what is the treatment for reactive hypoglycemia

Full Answer

What to do if you have reactive hypoglycemia?

Treatments

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Snack throughout the day, or about every three hours.
• Avoid high-sugar foods. These include processed foods, baked goods, white flour, and dried fruits.
• Eat a balanced diet. ...
• Limit your alcohol intake. ...
• Avoid caffeine. ...
• Try to quit smoking. ...

What is the best diet for reactive hypoglycemia?

Try these:

• hard boiled eggs and a slice of whole-grain bread with cinnamon (several small studies indicate that cinnamon may help reduce blood sugar)
• a small serving of steel-cut oatmeal, like this protein-packed oatmeal with blueberries, sunflower seeds, and agave
• plain Greek yogurt with berries, honey, and oatmeal

How to control reactive hypoglycemia naturally?

• Making changes to your diet and lifestyle to better control blood glucose. ...
• Doctors often recommend consuming 15–20 grams of glucose (from carbohydrates) right away when hypoglycemia symptoms begin.
• Keep an eye on symptoms for about 15 minutes, and if you’re diabetic, check your blood sugar at this time.

More items...

Can reactive hypoglycemia be cured?

Treatment depends on the cause of hypoglycemia. For example, if you have a tumor, you may need surgery. If medicine is causing hypoglycemia, you need to change medicines. For reactive hypoglycemia sometimes there are dietary modifications that can be made.

Is there medication for reactive hypoglycemia?

One study reports that certain people with reactive hypoglycemia may also benefit from taking antidiabetic drugs, such as metformin. These individuals include those who doctors suspect may have prediabetes. Metformin may help reduce symptoms, as prediabetes is a possible cause of this type of hypoglycemia.

How common is reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia is a relatively uncommon meal-induced hypoglycemic disorder. Most patients with adrenergic-mediated symptoms have a diagnosis other than reactive hypoglycemia. In many patients with this self-diagnosis, other disorders can be attributed as a cause for symptoms, especially neuropsychiatric disease.

How do you reduce reactive hypoglycemia?

Eating a balanced diet, including lean and nonmeat sources of protein, and high-fiber foods, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Avoiding sugary foods and processed simple carbohydrates, such as white bread or white pasta, especially on an empty stomach. Eating food when drinking alcohol, if you drink.

What is the first line treatment for hypoglycemia?

As the main counter-regulatory hormone to insulin, glucagon is the first-line treatment for severe hypoglycemia in insulin-treated patients with diabetes.

Can you have reactive hypoglycemia without diabetes?

In people without diabetes, hypoglycemia can result from the body producing too much insulin after a meal, causing blood sugar levels to drop. This is called reactive hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia can be an early sign of diabetes.

Is reactive hypoglycemia an autoimmune disease?

Autoimmune forms of hypoglycemia are a rare cause of low blood sugar levels among Caucasians, and often go misdiagnosed, exposing patients to lengthy series of pointless, potentially harmful and expensive tests. There are two types of autoimmune hypoglycemia.

Is reactive hypoglycemia serious?

Summary. Reactive hypoglycemia is a drop in blood glucose (sugar) that occurs after eating. Symptoms usually develop within four hours of consuming food and may include shakiness, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and sweating. Severe cases can lead to fainting or seizures.

What can I eat for breakfast with reactive hypoglycemia?

You should eat a small meal as soon as possible after waking. A good breakfast should consist of protein, such as scrambled eggs, plus a complex carbohydrate. Try these: hard boiled eggs and a slice of whole-grain bread with cinnamon (several small studies indicate that cinnamon may help reduce blood sugar)

Can hypoglycemia be cured permanently?

Non-diabetic hypoglycemia can be cured. The first step is being appropriately diagnosed. “Hypoglycemia in diabetics and non-diabetics can be diagnosed by checking your fasting sugar level in your blood, which can typically be done as a point of care test at any provider's office or urgent care walk-in center,” Dr.

What is the fastest and best treatment for hypoglycemia?

Immediate hypoglycemia treatmentEat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates. These are sugary foods or drinks without protein or fat that are easily converted to sugar in the body. ... Recheck blood sugar levels 15 minutes after treatment. ... Have a snack or meal.

What medications help hypoglycemia?

Medications used in the treatment of hypoglycemia include the following:Glucose supplements (eg, dextrose)Glucose-elevating agents (eg, glucagon, glucagon intranasal)Inhibitors of insulin secretion (eg, diazoxide, octreotide)Antineoplastic agents (eg, streptozocin)

How do hospitals treat hypoglycemia?

When symptoms occur, early treatment involves having the patient eat simple carbohydrate. In an NPO (nothing by mouth) patient, viable alternatives for treating early hypoglycemia include giving an intravenous (IV) bolus of 50%dextrose, or, if absent an IV, giving intramuscular glucagon.

How to treat hypoglycemia?

For people with diabetes, a reading below 70 mg/dL means you’re hypoglycemic. Eat 15 grams of carbohydrates, then check your blood sugar after 15 minutes. If it’s still below 70 mg/dL, have another serving.

Why is my blood glucose level below normal?

This added insulin makes your blood glucose level drop below normal. Reactive hypoglycemia can also result from tumors, alcohol, surgeries -- like gastric bypass or ulcer treatment -- and possibly some metabolic diseases. It’s more common if you’re overweight.

Why does my blood glucose drop after eating?

The answer isn’t always clear. It’s likely the result of your body making too much insulin after a large, carb-heavy meal. Scientists aren’t sure why, but sometimes your body continues to release extra insulin even after you’ve digested your meal. This added insulin makes your blood glucose level drop below normal.

What test do you need to know if you have diabetes?

You might need a mixed-meal tolerance test, or MMTT.

What happens if your blood sugar is too low?

If the sugar -- or glucose -- levels in your blood are too low, you can sometimes get a condition called hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia mainly affects people with diabetes, but there are two types that can happen to anyone:

What is the best treatment for reactive hypoglycemia?

When someone has symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia, the immediate treatment involves consuming a small amount of a sugary food or beverage, such as half a cup of fruit juice.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia is low blood sugar that occurs a few hours after eating a meal. It happens when a person has too much insulin in their blood at the wrong time. Insulin is the hormone that enables sugar to enter cells from the bloodstream. Within cells, sugar serves as the primary source of energy. Symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include ...

How long does it take for reactive hypoglycemia to subside?

It occurs when blood sugar levels are below 70 milligrams/deciliter. This often occurs approximately 2–4 hours after a meal. Symptoms subside quickly after eating or drinking carbohydrates.

What is hypoglycemia in the body?

VioletaStoimenova/Getty Images. Hypoglycemia is the term for when blood sugar, or glucose, falls below the normal, healthy range. Some factors that affect blood sugar include: exercise. the intake of sugar and other carbohydrates through the diet. the amount of insulin in the body. When a person consumes carbohydrates, ...

When to contact a doctor for reactive hypoglycemia?

When to contact a doctor. If a person is experiencing the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia, they should consult a doctor. This will enable them to find out whether they have the condition and, if so, to know its degree of severity.

Can metformin help with hypoglycemia?

These individuals include those who doctors suspect may have prediabetes. Metformin may help reduce symptoms, as prediabetes is a possible cause of this type of hypoglycemia.

Can alcohol cause low blood sugar?

Limiting or avoiding alcohol: Alcohol can cause low blood sugar. If a person wishes to drink alcohol, it is best to do so in small amounts and to eat something alongside it. Limiting or avoiding caffeine: Coffee, tea, and some sodas contain caffeine. This stimulant can cause the same symptoms of low blood sugar.

What to do if you have hypoglycemia?

Get medical help if you or someone you are with has an episode of severe hypoglycemia. Call a doctor if you have hypoglycemia but do not have diabetes or you have diabetes but your blood sugar levels are not returning to normal after ingesting something sweet.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia is also called postprandial hypoglycemia. It happens when your blood sugar level drops below 60 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter), typically about four hours after a meal. [1]

What to do when your blood sugar is low?

If you’re going out, take snacks with you, such as bananas, carrots, or a sandwich, so you can boost your blood sugar level if it starts getting low. Throughout the day, limit your intake of caffeine, which can cause symptoms associated with hypoglycemia.

What are the best foods to eat to lower blood sugar?

Excellent sources of protein include lean meats like fish and poultry, low-fat dairy products, eggs, tofu and beans. Complex carbohydrates can be found in whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal. Choose healthy sources of fat which are also digested slowly and can help balance your blood sugar.

How to reduce insulin production?

Exercise regularly. Being physically active increases the amount of sugar your body uses and reduces the likelihood that you will produce too much insulin. Consult with your doctor or a physical therapist to develop an exercise plan that is right for you.

How to avoid hypoglycemia?

Limit your intake of caffeine. Caffeine causes your body to produce adrenaline and it can cause you to have similar symptoms to hypoglycemia. Foods and drinks to avoid include: [12] Be careful with alcohol. If you are drinking alcohol, don’t do so on an empty stomach and avoid using sugary drinks as mixers.

What does it mean when your blood sugar returns to normal?

If your blood sugar returns to normal and your symptoms stop, this means that you have reactive hypoglycemia.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

What can I do for my symptoms? Answer From M. Regina Castro, M.D. Reactive hypoglycemia (postprandial hypoglycemia) refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal — usually within four hours after eating. This is different from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that occurs while fasting.

Does reactive hypoglycemia require medical treatment?

Additional testing may need to be done if you have more-serious symptoms. Reactive hypoglycemia usually doesn't require medical treatment. However, any underlying medical condition will need to be treated. Dietary changes often help lessen your symptoms.

What is the treatment for severe hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is considered severe if you need help from someone to recover. For example, if you can't eat, you might need glucagon injection or intravenous glucose. In general, people with diabetes who are treated with insulin should have a glucagon kit for emergencies.

How to prevent recurrent hypoglycemia?

Depending on the underlying cause, treatment may involve: Medications. If a medication is the cause of your hypoglycemia, your doctor will likely suggest changing or stopping the medication or adjusting the dosage. Tumor treatment.

How to treat hypoglycemia?

Immediate treatment. If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, do the following: Eat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates. These are sugary foods without protein or fat that are easily converted to sugar in the body. Try glucose tablets or gel, fruit juice, regular — not diet — soft drinks, honey, and sugary candy.

What to do if you don't have glucagon?

If there's no glucagon kit available or you don't know how to use it, call for emergency medical help.

What to do if you have type 1 diabetes?

If you haven't been diagnosed with diabetes, make an appointment with your primary care doctor.

How to stabilize blood sugar?

Repeat these steps until the blood sugar is above 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Have a snack or meal. Once your blood sugar is normal, eating a snack or meal can help stabilize it and replenish your body's glycogen stores.

Can you fast if you have hypoglycemia?

If you don't have signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia during your initial visit with your doctor, he or she might have you fast overnight or longer. This will allow low blood sugar symptoms to occur so that he or she can make a diagnosis.

What are the risk factors for reactive hypoglycemia?

There are some known risk factors for reactive hypoglycemia. These include: Prediabetes. This is the first stage before the full development of diabetes. During prediabetes, your body may not be making the right amount of insulin, which is contributing to your sugar crashes. Recent stomach surgery.

What is the correct blood glucose level for hypoglycemia?

True hypoglycemia is measured at about 70 mg/dL or lower, according to the American Diabetes Association. Other tests that can help diagnose hypoglycemia include an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT).

What is the blood glucose reading for hypoglycemia?

Your doctor will prick your finger and use a blood glucose meter to get a reading. True hypoglycemia is measured at about 70 mg/dL or lower, according to the American Diabetes Association.

What hormone is used to deliver glucose to the muscles and cells in the body?

In order to deliver glucose to the muscles and cells in your body, as well as maintain proper levels of glucose in the bloodstream, your body relies on a hormone called insulin. This hormone is made by the pancreas. Insulin issues are the hallmarks of diabetes.

Why is glucose important for the brain?

Glucose is important because it’s your body’s main source of fuel. Your brain also depends on glucose as its primary fuel source, which explains the weakness and irritability that often occur during sugar crashes.

How to fix sugar crash?

The following can help: Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Snack throughout the day, or about every three hours.

Is hyperglycemia rare?

The other type is fasting hypoglycemia. According to the Hormone Health Network, having hypoglycemia without having diabetes is relatively rare. Most people with frequent sugar crashes either have diabetes or prediabetes.

The official treatment

I wasn’t diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia until I was around forty years old.

The latest fad treatment to heal reactive hypoglycemia

I hesitate to use the word “fad” here, because people have legitimately healed themselves of the blood sugar problem using the protocol I’m about to mention. However, the prescribed diet goes against the way most people’s ancestors have been eating for millennia.

Along came Chris Kresser

I don’t agree with everything Chris Kresser teaches. But around the time I was diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia, I’d begun listening to his podcast. Into a Paleo-ish diet, he, unlike his peers, promoted a higher carb diet than most Paleo pundits. A hundred to 150 grams per day, was his recommendation.

Fast forward to July 2021

The afternoon of July 7, 2021, I said to my husband, “It’s been four hours since I finished eating, and I’m still not hungry.”

My conclusion

Therefore, it wasn’t the intermittent fasting. It was, contrary to popular belief, eating more carbs. And not even low-sugar carbs. I’d love to be able to eat rice and potatoes without limit, but I’m sensitive to resistant starch (speaking of diet fads!), so I can only eat a half cup of one or the other at a time.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia is low blood sugar that occurs three to four hours after eating a meal. Symptoms of the condition include hunger, weakness, shakiness, lightheadedness, anxiety and confusion, according to the Mayo Clinic. Paying close attention to your diet can help treat reactive hypoglycemia. Advertisement.

How is reactive hypoglycemia diagnosed?

Advertisement. Reactive hypoglycemia is generally diagnosed through a medical exam. Once diagnosed, the condition rarely requires medical treatment, but instead benefits from a thoughtful eating plan. Hypoglycemia is diagnosed by measuring blood glucose when you are having symptoms, according to UW Health.

What are some ways to slow down glucose metabolism?

Yogurt free of added sugar supplies protein and fats. Add fresh fruit for fiber, and you have a snack that will add carbohydrates for energy along with the protein, fat and fiber that slow glucose metabolism.

What are some good snacks for low blood sugar?

The best snacks for low blood sugar are those that include lean protein because our bodies break down this nutrient more slowly than carbohydrates. Skinless poultry, fish, low-fat cheese, eggs, peanut butter and soy-based foods are all smart items to keep on hand, according to UW Health.

Can you drink alcohol with low blood sugar?

You'll also want to limit or avoid both caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine's effects include an increase in adrenaline and can cause the same symptoms as low blood sugar, while alcohol can cause low blood sugar. If you do choose to drink alcohol, do so in small amounts and always consume it with food. Advertisement.

Can sugar cause hyperglycemia?

There are certain foods that can worsen symptoms of hyperglycemia. Foods high in sugar can cause a rapid increase in blood glucose, which may lead to an excessive increase of insulin, causing a rapid fall in blood glucose, per UW Health. The following foods tend to be very high in sugar:

Can low blood glucose cause diabetes?

Hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, can cause potentially life-threatening reactions in people with diabetes. People who don't have diabetes may experience similar symptoms if they have a condition called reactive hypoglycemia, which is sometimes referred to as functional hyperglycemia or nondiabetic hypoglycemia.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Treatment

• For the majority of people, reactive hypoglycemia usually doesn't require medical treatment. It may help, however, to pay attention to the timing and composition of your meals: Most people will try to find out what dietary changes are helpful for them to minimize the symptoms. For some, particularly those who have had stomach surgery (gastric bypas...

See more on mayoclinic.org

Prevention