Eating because of your head......

Diseases & Conditions Diabetes
1
I found out that I had type 2 for about 2 years now.  The problem I'm having is that I HAVE to eat bread and meat in sandwich form in order for me to feel "normal".  Here's an example: I ate a small pizza and in my stomach I was FULL!  BUT my head started feeling faint and I began to get shaky just like I would if I didn't eat anything.  So I ate a half of a ham sandwich and within a few minutes I felt "normal" again but boy was I REALLY full then!  I have a hard time going out to eat also!  I've gone to Red Lobster but I have to eat a half of a sandwich BEFORE we eat in order for me to feel normal.  If I just go in there and eat my delicious snow crab legs I would feel like crap and then the anxiety would kick in.  Also does anyone have the problem with sweating under their eyes when they eat a big meal?  I've noticed this within the last couple of years when I eat a big meal I sweat some right under my eyes.  Weird!!!!  lol
Thanks
John
2

Hi John,

I think there are a lot of factors here that you need to look into.

Firstly, pizza acts on your blood sugar quite quickly (i.e. it makes it rise pretty quickly) so how long was it before you had the shaky feelings?  Also, it may have been the pizza that made you feel normal but you panicked and ate the sandwich and attributed the 'more normal' feelings to eating the sandwich.  Do you have a blood glucose monitor?  The ideal time to test is when you feel shaky.  What medication do you use?  Also, how long do you leave between meals? 

I'm type 1 on insulin.  Sometimes, when I eat a meal afterwards I feel a little 'strange' and anxiety hits me and I'm SURE I must be having a hypo, so I check my blood sugar and it's okay.  But I do find that if I eat something that makes my sugar rise quickly (such as pizza) a little while later I get these strange feelings - these strange feelings are my blood sugar falling quickly even though I'm not having a hypo.  Maybe you need to eat some food that causes your blood sugars to be more level?  I think you need to look at and eliminate factors one by one, and maybe make a couple of changes, and you'll start feeling heaps better.

I'm not sure about the sweating though!

Hope this helps,

Claire

3
Why not measure you blood sugar b4 and after (say 1/2 hour and 2 hours) to see what effect these foods have on you, especially the one that makes you feel bad. If everything looks bad.....high BG, shaky..wateva..then quit eating that stuff? right? I did this for about a year and my A1c went from 11. 7 to 5.4 , lost 60#, edema in ankles went away, stomach problems disappeared, averge BG reading Averages went down(maybe...or strips changed...a little.??) ....feel a lot better!! ...still old and ugly though....(but I'm workin on that!)....and I go to OA and CEA-HOW (Over Eaters Anon.). Good luck! yeah
4
To Claire,
I HAVE tested myself while I was shaky, I've even had my blood drawn at the doc's office while I was shaky and my sugar levels were perfect. After I ate the pizza I felt as if I hadn't eaten anything. The ONLY thing that helps me on any level is the half of sandwich I eat. I have ruled out and am STILL ruling out foods that do not help my shaky feelings. I have eaten taco salad's and still have the feeling in my head that I haven't eaten anything yet my stomach is full. So here's the thing, when I'm shaky my blood sugar is fine. My sugar only get's up to 139 or so in the morning so I'm on the boarder. I have an equation that might help with what I'm dealing with.
Weird feelings......start to feel shaky.........I eat half of a ham sandwich...........I feel back to normal.
Weird feelings......start to feel shaky.........I eat taco salad..........I still feel shaky and sick....I eat half a sandwich...feel fine again.
Weird feelings......start to feel shaky....I eat food without bread (chicken, stake, turkey etc)....still shaky... eat sandwich I'm fine.
Weird feelings......start to feel shaky.....I eat any food with bread and meat...........I feel normal again.
Weird feelngs.......start to feel shaky.....eat food (non sandwich form) I feel something isn't right. Like there's something missing from the equation with the way my head feels but I'm not shaky. Yet I eat the sandwich my head feels great and normal again.

This is just very frustrating. Here's another thing. If I try to go to bed hungry or a little hungry...... my body will wake itself up around 5am and I feel terribly sick. (head hurting, shaky etc....) So I HAVE to eat NOW. If I eat my half of sandwich right before bed I'm fine till the morning.

John
5

Okay, have you tried other carb foods such as pasta, potatoes and rice?  What affects do those have compared to the bread?  Also, what kind of bread is it you eat?  That's really strange.  If your blood sugar is normally high, and then go down to a 'normal' level you may experience those shaky feelings.  But it doesn't sound like yours is high. 

I know nothing of what's in a taco salad as we don't have them here but I'm presuming no carb.  When you get the shaky feelings, try something else carb based to see what that does - have you seen whether a cereal such as muesli does the same thing?

I know how frustrating this is, believe me, so just hang in there and I'm sure between us all here you'll find a solution!  Having diabetes requires patience, I think, so stick at it!

Best of luck x

6

Hi Beety,

What you describe are CLASSIC hypoglycemic indicators.  HOWEVER, since you say that when this has happened you have checked your blood not only on your own but while at the doctors and in both instances it was normal. 

I think your only alternative, if this really bugs you, is to meet with your doctor and map out a strategy for tests to determine why you get the symptoms you get.  But from a diabetic standpoint, the BG is your indicator, and yours is telling you that neither the symptoms NOR your half a sandwich has anything to do with your diabetic tendencies!!

scool Warren