Feeling shaky

sidewinder · #1 (**permalink**) 02-23-2007, 08:18 AM

I am diet controlled diabetes but a few times recently just before lunch I have had very shaky hands so shaky I would find it difficult to eat soup with a spoon. Soon after eating some food I feel better and the shakiness disappears. I have 2 Weetabix and fresh orange juice for breakfast and this is around 4 hours later.

What I cannot understand is that when I feel like this my blood sugar level has been as low as 3.4 but can be as high as 4.3 which is not that low. My Hab1c was running, when I was last tested at 5.9, and I have lost nearly 3 stone. I do not really want to eat more for breakfast as I do not want to put on weight. Anyone has any ideas

soso · #2 (**permalink**) 02-23-2007, 08:27 AM

Hi Sidewinder
I would be curious to know what your bg was 1 hr after bf..have you ever checked then? that is a pretty high carb meal, with virtually no fat to slow absorption...could be you are suffering from reactive hypo glycemia...bg goes high and bangs down low afterwards... 3.4 would def cause those symptoms, 4.3 not that low, but I get a reaction at that level too..
Why not try 1 weetabix and a whole orange or an apple for bf..ditch that juice for sure...I don't think an oz of cheese would hurt either... keep things a bit steadier throughout the morning.
Congratulations on your weight loss..good work!
ss

sidewinder · #3 (**permalink**) 02-23-2007, 06:02 PM

I will try my bg one hour after breakfast, the fact it is high carb with with no fat could be the problem and post back with the result. I have the orange juice on my Weetabix, no milk. I am trying to cut fat from my diet as much as possible to get my weight down perhaps I am doing too much. It is certainly all the matter of getting the balance right.

Harold · #4 (**permalink**) 02-23-2007, 11:28 PM

I do that and just have a snack of 70 to 100 calories. Which will tide me over for another two to three hours, by which time I expect to have a meal.

soso · #5 (**permalink**) 02-24-2007, 07:51 AM

I hear ya Sidewinder, but fat is not the big bugaboo people think it is... IMO it's high fat + high carb that piles the weight on. If it were me I would try one weetabix half a cup of WHOLE milk (the fat in it will keep you satisfied longer) and a small apple (lots of fibre slows absorption of carbs plus fills you up more) that adds up to 195 cals 35g carb 2g pro and 4g fat give or take..the calories and carbs are about the same swapping the apple for the second weetabix, but this meal is a bit more balanced and I believe will give you a slower bg rise and keep you full longer.
I see by your profile you are retired, does this mean you have time for a morning walk? or maybe you are doing that anyway if you have lost so much weight.. 195 cals is a very small meal even for someone on a diet. I have often wondered why people eat progressively larger meals as the day goes on (me included) I try to make sure I have at least 400 of my daily approx 1800 cals for breakfast and I think this does me well both bg wise and metabolically revs me up. After years on low fat, this is the first time in my adult life I have had steady weight that I do not have to worry about..
be well
ss

sidewinder · #6 (**permalink**) 02-24-2007, 05:01 PM

I done some blood tests this morning first thing before food I was 6.3, one hour after my normal breakfast I was 10.9, two hours after that result I was 4.7. I then had lunch but I think any later and would have been lower and feeling shaky again. So your assumption was spot on. I will try your advice and see what happens, thanks

Gary_W · #7 (**permalink**) 02-24-2007, 06:00 PM

Hi Sidewinder,

If you haven't read up on Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load then go for a Google

Weetabix and orange juice will whack into your system super quick and all be gone within a couple of hours. This would account for your peak followed by your trough before lunch.

Semi skimmed milk has 5g of carbs per 100ml. Orange juice has 10g per 100ml. On top of this, the carbs contained in the juice convert into glucose much quicker than those in the milk. This is the bit that the glycemic index will help you understand. So basically, the juice contains twice as much of the stuff that raises your blood glucose and it absorbs extra quick for a double hit of trouble.

If you want to stick with the same calorie content and you like this breakfast, is there any way you can have 1 Weetabix plus 1/2 the juice at breakfast time and the other one halfway through the morning? Same calorie content, but a lot smoother on the blood sugar througout the morning. Otherwise, look for some lower GI alternatives.

Gary

sidewinder · #8 (**permalink**) 02-25-2007, 01:27 PM

Thanks everyone for your suggestions I will give them a try and see if I get any results

Patstacey · #9 (**permalink**) 07-01-2007, 10:48 PM

hello, What is a type 5.1?

princesslinda · #10 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 09:20 AM

Hi Sidewinder: I've found if I eat a higher protein b/fast that I feel satisfied longer. Like you, i'm trying to lose weight as well. I have found that an egg with some cheese holds me much longer than cereal. If you really enjoy fruit, have an apple or an orange with some cheese, that might hold you as well. You may need a snack between b/fast and lunch to keep things stable as well. A few nuts or a slice of cheese might keep you from feeling shaky.

Harold · #11 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 09:24 AM

Beats me! On the other hand you probably mean 1.5. Commonly referred to as LADA aka Late Onset Juvenile Diabetes. Check out the 1.5 Forum. There are many answers!

volleyball · #12 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 09:57 AM

Sidewinder. It's time to nix your breakfast routine. If you want orange juice in the morning, eat an orange. Juices are a bad thing for us. I love orange,apple,prune,and a lost of others but I haven't had more than a sip at a time since I was diagnosed. I am also diet and exercise controlled. You need both. I never ever been low, maybe it's my control or that I am muscular but if you are, maybe that would be the time to drink your juice.

sawn48 · #13 (**permalink**) 10-16-2009, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidewinder

I am diet controlled diabetes but a few times recently just before lunch I have had very shaky hands so shaky I would find it difficult to eat soup with a spoon. Soon after eating some food I feel better and the shakiness disappears. I have 2 Weetabix and fresh orange juice for breakfast and this is around 4 hours later.

What I cannot understand is that when I feel like this my blood sugar level has been as low as 3.4 but can be as high as 4.3 which is not that low. My Hab1c was running, when I was last tested at 5.9, and I have lost nearly 3 stone. I do not really want to eat more for breakfast as I do not want to put on weight. Anyone has any ideas

I tend to have low blood sugar at times and I get an uncontrollable shaking. I know by that, I have gone too long with out eating something. I doesn't have to be much . Just a bite or two of something usually helps.