If I Don't Eat

[Mike]

If I go to long without eating something I get real shaky, weak, headache, and feel as if I might pass out. This can happen only two or three hours after eating, causing me to eat very often. Does anyone else ever feel this way? Or could there be any link to this with my NCS? I know I've had low blood volume and plasma levels before.

[Bigskyfam]

I find I need to balance my protein carbs sugar and eat small and frequent.

[Katybug]

I am borderline hypoglycemic. I no others here have mentioned this too. There is a blood test (it's actually multiple tests 30 minutes apart after drinking a super high sugar drink that tastes like orange crush) that your doctor can order. It's a very common test. In the meantime, eating small meals every few hours that are high protein and low in simple carbs is what is recommended for managing hypoglycemia. It's important to find out if this is happening to you as low blood sugar can cause serious issues and people with hypoglycemia are more prone to developing diabetes later in life (a weird dichotomy,frankly.)

[momandmore]

I am that way, too, but I'm slowly getting better. I carry food whenever I know I'll be out more than a couple of hours.

[Goschi]

Same here! It actually got worse for me recently... :-(

[Chaos]

It's possible to buy a relatively cheap blood sugar monitor at the drugstore (in the US). The strips are the expensive part but some brands are cheaper than others. Then you could track your blood sugars to see what's going on with them if that would be something that would interest you.

I had hypoglycemia diagnosed by the test that Katybug described. Was given a monitor by my PCP after that. I've found that a lot of times I don't have actual hypoglycemia even when having the symptoms. In those cases I've been told it could either be due to my levels dropping very quickly even though they are not technically in the hypoglycemic range (<60) or it could be my dysautonomia causing the symptoms that mimic hypoglycemia.

If your symptoms improve with eating, it's likely to be related to your blood sugar levels.

Some docs suggest that waking during the night with symptoms, or just restless sleep in general can be due to blood sugar fluctuations. They have various things they recommend to help with this, depending on who you talk to.

It's a miserable symptom so I hope you can get something figured out related to it and find some relief. A higher protein diet, small frequent meals and avoiding simple carbohydrates helps me quite a bit.

[corina]

Yep, count me in. I need to eat every two hours. But I can get in trouble at unexpected moment. I therefor always carry quick sugars and a more serous bite with me. My doc thinks I have unexplained insulin dumps due to dysautonomia. Very annoying!

[Goschi]

I never tested my blood sugars myself - but I was tested many times in hospitals, right when I had this certain Kind of spell that felt like hypoglycemia. The figures (sugar, insulin) were always ok.

Anyway, this is definitely a dysautonomia thing, never had it before... It´s just so much annoying that I get it more often right now, when I am actually in a very (surprisingly!) fast process of recovery....

[Mike]

Thanks so much for all the replies.

I do TRY to watch what I eat but haven't tried the high protein yet, I'll give that a try.

Katy, I believe I've had that test before, I remember drinking something orange after fasting that was hard to keep down. The results came out normal but this was about 7 years ago maybe, long before they knew what was going on with me or any mention of dysautonomia.

Chaos, that sounds like a good idea. I'll have to look into getting a meter, I'm curious what my levels are when feeling this way. It's always hard to tell when the NCS symptoms can be similar to other problems.

Goschi, Now that you mention it I'm sure I was tested so many times during all my ER visits, hospital stays, and ambulance rides, but like I said, telling the difference between NCS symptoms and anything else can be hard, maybe sometimes one is caused by the other.

Thanks again everyone!

[imapumpkin]

I get this all the time, and for me it's definitely a borderline hypogycemia and I've had it my whole life. I have to eat every couple hours and I don't go anywhere without a granola bar or some crackers in my purse. A good thing for blood sugar is peanut butter because it's protein and has sugar. I also read somewhere that magnesium helps balance blood sugar.

[MomtoGiuliana]

When my POTS symptoms were worse, yes this was a symptom for me too. I had several glucose tolerance tests and none ever showed any abnormality, yet I would have these hypoglycemic-like symptoms. As POTS got better, for me, these symptoms resolved.

[franziska]

i feel like this too! it's super new for me and really confusing. it's almost as if my body has replaced hunger pangs with dizziness/lightheadedness. from what I've read on this thread, I guess its low blood sugar?

anyone willing to comment on if this is something that is super important to get checked out by my dr? or can i just get by eating a snack and not worrying?

[corina]

Franziska, I found it important to talk over with my doctor as I want him to be aware of all that is going on. He ordered some bloodwork to try see what exactly is going on. While I manage myself I want this to be in my file for possible future reference.

[momandmore]

Signs of a hypoglycemic episode have replaced signs of hunger for me, too. It's scary because it can hit suddenly, so I really have to watch the clock to make sure I eat in time to avoid a problem. I also don't feel thirst. Strangely, this week I have felt hunger quite a bit. And it felt like something new and different. I don't know exactly why but it seems like the stress having two people in the family sick kicked my body into gear because nothing else is new.

[jknh9]

Definitely sounds like an insulin issue. You might try switching to a high-protein diet, as mentioned above, but also cutting out grains for a while (yes, all grains) and adding more healthy fats (coconut oil, grass-fed butter if you can tolerate dairy), and avoiding all refined and added sugars. Grains and high volumes of carbohydrates can cause the blood sugar spike and crash, resulting in that awful hungry-shaky feeling. I've been doing the Paleo diet for a few months and have noticed that I'm much better able to regulate hunger now. The science behind it is that your body will switch from burning sugars as fuel to burning fats as fuel, and since fats burn more slowly, you don't have the sudden crash. You also don't get blood sugar spikes after eating or intense cravings.