Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiac And Hypoglycemia


cmoore

Recommended Posts

cmoore Apprentice

Is anyone dealing with a combination of Celiac and Hypoglycemia? Seems like a lethal combination to me. I was diagnosed with low blood sugar when I was 9 and Im struggling a bit with all of this.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



pricklypear1971 Community Regular

I have what acts like hypoglycemia, but my blood sugar doesn't dip below 60.

Started after they triple dosed me with steroids for DH. I don't think my adrenals were in great shape going into that, and those steroids were the breaking point.

My episodes are triggered by sugar binges - 3-7 days of eating desserts. Then I go what I guess is hyper, followed by a few weeks of hypo. Only way I can snap out of it is low-sugar, high fiber/protein food with a high fat /low sugar "bite" if needed.

So, yes, it seems to be my new permanent way of life. I'm better sticking to a mostly grain free diet all the time. Im experimenting with baking with nut flours and actually prefer the texture to other gluten-free grains.

It's hard to come up with gluten-free snacks that are prepackaged because they are mostly low fiber, high carb. Or, so sugary it's pointless.

I make nut mixes and eat a few low gci Kind bars. I always have something in my purse. I snack on fruits /meats, and try to keep lots of cooked veggies around and eat them with every meal. I can't get enough veggies - the more I eat the more stable my blood sugar. I've learned to eat a little everywhere.

alex11602 Collaborator

Me too. And like Prickley grain free seems better for my sugar. Although I have noticed that if I have about 1/4 c of white rice or potatoes with dinner that I stay even more stable and will not wake up with my sugar in the 30s. I personally can't really tolerate sugar so I don't eat many fruits and too many veggies upset my stomach also right now so I make sure that I have alot of protein and use extra virgin olive oil for a healthy fat, the combo makes my sugar level out. I bake with almond flour alot, using recipes from Elana's Pantry, and can still enjoy things with my family without my sugar going haywire.

Mostly what I have found is that you need to find the right combination for your body. What works for one may not work for another.

cmoore Apprentice

I discovered something that so far appears to be helping what has been ( evendentallhy ) a precipitous drop in blood sugar levels over night.

Open Original Shared Link

3/4 cup of that and Im much better. I uses to have nasty muscle cramps in my legs over night and in the morning, now as long as I have a dollop of this plain yogurt before bed, ... zero cramps.

NOTE: Stay far far away from the NON fat yogurt its loaded with Sugar, like most low fat things. In my opinion some "natural" even saturated fat is way better for you in the long run then sugar.

Now having said all this, its my guess I could secure a good protein drink that would do the same thing for me and I would not have to deal with dairy either so, I'll be investigating that.

Celiac being largely a disease of malnutrition, Id bet lot more people have issues with this then they are aware of. All of this is nasty, nasty stuff.

SGRhapsodos Rookie

Wow! Your stories are exactly what I've been going through and have been trying to find the answer for for so long! Last year I had bronchitis and they prescribed corticosteroids. I did not react well to the medication because I started having horrible panic attacks. Anyway, ever since then, I've had these hypoglycemic symptoms and exhaustion that didn't improve after being diagnosed and going gluten free the traditional way. It wasn't until after I followed the high protein, higher fat, moderate carb and went completely grain free, sugar free, and caffeine free that I started feeling better. Now if I have candy or a coke, my body will make me pay a hefty price for DAYs!!!!!!!

cmoore Apprentice

Wow! Your stories are exactly what I've been going through and have been trying to find the answer for for so long! Last year I had bronchitis and they prescribed corticosteroids. I did not react well to the medication because I started having horrible panic attacks. Anyway, ever since then, I've had these hypoglycemic symptoms and exhaustion that didn't improve after being diagnosed and going gluten free the traditional way. It wasn't until after I followed the high protein, higher fat, moderate carb and went completely grain free, sugar free, and caffeine free that I started feeling better. Now if I have candy or a coke, my body will make me pay a hefty price for DAYs!!!!!!!

Wow for "Days" Really? I have wondered about the bounce back time. I had "sugar free" chocolate candy yesterday, I should have realized dark chocolate has caffeine. If the sugar wont get you the caffeine will. I think in the early stages you have to just simply never go there and give your body some time to balance out. Whew this is tuff stuff to deal with, thats all I can say.

SGRhapsodos Rookie

It's been really tough. I had to quit my job because I was foggy. The thing is that my blood sugars are normal (high 80's low 90's fasting) and If I follow a moderate carb diet, they stay that way. The problems begin when I have something high in processed sugar. The coke spiked up my BG to 184 after an hour (was feeling really foggy) and within 8 minutes it was down to 140. Those 8 minutes were pure hell! Inwas shaking, my heart was beating so fast I thought it might stop. The whole episode left me weak for days. I didn't think that people were dealing with this. I thought I was the only one. My mom thinks I'm crazy but I have felt pretty bad. It's such a relief to find others like me!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



cmoore Apprentice

Its been what I call the trifecta from hell with gluten, blood sugar and candida. I even read where some forms of celiac can be kicked off by candida overgrowth. I think when your digestion gets ravaged buy this stuff it can cause issues people are not aware of AT ALL.

Yes even gluten free stuff can be way to packed with sugar and sugar is as evil as it can be for me anyway. I have some fantastic gluten free pancake mix that I love. What I do with that NOW is use home made almond flower, and a few table spoons of that other mix tossed in and Im good.

Blood sugar leveling out is really key in all of this and I think needs to be watched carefully no matter what. I am amazed at how one binge can trash you for days if your not careful and its clearly not worth it.

You really do have to experiment what works for you and hope the road to figuring that out does not land you in the ER.

SGRhapsodos Rookie

Lol yea. My hubs was so close to taking me to the ER that time. The funny thing is that doctors don't know what to do with this info. I wrote an extremely detailed and objective diary of my bg levels during 'experiment' and my normal grain free diet for 3 days. All that she said was 'don't measure your blood sugar so often'. I'm like, yea, in shaking and my heart's beating like I just ran a marathon, but I'm just supposed to ride it out like nothing with no data?' Finding support and having people, especially doctors, believe I do experience these symptoms has been

hard. Luckily I have a great hubs that has seen my reactions in those hard moments and he supports my new lifestyle.

cmoore Apprentice

Dr's prefer something they can discover either very easily (in your 15 min . visit) or they freely spend tens of thousands on tests and on the other end RX's for some commercial drugs waiting for a patient. Its how medicine is run now and its very unfortunate.

This is an amazing book on the the state of healthcare in general, Id be you both would find it very interesting.

Its a book by Dr. Andrew Weil called; Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future

ElitaSue Newbie

It was actually an Endocrinologist that diagnosed my Celiacs Disease. I had been referred to him by my GP because of my hypoglycemia. Luckily for me he is a Mayo Clinic Doctor and very good. He placed me on a completely sugar free, grain free diet (that means NO rice, bran, barley, wheat, rye, oats, etc.), and told me to eat mostly leafy green vegetables, meat, and little bit of fruit (fruit has a lot of sugar), and to supplement with Pancreatic enzymes at every meal, 5,000 units of vitamin D, and Chromium Picolinate. I also monitor my blood sugar regularly. My poor exocrine pancreas and adrenal glands are pretty fried but on the diet I've been able to do pretty well. I've been sugar-free, grain-free now for about five years.

Good luck!

Sue

Blue-eyed bandit Apprentice

I'm grain free too- but wondering what you do for breads and starches? I don't do anything but sweet potatoes and vegetables and sometimes white potatoes but rarely. Do you eat beans too?? Just really curious about your diet as I'm only less than 6 months into mine. I eat tons of fruit but im hungry and it's so convenient. .

ElitaSue Newbie

Welcome to what my kid calls the "it sucks to be you" diet. ; ) LOL

I eat a lot of beans, found a great health food store that has powdered hummus mix I practically live on, then there's a wonderful Gluten-free all purpose baking mix from Bob's Red Mill (make sure it's the one with Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour and fava bean flour) that makes great pancakes, get sugar-free pancake syrup (when I first discovered that I sat down and ate pancakes til I was absolutely sick, missed them so much), for pizza I use tapioca flour a couple of eggs, oil and soy milk (works great). Also eat a lot of Quinoa, Millet and Buckwheat. Cooked Buckwheat groats are great for breakfast with a bit of milk, or milk sub, chopped nuts, few raisins and some stevia. You can make noodles from buckwheat flour also. I make some pretty good muffins using almond flour also. Experiment, you'll come up with your own great recipes that taste good to you.

My doc also told me just so long as its a mono-saccharides , or di-saccharides it was okay to eat - but no poly-saccharides (complex carbohydrates and sugars).

It's actually not to bad once you get the hang of it. ; )

cmoore Apprentice

Welcome to what my kid calls the "it sucks to be you" diet. ; ) LOL

I eat a lot of beans, found a great health food store that has powdered hummus mix I practically live on, then there's a wonderful Gluten-free all purpose baking mix from Bob's Red Mill (make sure it's the one with Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour and fava bean flour) that makes great pancakes, get sugar-free pancake syrup (when I first discovered that I sat down and ate pancakes til I was absolutely sick, missed them so much), for pizza I use tapioca flour a couple of eggs, oil and soy milk (works great). Also eat a lot of Quinoa, Millet and Buckwheat. Cooked Buckwheat groats are great for breakfast with a bit of milk, or milk sub, chopped nuts, few raisins and some stevia. You can make noodles from buckwheat flour also. I make some pretty good muffins using almond flour also. Experiment, you'll come up with your own great recipes that taste good to you.

My doc also told me just so long as its a mono-saccharides , or di-saccharides it was okay to eat - but no poly-saccharides (complex carbohydrates and sugars).

It's actually not to bad once you get the hang of it. ; )

Awesome ideas thanks for that. I love pancakes, I grew up on the old fashion buttermilk kind and Ive not had them for years. For me dyeing and going to heaven would be all the old fashion pancakes and sourdough bread ...I could eat...oh yea and smothered in whole fat butter.

Is anybody with me? "grin"

Pac Apprentice

Welcome to what my kid calls the "it sucks to be you" diet. ; ) LOL

I eat a lot of beans, found a great health food store that has powdered hummus mix I practically live on, then there's a wonderful Gluten-free all purpose baking mix from Bob's Red Mill (make sure it's the one with Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour and fava bean flour) that makes great pancakes, get sugar-free pancake syrup (when I first discovered that I sat down and ate pancakes til I was absolutely sick, missed them so much), for pizza I use tapioca flour a couple of eggs, oil and soy milk (works great). Also eat a lot of Quinoa, Millet and Buckwheat. Cooked Buckwheat groats are great for breakfast with a bit of milk, or milk sub, chopped nuts, few raisins and some stevia. You can make noodles from buckwheat flour also. I make some pretty good muffins using almond flour also. Experiment, you'll come up with your own great recipes that taste good to you.

My doc also told me just so long as its a mono-saccharides , or di-saccharides it was okay to eat - but no poly-saccharides (complex carbohydrates and sugars).

It's actually not to bad once you get the hang of it. ; )

You mention eating millet although it is a grain. Do you have any problems with that? I used to eat it a lot pre-glutenfree but now it seems I'm either getting ever more sensitive to contamination or I am slowly becoming intolerant to millet too.

I started eating millet for breakfast year ago because it kept my sugar level stable, which wasn't the case with any "normal" (=gluteny) breakfast food. Boiled millet with half an orange, cocoa powder and a bit of raw cane sugar. I miss that so much. I used to have trouble with hypoglycemia since I was a teenager. Funny I didn't even realize I don't have this problem any more until reading this thread.

  • 11 months later...
sister golden hair Apprentice

Hi, haven't been on this site for some time now but since I have been having the same issues as what I am reading here about everyone else, I guess I thought I would check it out. I see the posts are almost a year old but no big deal , I hope someone reads them and replys!  I also suffered for years with candida and found out it was related to dairy and corn products. Same with the rashes. I also would get UTI 's frequently and it was a vicous cycle of antibiotics, and creams and depression! Wow what a rollar coaster ride it has been.

  I have eliminated dairy, corn most sugars. I started by doing the Eat Right For Your Blood Type which really helped me get a handle on all the symptoms I have had along with the celiac.  I am now having low blood sugar attacks. I had the 3 hr. fasting glucose intolerance test in which the Dr. said after I drank the sugary liquid, my sugar went way down instead of spiking high first and then dropping. It continued to drop after that.  I was sick for 2 days after that test, had a hard time recovering from it. I now have to go to an Endocronologist next week for more testing.

   I have changed my diet so many times, and I guess this will be one more time, but like others I have been baking with the nut flowers and using Stevia if I have to sweeten anything. I hope we all get the diet under control...... Take care and write back if you get this! Sister Golden Hair

Is anyone dealing with a combination of Celiac and Hypoglycemia? Seems like a lethal combination to me. I was diagnosed with low blood sugar when I was 9 and Im struggling a bit with all of this.

1desperateladysaved Proficient

eliminated dairy, corn most sugars. I started by doing the Eat Right For Your Blood Type which really helped me get a handle on all the symptoms I have had along with the celiac.  I am now having low blood sugar attacks. I had the 3 hr. fasting glucose intolerance test in which the Dr. said after I drank the sugary liquid, my sugar went way down instead of spiking high first and then dropping. It continued to drop after that.  I was sick for 2 days after that test, had a hard time recovering from it. I now have to go to an Endocronologist next week for more testing.

   I have changed my diet so many times, and I guess this will be one more time, but like others I have been baking with the nut flowers and using Stevia if I have to sweeten anything. I hope we all get the diet under control...... Take care and write back if you get this! Sister Golden Hair

Coming from a supersensitive viewpoint.

 

Ugh, I have a memory of drinking "glucola".  My blood sugar was 80 one hour later.  That is low even for fasting the doctor said.    We thought I must have been handling sugar really well.  However, I was sick for at least a week and began to have pregnancy problems such as high blood pressure and low amniotic fluid after that.  I promised myself never to drink that again. 

 

I also watch sugar.  I just found out that my small intestine and pancreas are not working together as they should.  No wonder I had to be so stringent as to limit fruit and use bites instead of servings.  The villi of the small intestine are supposed to let the pancreas know when to give off enzymes.  If too damaged, the villi won't do it.  I am taking pancreatic enzymes to help break down my food until more healing takes place.

 

I think there may be several threads on this topic.  You might try searching hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, also reactive blood sugar.

 

It was the first time I noticed, hey this is an old post, and pondered still reading it.  It was a timely topic, so why not?

sister golden hair Apprentice

Hi desparteladysaved, thanks for the quick response. It amazes me how many people have the same problems! Ha, right before I checked my e-mail I took a sip from some pineapple juice in the fridg, old habits die hard! Well got a little woozy in my head and felt strange so wasn't sure what to do so I took one of my glucose tablets and slowly but surely it worked, feeling better now. The doctor said to carry them everywhere I go.  I also made some almond muffins with almond flour. Used stevia for the sweetner, it replaced the agave nectar. I also added a tb. sp of rice milk to give it some moistness. They look and smell good so I hope they work as a protein rich and fiber snack without the sugar. I also have some hard boiled eggs ready for morning as I am finding out I need to eat at least within 15 min upon waking up. Lots of steamed veggies in the fridg and some frozen blueberries.

   I think I too may have to just have a couple of berries at a time instead of a nice portion that I am used to. I am going to start writing everything down, test my sugar and see what bothers me.....what we have to go through!!

   I have a tangled small intestine which gives me alot of problems if I am not careful about what I eat. I will get infection in it and then back on antibiotics.

   How long have you been diagnosed with Celiac? It was back in 2002 for me. I had misdiagnosed for over 20 years. That's a long time to be sick! Well if you feel like keeping in touch , just write.... I'm living in upstate N.Y.  Thanks for the feedback,  :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,129
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Raz
    Newest Member
    Raz
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      @Colleen H, I have had similar reactions and symptoms like yours.  I started following the low histamine Autoimmune Protocol diet developed by a doctor with Celiac Disease herself, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne.  Her book, The Paleo Approach, is very helpful in understanding what's going on in the body.   Not only do you have antibodies attacking the body, there are mast cells spreading histamine which causes inflammation.  Foods also contain histamine or act as histamine releasers.  Our bodies have difficulty clearing histamine if there's too much.  Following the low histamine AIP diet allows your body time to clear the excess histamine we're making as part of the autoimmune response, without adding in extra histamine from foods.  High histamine foods include eggs, processed foods and some citrus fruits.  The AIP diet allows meat and vegetables.  No processed meats like sausage, luncheon meats, ham, chicken nuggets, etc. No night shades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant).  No dairy.  No grains.  No rice.  No eggs.  No gluten-free processed foods like gluten free breads and cookies.  No nuts.  No expensive processed gluten-free foods.  Meat and vegetables.  Some fruit. Some fruit, like applesauce, contains high levels of fructose which can cause digestive upsets.  Fructose gets fermented by yeasts in the gastrointestinal tract.  This fermentation can cause gas, bloating and abdominal pain.   The AIP diet changes your microbiome.  Change what you eat and that changes which bacteria live in your gut.  By cutting out carbohydrates from grains and starchy veggies like potatoes, SIBO bacteria get starved out.  Fermenting yeasts get starved out, too.  Healthy bacteria repopulate the gut.   Thiamine Vitamin B 1 helps regulate gut bacteria.  Low thiamine can lead to SIBO and yeast infestation.  Mast cells release histamine more easily when they are low in Thiamine.  Anxiety, depression, and irritability are early symptoms of thiamine insufficiency.  A form of thiamine called Benfotiamine has been shown to promote intestinal healing.   Thiamine works with the seven other B vitamins.  They all need each other to function properly.   Other vitamins and minerals are needed, too.  Vitamin D helps calm and regulate the immune system. Thiamine is needed to turn Vitamin D into an active form.  Thiamine needs magnesium to make life sustaining enzymes.  Taking a B Complex and additional Benfotiamine is beneficial.  The B vitamins are water soluble, easily lost if we're not absorbing nutrients properly as with Celiac Disease.  Since blood tests for B vitamins are notoriously inaccurate, taking a B Complex, Benfotiamine, and magnesium Threonate, and looking for health improvements is a better way to see if you're insufficient.   I do hope you will give the low histamine AIP diet a try.  It really works.
    • Kara S
      Hello, my family is very new to Celiac Disease so forgive me for asking what Warrior Bread is and is there a recipe for it online?
    • jessicafreya
      I'd like to make tamales and wonder if anyone has recs for corn husks free of cross contact for a sensitive celiac little boy. Thks!
    • knitty kitty
      Just wanted to add that checking B12 and Vitamin D only is not going to give an accurate picture of vitamin deficiencies.   B12 Cobalamine needs the seven other B vitamins to work properly.   You can have vitamin deficiency symptoms before the B12 blood level changes to show deficiency.  You can have "normal" B12, but have deficiencies in other B vitamins like Thiamine and Niacin, for which there are no accurate tests. Take a B Complex supplement with all the B vitamins.  Take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which has been shown to promote intestinal healing.  Thiamine Mononitrate found in most vitamin supplements is not easy for the body to utilize.  What makes thiamine mononitrate not break down on the shelf also makes it hard for the body to absorb and utilize.  Thiamine and Niacin B 3 deficiency symptoms include anxiety, depression and irritability.  The brain uses more Thiamine than other organs.  Take the B Complex and Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine or TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and look for health improvements in the following weeks.
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @rei.b, Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Celiac Disease can occur together in genetically predisposed individuals.  Losing ones gallbladder is common with celiac disease. I'm glad Naltrexone is helping with your pain.  Naltrexone is known to suppress tTg IgA and tTg IgG production, so it's not surprising that only your DGP IgG and DGP IgA are high.   Have you tried the Autoimmune Protocol diet designed by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, a Celiac herself?  The AIP diet helps lower inflammation and promotes intestinal healing.   The AIP diet is a Paleo diet that eliminates foods that can cause intestinal inflammation until you heal on the inside, then more foods can be added back in.  The low histamine AIP diet will help reduce inflammation further.   Histamine is released as part of the immune response in celiac disease.  Foods also contain various amounts of histamine or provoke histamine release.  Lowering the amount of histamine from foods helps.  The body, with help from B vitamins, can clear histamine, but if more histamine is consumed than can be cleared, you can stay in an inflammatory state for a long time. Cutting out high histamine foods is beneficial.  Omit night shades which contain alkaloids that add to leaky gut syndrome found with celiac disease.  Night shades include tomatoes, peppers including bell peppers, potatoes and eggplants.  Processed foods like sausages and gluten-free processed products are high in histamines.  All Grains are removed from the diet because they are inflammatory and provoke histamine release. Blood tests for deficiencies in B vitamins are notoriously inaccurate.  You can have vitamin deficiency symptoms before blood levels show a deficiency.  Blood levels do not accurately measure the quantity of B vitamins stored inside the cells where they are utilized.  The brain will order stored vitamins to be released from organs into the blood stream to keep the brain and heart supplied while deficiency occurs inside organs, like the gallbladder.  Gall bladder dysfunction is caused by a deficiency in Thiamine Vitamin B 1 and other B vitamins.   The eight essential B vitamins are water soluble and easily lost with diarrhea and constipation, and the malabsorption and inflammation that occurs with celiac disease.  Because they are water soluble, the body can easily excrete any excess B vitamins in urine.  The best way to see if you are deficient is to take a B Complex and Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and look for health improvements in the following weeks.  Most B Complex supplements contain Thiamine Mononitrate which is not bioavailable.  The body has a difficult time utilizing thiamine mononitrate because it doesn't break down easily.  Benfotiamine has been shown to promote intestinal healing.   Remember your intestines are in a damaged, permeable state.  Treat them tenderly, like you would a baby until they heal.  You wouldn't feed a baby spicy bell peppers and hard to digest corn and nuts.  Change your diet so your intestines can heal.   I use a combination of B12 Cobalamine, B 6 Pyridoxine, and B1 Benfotiamine for pain.  These three B vitamins have analgesic properties.  They relieve pain better than other otc pain relievers. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.