Re: hypoglycemic near-beginner

Veliger said:

T said:

Don't be surprised if it completely fails to confirm your diagnosis.

I will be VERY surprised if it fails to confirm low blood sugar when I
shake, sweat, and nearly pass out. But even if it doesnt, I will have
learned something pretty important.

The

Quoted message said:

human body is amazingly good at maintaining a minimum blood sugar and

Quoted message said:

hypoglycaemia has become a very fashionable self diagnosis in some
parts of the world.

Thats why testing blood sugar is a wise thing to do.

No arguments there. If your blood glucose is abnormally low then you really
are going to need further investigation to find the cause. My point really
is that extreme hunger and lightheadedness for 48-72hrs post run is not
normal. Needing 1/2 a gallon of gatorade to alleviate the symptoms is not
normal. Suffering violent diarrhoea all day if you eat pre-run is not
normal.

Those three "not normals" add up to something being "not normal" about you.

Whatever anyone here may tell you about having similar symptoms (and I
reckon the chances of anyone suffering from all three are slight), a doctor
is still in a much better positioned to work out what is going on than
anyone here.

Quoted message said:

Of course, if you've already decided what's wrong with you

Quoted message said:

without the benefit of a medical training it's not surprising that
you're so ready to dismiss doctors as "useless".

While I do believe I am hypoglycemic in general (and have for well
over 20 years), I arrived at a tentative conclusion only regarding
these running-related symptoms, and I asked what else it might be,
didnt I? That was the point of my post, just to see if anyone has
experienced something similar.

FYI, have spoken to at least 3 different doctors about my
"hypoglycemia" symptoms over the years, and they didnt take me very
seriously and they offered me nothing useful.

This may be where your problems lie. If you go to your doctor and tell
*him* what's wrong with you, particularly if that diagnosis is one that's
barely recognised by the medical profession as a discrete disorder, your
relationship isn't off to a very good start.

Far better to describe your symptoms and history as clearly as possible,
making sure you tell him/her about the diarrhoea and the prolonged hunger
and faintness following exercise.

Good luck.

T

T said:

Veliger said:

T said:

Don't be surprised if it completely fails to confirm your

diagnosis.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I will be VERY surprised if it fails to confirm low blood sugar

when I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

shake, sweat, and nearly pass out. But even if it doesnt, I will

have

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

learned something pretty important.

The

Quoted message said:

human body is amazingly good at maintaining a minimum blood sugar

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hypoglycaemia has become a very fashionable self diagnosis in some
parts of the world.

Thats why testing blood sugar is a wise thing to do.

No arguments there. If your blood glucose is abnormally low then you

really

Quoted message said:

are going to need further investigation to find the cause. My point

really

Quoted message said:

is that extreme hunger and lightheadedness for 48-72hrs post run is

not

Quoted message said:

normal. Needing 1/2 a gallon of gatorade to alleviate the symptoms

is not

Quoted message said:

normal.

I agree 100% with all that!

Suffering violent diarrhoea all day if you eat pre-run is not

Quoted message said:

normal.

is it THAT abnormal? I searched the archives on that subject a while
back, and it seemed not that unusual, especially in the first year or
so of running. I know several people who dont eat for at least several
hours before hockey for the same reason, cramps and diarrhea. It
happens to me then too, if I eat less than 2 hours before hockey. Maybe
its what I eat more than the eating itself, but I havent figured that
out yet.

Quoted message said:

Those three "not normals" add up to something being "not normal"

about you

Well I'll agree that I'm not normal. I dont think the last one is a
problem in itself, though it very well may increase (or cause) my
post-run problems because I dont eat beforehand. I always figured that
after I have run regularly for a while that my GI system would
eventually adapt to the jostling and I'd be able to start eating more
beforehand. Perhaps I have already reached the limit of what my body
can do without eating prior, especially if I am really hypoglycemic.

Quoted message said:

Whatever anyone here may tell you about having similar symptoms (and

I

Quoted message said:

reckon the chances of anyone suffering from all three are slight), a

doctor

Quoted message said:

is still in a much better positioned to work out what is going on

than

Quoted message said:

anyone here.

Quoted message said:

Of course, if you've already decided what's wrong with you

Quoted message said:

without the benefit of a medical training it's not surprising that
you're so ready to dismiss doctors as "useless".

While I do believe I am hypoglycemic in general (and have for well
over 20 years), I arrived at a tentative conclusion only regarding
these running-related symptoms, and I asked what else it might be,
didnt I? That was the point of my post, just to see if anyone has
experienced something similar.

FYI, have spoken to at least 3 different doctors about my
"hypoglycemia" symptoms over the years, and they didnt take me very
seriously and they offered me nothing useful.

This may be where your problems lie. If you go to your doctor and

tell

Quoted message said:

*him* what's wrong with you, particularly if that diagnosis is one

that's

Quoted message said:

barely recognised by the medical profession as a discrete disorder,

your

Quoted message said:

relationship isn't off to a very good start.

Far better to describe your symptoms and history as clearly as

possible,

Quoted message said:

making sure you tell him/her about the diarrhoea and the prolonged

hunger

Quoted message said:

and faintness following exercise.

Well if doctors are that insecure I'm not optimistic of getting help
for it.I have told them about all of the symptoms in the past, except
the diarrhea, because that only happens when I exercise strenuously on
food. None has ever even suggested a glucose tolerance test (though I
probably wouldnt take one if they did), or mentioned HG despite
symptoms being precisely those of HG. It just isnt on their radar
screen, and they refuse to acknowledge the obvious. If they cant think
HG when I tell them about breaking out in sweats, shaking,extreme
hunger, and nearly passing out, they're never going to!

[[ This message was both posted and mailed: see
the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]]

Have you been checked for diabetes?

Something doesn't sound right especially with the 48 to 72 hour
symptoms after your run.

Keep us informed as to what you find out in your experiment of one.
There's probably some good lessons for all of us to learn or to at
least know about.

Where are you located in the world?

In health and on the run,
Ozzie Gontang
Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est. 1975
Maintainer - rec.running FAQ
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/running-faq/
Mindful Running:
http://www.mindfulness.com/mr.asp

Ozzie Gontang said:

[[ This message was both posted and mailed: see
the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]]

Have you been checked for diabetes?

Yup.

Quoted message said:

Something doesn't sound right especially with the 48 to 72 hour
symptoms after your run.

Upon further thought on this whole mess I think I can identify some
additional contributing factors. 1) lots of stress lately, and 2) less
than enough sleep lately. A few weeks of vacation starting in a few
days will hopefully take care of those.

Quoted message said:

Keep us informed as to what you find out in your experiment of one.
There's probably some good lessons for all of us to learn or to at
least know about.

I will, I'm very interested to find out whatever I'm going to find out.
So far after one day of my experiment of one, I have only good news:
Nothing abnormal in my blood glucose so far. But I'm going to keep
monitoring it for a few weeks while I take a vacation-in fact its very
interesting and kind of fun, except for the finger pricking part. Its
something I should probably do occasionally anyway, since there is
diabetes in my family (though only one). When I get back I'll visit the
doctor if I'm still having the problems.

Quoted message said:

Where are you located in the world?

upper Midwest

You may want to google and even join

alt.support.diabetes

In the mean time you might be interested in TESTING FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA...@

http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/testing_hypoglycemia.html

and WHAT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA @

http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

Good luck and keep testing