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Alcohol and Hypoglycemia
by Edward D., Feb 09, 2007 12:00AM
Alcohol and Hypoglycemia
I have recently stopped drinking and have a question concerning hypoglycemia. During my furious bouts with abstaining I would notice periods of extreme dizziness , Fatigue and Anxiety. Recently though I have noticed periods of panic and anxiety(Dizziness, Phobic, Faintness) and an extreme need for food. After I eat especially something sweet within maybe 10-20 minutes everything comes back to normal. After doing a bit more research I haven’t diagnosed myself but it sure resembles Hypoglycemia. When I first started to quit drinking I experienced major anxiety and panic. All those symptoms have receded greatly without the exception of this new one. I have read that with a proper diet and abstaining from sugar the hypoglycemia will dissipate and give me back my feeling of well being. But it has been some 60 days..? Is this normal and should I take concern because some attacks really feel like I’m going to die/faint/. I haven’t invested in a blood sugar monitor to see exactly how low my sugar level drops. I hope that some one or possibly a doctor can advise. I currently do not have any medical coverage and feel that I need to address this promptly.
Thank You
I have recently stopped drinking and have a question concerning hypoglycemia. During my furious bouts with abstaining I would notice periods of extreme dizziness , Fatigue and Anxiety. Recently though I have noticed periods of panic and anxiety(Dizziness, Phobic, Faintness) and an extreme need for food. After I eat especially something sweet within maybe 10-20 minutes everything comes back to normal. After doing a bit more research I haven’t diagnosed myself but it sure resembles Hypoglycemia. When I first started to quit drinking I experienced major anxiety and panic. All those symptoms have receded greatly without the exception of this new one. I have read that with a proper diet and abstaining from sugar the hypoglycemia will dissipate and give me back my feeling of well being. But it has been some 60 days..? Is this normal and should I take concern because some attacks really feel like I’m going to die/faint/. I haven’t invested in a blood sugar monitor to see exactly how low my sugar level drops. I hope that some one or possibly a doctor can advise. I currently do not have any medical coverage and feel that I need to address this promptly.
Thank You
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It can be stress related as well. I haven't had it in a few years.
Again, it's not a medical opinion or intended to be one but I've heard of it happening.
Depending on how much you drank on a regular basis your body might still be flushing it all out and that coupled with stress and possibly not eating right, well there you go.
It is specifically geared toward some of the nutritional deficiets that get (and keep) people into problems with drugs & alcohol. Another useful book is "End Your Addiction Now," by Charles Gant. Dr. Gant is a bit of a huckster, but there's some good info in the book - especially the short tests about 5 or 6 chapters in that will tell you where you have neurotransmitter deficiencies and what amino acid combos you need to correct the same.
I drank alcoholically for 11 or 12 years, then was completely abstinent for 9, then turned into a RAGING drug addict (for 5+ years) after being prescribed pain killers subsequent to a serious injury. I am now 20+ months into a successful Recovery and diet/nutrition is truly key - the only thing that I place higher on my Recovery totem pole is the instruction from my first sponsor: "Don't change your clean date, no matter what."
I go to a lot of meetings (almost all AA) and they are essential to my continued Recovery. However, while I can go days w/o a meeting before there is any negative impact on my Recovery, letting up on my nutrition program for even part of one day puts me on shaky ground.
To me it's really the hardest part of staying in Recovery - I mean sometimes I think "OH MY GOD, WHEN IS THIS CONSTANT EATING GOING TO END?!?!?!" In reality all I need to do is that which comes naturally to "normal" people - eat meals on a regular basis and have some decent snacks in between. It's easier now, but it still doesn't come naturally to me.
If you have HG (as I do), you should probably be eating 6 small meals a day. It is SO CRITICAL not to let your blood sugar get to low - when mine drops my brain doesn't hear "You're hungry: time to eat" it hears "YOU NEED TO USE - NOW!!! - IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WILL SAVE YOU!!!!!" I have learned to ignore what my brain says, but use that as a clue that I've allowed myself to get too hungry and force myself to eat (even though at those time eating is the LAST thing I want to do). The urge to use is then immediately gone.
If you haven't heard of it before, the H.A.L.T. method can be a good tool. It stands for the notion that you're supposed to STOP and IMMEDIATELY address the problem if you ever get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.
Good luck