better off not eating all day

[jursee33]

for nearly 10 years now I've had ups and downs with what I finally found to be hypoglycemia back in 2004.   Early 2009 I started taking Cinnamon tablets.  Thought it was silly looking, but ready they're great for metabolizing sugar.   What a massive help.  Was also getting heartburn, blood pressure and a narrowing esophagus under control at the same time so when I ran out of the cinnamon I didn't get more just to see if that really was helping me or not.   Within 2 weeks I was crashing worse than ever.  Couldn't eat enough fast enough to prevent the worst feelings that come with the glucose levels going down like a roller coaster drop.  The Cinnamon helped after about 5 days to get more leveled out.   But I'm getting back into the drops again this past week.   Had a rough week and a half with waking up hourly or more for no reason other than confusion and dreams that I thought were real and that I found myself walking around trying to snap back into reality.  Those bad nights have anything to do with sugar?  I'm not on any fancy diet, just trying my best to eat decently, nothing new has come up with my lifestyle.  Wondering if the cinnamon is backfiring or wearing off.   When I can't shake the cloud in my head I find a 1/2 teaspoon of pure cinnamon has helped clear it up.  Could be just coincidence and timing.  I am not diagnosed with anything.  I've given up with doctors on it thank to a past doctor who said it's anxiety and wanted me to choose between Paxil and Prozac.  I bought another glucose meter, haven't needed one since before 2009.  Levels so far when I'm not at  my worst, but feel it coming on strong have been 69, ranging from 2-3 hours after eating.  I'm doing my best to get in more protein, less sugars.  Yogurt isn't my friend anymore, gives me headaches now.  Bananas are putting me to sleep like they were before 2009.  Read that and white potatoes are bad news so those are off the list.   I guess I should ask my doctor, but after so many other tests and treatments and prescriptions I want to try and work on something myself at least to give insurance a break.   Thanks for any ideas.  Guess I'm just talking more than asking for help.  Guessing others here have similar stories?   Big thing is if I don't eat  I feel great, not even hungry really until maybe after noon time.  But if I do eat, I'm on an up and down ride until after 4 p.m. and having eaten every 2-3 hours.   Gaining the extra weight back again.  Just no fun.  


This discussion is related to Weak and shaky after I ate. .

[jursee33]

well got a 50 pack of test strips a few days ago.  Finding glucose levels were going up to 177 at one point an hour after eating a decent breakfast.  Also noticed I have a swollen lymph node and extremely tired and figured I must have an infection somewhere.  Looked up that in relation to glucose levels. That was a relief to see higher levels are what happens with infections.   Still have the swollen lymph node, but not as painful and not so badly tired, numbers are doing much better hovering under 130.  Stopped the cinnamon 2 nights ago and so far not feeing the sugar crashes like I was from about 2001 until I started taking the cinnamon which was early 2009.  So for now I'll just keep records and when I see my doctor next and have problems still I'll tell her to look into it and not give me the choice of paxil or prozac like the previous doctor.  Thanks for all your help, I also found this Idiopathic Pastprandial Syndrome the other day on-line.  That really sounds like what I have been through, that and reactive hypoglycemia.  So much out there to read about.  Take care.  

[jursee33]

looks like my previous post vanished.  Darn.  It was good hahah.   Thank you for your comments, you and WaveRider.  Gives me the boost to make this an issue with the doctor rather than trying to wing it as usual since it's not staying under control like it's been the past 2 years.  I see on Amazon.com there's a great deal on cvs's brand of test strips.  Just hope they are the exact ones for the meter I have.  That way I'll have a lot to get a good solid log on what's going on and have that to show the doctor.   Past routine blood tests have had my glucose in the los 60s.   10 years ago a life insurance test showed my level at 50.  That alone should have been enough to get the other doctor off the anxiety diagnosis kick.  That and what I've read online about hypoglycemia is why I do my best on my own with this.   Read a lot about how it's not easy to diagnose and not much to help with.  But that was back in '04-'05 so maybe there's more hope now.   No idea why this thread showed up in the Diabetes forum, but maybe WaveRider's onto something with the LADA/1.5 information.   Thanks so much for the help.

[robinlove]

Hi there. I have heard a lot about cinnimon  though I can't spell it.   I noticed you wrote in your post that you have no diagnosis?   Do you mean recently?   You sound to me that you need a good checkup and thorough bloodwork. I am sure this has been said in the other posts.  I hope you get to the bottom of this.  WaveRider had some interesting points about the type 1.5, and other good stuff! Keep in touch.

[jursee33]

thanks so much, never heard of that, but will write it down as something to ask about along with the hemoglobin tests.  

[WaveRider]

You are sounding more and more like a person with LADA [Latent Autoimmune Disease in Adults] aka type 1.5, rather than a t2'er. To determine if you are LADA ask for a C-Peptide test. C-P measures beta cell [found in pancreas] function by the amount of insulin secretion [C-Peptide]. Folks with LADA more often than not have low levels where t2'ers are high, but not always. Depending on the results of the C-Peptide test there are other antibody test available. Keep in mind LADA is relatively new so many doctors are not very keen on how to diagnose or treat LADA.

Yeah, the MH auto censor machine isn't very bright. Must choose words carefully to avoid the dreaded ****.

[jursee33]

looks like the word I used for checking my glucose wasn't a great choice as it matches dirty minds hahaha.   Finger stick I'll say.

[jursee33]

well if it's more proven to lower sugar then I should just stop taking it and ride out the storm that followed the last time I stopped.   Taking it up until now either coincidence or luck or it was working, but it kept me from having the sugar crashes where it goes from mid 80s down to mid 60s in a matter of minutes.   It had been a great surprise finding that to be the big help.   Doing that got me off the eating every 2-3 hours which was packing on the pounds.   Had some steel-cut oats this morning for breakfast.   Then bombed about 2 hours later with sugar hitting 59, fingers numbing up I couldn't even feel the *****.  Instead of running for something to eat as usual I had one of those big puff mints.   Took about 10 minutes and I started feeling more normal.  

    Read a little while ago online about a person's experience with oats and having type O blood not being a good mix.  Just so much to wonder about what's really factoring in or not.   I don't want to overload my doctor with theories so I best just say the facts and let her do her job.  I don't have  diabetes, seems more of a reactive hypoglycemia.  Maybe what makes me drag my feet is hearing the words such as this is pre-diabetic.  I'll skip the morning coffee tomorrow (only 1 cup a day normally, 2 sugars) and see if that helps.  If not I'll stop the cinnamon tablets slowly over the next few days.  

[WaveRider]

No, you're not cuckoo. The debate on cinnamon lowering glucose levels has been ongoing in the medical field for a number of years. Some studies notice no changes while other show little changes. Whether it does or does not cinnamon is still a great spice and antioxidant and helps with minor depression. Since it's a bark off a tree, I only buy organic for who knows what toxic chemicals, or monkey juice, were sprayed on a tree in Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia or South India. Good luck with your next visit.

[jursee33]

Thanks so much for your answers.   The current doctor I have now is affliated with a great teaching hospital. Maybe that's why she's so quick to try and solve problems, complete opposite of the ones I grew up with.  She's helped with a lot.   I had told her about using the cinnamon to help keep the sugar drops from happening.  I guess since I didn't put it as a question for her she just accepted that I was either cuckoo or on the right track.  If I can't shake this problem over the next month and get back to where I was last month then I'll call and make an appointment.   Thanks for the hemoglobin names to ask for in blood tests.    And your idea is great, have the rankings posted on their diplomas, hahaha, I love that.  

[WaveRider]

Just so you know, I use cinnamon too but more or less for its antioxidant properties rather than glucose control. The latter I see no difference in my glucose levels with or without cinnamon.

As far as your doctor, well there are some bad ones out there and a lot of good ones. Not so funny is that a medical student who graduates last in the class is still called 'Doctor". Wouldn't it be nice if there was a law stating that they would have to display in their office the class ranking next to that nicely framed diploma? Boy, if I saw 499 out of 500 I would make a quick exit. In any case, I suggest you see an Endocrinologist - a specialist - and have your diabetes evaluated properly. For starters an A1c [hemoglobin A1c test] will help define where your glucose levels currently stand. Your thyroid and pancreas should be evaluated too as either can disrupt insulin production. Go to where the experts practice and teach medicine, a major teaching hospital on or near a large college university. If you are Rx'd medication be sure to get a FULL explanation as to why you are required to take it and if possible if it can be avoided by other natural means. Good luck