Sleepiness, Low Carbing, and Diabetes

[Lessara]

Ok I'm missing something,
I have been exercising regularly
And low carbing without cheating for a week!
But this week, I've been so tired. Even with 7-8 hours
of sleep. I exercise now an hour after dinner but
yesterday I could only dance for 10 minutes.
Is my Diabetes affecting me or is it not Diabetes at all?
My sugar level has been averaging between 140 and 110.
Thanks :)

[webmedic]

depending on the health of your system and how much you changed your diet you can get die-off as bad toxins and other things start to move out of your system.

If your blood sugar levels start to go up more then it may not be to good but they are fine for now. If your tiredness lasts more than a week or two then you may need to start checking for other things but for now it should be ok.

[Lessara]

My blood sugar has been going down. I find I'm more closer to 110 than 140 recently. Does die-off of toxins make you tired?
I'm trying to remember induction for me 4 years ago. I just don't remember... Thanks though :)

[webmedic]

I cant say for others or induction. I have though been through this myself and it really varies depending on the person. The symptoms can include anything that would normally be a cold or flu like.

Tiredness
nausea
aching joints
diarrhea or constipation
coughing
sneezing
sore throat
stuffy or runny nose
fogginess

There may be others but those are probably the most common.

[Lisa N]

Kassie, are you taking any supplements? It may be that you are low on potassium, calcium and/or magnesium. Often at induction levels of carb intake, it's necessary to supplement with all of those and it's never a bad idea for women especially to continue with the calcium/magnesium long-term. After induction, many find that they no longer need the extra potassium.
Do check with your doctor or pharmacist first, though, if you are taking medications for blood pressure or diuretics since some of those medications don't mix well with those supplements. :idea:

[Lessara]

I do take the above suppliments, have been for years. Thanks though Lisa. :)

[Squid]

What level of carbs are you at? If you're real low maybe you need to add some in with an hour of exercise a day.

I can't exercise intensely and do induction level. Also, I can't do induction level and be on metformin.

[Mommyof3]

Not to but in on your thread but, Thank god I found this thread! I have been experiencing the same thing. I have started exercising yet, and I don’t have diabetes. BUT I have been Low carbing for 2 weeks now, and I’m experiencing the same thing. I’m so tired. I go to bed 8-9 pm sleep all night, drag myself out of bed at 7am to get my kids off to school, I come back home and I sleep till 11 am to Noon. I just can’t seem to get enough sleep. I’m taking a multi Vitamin. I’m staying at my 20 carbs, I never was this way last time I low Carb’ed. I got the “Atkins Flu” and then I was fine but I’m not having anything like that this time, just very exhausted. I’m getting worried and I’m thinking about making and Appt with my Dr this week to see what is going on. BUT I’m not telling him I’m low carbing , last time we got in a huge debate over it, and I’m not going there again. Is there anything I should ask him to test me for?

[Squid]

Not to but in on your thread but, Thank god I found this thread! I have been experiencing the same thing. I have started exercising yet, and I don’t have diabetes. BUT I have been Low carbing for 2 weeks now, and I’m experiencing the same thing. I’m so tired. I go to bed 8-9 pm sleep all night, drag myself out of bed at 7am to get my kids off to school, I come back home and I sleep till 11 am to Noon. I just can’t seem to get enough sleep. I’m taking a multi Vitamin. I’m staying at my 20 carbs, I never was this way last time I low Carb’ed. I got the “Atkins Flu” and then I was fine but I’m not having anything like that this time, just very exhausted. I’m getting worried and I’m thinking about making and Appt with my Dr this week to see what is going on. BUT I’m not telling him I’m low carbing , last time we got in a huge debate over it, and I’m not going there again. Is there anything I should ask him to test me for?

Why not try going up to 40 carbs and see if you feel better? I don't understand why you would stay so low after a couple of weeks if you're still feeling bad.

[Mommyof3]

True, but I’m so carb sensitive, I’m afraid it will produce unwanted affects. BUT at this point I’m willing to try anything, because If I cant stay awake long enough to get moving I’m not going to lose all this weight anyways.

[Lessara]

Personally I'm between 30-40 grams, like Above, I'm sensitive to carbs too.

[johnnylol]

heck when i did low carb i had no energy..had to force myself to do my excersize..but it was worth it..it's all up to you..

[v-effect]

Hi there, I do think the shift to LC can be fatiguing. I personally need about 40-50 carbs a day to feel right. I don't think (in MY OPINION) that a BG of 110-140 is not terribly fatiguing. On days that I teach, I puposely run that number in order to guard against lows- and I don't feel fatigued. It really is not that far out of the normal range.

V.

[v-effect]

Sorry, I meant to say that I don't think that that BG is terribly fatiguing. Sorry for the double negative
:)

[webmedic]

my mom has hypoglycemia and when she goes really low on carbs it makes her tired also.

Hypoglycemia can be caused by candida though which she knows she has and is trying to take care of the candida so she puts up with it for now.

[johnnylol]

Hi there, I do think the shift to LC can be fatiguing. I personally need about 40-50 carbs a day to feel right. I don't think (in MY OPINION) that a BG of 110-140 is not terribly fatiguing. On days that I teach, I puposely run that number in order to guard against lows- and I don't feel fatigued. It really is not that far out of the normal range.

V.

true about that when my bs level is higher than 110 or in that range..when i excersize i definately have more energy..than when it's much lower..

[Lisa N]

Kassie, here's a few more things to consider. When your blood sugars are running high (and have been for a while), your body gets used to that level. Then when you get them into normal range after that, your body needs to readjust to a normal level again. Until your body readjusts, normal can almost feel like a hypo even though you are technically not hypo.
Another possibility, since this is your first 'clean' week, is that your body is only now going through the process of switching from a glucose burning system to a fat burning system for energy and that can take a few weeks; this is why Dr. Atkins recommended that excercise be limited during the induction period because during that time (I realize you're on South Beach, but it may apply in your situation as well); your body isn't getting enough carbs to support such excercise, but neither has it fully switched over to using fat for energy either. You might want to back off on the strenous excercise for another week or so and see if you don't feel better at that point.

Mommyof3, since you are keeping your carbs at 20 or less per day, a multivitamin may not be enough to make up for what you aren't getting in your diet. You might want to go back to your book and re-read the recommendations for supplements during induction and give some of those a try (particularly, calcium/magnesium and potassium).

[Lessara]

I posted this question, well it was similiar and this is what I got for a responce
Click here (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=248088)
Thank you for your responses as well. :)

[BJ_1971]

i think that weakness, sleeplessness is just some complications of diabetes in some ppl. diabetes affects us all very differantly. 1 diabetic might have tons of energy while another has none even tho they are exersizing and eating right.
when i became a diabetic in 2000 i started low carbing, i got nice lean and skinny and strong.( im back to being fat now because of a bad pregnancy-so im starting over) but still i was always weak and could no longer sleep well. i truely believe its one of those diabetic complications that get shoved by the way side by the docs. but weakness is better then a loss of leg toes or sight so i cant complain to much i guess -BJ

[johnnylol]

i used to be sleepy all the time..that's how i felt but never slept well..always woke up after a few hour's..since i been taking care of myself..really don't have that problem...though i always get sleepy if i ate to much of the wrong foods..high bs always makes you sleepy...

[Lessara]

My BS has been below 135 in the last 2 weeks so its not that. Did you see my link? It could be the exercise and my body getting used to it. Also, on Friday, I see my doctor to make sure its not my thyoid (Hypothyroid runs in my Family).