Frequent Extreme Hunger and Severe Mood Changes When Hungry. What's going on?

Iwantmynzt

I have the same problem so..."Bump."
I get very deep feelings of loneliness and
cry when I go eight or more hours without eating.
I eat, it goes away.If I have sugar it goes
away in fifteen minutes,protein with a carb-a little bit longer.I have had my blood sugar levels checked and they are normal...?

Whatwha

Iwantmynzt, I'll experience the same feelings. It's like all that's horrible in the world just hits you, and you just cry and can't stop, and then you eat and you're like, whoa, where did that even come from.

Thanks for bumping! I know it's been a while, but I'm still trying to figure out this problem. I went to an endocrinologist and told her my symptoms and she gave a diagnosis of Reactive Hypoglycemia. In particular, she told me to keep my carb intake under 30g per meal, and to have numerous small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones, each with lots of protein and fiber. This helped TREMENDOUSLY! I'm now very careful to carry food with me at all times, so whenever i feel symptoms coming on i can eat and avoid them. Every few weeks I'll slip up and have a big slice of cake or bread and be flooded with the terrible mood swings and brain fog and physical symptoms, but these slips grow farther and farther apart.

HOWEVER, if I go without eating for more than 2.5 hours, I still get SEVERE brain fog, with aphasia and memory loss being the key symptoms. Also, when i wake up in the morning, i feel weak and starving, like i haven't eaten for days. When i feel this way, I'll test my glucose levels, but I'm always between 80-100. Both of these are having a hugely negative impact on my work and school life. A sidenote, i can't seem to do anything heavily physical without getting disproportionately exhausted. Going up a flight of stairs is a battle, with a huge heart rate increase, muscle weakness and aches, and out-of-breathe feeling. Once school finishes for the year I'll schedule another doctor's appointment, but for now I'm managing it with diet as best i can.


tl;dr following a high protein, high fiber, low carb diet helped a lot, but i still get SEVERE mental symptoms if i don't eat VERY frequently. Blood sugar and thyroid normal, no nutrition deficiencies. Heeeeelp

ladybud

I think reactive hypoglycemia is a good possibility. With this, you put out too much insulin or delayed release of insulin after eating, and in 2-3 hrs your blood sugar goes too low, which feels awful and makes people spacey, panicy irritable, etc. It can be confirmed by a 3-5 hr glucose tolerance test, or by catching low sugars with a glucometer when symptoms are present. It is treated by diet (avoidance of big sugar loads, more frequent meals with protein consistently thru day to keep sugars stable and avoid overstimulation of insulin production. You can also carry glucose tablets with you to get sugar up quickly when you feel like that but can't eat right away. They are available OTC at drugstores ands groceries.

Whatwha

Just wanted to say that I went to an endocrinologist and it WAS reactive hypoglycemia. I now restrict my carb and sugar intake and feel MUCH better. Thanks for the help!

ladybud

So glad you got an answer and are feeling better with your diet and knowing what was wrong!