[SueAndHerZoo]

#1059928

How about attacks of what feels like a blood sugar crash? Does Graves Disease or hyperthyroidism do anything to your blood sugar levels? I ate very normally and healthily today and on the way to an appointment at 6:15 p.m. I munched on almonds. About 6:30 as I was about to get out of the car I got the shakes, the sweats, the faint feeling….. exactly like when I used to eat too much sugar and soon after have a crash. It lasted about 15 minutes and then passed but the tremors and shakes (internal and external) were exactly like a sugar crash. Funny thing is I hadn’t had anything sweet all day and the almonds should have been giving me some blood sugar stability.

Sick of trying to figure out what my symptoms are but I DO keep trying because if I can figure out what causes them maybe I can prevent them from happening, ya know?

Sue

[Ellen_B]

#1178856

I wished I had some straight answers to your questions. First of all I hope you are able to talk to your doctor (primary or endocrinologist) to explain what your symptoms are. Ask for an office visit and find out what he thinks could be going on. I am sure there are tests which help figure out what your problem is. To begin with certain tests could eliminate some possible causes and enable you and the doctor to focus on possible causes.

Have you seen the recent posting of Harpy (all the way from Australia) on Thyroid Disease and Diabetes Links on April 24,20 13? She has found an article which gives a very detailed discussion of how thyroid hormones affect glucose metabolism?

Maybe speaking to someone at the American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/ [diabetes.org] site might help–toll free number is 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383) hours 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. They even have a Chat Window where you can speak to someone on site.

Having these spells come on unexpectedly and suddenly and then go away—is strange and frustrating.

Let us know what you are able to find out from your doctors.

Ellen

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1178857

Thanks for the reply. I definitely will mention it to my endo next time I see him (few weeks) and if it happens again and continues to happen I will call one of my docs before my next visit.

Hopefully it was just a conglomeration of a lot of things that have been going on, not the least of which is stress and anxiety. That can do horrible things to your body and cause all kinds of symptoms (I know, I’m preaching to the choir here).

Hopefully it was a one-shot deal and things will soon start looking up…. I’m long overdue.
Sue

[Steph82]

#1178858

I have always considered myself to be hyperglycemic. If I didn’t eat every couple hours I would get shaky, nauseas and get a killer headache that lasted all day. This has happened for as long as I can remember. I could never skip a meal or even miss a snack without being miserable! However since I have been on my anti-thyroid meds this symptom has disappeared. For me I feel it’s totally related. It’s weird how many little “symptoms” I passed off as normal for me have gone away!

[amosmcd]

#1178859

Hi, Sue–

I tend to be hypoglycemic, and my previous endo was the one I first went to see when I was tired of my blood sugar crashing every afternoon around 4 years ago or so. He told me to change the bagel I was eating for breakfast into something that had more protein and I also changed the afternoon snack I was eating to a low-glycemic energy bar.

Everything was good until I started on PTU after the holidays and I would have episodes of what felt like hypoglycemia. Feeling weak, shaky, but it never went into the absolute crashes I used to have where I would be sweaty and barely able to move unless I ate something sugary. I really don’t know why PTU would cause this, because I took the PTU twice a day, and these episodes only happened maybe once a week. Hopefully now that my thyroid is out they will stop for good, but I definitely feel like it’s related to something going on with my thyroid or as a result of the ATD for the thyroid.

Hope this helps!

Amy

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1178860

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I think we all have this not-so-well-known thyroid symptom. I was a reactive hypoglycemic…… my sugar levels went up and down too quickly depending on what I ate – my nutritionist told me to start swallowing one tablespoon of olive oil twice a day. I did for a while, felt much better, but like most healthy habits, they go by the wayside when life gets in the way.

I have always tried to make sure that any sugar or carbs I eat are always with some fat and protein so I am confused why the almonds I munched on brought on the sugar crash. I guess almonds are too low in fat.

I’ve been heavily relying on protein bars to keep my levels consistent (2 or 3 a day) and just yesterday realized that those are full of soy and that soy could be adding to my thyroid problems. Foiled again.

My next plan is to start making oatmeal for breakfast (and maybe afternoon snack) with a tablespoon of peanut butter mixed in.

Thanks again for letting me know that I’m not totally alone with this weird one.
Sue

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