# Blood-Sugar Headaches?



## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

I have not knowingly consumed caffeine in a long time.I also am not diabetic.Yet my alarm is now being raised because almost every day in the morning 1 hour after breakfast and at night 2-3 hours after dinner....AND in the middle of my sleep....I get these "headaches" that don't go away until I have something to eat.It can be the middle of the night...I can get up from my sleep...and not be able to fall back asleep until I eat something.It is clearly not because I am hungry...it just seems I am having a "caffeine withdrawal" type headache...and I simply do not understand why this is happening.This really is a problem because having these headache urges to eat disturbs my sleep and distracts me during the day.Eating food late at night, in the middle of the night, is NOT healthy...and during the day 1 hour after breakfast is a pain.My questions1) Have any of you ever had this problem?2) Any ideas as to why a 25 year old male without diabetes is having this?-I have enclosed my diet below and listed my current medications.-Does my diet (too many high Glycemic Index carbs...too small a breakfast) or my medicines possibly contribute?3) Any solutions?-Could this just be I need to be more discplined, not give in, and the problem will go away or do I need to see a doctor/change medicines?Thanks!


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

*Medicine*Depakote-1500 MGGabitril-8 MGLuvox-150 MG*Diet*Meal 1 (Breakfast)-Oat bran w/applesauceMeal 2 (Lunch)-Turkey sandwich on Rye-Baked chips/pretzelMeal 3 (Snack)-Protein shake OR-Graham Crackers and FruitMeal 4 (Dinner)-Chicken/Fish/Turkey-Rice/Pasta/Potatoe-SpinachMeal 5 (Snack)-Cereal (Fruit Loops) OR-Some Kind of IBS safe desert or leftovers from dinner


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

People can have reactive hypoglycemic issues without having diabetes. Basically they make a bit too much insulin in response to eating and then have a bit too much of a crash in blood sugar levels.Diabetes is not the only issue with blood sugar. Problem is hypoglycemia became a bit of a fad diagnosis for everyone with any vague symptoms of just not feeling extra peppy all the time so it sometimes has a bad reputation.I really don't think eating late in the evening or during the night is as drastically unhealthy as people make it out to be. The main problem with late night snacking or getting up for a snack is that people already ate more calories than they need by the time they get about 1/2 way through dinner so everything eaten after dinner is way too much. If you plan the late night eating (leave enough calories after dinner so you can eat something later on) it isn't a problem. *off to check the drugs for headache issues*Depakote-1500 MG (low incidence of headaches but greater than placebo)Gabitril-8 MG (headache in 1% or more, higher than placebo control)Luvox-150 MG (headache (3%) bad enough for people to discontinue the clinical trial)So the meds could be playing a role in this, info from http://www.rxlist.comnot sure if they have interactions that may make that worse, or if this is bad enough to change anything.It may be worth doing a medication review with your doctor with the headache issue in mind.It may also be worth getting tested for hypoglycemic issues, especially since your diet tends to be one that could set it off.A few things you can do to lower they glycemic load of your meals is if possible add just a little bit of fat or vinegar to the meals. Acids and fats tend to slow the absorption rate of any carbs you eat them with. So Sourdough rye bread may be better than regular rye bread. A teaspoon of olive oil may be low enough to not bother you but help blunt the reaction and adding a lean protein to some of the carb heavy meals can also make the blood sugar not as prone to spike and crash.For rice and pasta if you can't do whole grain try Basmati rice and make sure the pasta is semolina pasta. Those tend to have lower glycemic loads. Parboiled rice also tends to be better than some other rices in the glycemic load. So there may be some minor changes that can help.http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm discuses some of the rices, including Basmati and Uncle Bens. So the load can vary a lot even within a food group.


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

Thanks.I'll try and incorporate vinegar and acids.How can I get tested for hypoglcemic issues?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoglyce...s-and-diagnosishttp://www.ehow.com/how_2048219_test-hypoglycemia.html


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