Hello jdepplove,

I had normal readings too, so I just tossed that thing in the closet. I finally figured out the first sign of my sugar dropping and run for the protein. I take in no less then 96gm of protein a day, keep carb intake low, sugar at a minimum, try to stay way from caffine as well, nothing white like white rice, white flour, pasta. Use 100% whole grain breads, whole grain pasta watch the sauce you use too, brown rice is good too.

It didn't take me long to feel better and get this under control but I have to admit "falling off the wagon" lately and let me tell you that it doesn't take much to make you feel bad again and it will take about 3 days for your body to recover from a bad day IF you start back on the right path with the diet again. So high protein, low carbs, watch some of the fruits as well, some have allot of sugar we don't need. As faras taking awhile..I think if you stick to it everyday and not slip up you should feel a difference really soon. Like I said..one slip up and you'll feel it.

Good luck to you. I hope I answered at least something for you. lol

Talk to you later

Thank you for your input!! I just am so frustrated with this darn meter! I just got it...I am not sure if I am looking for some sort of validity with it or what??? But, I only take it now when I feel really crappy...super dizzy,shaky,fatigued etc...and it tells me I am within normal range. I am close to throwing mine in the closet as well! THe only thing is...nothing seems to be changing as far as my symptoms etc... I have made serious changes to my diet and also the supplements my doctor has me taking. Shouldn't I start feeling better after a week of this? OR/ will it take months, since I have been suffering for a year with these symptoms before I even knew I had hypo?
Thanks again for your input!
Take care~

Once i figured out that hypoglycemia was my problem and adjusted my diet, I felt better in about a week. Eight months later, though, I still struggle with it. I stick to the diet well, but sometimes feel awful for no apparent reason. So I guess what I'm saying is that it is a long road.

Forget about the meter (see my reply to your other post). Just learn to recognize from your symptoms when you need to eat. Better yet, start eating by timer (I eat about every 2 hours during the day). Just set an alarm for two hours later every time you eat. After a while, as your symptoms improve, you'll be able to tell when you need to eat by the occurence of certain symptoms (for me its usually fatigue or a headache). Hope this helps.

btw, what sort of diet are you eating now?

thanks for listing your symptoms. mine are there too, it is glad to know I am not alone. and to reafirrm that I have this disease and need to stay away from sugar and white flour. take care

I've never used a meter. Like cactusren said, I eat at regular intervals (usually 3 hours for me) and I always carry extra snacks for when I need them. You will learn your body's clues to when you need to eat and will eventually develop your own schedule.

I changed my diet 6 months ago. I felt a great deal of improvement after a month or so, but I am still adjusting. I can tolerate some sugars if they are in combination with good proteins, but I'm still finding my limits.

A very big piece of advice I got when I first adjusted my diet was to keep a food journal - to record when I eat and what. It helped me to rule out some things that drastically affected my sugar (i.e. for me potatoes, carrots, raisins, cantalope and some others). You might want to try it.

Hmm
I would have to say i get the following in this ORDER:
shaky feeling
trouble concentrating
feeling out of control
burning on top of head/on back where bra line is
numb and cold hands and legs
eyes feel like they're unable to focus
sounds mesh
pass out
:)

You need to keep in mind that it isn't always where your blood sugar is at, but how it's moving. If it plummets 20 points in an hour, even if you're still in the normal range, it can make you feel terrible.

When I first changed my diet, I went on a very strict plan that cut out everything that could cause problems for 15 days and then slowly added things in over the course of four weeks. The purpose was to give my body a rest for those 15 days from all the junk I had been eating. I saw some results within a few days, a lot of improvement within a week, and the majority of my symptoms were gone within three months. If you want to go that route, you can find the diet in The Low Blood Sugar Handbook by Edward and Patricia Krimmel.

Unfortunately, sticking to it is the only way to go. Sneaking a little treat isn't worth it for me because I end up feeling terrible for a day or longer and it just ramps up my cravings for more sugar.

Wow, that sounds exactly like me. Pretty normal numbers but I walk around work like I am drunk. I was diagnosed three weeks ago and wheras I feel better that I am not going bonkers, Even thought I am eating right and taking my readings, I feel like a drunk. I haven't had a drop of alcohol in three years mind you! Work is really where it is troublesome. The meter was tricky to learn. My Dr gave it to me but didn't show me how. i had to read and finaly I got to the point where I wasn't stabbing myself anymore. Just a dab of blood will do it. It doeas help to keep track of all of the numbers though. Keep up with it and good luck.

I know exactly how you feel. Unfortunately symptoms can persist despite a fairly normal blood sugar reading. For me it kind of felt like I was 'half in a crash' but not fully all the time.

I had constant dizziness for about a month but it is beginning to improve. The dietry advice from the previous post is pretty good. Even if you have the right food, your carb intake may still be too high so if your not already, try something between the 60-100g range per day to start off with.

Keep the diet strict and keep on truckin'. Remeber you have years worth of symptoms to reverse and it can take some time.

If you experience days that are worth than others, check your diet or lifestyle for clues. I personally responded badly to fruit and carbohydrates before bed. An apple before bed completely knocked me out for a day with dizziness. I've had good results from a slow absorbing casein protein (diary products) with good fats before bed.

You may already be on these but Chromium and L-Glutamine can be useful supplements.

Look for 'Ezekiel' bread as well. Very good for diebetics/hypoglycemics.

Most of all good luck and stay strong. Many of us have been through what your going through and continue to do so. It will also require an evolution of your mental state as you learn to stay positive despite no apparent light at the end of the tunnel. The good news is there IS light and with time you may be able to do things ABOVE and BEYOND what you have done previously.

Keep at it! I felt like you, i wondered why in the heck i was doing this diet, and sticking to it if i wasnt even feeling better, in fact i felt worse for a while (because i was cutting our sugar and fast carbs that i used to prop me up). After about two weeks, it was like a hallelujah moment, i just felt so much better. Your body (mainly pancreas and endocrine system) will adjust to the reduced need for insulin and stop working overtime if you feed yourself slow digesting carbs and good quality proteins. I've been on the diet for 6 months or so now, and as stated, still have set backs, but they are only every few weeks, instead of several times daily.
Another thing to note is you might gain a bit of weight at first, cause you'll feel like you're eating all the time. Monitor portion size and just eat something quality when you don't feel well. You will learn to adjust your eating patterns to your symptoms through experience after several weeks/months at it. Then you can exercise again (big frustration for me was not feeling well enough) and eat well and your weight will normalize.