So I'm looking for advice from people who have had this problem. I've been following Atkins for about two months now and have started having hypoglycemic episodes. I was under the impression that Atkins was supposed to even out blood sugar. I've never been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, but I know the symptoms. I've been getting lightheaded, blurry or blacked-out vision, weak & fatigued, sweaty & clammy at the same time.

I've been eating about 20g of veggie carbs a day. Sometimes I'll have almonds or blueberries as well. Should I increase my carbs even more or will that make my symptoms worse?

Two more questions. How serious is hypoglycemia? Should I be worried about diabetes? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time and knowledge.

20 carbs of veggies? you know there's no 'rule' that you must do that.
How's your fat and protein? That's what will keep your blood sugar stable.

It took me a week to conquer my hypo issues.
Now, i did start feeling dizzy, lightheaded, tired and blurry. It was B12 deficiency. Not my blood sugar. Get a blood test or just simply start taking some B12 to see if that, along with fat, helps.

Thanks for responding so quickly Pennink!
I know I don't need to eat 20g of carbs. I don't always make it that high. My fat intake is usually about 65% of calories, protein 30%, carbs 5%. I eat anywhere from 1,200 to 2,200 cals a day. I also take a B12 supplement daily.

You should probably get a glucose meter and test to verify
hypoglycemia.Good advice from pennink.
Good luck on this
Eddie

You might be having low blood pressure, NOT hypoglycemia. The symptoms are similar, but low blood pressure is more likely on a very low carb diet.

Get a cheap meter (Walmart has the cheapest) and double check. Anything over 70 mg/dl is NOT hypoglycemia.

If it is blood pressure, up your potassium and sodium.

Thanks for the advice everybody!

I have had bad hypoglycemia at times on low carb. It usually happens after some kind of exertion - exercise, or a walk up a steep hill, etc. I can handle it pretty well with keeping food with me - and it doesn't have to be very high in carbs. Cheese seems to work really well for me. Nuts are another good one. I just always have a snack in my purse for those times. The weird thing is that I can fast for a day and my blood sugar dips but doesn't go that low (low 70s).

I agree that a BG meter would be a good idea so you can learn what triggers your lows. It might be not eating or it might be after exertion or 2-3 hours after a meal (reactive hypoglycemia).

My endocrinologist told me not to worry about it. If it gets so low that you're passing out, that's a different story.

You also may not be having low blood sugar so much as a quick drop in blood sugar which can bring on the same symptoms.

Bottom line - with a BG meter you'll probably do a better job at figuring out what's going on than your doc. They mostly dismiss hypoglycemia unless you're a diabetic.

Yeah, need to rule out false hypoglycemia. Not really low, just lower than your body is used to.

This might sound a bit odd but one of the reasons I avoid food high in salicylates, amines, and additives is because they will trigger my reactive hypoglycemia if eaten often enough. It could be it's not just sugar at work here. Things like blueberries and almonds would definitely set me off.

I personally consider hypoglycemia to be pretty damned serious. It's the first step on the road of no return towards Type 2.

I concur with Lottadata - lightheadedness from low blood pressure is a known common problem on low carb if you are not getting enough sodium, potassium and magnesium.

Lyle McDonald suggests the following supplementation:
sodium 3-5g above food
potassium 1g above food
magnesium 300mg

I don't generally bother, since I'm not having symptoms, but for a while, last time I was eating low carb, I took potassium to counter muscle cramping. Also, I do use salt and those salt-replacements with potassium (Mrs. Dash, etc) liberally, though.

I hope they don't supplement, as above, and have high blood pressure or heart problems, particularly, CHF.

/smile

Well I am the last in a long line of thoughts.

My issue when strictly sticking to a low carb and/or any diet that lowers my calories is that my blood pressure drops to low levels.

So you move around more slowly. Don't jump up out of bed suddenly.

Have a snack if necessary.

All of this is stated above.

However, I also agree that you should be measuring your blood sugars to eliminate the possibility that it is hypoglycemia.

I take it you are NOT diabetic. Or are you?

If you are, it is even more important that you have a meter and start tracking your BG throughout the day.

Even if you haven't been diagnosed as a diabetic be aware of what your A1C is and your daily BG averages are.

Too many doctors wait way too long to finally diagnose you as a diabetic.

I was diabetic for over a year before being diagnosed properly.

Ralph

The medical problem itself would not be problematic with those supplements, but if a person is taking medication for high blood pressure or diuretics for fluid retention, it would be a good idea to check with a doctor or pharmacist first to be sure that your medication doesn't cause you to retain potassium specifically.
Sodium (salt) isn't the problem for high blood pressure as it was previously touted to be unless you are sensitive to it. I'm not sure I would supplement with that much sodium, though, since it's present even in meats today through injected solutions, it's doubtful many people are deficient in that particular mineral.
Magnesium and potassium are both necessary for proper muscle function, but too much isn't good, either. Fortunately, both are water soluble and very difficult to overdose on unless you are taking medications that cause you to retain them or have kidney problems.


Beth, I'll add my encouragement to those above that you get yourself an inexpensive glucose monitor and start checking your blood sugars so that you can see for yourself what your readings are when you feel like your blood sugar is low. If you test and it shows you are 70 or above, it's not likely to be hypoglycemia and you know you need to keep searching for the cause.

[QUOTE=Lisa N]...Sodium (salt) isn't the problem for high blood pressure as it was previously touted to be unless you are sensitive to it. I'm not sure I would supplement with that much sodium, though, since it's present even in meats today through injected solutions, it's doubtful many people are deficient in that particular mineral.
QUOTE]

You are correct that sodium is not now the "issue" it once was considered to be for most people. However, as I understand it, most people with high blood pressure are sensitive to sodium. Regarding CHF, a diet of no more than 2 g Na per day is highly recommended (and preferably less) and I know first hand that poor control of sodium intake will cause edema or even death due to fluid retention. My sister and I won the rare filial dilatant cardiomyopathy raffle.

/smile

P.S. I should say that idiopathic cardiomyopathy is much more common than the genetic variety.

The real problem is potassium too high or too low you can be in serious trouble. Magnesium washes out of your system. Too much and you spend more time in the lavatory if you get my drift.

Ralph