22 ms·

I'm not an expert but it does seem incorrect. As I understand it (correct me if I am wrong), the brain cannot function alone on ketone bodies and always needs s

I'm not an expert but it does seem incorrect. As I understand it (correct me if I am wrong), the brain cannot function alone on ketone bodies and always needs some glucose. Even when fully depleted and in deep ketosis, the liver will synthesize glucose via gluconeogenesis.

failwhaleshark 5y ago
People usually get "hangry" / feeling like they're going to die like a diabetic does before entering a coma if their glucose actually crashes. My dad was an adult-onset type-1 from exposure to Agent Orange who ended-up in the hospital more than once from either insulin misadministration or glucose-management issues. They might've actually had something like a nervous breakdown or a TIA. PSA: Don't self-diagnose, esp. if you're not an MD. 99% of the time, you'll be wrong.
- GordonS 5y ago
  It isn't my intention to doubt Tinker, only to continue discourse here, but I was going to say something similar. I have reactive hypoglycemia and it is very, very obvious when my blood sugars are too low - it really is an absolutely horrible thing. At first I start to feel a little bit "stupid", like my brain isn't functioning properly, and is working in slow motion. Talking is more difficult. Next I start to feel a bit weak/shaky/trembly. Next I start to feel anxiety/dread. Sometimes now I can get very aggressive (which isn't in my nature at all!). Then comes an incredible desire to eat sweet things - once you start eating, it can actually be difficult to stop! Depending on how bad things got, I might feel too confused to actually just go and eat something. Now, all being well, I did eat something, and will start to feel a lot better within 10-15 minutes. If I didn't eat something (because there wasn't anything available, or because the "stupid" feeling had given in to confusion, and I didn't know wtf was happening), everything ramps up - the anxiety becomes full on dread, the world seems to be caving in on me, and I literally feel like I'm going to die. The weakness feels like I need to lie down (a couple of times I have, but thankfully my partner was at home and found me). The "stupid" feeling gets much worse - my speech is slurred, and finding the right words to talk is very difficult - mostly what comes out it is "umm.. err.. what?.. uhh..".
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - Trasmatta 5y ago
    T1D here, and you explained the experience of hypoglycemia very well. This is very close to what I get as well. > Then comes an incredible desire to eat sweet things - once you start eating, it can actually be difficult to stop! This sucks a lot with diabetes. The survival mechanism kicks in and tells you "eat something, anything, everything", which can subsequently cause your blood sugar to skyrocket, which you then have to correct with more insulin...it can send you on a blood sugar roller coaster than can ruin your entire day. Diabetes sucks.
    - failwhaleshark 5y ago
      Yeap. There were blood sugar test strips and lancets in every nook and cranny of the house. Yo-yoing all over the place and developed a phobia about going anywhere in-case "something happened." My dad was using low blood sugar as an excuse and insulin as an enabler to eat crap, and gained a lot of weight. He eventually got an insulin pump and cut down on simple carbs.
      - Trasmatta 5y ago
        Diabetes, especially T1 diabetes, is so unbelievably mentally taxing. It's a constant source of cognitive load and stress, as your conscious brain is being forced to take on the functions of your pancreas. A lot of diabetics develop mental health issues and unhealthy habits as a result of it (which is what it sounds like happened to your dad). For me, a CGM was the biggest game changer, by far. Second was cutting down to eating one (larger) meal per day.
  - failwhaleshark 5y ago
    I'm not diabetic but I know what low blood sugar feels like from both exercise depletion and long-term fasting. If you're not diabetic and have low blood sugar from exertion, just stop what you're doing and drink some water and rest. Your body will handle it just fine. Carbs should be reserved for real emergencies.

failwhaleshark 5y ago

People usually get "hangry" / feeling like they're going to die like a diabetic does before entering a coma if their glucose actually crashes. My dad was an adult-onset type-1 from exposure to Agent Orange who ended-up in the hospital more than once from either insulin misadministration or glucose-management issues. They might've actually had something like a nervous breakdown or a TIA. PSA: Don't self-diagnose, esp. if you're not an MD. 99% of the time, you'll be wrong.

GordonS 5y ago
It isn't my intention to doubt Tinker, only to continue discourse here, but I was going to say something similar. I have reactive hypoglycemia and it is very, very obvious when my blood sugars are too low - it really is an absolutely horrible thing. At first I start to feel a little bit "stupid", like my brain isn't functioning properly, and is working in slow motion. Talking is more difficult. Next I start to feel a bit weak/shaky/trembly. Next I start to feel anxiety/dread. Sometimes now I can get very aggressive (which isn't in my nature at all!). Then comes an incredible desire to eat sweet things - once you start eating, it can actually be difficult to stop! Depending on how bad things got, I might feel too confused to actually just go and eat something. Now, all being well, I did eat something, and will start to feel a lot better within 10-15 minutes. If I didn't eat something (because there wasn't anything available, or because the "stupid" feeling had given in to confusion, and I didn't know wtf was happening), everything ramps up - the anxiety becomes full on dread, the world seems to be caving in on me, and I literally feel like I'm going to die. The weakness feels like I need to lie down (a couple of times I have, but thankfully my partner was at home and found me). The "stupid" feeling gets much worse - my speech is slurred, and finding the right words to talk is very difficult - mostly what comes out it is "umm.. err.. what?.. uhh..".
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- Trasmatta 5y ago
  T1D here, and you explained the experience of hypoglycemia very well. This is very close to what I get as well. > Then comes an incredible desire to eat sweet things - once you start eating, it can actually be difficult to stop! This sucks a lot with diabetes. The survival mechanism kicks in and tells you "eat something, anything, everything", which can subsequently cause your blood sugar to skyrocket, which you then have to correct with more insulin...it can send you on a blood sugar roller coaster than can ruin your entire day. Diabetes sucks.
  - failwhaleshark 5y ago
    Yeap. There were blood sugar test strips and lancets in every nook and cranny of the house. Yo-yoing all over the place and developed a phobia about going anywhere in-case "something happened." My dad was using low blood sugar as an excuse and insulin as an enabler to eat crap, and gained a lot of weight. He eventually got an insulin pump and cut down on simple carbs.
    - Trasmatta 5y ago
      Diabetes, especially T1 diabetes, is so unbelievably mentally taxing. It's a constant source of cognitive load and stress, as your conscious brain is being forced to take on the functions of your pancreas. A lot of diabetics develop mental health issues and unhealthy habits as a result of it (which is what it sounds like happened to your dad). For me, a CGM was the biggest game changer, by far. Second was cutting down to eating one (larger) meal per day.
- failwhaleshark 5y ago
  I'm not diabetic but I know what low blood sugar feels like from both exercise depletion and long-term fasting. If you're not diabetic and have low blood sugar from exertion, just stop what you're doing and drink some water and rest. Your body will handle it just fine. Carbs should be reserved for real emergencies.