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ItsTheWooo
Fri, May-20-05, 15:19
I've come down with a virus. Since being sick isn't pleasant at all I want this over with ASAP.
Last night I made sure to get plenty of rest and I started the day with a rather low carb high fat & pro breakfast. It was 2 eggs fried in butter, garlic onions, scallions, a sixth of an avocado, sour cream, slice of cheese (all have very low carbs). BUT I did have a fourth of an orange, and 3 tablespoons of salsa (with corn/beans in it but still pretty low carb). Even though I had some orange and salsa my breakfast couldn't be more than 15 carbs total, and combined with all that fat and protein... which is very low for me and way below what I can expect to tolerate without experiencing any symptoms of sugar problems.

Anyway like 2 hours later I am saying ot myself "hmmm... I feel really cold, like my body isn't burning energy....that's very unusual considering the sort of breakfast I had". Then a slow hunger starts to come on, and I'm thinking I might be imagining all this since my breakfast was really low carb friendly. But then I start to get more vivid symptoms of low sugar (for me there is this unique feeling of being in a daze, and like you're not really in control of your body that lets me know when my sugar has truly gotten low or is diving down rapidly).

Considering what I ate, and my own tolerance to sugar, I shouldn't have had that happen.
Does this have anything to do with the fact I'm sick, like maybe my body is more sensitive to sugar because of it? Because there is no way I ate anything that could have done that, it was calorie adequate and much lower in carbs and low glycemic carbs than usual.
Might it be because I've been eating more poorly lately so my insulin level is just absolutely higher? Like the poor eating from previous days is still affecting me?
I know yesterday REALLY wasn't good... I had a hypoglycemic episode by lunch and I felt very hyperglycemic after dinner (like a bear hit with a tranq dart I swear to god) but yesterday I don't think the foods I ate were so bad that should have happened.

Basically I'm just wondering is this a chicken or the egg problem. Am I sick because my sugar has not been controlled well or is my sugar not controlled well because of the sickness? I do recognize my food has been pretty bad, but I don't feel it's been bad enough to cause the sugar instability I'm experiencing. So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm worried that maybe my sensitivity to sugar is getting worse of its own accord...

Lessara
Fri, May-20-05, 15:50
You know? I was wondering the same thing.
I'm feeling alittle under the weather, and I have to test my blood (diabetic) and I am 20-40 over my normal reading for each of my tests! For a month I've averaged 135 but I haven't seen that number yet! Also does the weather affect sugar? Its thundering here.

ItsTheWooo
Fri, May-20-05, 16:20
You know? I was wondering the same thing.
I'm feeling alittle under the weather, and I have to test my blood (diabetic) and I am 20-40 over my normal reading for each of my tests! For a month I've averaged 135 but I haven't seen that number yet! Also does the weather affect sugar? Its thundering here.

Interesting...
It's also raining here.

I'm a little bit worried because I feel very dizzy and hungry now. THe kind of dizziness I feel isn't a "normal" low sugar dizziness and weakness it's the sort where the room is spinning a little when I stand and I stagger about... I feel like I'm under water or drunk, like my head gets this "fuzziness" to it. But I've been eating like crazy.

No matter how much I am eating I can't make it go away. Despite my breakfast I then had a slice of low carb poundcake with strawberry topping (10 carbs 150 cals), half an ounce of nuts, half a protein bar (these are OK for my sugar)... then that didn't satisfy so I had a "sandwich" consisting of a bunch of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, lite mayo and an ounce of chicken with some cheese and vinegar olives and a few more nuts (and 3 pringles ok I'm not perfect heh)...

I was ok for awhile on that, I even got some energy (especially after the sandwich). But then a short while later again sure enough the dizziness came back and so did hunger.
I have been craving sweet things a bit (naturally, sugar is destroyed) so I gave in and fixed myself a half of a pb sandwich (low starch bread, sugarless jam) with tea and a tiny bit of protein bar.

I'm just really worried that something is wrong, because the foods I'm eating are all my "normal foods" and in fact lower carb than usual, but my sugar tolerance seems to be worse.

I am trying to articulate this as best I can, I think what I am really worried about is the fact that my approach of using "control of calories" to not over eat, but enjoy carbs "in moderation" might not be working out because I am more sugar sensitive than I realized I was. So, the eating of carbs for previous days has increased my intolernace to sugar and is also the reason I have come down with a sickness.

Lisa N
Fri, May-20-05, 16:33
ITW, perhaps what you are experiencing is the effects of the virus itself?
That being said, illness can cause a rise in blood sugar even when you aren't eating due to increased stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, etc...) that promote gluconeogenesis.
Diabetics see the effects of this in a pronounced way, but I'm pretty sure that it would also affect a non-diabetic similarly, just not the extent that a diabetic would.
The bad news is that there isn't much you can do about it except ride out the virus and get plenty of rest.
If the symptoms become troublesome, a trip to your doctor may be in order and since you are feeling dizzy, I wouldn't recommend driving or engaging in activities where balance and quick response would be needed. :idea:

2brickie
Fri, May-20-05, 17:18
How much water are you drinking? When I dont get enough fluids I get that way, its like dehydration. Sometimes being sick and taking any kinds of meds can make your very dehydrated.

ItsTheWooo
Fri, May-20-05, 17:21
ITW, perhaps what you are experiencing is the effects of the virus itself?
That being said, illness can cause a rise in blood sugar even when you aren't eating due to increased stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, etc...) that promote gluconeogenesis.
Diabetics see the effects of this in a pronounced way, but I'm pretty sure that it would also affect a non-diabetic similarly, just not the extent that a diabetic would.
The bad news is that there isn't much you can do about it except ride out the virus and get plenty of rest.
If the symptoms become troublesome, a trip to your doctor may be in order and since you are feeling dizzy, I wouldn't recommend driving or engaging in activities where balance and quick response would be needed. :idea:

Thanks Lisa...
So it probably is just the fact that I'm sick that's doing this.
Thanks

ItsTheWooo
Fri, May-20-05, 17:24
How much water are you drinking? When I dont get enough fluids I get that way, its like dehydration. Sometimes being sick and taking any kinds of meds can make your very dehydrated.

I've been drinking the same as usual, to thirst. I don't focus on my fluid intake I just let my body do its thing.

I'm pretty certain this is because of sugar since I know how these symptoms feel for me.
I was just wondering if the sickness was causing the sugar instability or if it might be the other way around (which would be cause for concern).