Symptoms of hypoglycemia (and the adrenaline response)

Our body keeps blood sugar constant. Hypoglycemia can stop our brain in its tracks, quick smart. It runs on glucose.

The same alarm response is used as in any acute danger. Adrenaline is pumped out into the bloodstream, and has all its usual effects such as palpitations, shakes and anxiety. It also tells our liver to release glucose into the bloodstream.

Afternoon headaches, butterflies in the stomach, difficulty working under pressure, dizziness, emotional upsets, irritability before meals and feeling insecure are other indicators.

Our brain knows what it needs, so a sweet tooth and sugar craving are prominent symptoms.

Needing a heart starter with sugar, a mid afternoon snack and feeling more energy after eating something are likewise.

Some symptoms are from the other dietary problems which often co-exist. These include bleeding gums, easy bruising and muscular weakness.

Some are due to neuroglycopaenia. Indecision, tiredness, depression, poor memory, reduced initiative and delerium can result.

Some are due to other aspects of the endocrine hormone disturbance, such as very dark moles from increased melanocyte stimulating hormone and dizziness from decreased adrenal cortisol hormone.

tests for hypoglycaemia

Mr. W, 27, had the following responses...
Mild symptoms...
Sweet tooth, needing caffeine heart starter in morning, difficulty working under pressure, dizziness, fainty if meal delayed, shaky if hungry, emotional upsets, irritable before meals and making mountains out of molehills.

Moderately severe symptoms...
Afternoon headaches, alcohol consumption, awareness of breathing heavily, blurred vision, needing a mid afternoon snack, eating when nervous, fearful, lacking energy, sleepy during the day or after meals and muscular weakness.

Severe symptoms...
Insomnia, bad dreams, butterflies or cramps in stomach, indecision, depression, needing to eat often to avoid symptoms, tiredness relieved by food, hunger between meals, trembling feeling inside, downer moods, poor memory, reduced initiative and feeling insecure.

Giving a score of 1,2 or 3 per symptom for these groups, he had a total score of 67 which is highly significant.

His 6 hour oral glucose tolerance test was also positive, with symptoms during the rapid drop in the second thirty minutes.

Another Mr. W strangely, scored 45 (normal up to 10) on the questionnaire and had the following OGGT...

Allergy to the administered glucose drink may complicate interpretation of an OGGT.

Mrs S scored 83 on the questionaire, and had the following test result...
Fasting glucose 4.4 -symptoms then "hot flushes, nausea"
1 hour glucose 7.5 -symptoms then "short of breath"
2 hour glucose 5.0 -symptoms then "headache, sore ears, blurred vision, heavy head"
3 hour glucose 4.9 -symptoms then "tired, slightly dizzy"
4 hour glucose 2.3 -symptoms then "tension at back of head, sore ears"
5 hour glucose 3.7 -symptoms then "shaky, no energy, sleepy, hot cheeks, cold body"
6 hour glucose 4.1 -symptoms then "blurred vision, sore eyes, blocked ears, dizzy"

Two years later she had been found sensitive to a whole host of foods and chemicals, which probably accounted for a lot of the complaints during the test (which was positive never the less.)

Examples of changes in symptoms with treatment

A drink made with a tablespoon of glycerine, lemon juice and water, resulted in her feeling "not so nervy and better in the mornings." She was "a little less tired - not forcing herself as much - and generally her thought processes are quicker (although some of this is as less nervous.)"

Three weeks later she found "1 teaspoon of glycerine twice a day enough to keep her feeling less tired."

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