IBS and Hypoglycemia
#244950 - 02/08/06 08:25 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Bill F
Reged: 02/08/06
Posts: 11
Loc: Poughkeepsie/NY
|
|
|
I stumbled across this website this morning and this is the first time I've used a message board, but I'm kinda getting tired of suffering so here goes. Does anybody have any experience with the combination of Hypoglycemia and IBS? It would seem to me that a lot of the guidelines for eating are contradictory. I'm a 43 year old male with pretty severe reactions to low blood sugar situations. I cannot go more than 2/12 to three hours without eating, but most of what is recommended for a hypoglycemic diet is not recommended for IBS diets. my Ibs problems started a little over a year ago and I believe they were triggered by stress. I have since left the job that was responsible for the stress, but the intermittent IBS "attacks" have persisted.
Any suggestions?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Bill, Eating every three hrs. is good for IBS, there's no
problem there. I would say do Heather's diet where it doesn't
conflict with Hypoglycemia. You can eat as much sugar as you
want on th "EFI" diet, if your problem is low blood sugar.But
I forget if Hypoglycemia involves a big oscillation in the
blood sugar. -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Thanks for the response Bob! The problem with sugar for me is that even though my symptoms occur when the sugar gets too low, eating large amounts of sugar triggers insulin production which then leads to low sugar. Simple carbs are the single biggest offendor when it comes to Hypoglycemia, yet the Soluble Fiber list seems to be primarily simple carbs. I cannot eat any substantial amount of fiber without tremendous gas (belching and flatulence). I will go out today though and pick up some Acacia powder. One of the other conflicts is dairy, specifically yogurt. I think every Hypoglycemic diet I've ever seen recommends yogurt multiple times per day. Can I use Papaya enzymes to get some of the benefits of yogurt without the dairy?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I would say do a search as this subject has been covered before. (I think Heather even wrote a newsletter on the subject.)
I would also suggest, just offhand, using things like sweet potatoes and squashes as soluble fiber buffers. And keep in mind you can use a soluble fiber supplement as a buffer for foods as well and tak beano as needed.
I still eat bread but I'm technically not supposed to. (I'm working on this but I was just Dx with other things that reduce my choice of foods even more!) I am borderline hypoglycemic myself. I eat sweet potatoes and zuccini often with meals. Can you eat brown rice safely? Are you IBS C or D? If you can eat brown rice, that would be another excellent choice.
If you can eat oats, quinoa, and millet without upsetting your IBS these are superb food sources! (You might have to try an err with these.)
Can you eat bananas? They are a great source of soluble fiber (though some say it is too high in sugar for hypos. Wha'ts your opinion on this)?
Also, eating mashed veggies without the peel is fine (for many!) and things like mashed beans and these are incredibly healthy for hypoglycemics!
Oh! And egge whites are a good choice as well. Tasy too (imo).
I hope this helped? Any more questions, just post 
Ruchie 
--------------------
Formerly known as Ruchie
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Could you eat soy yogurt? Whole Soy Co and Silk Soy make tasty fruit or plain yogurt and yogurt smoothies.
I think the best tip is eating small meals every few hours, as Bob suggested. THe SF is mainly carbs, but not all are refined.
Heather has answered similar questions for folks with fibro or diabetes who also need to avoid simple carbs. Here are her diet recommendations on how to get a good SF base if you can eat the more refined SF foods:
Choose Whole Grains that Are Safest for IBS:
brown rice
oatmeal
buckwheat (soba) noodles
corn meal (polenta)
quinoa
barley
And choose root vegetables instead of higher glycemic index foods like white rice or potatoes.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
a) do a search!
b) I have both and do fine, actually since going on this diet I seem better able to control the hypoglycemia... I HAVE to eat every 2-3 hours (I eat AT LEAST 6 times a day!) and each of those meals has to have protein in it (hypoglycemia), but I can't have any dairy and never was able to eat yogurt even before the IBS diagnosis. What I find is pureed beans are fine- so bean spreads and hummus are great for snacks at work.. I can handle Luna bars (old forumal, haven't tried new yet, will have to soon) and they work great on a break at work... and I eat a lot of chicken, fish wihtout fat, and bean dishes... along with a lot of SF vegetables and even yes breads... scary but I can eat more bread now without my sugar issues going off then I ever could before I found this diet but I think part of that is what I eat it with.. Good luck!
--------------------
Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Bill, Yes, you can use the Papaya enzymes or Papaya juice even
. With the enzymes you just have to be careful that they don't
contain sorbitol, lots of brands do. Also, yogurt may not
bother you, that's not uncommon. It doesn't bother me.I
thought there was some catch with sugar consumption and Hypog
lycemia. I had a roomate that had it when I was in grad school
, and I recall he always used to fall asleep after dinner.
He'ed say he was going to watch the news for a bit and then
go of to study at 730. The next thing you know, my other
roomate and I would hear snoring. Then he'ed wake up about
930 and ask us if it was 730 yet. -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Wow! This is pretty awesome! I can't beleive there are so many people that can really understand the frustration of this condition! Thanks for the feedback. I wish I could answer some of your questions but to be honest I am not real familiar with this. i was told by a Gastroenterologist last year that he had determined by process of elimination that I had IBS and that there was no cure. Eat fiber, exercise, basically just deal with it and come back in six months so that he could charge me for another office visit. He did prescribe something that was supposed to prevent the intestinal spasms but since I had no idea when they were coming, it would have meant taking the pills every day. Besides I heard that the side effects were almost worse than the IBS. Anyway, I ramble, forgive me. I had a question regarding the C and D classification. I've not seen this prior to this website. Can you elaborate on it?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
My "tired" time usually comes in the afternoon. I've even nearly fallen asleep at the wheel before I realiazed what the problem was.
Is this as uncommon as it seems for middle aged men or do they just prefer not to share their troubles. Seems like there is a very small percentage of us.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Bill, Oh yes, these boards are dominated by women, yeah don't
I know it<laugh>. I think the ratio is about 100 to 1 at least
. But they're all really nice and easy to get along with ...at least most of the time<laugh>. -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
OK I've already answered my own question. I wish I had more time. There is so much info here. Anyway, in answer to your question I guess I would say I am IBS A. It usually starts with constipation and debilitating abdominal pains and eventually progresses to loose stools (sorry for the morbid details) up to five or six a day. Most recently though, I've had the pleasure of adding waves of nausea and abdominal bloating/distension to the list of symptoms. I've pretty much accidentaly figured out that fatty foods will almost always trigger an attack and for some time have suspected that Peppers will too. Not quite sure if that is fact or just one of those things that you feel. Is it normal for attacks to immediately follow the offending food or will it sometimes be delayed by a couple of days or more? Maybe a better question would be "Is there anything "normal" about this condition"
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Well now I guess it's 100-2! If you get a chance, read my responses to "Hi There" and let me know if you have any feedback. I'd be interested in your unique (male) point of view.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Thanks for the feedback. I did start searching and there is so much to read. I really appreciate the info.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Bill, I read your upper post too. In regard to attacks from
triggers, yes they most often occur within two to three hrs.
after consumption, maybe even sooner. Typically you experience
subtancial indigestion, and often lots of gas with it, and con
cominant with that, lots of burping. Anything normal about IBS
? I gather you mean anything ubiquitous with IBS. The more I
learn about it, the more I think the answer is know. Even
my GI doc in Chicago said last time I talked to him," The
more I find out about this thing, the less I think I know."
You're experience with your GI doc is classic. The anti-sp
asmodic might not be so bad, you might want to try it. Just
tell us which one it is. And you do have to eat at least 30
grams of fiber per day, and remember, soluble fiber(SF)
before insoluble fiber(IF), when eating that is. The C and
D classifications just mean you experience either one 99%
of the time. -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
The anti-spasmodic is Levbid (actually the generic equivalent, Levbid is just easier to spell).
I also failed to mention that I take Prevacid for acid reflux. I would imagine that this diet has got to help minimize the symptoms from acid reflux as well. Any truth to that?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Bill, Yes there is not a whole lot of acid reflux from most of
the diet items. That does depend on your particular food sens-
itivities. Onions and garlic kick it off for me, and Heather
is big on onions and garlic in her main entree items. I either
don't eat them, or just simply leave out the onions and garlic
. I too take Prevacid, I'm not to sure on how much it really
does, but I take it nonetheless. I get the solutabs, and
have to take one in the morning before breakfast. Oh,Levbid
is good. Very little side effects, particularly anti-cholin
ergic side effects. Maybe a little dry mouth, but thats
about it. It definitely should help, and if you're lucky,
it may stop your spasms.-Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I was taking Aciphex originally and that was phenomenal. Unfortunately my new insurance won't cover it so I take the Prevacid. It works, but not as well. I guess I'll try the Levbid. thanks for the feedback.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Bill, Aciphex eh.., a good friend of mine takes that too,
and has said the same thing. Next time I go see my new GI doc
here, I'm going to ask him about that.
Poughkeepsie,eh..reminds me of the Gene Hackman line in the
French Connection movie,"Do you pick your feet in Poughkeepsie
?" I'm originally from NY, I grew up in Valley Stream,L.I.
-Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hey Bob! I have to say that I never gave reflux a second thought while using Aciphex. Unfortunately Anthem won't cover it.
I'm originally from LI as well, Massapequa Park.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Bill, Yeah, I remember my high school, Valley Stream South
used to play Massapequa. I lived about a half mile south of
Sunrise Highway, not to far from Green Acres Shopping center.
Does your family still live there? Do you visit there periodic
ally? -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
To be honest Bob, I would almost rather suffer through an IBS attack than go to LI, unfortunately both my and my wife's families are there so I am there quite often. Will be there Saturday as a matter of fact. Hasn't changed much. Still way too many people, too many cars, everyone's trying to be the first person to nowhere, everyone's pissed off at everyone else.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Welcome to the boards, Bill!
I, too, have both IBS and hypoglycemia. And, yes, you are correct that Heather's diet is not really very good for someone with low blood sugar.
Like you, I cannot tolerate sugar at all. I had to give it up years ago because I would get dizzy if I had sugar (sometimes the dizzy spell would hit the next day). Diabetes is rampent in my family and some members, like me, had hypoglycemia before developing diabetes. (Thank goodness I'm not diabetic ... yet.)
The difficulty with the IBS diet is the need to eat refined foods (soluble fibre) such as bread made with white flour and white rice, etc. These types of foods are usually very high in sugar and a bad idea for someone with blood sugar problems. On the other hand, if you have IBS, these foods often make other foods easier to tolerate if you eat a soluble fibre staple like white bread or white rice with other things.
It's definitely a dilemma and I don't have any great answers. I've had IBS all of my life and usually I have to eat first for IBS and second for hypoglycemia because otherwise I would be in constant pain and agony. So I'm afraid I am guilty of eating white bread products (bagels and kaiser rolls) which obviously contain sugar. For rice, I stick to white Basmati rice which I understand is not as bad sugar-wise as other white rice. It has a higher glycemic count or something. (Someone once posted something about this on this message board.)
Otherwise, I stay totally away from products high in, or with added, sugar. So far my approach seems to be working. I don't get dizzy spells anymore and my hypoglycemia seems to be stable. My mom was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 40. I'm almost 48 and I still haven't developed it.
The other thing I do is keep my weight down and exercise regularly. I also eat small meals often --- all day long -- which also helps control my hypoglycemia and which coincidentally is also good for my IBS.
Hope this helps.
Belinda
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Would acacia or benefibre be good substitutes for the white bread, etc. so you could keep your blood sugar regulated?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Oh, I hear ya Bill! Those are some of the worst aspects of
life on Long Island. It's those things that I don't miss at
all. I recently had a costly "Long Island lapse" but fortun-
ately they're few and far between. I must say that growing up
there did make me rather thick skinned though. "The first
person to nowhere", ah that captures it! Still part of me
longs to go back there, probably because life was simpler
as a kid, even though life there was on the crazy side.I
remember kids used to even deride the Ice Cream truck guys,
with slogans such as "Bungalow Bar tastes like tar,the more
you eat it, the sicker you are.", and "Good Humor gives you
a brain tumor". Yup, a crazy place it was, and probably
still is. So do you take Southern state pkwy, Merrick Rd.
or Sunrise Highway to get to your parent's places? -Bob
--------------------
<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I just joined this site tonight. I did a search for hypoglycemia and IBS, because I too found it difficult reading through the dietary recommendations. However, I have learned to always take what I liked, and to leave the rest.
Soluble fiber has been shown to regulate blood sugar too.
I eat every 3 hours, have to!
I gain weight easily and it is something I fight, because well, insulin helps the body store fat...
I am going to try the acacia, since I tried husk before and did not like the bloat I got at times. I gave it a long time before giving up.
AND
I am from Long Island too. Now, in Houston, Texas.
Grew up in Dix Hills. Small small world.
Thanks guys
- Lisa
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
