What leads to hypoglycemia in people without diabetes?

[fearless_lapl07]

I’m sorry if this is a bit long-winded…

When I was roughly 12 years old, I started experiencing these sudden spells, typically in the morning before breakfast. I would turn pale, get shaky and nauseous, and feel like I was about to faint. I visited the doctors, and they screened me for diabetes, which I obviously didn’t have. They diagnosed me with anemia instead and basically told me to go eat a burger.

Even while taking iron supplements, I remained shaky and felt terrible if I didn’t eat something quickly. At 18, I began having episodes where I would lose consciousness for a few seconds. One night, I woke up from a deep sleep feeling like I was going to vomit. I stood up to head to the bathroom and blacked out, hitting my head. I hadn’t eaten much that day because I was struggling with depression.

During my first pregnancy, my glucose screening was normal. Now that I’m pregnant with my second, I decided to use a blood sugar monitor instead of taking that gross glucose drink. On my first day of monitoring, my highest reading was 116, but an hour after eating dinner, it dropped to 68. That meal consisted of a brat, corn, and some breaded spinach artichoke bites—so it was high in carbs and natural sugars from the corn.

I’ve never actually caught a low blood sugar reading until today, so this feels like a confirmation for me. Before dinner, I felt incredibly sluggish, dizzy, and like I might pass out.

Since I’m the type of person who wants to find the root cause of my health problems, I’ve been looking into non-diabetic hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia doesn’t seem to fit because my issues happen before I eat rather than afterward. I really want to figure this out because I know regular doctors likely won’t help, and I can’t afford a functional medicine specialist. Does anyone know what the potential causes are so I can start researching them?

Tl;dr: I’ve confirmed my suspicion of non-diabetic hypoglycemia, but it doesn’t seem to be the reactive type, and I’m looking for the cause.

[royal_linnaeus7]

It sounds like you might have fasting or standard hypoglycemia. I personally deal with reactive hypoglycemia linked to insulin resistance. You might want to have your physician check your cortisol levels, as well as your adrenal and pituitary glands. A thyroid screening is also a good place to start.

[earthy_pascal5]

Hi, I have dealt with non-diabetic hypoglycemia my whole life (I’m 46), and then at age 23, I was also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Managing both is a total nightmare, and I’ve looked into it extensively. Most medical staff haven’t even heard of NDH and have even told me ‘that’s not a real thing!’

One potential cause, though it’s quite rare, is an insulinoma. These are tumors on the pancreas that secrete too much insulin. I believe they are usually non-cancerous. From what I understand, they can be surgically removed if necessary. They are sometimes linked to underlying genetic conditions.

Best of luck. I hope you find some answers.

[dapper_copern38]

In my case, it was caused or set off by obesity and having bariatric surgery. I lost a lot of weight, and my doctor explained it as my body’s insulin production never quite adjusting to the change.

It’s strange, though; I can go for months without an issue, and then I’ll have one low after another. My endocrinologist claimed it was still happening even when I didn’t feel symptoms, but I’m not sure I believe that!

One day I could eat a ton of sweets, white bread, and potatoes (not that I would) and be totally fine, but the next day I’ll eat two biscuits and feel miserable for hours.

When I have a severe episode, I can lose 4 or 5 hours of my day. Two months ago, I blacked out while driving—well, not exactly, as I had managed to pull over—and it was absolutely terrifying, but the symptoms felt very different that time…

It’s just so difficult to figure out.