I go hypo too. I don't know what to do about it. I've got like no food at home and I have to eat contantly. I don't understand. And I'm so hungry and sick feeling and there is a plate of banana muffins my mom made on the counter that I can't eat. And I just want to eat one. I want to cry.

Thank you for sharing your post with me. I'm glad to know that my experience is simmilar to yours. I hope you feel better soon!

Let's see, I got nauseated, blurred vision, complete body weakness, sweating, shaking, things like that. I just looked up hypoglycemia (which I have already been dx'd with and I wish I hadn't done that because they had all kinds of scary things to say about the pancreas.

but one thing it said was "an autoimmune disorder lowers sugar levels in the blood by changing insulin secretion or by some other means"

[6ft6]

I'm right there with you. I literally cannot force food down when i have a full on attack. Last week i had symptoms every day for 6 days. My neuro problems were so bad i couldn't get up the stairs. I didn't eat any food for three days. All I could do was lay in bed and twitch and sweat oil. I stopped taking my blood pressure med, ate only raw food, and am beginning to improve. This is the second time that a prescription refill has put me down drain.

I too keep something with me, but it takes quite a while to get appetite back after a good dosing.

Hang in there - I was ready to toss in the towel at 4am monday morning - i've been obsessively gluten free since diagnosis 2 years ago, and i haven't had more than a week at a time where i wasn't sick in that whole time.

[frieze]

ok, i am going to be the "witch"....do you realize that you could lose your drivers license? Driving while impaired! no, i am not kidding....PLEASE! you need to commit to a dietary regimen and stick to it or dont drive, every other person on the road was in danger from you! so...if you cant do it for yourself, do it for the rest of us.

[conniebky]

ok, i am going to be the "witch"....do you realize that you could lose your drivers license? Driving while impaired! no, i am not kidding....PLEASE! you need to commit to a dietary regimen and stick to it or dont drive, every other person on the road was in danger from you! so...if you cant do it for yourself, do it for the rest of us.

You're not being a witch, I totally agree with you. I thought about that when I got in bed last night....very disturbing.

[lucia]

Connie,

Really scary experience! It sounds like it may be a starting point for you to make different choices about your diet. FOOD is powerful!

That's why I suggest also slowly starting to add non-processed foods to your diet. For example, instead of a store-bought bar, try a banana or a 1/2 cup of berries. A diet based in whole foods would do wonders for your hypoglycemia (it did for me) and help you prevent diabetes.

When you see your doctor, maybe s/he could refer you to a nutritionist.

Best of luck. Keep us informed!

lucia

[conniebky]

Ok, the doctor that I used to work for is a GP. This is so stupid, but here's the story. When I left there for a better job, after years, which liked to kilt me, the girl he hired to take my place, well, she doesn't like me. Why, I don't know, she doesn't like me because I used to work there and she's sick and tired of hearing about the great and powerful legacy of Connie oh please. My best friend there was Teresa, and we are still best friends.

Well, yesterday when this happened, my daughter called him but teresa wasn't there and the new girl, as soon as she heard my name, said, "if she's sick, tell her to go to the er" and my daughter said, "put Dr. *** on the phone please" and she refused so my daughter hung up on her. Well I just talked to Teresa and she is ticked off to say the least. Dr *** is FURIOUS and he is sending me for a 5 hour blood glucose test and then I'm going to see him and he also wants to check my hormones, because that can screw with your glucose - ? Never heard of that before, but.....we're at least getting on the road.

[Korwyn]

Connie,

Have you met with an MD/ND and dietitian][/b about possibly a high-protein, high-fat, low-carb, low glycemic index diet to treat your hypoglycemia? Insulin secretion is critical to the processing of carbs, but not critical to the processing of fats and proteins. If your body is burning ketone bodies as fuel instead of glucose then the insulin and glycemic response is less critical.

Open Original Shared Link

Take a look at Dr. Mercola's research too.

[ravenwoodglass]

Ok, the doctor that I used to work for is a GP. This is so stupid, but here's the story. When I left there for a better job, after years, which liked to kilt me, the girl he hired to take my place, well, she doesn't like me. Why, I don't know, she doesn't like me because I used to work there and she's sick and tired of hearing about the great and powerful legacy of Connie oh please. My best friend there was Teresa, and we are still best friends.

Well, yesterday when this happened, my daughter called him but teresa wasn't there and the new girl, as soon as she heard my name, said, "if she's sick, tell her to go to the er" and my daughter said, "put Dr. *** on the phone please" and she refused so my daughter hung up on her. Well I just talked to Teresa and she is ticked off to say the least. Dr *** is FURIOUS and he is sending me for a 5 hour blood glucose test and then I'm going to see him and he also wants to check my hormones, because that can screw with your glucose - ? Never heard of that before, but.....we're at least getting on the road.

I am sooooo glad you got in touch with the doctor. I would not be surprised if the 'girl' that took your place finds herself looking for a new job. The doctor was justified in being furious. Do bring a book with you for the glucose test as they may not let you leave the hospital between draws. Sometimes they will but not always. Keep us posted on how things go.

[conniebky]

I am sooooo glad you got in touch with the doctor. I would not be surprised if the 'girl' that took your place finds herself looking for a new job. The doctor was justified in being furious. Do bring a book with you for the glucose test as they may not let you leave the hospital between draws. Sometimes they will but not always. Keep us posted on how things go.

Yeah, he already told me that he's putting on the order that I'm not to leave for the five hours and I have to bring someone with me. LOL, Teresa looked all the way back in my chart. He's been my doctor since 1974

He kind of took on the role of a second dad to me when my daddy passed, we are very very close, mostly like family. Also, he doesn't know about the whole gluten thing, I haven't told him that yet so tomorrow I'm going to take my cell phone out at lunch and call his cell phone and explain all that to him and then he may order more testing too. I mean, I think he needs to know everything so he can help me, and I think that's a pretty big thing to leave out. Or is that overload?

[Kathleen Smith]

Glad you are feeling better. And super glad you stocked up on items to carry around with you at all times!! Best wishes

[ravenwoodglass]

Yeah, he already told me that he's putting on the order that I'm not to leave for the five hours and I have to bring someone with me. LOL, Teresa looked all the way back in my chart. He's been my doctor since 1974

He kind of took on the role of a second dad to me when my daddy passed, we are very very close, mostly like family. Also, he doesn't know about the whole gluten thing, I haven't told him that yet so tomorrow I'm going to take my cell phone out at lunch and call his cell phone and explain all that to him and then he may order more testing too. I mean, I think he needs to know everything so he can help me, and I think that's a pretty big thing to leave out. Or is that overload?

No that is not overload and he does need to know. Anything they give you needs to be gluten free including the glucose that you will be given for the test.

[vbecton]

Hey Connie. Glad you are feeling better and survived that horrific experience. I have lived with SEVERE reactive hypoglycemia for over 20 years. Mine will dip below 55 several times per day. I never considered Celiac Disease was the true culprit. I've been gluten-free for about 2 months and haven't had any issues with blood sugar. SERIOUSLY...20 years of near fatal lows and I'm totally fine now. Well, minus the possible diabetes later on

My only advice is this. Stay away from processed carbs. They wreak havoc on your system when you have hypo. I now, after 2 months, allow myself a single slice of Udi's bread a couple times per week. Other than that, my carbs come from all natural sources like fruit & veggies. Rice & corn are super high on the glycemic index, so those will shoot your sugar way up, then make it crash fast. Not good for hypos.

And yes, hypo is related to hormones in that it's the insulin causing the problems. Insulin is a hormone.

I know you've gotten some great suggestions for bars and such, but take an apple and almond butter instead (if you can have nuts), or maybe some avocado and olive oil & a pear to snack on. Otherwise, high protein (higher than most "high-protein" diets), moderate fat and low carb. Lots of the gluten-free choices are made with rice or corn, and that's a no-no for hypo's.

Hope it gets better!!!!

[Juliebove]

I'm a type 2 diabetic but spent most of my life as a hypoglycemic. I can remember fainting while waiting for some eggs to boil. I had just moved to a new house. Brought the eggs with me and had no other food in the house.

I can also remember as a diabetic, thinking I was fine and delaying my meal a bit because I felt I needed to do something, then passing out. I once passed out in the refrigerator. I knew to go there, but didn't know what to do once I go there. And when roused from a passed out state, I can be very combative and refuse to eat. So that's not good.

Currently am having the opposite problem and am having trouble getting my high blood sugar back down where it should be despite two meds and two kinds of insulin.

One thing I know if you suffer from hypoglycemia is that you need to be aware of reactive hypoglycemia. That means you can't take in too many carbs at once. If you do, your blood sugar could spike. If you are not diabetic, a spike for you isn't going to be huge. But the blood sugar will go up a bit, then plummet. That's when you feel really sick. So you want to avoid quickly digesting foods like rice, at least in large quantities. You can eat a small amount say, in a soup or along with a protein.

I used to carry things with me that I could eat in small bites throughout the day. One thing I liked was Panda red licorice but that has wheat in it, so no good for you. Another thing I might take was a piece of fruit leather or those little chewy fruit snacks that kids like. I would just eat a piece or two between meals. And I made my own trail mix. Nuts, seeds, coconut, perhaps a small amount of dried fruit, chocolate or carob chips. I kept this in covered candy dishes throughout the house and also kept a bag in my purse. Having this meant never an excuse to skip a meal.

[Juliebove]

Also remember that beans are an ideal food. Assuming you digest them well. They provide slow acting carbs plus protein. I eat them in some form pretty much every day.