I think hypoglycemia is ruining my life, please help!

[paranoidandroid]

I

[KD88]

hypoglycemia really is ruining my life. i've always had to deal with it since i was younger but i was for the most part able to control it by eating protein throughout the day. i occasionally would have bad episodes every so often but they always were a result of eating something with too much sugar or going too long without eating. My more predominant symptoms have always been irritability, mood swings, and a feeling of depression. I also get anxiety and feel like my head is foggy as well. However, for the past three or four weeks, i haven't been able to control my condition with eating. I have the same eating habits but from day to day i no longer can control my blood sugar levels. I'm not sure if there is some kind of hormonal problem I am having that is causing this because I have heard that hormones can have an effect on hypoglycemia. But it certainly is making things hard and I feel like I have no control over my life. For a good part of this past month I've had to sit home and miss out on a social life because of my all day long feeling of a blood sugar crash for which there seems to be no cure. I just wish I could get this condition under control. Has anyone had an incident where a change in hormones caused a changed in their hypoglycemia?

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Hello,
You probably know that we're volunteers here with lots of experience with Type 1 diabetes.  None of us is a medical professional.  What you're experiencing sure sounds scary.  From what I understand from folks who have been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, their lives are quite normal now that they are educated on the foods that minimize blood sugar drops and those terrible symptoms.  They lead active, healthy lives, and yet they take care to be sure they eat right.  If you are diagnosed with hypoglycemia, you can expect to get back to an active life once you learn about your treatment plan.

The symptoms you describe are symptoms of hypoglycemia (diabetics experience hypos also).  I would recommend that you get an appointment with an endocrinologist.  This type of medical specialist will be able to give you a clear diagnosis if there's something amiss with your endocrine system.  Hypoglycemia is an endocrine condition.

Here's a reliable source of information on hypoglycemia:
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/  However, their information is general and cannot substitute for a thorough workup with an endocrinologist.

On a personal note, it is generally considered unsafe to simply stop one's medications, especially if that change was not planned for with your doctor.  Hope you'll call your doc, get a referral to an endo -- and let us  know what you find out.

[paranoidandroid]

I should also note that I'm 23, about 6'3 1/2", 200lbs and athletic.