DO I HAVE HYPOGLYCAEMIA?
Disclaimer: I am not medically qualified
It is very simple and safe for anyone suffering from anxiety and panic to establish if it is linked to low blood glucose.While you are having a panic attack, quickly drink a half glass of water with two spoonfuls of sugar in it. Sugar makes your blood glucose rise quickly. If your panic ebbs, there is a link. However, the sugar will again stimulate your insulin and cause you to "crash" again. Once you establish that sugar made you feel better then, ironically, you must eliminate it from your diet.
If you cannot take sugar, how do you deal with the next panic attack? Take one gram of soluble potassium chloride instead of sugar-water. This is sold under the trade name Kloref. It re-stabilises blood glucose within ten minutes, without stimulating insulin. It is vital to discuss this with your pharmacist, as some people cannot take it.
Alternatively, try a few mouthfuls of unsweetened fruit juice, or half a glass of milk. This will take longer to work than sugar, but you won't get the boomerang effect.
BLOOD GLUCOSE STABILITY
To prevent a recurrence of panic and anxiety attacks, you need to keep your blood glucose stable every day. To do this you must:
- eat a small meal every 2 to 4 hours;It could take a week or more to stabilise blood glucose.
- never have a meal without protein;
- eliminate all sugars (including honey);
- eliminate white flour, white bread, white pasta, and white rice;
- eliminate caffeine;
- eliminate (at first) potatoes, fruit juices and fruits. These can be re-introduced once you are stabilised;
- Follow The Hypoglycaemic Diet
You need to be vigilant about sugars. Never eat anything until you are certain it does not contain sugar. Read all labels. You may be able to tolerate fructose and lactose, but some hypoglycaemics are sensitive to those. It seems that over many months our tolerance levels rise as the pancreas begins to heal itself. Only trial and error will establish what you personally can tolerate.