Sugar Sensitivity

Hi Everyone,

It appears that I am extremely sensitive to sugar. Whenever I eat high carbs, or sugar my body reacts. It seems like any time I eat anything with very much sugar in it, it makes me very sleepy almost instantly. I react almost like I had taken a sleeping pill.  According to my doctor and test I am not diabetic.   If you aren’t diabetic you get sleepy because the body produces enough insulin to overcompensate causing a drop in blood sugar levels, thus you feel lethargic.   Whenever I do not have something extremely heavy or sweet at night I can stay up.  I was advice online that I probably need to take a five hour test at the doctors office, where they test your glucose level constantly.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I know before the surgery I was tested for PCOS and was on metformin.  Have this been anyone experience, if so how have you been handling it.  It seem like another thing I have to eliminate from my diet, which is a lot.

This has happened to me a few times with a few items over the last 9 years.  I didn't eat those items again.  For me it was that simple.  Just back off of the sugary stuff.  It's not like it has any nutritional value anyway.

Funny Valarie, but just back off the sugary stuff....that is it..lol    I will work on it,....didn't know I was signing up with elimination of sugar, I think it has something to do with moderation.  They had some cupcakes, and you know that stuff has too much icing on in....once my stomach tasted that icing it started up with all the noises and everything.  I think if I do the sweets, let it be in the evenings.

Thanks, for sharing your thoughts.

Sometimes it's just learning your limits, but don't be surprised if some things are just a 'no-go' all together.  The first couple of years are full of trial and error.  It be nothing 'wrong' with you at all - just something you need to work through.

It also may not necessarily be sugar, but something accompanying that sugar (chemicals, preservatives).  To test it, try making the same thing from scratch, and see if you get the same effect. 

For instance, I used to love ice cream.  I still enjoy it, but not as much.  There was a brand (UDF) that I could enjoy with little effects except for one flavor.  That one flavor made me feel sleepy - I slurred, eventually fell asleep and woke up farting.  I tried it a second time - same thing.  I added that to the no-go list.

I had the DS 13 days ago, and I have been to restaurants 3 times. Last night at Applebees, my daughter ordered the triple chocolate lava cake which I love, and I had about 1/4 of it, may 4 spoons of hardcore chocolate. It was fine for me, but I also am very careful to chew carefully, swallow slowly and savor the flavor.

Well, the 5 hour test is the acid test but it doesn't sound like you have any of the other issues so the test from the 
Doc would seem to be fine.

Does this correlate to the quantity of sweets/high carbs you take? I'm just wondering if instead of eliminating things
completely a more moderate amount would lower the response.

LOL. High sugar items for me usually lead to Dh not sleep. 
It does sound like the after Thanksgiving dinner coma that some people get. You just don't want it all the time.

Pete

Yes, I have a sweet tooth every evening therefore, if its not done in moderation thru out the day, I am coma toss just like a Christmas or Thanksgiving meal.

The test is related to diabetes, taking my blood work I do not have it, but to me...something is related.  I just don't know.  My body is sensitive to everything, I feel like I am always eliminating something.

I also get diarrhea too...that is so normal for me.

Sugar is what we aren't supposed to eat or drink.  It's the one thing we have to avoid.  Replace your sugary/carby snacks with protein and you will be fine.

I know for me if I eat something high in simple carbs it is not good for me or anyone around me! The smells, OH MAN, and the pain. 

The glucose tolerance test is used to test for type two diabetes, or a modified version is used to test for gestational diabetes, basically you drink liquid sugar and they test your glucose levels over 5 hrs, you can also get fasting glucose tests.  

I used to take metformin before surgery as well, just because of the PCOS. Now I had a feeling that for a long time I didn't need it anymore, but didn't stop until surgery. The hard part about PCOS is that things that should show up on tests don't always. For example, if you get your resting glucose tested and it is constantly fine, but right after you eat sugar you have problems, you aren't going to see the problem directly. PCOS messes with our hormones. Our bodies (or at least this was the case for me) hold onto the glucose and don't process it correctly, basically we inundate our body with sugar, our body can't process it like a "normal" person, and it makes us sleepy, super jumpy, pass out, crash, and gain weight! I was told for a long time that I was fine, not until I got a Dr who understood how PCOS really affects me did I get put on metformin .

After surgery I cut almost all sugar out of my life. I said goodbye. It was hard - I am a carb addict and LOVE me some good brownies or loaf of bread. However, not everyone can do this and I get that. Not everyone would this even work for. 

So, basically long post just to say, you are not alone, talk to your Dr. If you don't feel comfortable doing the glucose tolerance test (I know that when I get pregnant one day I am not doing this test) try getting changing your diet, or get back on a modified version of Metformin and see if it helps.