Reactive Hypoglycemia

I was just wondering is there a test or something my dr can do to test and see if I have this?  I mentioned on an earlier post that I was feeling shakey and someone had mentioned I may have Reactive Hypoglycemia.  I have been very concerend about finding out whats going on with me, I did call my doctor and they said to check my blood pressure and blood sugar and both were in normal range so I am not sure if it is reactive hypoglycemia or something else.  i will be back home nest week and I will be making an appt to see my doctor.  i do get the shakey feel and the nervousness type feeling and i do feel better after I eat so I am not sure what to think.  Thanks for your suggestions and opinons.

 Pre op  if I had not eaten in a long time I would get shaky, feel light headed, my vision also got funky.. I would check my sugar and it was always in the normal range.. low side of normal usually but still normal.  I told my surgeon about this pre op because I know RH is common after RNY and he said that was NOT RH and a normal occurance for someone that hasn't eaten in a long time. Post op it did happen at a week out and it happend one other time and it had been when I didn't eat all morning.. I checked my sugar and both times they were normal.  I think it's just your body saying HELLO FEED ME SOMETHING!!  I hope that all is turns out to be for you, good luck!

I highly suggest NOT taking the regular test where you drink the orange stuff. It's enough sugars to make anyone dump. I am not by nature a dumper and when I had my test, I passed out. So I highly suggest not having the test done if you can help it.

When you go to your doctor ask for a blood glucose meter (Glucometer) prescription.  Then when you wake up, you write down your blood sugars. And then after you eat, you'd take your readings at the 1 hour after eating mark, (It should be going high at this point reacting to food - this is normal) but then take it every 15 minutes afterwards.  If you find that you go high and then come crashing down into the low ranges, it will be pretty evident that you are hypoglycemic.

Try it after having a protein based meal (you generally won't crash) and one that is carb or sugar heavy (and there you should see a crash for sure). 

That's pretty much how you treat it if you do have RH. You monitor, write and know what affects you and how it affects you. Then you learn to avoid or limit some foods, or to start eating again at the hour plus mark to raise sugars that are starting to drop.  You will find combining food groups may help too.

Monitoring and writing is the key to diagnosing it and treating it.  So a glucometer is really key here.  Hopefully you have coverage. The meters are usually free but it is the lancets and strips that cost a tidy sum.

Dawn

The shakey feeling was one big symptom for me as well as feeling "out of it", irritable or extremely chatty. 

As well often my tongue and mouth get numb.

I didn't really look into diagnosing until I had vision disturbances.

I've gotten low enough that I could have had a seizure (but did not thank goodness).

Dawn