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Fibromyalgia + Hypoglycemia = Fibroglycemia

7/7/2013

24 Comments

 
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Many fibromyalgia sufferers begin having low-blood sugar attacks after the onset of FMS.  They feel worse depending on the amount of carbohydrates they ingest at any one time.  Most don't get hypoglycemic or severe pain, but they do become generally more fatigued and stiff after eating starches or sugar.  They do this in an unconscious attempt to create energy.  Those sugars and starches are quickly digested and converted to glucose.  Unfortunately, these cravings quickly saturate their systems with glucose which forces the pancreas to release large amounts of insulin.  Such surges rapidly reduce blood sugar by driving it into the muscles and other areas of the body.  These repeated insulin surges eventually cause hypoglycemia in some individuals.

But, don't expect a medical blood test to confirm your suspicions.  Most FMS sufferers have fast-tracked medical degrees due to intense research so that they can live fairly normal lives.  All you need to do is tune into your body and notice an inadvertent change whenever you consume carbohydrates.  You could be on the verge of carbohydrate intolerance.  By getting a grip on this early, you could limit the possibility of attaining full blown hypoglycemia later on.
Hypoglycemia
Chronic Symptoms

Fatigue/insomnia
Nervousness, depression, irritability
Dizziness, faintness
Blurring of vision
Ringing in ears
Gas/abdominal cramps, diarrhea
Numbness/tingling of hands, feet, face
Flushing/sweating
Foot/leg cramps
Bitemporal or frontal headaches
Impaired memory and concentration

Acute Symptoms

Heart pounding
Palpitations or heart irregularities
Panic attacks
Nightmares and severe sleep disturbances
Faintness or syncope
Acute anxiety
Hand or inner shaking/tremor
Sweating
Frontal headache or pressure

Foods to Avoid or Limit

Sugar in ANY form
Caffeine from ANY source
Fruit juices and dried fruits
Baked Beans
Black-eyed peas
Garbanzo beans
Refried beans
Lima beans
Lentils
Potatoes
Corn
Bananas
Barley Rice
Pasta of ANY kind
Tortillas
Tamales
Sweets of ANY kind

I have noted my own carbohydrate intolerance recently.  Furthermore, a few pounds have crept on steadily over these last few months.  Sadly in the meantime, symptoms have begun slowly returning.  I could find no reason otherwise in my dietary regiment.  After all, my diet is steadfast and does not alter.  My exercise routine has gone uncompromised, too.  It must be the extra sugars/starches in my diet.  Upon reducing/limiting most of the above, I have felt my system slowly returning to its normal state.  And, a weight loss returning.  My head is clear, and painful flare-ups are lessened once again.  I do not follow the full routine of a no carbohydrate diet as my system begins racing and anxiety can spur for weeks.  But, I find limiting my carbs is the key.

Hypoglycemia can add fuel to that ever running fibro circus!  Start reducing carbohydrate intake today.  Do it a bit at a time so that your system isn't initially taxed too much.


24 Comments
Paula allred
7/7/2013 03:23:44 am

I start feeling this way if i dont eat something every couple hours. I thought it was low blood sugar. I had it checked when i was feeling bad, all of the symptoms and it was 96. Now im confused.

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Carol J Butler link
7/7/2013 05:21:18 am

There is a test for Hypoglycemia. They don't use it much anymore but a five hour glucose tolerance should tell if you can get through it. As soon as you start shaking, can't write and have to stay sitting, have a blood sugar taken. I never got through 4 hours.

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Lora Dietrich link
7/7/2013 05:31:32 am

I only got to 2 hrs and sugar had dropped to 57 but it only went up to 120 with the glucola, so it was stopped. Passed out the day before while driving, got the sweats went to put on the air and woke up in a neighbors corn field.
So I try to stay on a diabetic diet, some days I do better at it than others.

Christy
7/7/2013 03:36:08 am

So you told us what we should avoid....what can we eat?

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elmntl1
7/7/2013 04:02:01 am

You can eat nearly anything including FRESH fruit and vegetables including baked sweet potatoes without brown sugar in appropriate portions. Eating small portions every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism working. My cousin eliminated all unnecessary and refined sugars and carbs and has lost a lot of weight and has for the most part gotten her fibro under control!

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Fibromaniac
7/7/2013 03:55:02 am

I have not seen this is any Fibro ppl that I know. Many are even Diabetic...

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Jennifer
12/30/2015 03:52:43 pm

You completely contradict yourself in this statement. You do realize that diabetes is a blood sugar issue? If one has hypoglycemia and doesn't take care of it, it turns into diabetes. I know quite a few people who have Fibro and also have issues with carb intolerance due to blood sugar issues. The doctor that treats my daughters and I for Fibro says that about 40% of his patients have carb intolerance.

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mandy baird
7/7/2013 04:28:24 am

I know I suffer from quite severe peaks of hypoclycemic symptoms, often after I have been up for a couple of hours. It can be really hard to not reach for high sugar, high carb food when you feel bad, you know it will give you a short term boost but the pay back is not worth it. Unfortunately I can't eat much fresh fruit and veg, it too upsets my system and the high sugar content of most fruit and veg cause weight gain for me. porridge, oatcakes, rice cakes, are some of the things I can eat without spikes of symptoms.

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martha roberts link
7/7/2013 04:39:37 am

I had fibro for 20 years. I have found out after 5 years of having sick spells having all the shakes ,sweats wet all over. Then sleep for 10 to 12 hours. Dr. would do all the sugar test it would all be normal. I went in a drug store and while waiting had a spell and the took my blood-presser and blood-sugar it was 30.All I had that morning was 2 teaspoons of sugar in my coffee. So I went home took a teaspoon of cake icing my blood sugar was 129 then 1 hour later it was down to 40. So I don't eat anything sweet and I am find no spells. Doctors don't know why this happens to me. He had never heard of anything like this. But if I forget or eat something sweet I have really bad low sugar got to eat protein and it raises it. One Dr. said if I sleep after the low blood I could go into a coma. So I would always eat protein to bring it back up, before I would do more sugar to bring back up and 1 hour later I would have a spell, before I found what it was. So far it just been the sugar items I would eat.

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faith
7/7/2013 05:00:34 am

What you have is called 'reactive hypoglycemia. I have had it for years. It is caused by too much sugar or carbs that make sugar that cause the pancreous to pump out inslin and then after the surge is gone your blood sugar goes too low. I have been able to keep my bs under control by eating small meals every few hours and ALWAYS balancing a carb with a protein. but now as I age my bs swings too high now too. DR says pancras is wearing out. Will become diabetic if I don't get better control of bs. Look it up. Reactive Hypoglycemia.

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Carol J Butler link
7/7/2013 05:17:09 am

This sounds like a classic case of Hypoglycemia. Doctors years ago would not accept this unless you found one that believed in it. I eat a lot of protein including peanut butter, cheese, eggs and protein shakes every 2 or 3 hours. If I wait all day without eating, I stuff myself sick trying to get that hungry feeling gone along with the shaking. I don't know if you ever thought of following Atkins requirements. That helped me. As soon as I cheat on sweets, I'm in trouble.

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kelly
7/7/2013 05:02:05 am

I have problems with low sugar and yesterday at a bbq I ate piece of brownie and felt dizzy and then nauseated. About an hour later I ate couple bites of a hamburger and got sick then I couldn't even consume water which took me on to dry heaving. Thank you for posting this!!!

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Valerie
7/19/2013 10:01:49 am

You're welcome. I've noticed increased bloating with carbs and a feeling of tightness all over my body as though I am coming down with something. The less carbs I eat, the more energy and less pain I have. All my carbs are whole grains at this point to keep me alert and active.

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Kerry Reeves
7/7/2013 05:33:12 am

this makes so much sense!! I have just started a new diet, as I need to lose weight for my wedding, and it has low carbs, ive felt a bit better since starting it, fingers crossed it all helps!

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Lyn Van Bebber link
7/7/2013 12:31:46 pm

It's nice to see Dr. St. Amand's work being put out in mainstream. He has found that 40% of his fibromyalgia patients have what he named "fibroglycemia" and developed a food plan to correct these spikes and drops of blood sugar. They are not caught on glucose tolerance tests because the pancreas corrects itself so quickly. You can find his work and diet at www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com.

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Emz
7/7/2013 10:37:03 pm

Fantastic. This makes so much sense. I have been so tired but also suffering from insomnia too. I have had such a craving for sugar lately and such a flare up in my fibro too. Definately going to be trying this. My dr suggesting uping my pain meds and this wasn't suggested.

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Bibb
7/8/2013 05:52:20 am

I try to keep my carbs low and I drink mostly water. Lyrica controls most of my pain, but not the fatigue. I find myself craving caffeine as it seems to be the only thing that can break thru the fatigue when I need to keep going. Any suggestions for an energy boost that isn't caffeine? What works for you?

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seajay515 link
7/8/2013 06:04:31 am

Boy, that's a good question. You are right about not drinking caffeine. It causes your liver to secrete stored glycogen causing you insulin to release. I sometimes take a caffeine tablet but for the most part just stay away from carbs. I haven't found a good energy booster Now if I was in 1950;s, I'd take a diet pill!!

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Kizi 3 link
3/17/2014 02:21:09 pm

Glad to visit your article, I look forward to more good articles and I think we all love to thank so many good articles, blog to share with us.

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Pam link
7/29/2014 07:27:40 pm

Get article. I just found it. I suffer from migraines mostly likely caused from muscle spasms from Fibromyalgia. But some afternoons I get these little nagging annoying that go away by dinner. I wonder if they could be low blood sugar causing them. I had hypoglycemia in high school. As I grew up I don't really have a problem unless I miss a meal. Even my fasting blood sugars are normal. But I am going to try a small protein snack this afternoon and see if my afternoon headache disappears. I am trying to give up the free candy and chips at work and boy is it difficult. But I made it a week and a half.

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Eric link
3/8/2015 12:16:14 pm

Wow! Have had fibro few years, all these symptoms fit. Had no idea that my attempts to get energy were actually hurting. Thanks a lot. Just started learning lots of info on diets recently. If only people knew this. I am learning what not to eat, seems that list is longer than what I can but whatever, I would live on water and kale if it will stop the flares!!! Thanks so much.

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Ruth
6/18/2016 07:01:38 pm

I have been on a severe low carb diet for years and haven't lost an ounce. I don't eat meat and my iron is so low I have trouble breathing. My doctor tells me to eat meat but I can't. Dr
Arnaud doesn't tell people like me where to get protein. I am allergic to eggs and nuts.
I don't think anyone can help me.

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Eric R
7/18/2016 12:46:11 am

About the protien intake. I eat alot of tuna. Reletively cheap but it is meat. If unable to eat meat and i know starchy beans kick in monster flares for me fast. So you may need to find a vegetable based no soy protien powder. My wife found some and puts it in berry smoothies. Important to avoid the soy. If you can tolerate it a little milk can help with protien too. I can handle a little early in the day while having time to work it off. Protien is important and also vitamin and minerals when fighting this disease. Magnesium is very important.

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Eric R
7/18/2016 12:48:41 am

Most greens carry good iron. I like spinach so thats not an issue. Other greens too. I think kale, brocolli, many more.

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