Hypoglycemia?

I have these episodes of hypogycemia, too. I've had them periodically over the years. The episodes feel awful, just as you've described. BUT, it's never been anyone else's responsibility to feed me. And, over time, I have become better at recognizing the symptoms sooner.

I doubt he needs a whole meal to combat these episodes. What he needs first is to eat protein at all meals. Then to have high protein, high carb snacks available.

The hypoglycemic episodes are a smaller issue than his refusal to take responsibility for his own needs, and then to blame you. That's a big issue.

Wow. He is really another child to you isn't he? You need to stop this right now already. He is a grown up who is perfectly capable of 'feeding' himself. If he feels himself getting like this he can damn well get his own snack. Seriously, he is treating you like a servant or a mommy. Next time he does this just say as calm as you can-no I am not going to help you here. You are going to have to get your own snack. And do not back down or discuss it b/c there is nothing to discuss. And....PLEASE think twice about marrying this man.

Hypoglycemia is a health condition, but it is not an excuse for being just plain lazy and rude! Seriously, he is an adult, how did he function before you came along? His mommy? He needs a reality check. You have your hands full with your kids, who actually require your help to be fed. I assume that he has two working hands and two working feet, so he can walk his grumpy butt to the kitchen and make his own snack!! Now, if you really feel you need to help in some way, and you have the time, make some easy to grab, no cooking required, pre-packed snacks that he can easily find. Talk to him about what you are doing and that you will not schedule your life around his eating every 4 hours when he is more than capable of doing for himself. Talk to him when he has eaten and his blood sugar is stable to avoid a nasty blowout. Then stick to your guns, mama. If he can't handle this one request and insists on controlling your days around his eating, imagine the rest of your life and what he will try to control once you are married.... and the example it is setting for your children! Nip this in the bud, or you may want to reconsider marrying him. I know that's not what you want to hear, but this could be a dealbreaker. Good luck!

I agree with Mallory P. 100%! Is he the father of your two children? If not, I would seriously re-think the marriage idea. Do not enable this behavior. You can be gracious and help keep quick snacks on hand to help ward off these episodes, but in the end he is the one that is going to have to be responsible for his illness. Google hypoglycemia snacks for ideas on quick meals. Think protein and carbs, but not super high calorie or highly processed foods. Such ideas are peanut butter and banana, cheese sticks and whole wheat crackers, tuna on whole wheat bread, etc. Good luck and I hope everything works out!
A.

I have hypoglycemia. I have to eat and have the shaky hands thing and get almost faint sometimes if my blood sugar gets to low. If I feel it happening, I get up and get myself my own food (whether its juice or some fruit). There are plenty of things he can eat to deal with hypoglecemia that don't even require him to cook. Just walk into the kitchen, grab something, and be good. I think he may have an actual health issue, I don't dismiss that, but the "hot temper" is more just him being lazy and a jerk. I know that's harsh to say as I'm sure you love this man, but seriously. He's an adult and is perfectly capable of getting himself food. Also, he shouldn't need to eat anything complicated every 4 hours. I mean basically he needs just like the kids, three meals and two snacks. The snacks can be simple. I know he is perfectly capable to go into the kitchen and grab his own snack. Why should you have to do that? So yes, man baby, definitely.

His problem could be legitimate, but expecting you to anticipate and care for every physical need is just plain childish, bordering on abusive. There are a million protein-rich, low-carb snacks he could eat every four hours that would not have you doing all his cooking and fetching.

You mention in an earlier post "walking on eggshells" around an abusive step-father. I'd like to point out that something in you has come to see this as "normal" for you, and you have found a partner who now has you in a similar dynamic, catering to his absurd demands in order to keep his love and approval. This is not normal or healthy, and you deserve better. Please find some help for this – you could start by reading about women like you (and me) and how we fall into these patterns and heal from them. But counseling would be a tremendous support for you while you find a new "normal" that's actually happier and healthier for you, and for your children.

I'd like to mention that severe hypoglycemia is now understood in some medical circles as very early-stage type 2 diabetes. The chronology goes like this: a hyper-reactive pancreas supplies more insulin than is needed every time sugar or other carbs are eaten. This drives too much of the glucose (blood sugar) out of the bloodstream and into the cells, where some is burned for energy and some is stored as fat. The person gets hungry again because there is no available glucose to fuel the brain (its primary energy source) or the muscles. The person goes weak and shaky, and the brain can become irritable and irrational.

This pattern goes on for years, and the pancreas begins to falter. It can no longer produce the amount of insulin needed to make use of sugars from the foods eaten. The glucose levels in the blood stay high, and this begins to damage nerves, kidneys, blood vessels. At this point, simple glucose testing can detect the problem and it is diagnosed as diabetes. But the illness started years earlier, and apparently originates in our genetics. People without the genetic disposition can overeat every day for life without wearing out the pancreas. People with the wrong genes end up with diabetes, type II.

Anyway, it's not your fiance's fault he's got this genetic makeup, but it should, ideally, be his responsibility to eat correctly, and high-protein snacks are ideal. He doesn't need you to cater to his needs several times a day. Does he expect you to drop everything and bring him a drink every time he gets thirsty, too? Don't get sucked into that pattern, and if you've already gotten there, back out before you get married. If this man can take responsibility for his own health, great. If not, it sounds like you'll have another baby on your hands for life.

this is an attitude problem. You're not his mother, and shouldnt have to make sure he has snacks. My husband is hypoglycemic also, and I make sure he has nuts or something with protein to take to work or around in case he gets hungry, but he's in charge of when he eats it.

Yes, he is being a man baby. If he knows that he will get that way, he needs to take responsibility upon himself to eat something. I also have hypoglycemia, and the best thing for me is to have small snacks throughout the day instead of waiting every four hours to eat. The best thing is to have small snacks throughout the day, and then three small meals a day. He needs to be responsible for himself, because the way you are putting it (having to feed him "on time") he is like a small baby who can't feed himself. He's an adult and needs to act that way.

The book Hypoglycemia for Dummies by Cheryl Chow has some good information about hypoglycemia and how to treat it. Have him read it for himself so that he can learn how to manage it himself. You already have two children to feed, you don't need him acting like another one. I understand helping him to deal with it and being supportive, but for him to sit there and literally make himself sick waiting for you is just ridiculous. Good luck!

Seriously!?!? I'm laughing at the line "if I don't feed him on time." Sounds like a baby to me!! You are so right to be annoyed by this. He's a grown man for crying out loud - eat something already!! If he has a serious issue I hope he gets it checked out, but in the mean time tell him to grow up. YOU are NOT his mother. I am literally shaking my head in bewilderment :)

My EIGHT year old is hypoglycemic... and for the past 2 years he's been "responsible" for managing it himself.

CAVEAT:

- I keep an eye on him. His eyes go glassy about 20 minutes before any symptoms kick in.

- Changing levels of exercise REALLY affect how often kiddo needs to eat/drink (the single best "quick fix" for us is chocolate milk... fast sugars, slow sugars, proteins, and fats... 2nd best is the gawdawful gatorade pouches). When we're snowboarding, swimming, gymnastics, etc., he needs to eat every hour. When he's doing mentally intensive things, it's every 3 hours on average.

- by "manage" it himself kiddo is responsible for the following:
* making his own breakfast 1st thing in the morning after peeing,
* making sure his backpack, car pouch, jacket pocket (aka whatever he'd carrying with) has "quick fixes" in it (for times when it comes on unexpectedly... like a sudden increase in activity)
* making sure "his" shelf on the fridge is stocked with foods he can eat whenever WITHOUT having to "make" or needing me to "make" him something (yogurt, sammies, leftovers, hardboiled eggs, chocolate milk cups... high protein &/or high fat items mostly... and quick sugar things like fruit cups).
* when he starts to "lose it" to stop, strip, think (he gets overheated BIG time when his sugar crashes) BEFORE acting. Meaning if he's feeling hot, snarky, angry, spacey to STOP what he's doing, think about when he last ate/drank. If he can't remember, or can't think straight, to go get a 'quick fix' and see if it helps. If it does, to eat something solid.

The thing is... by the time blood sugar has dropped one CAN'T think well... but there ARE warning signs. He catches himself about 95% of the time these days. I send him off to take a timeout with some chocolate milk maybe once or twice a month.

IT IS NOT ANYONE ELSE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR HIS BLOOD SUGAR BUT HIMSELF.

And he's 8.

Of course I help... but the responsibility for it is his own. Just like peeing. I may still ask him if he needs to pee before we head out, but I don't ask him every hour. Bodily functions are one's own responsibility. Your husband isn't a toddler. He can (and should) learn to manage his own blood sugar.

I ALMOST NEVER SAY "SHOULD"... and I'm saying "should". Because this is a potentially life threatening condition... you don't put that on other people. You don't say "Well I decided to drive home drunk because SHE wouldn't drive me home." nope. Not anyone else's responsibility. You call a cab. You take responsibility for YOURSELF.

it's unfortunate that you allowed this to begin. now it's up to you to end. i'm also betting that a guy this immature and whiny doesn't restrict his immature whininess to this ridiculous helplessness over food.
there's really no 'help' to offer here. you know what you need to do.
khairete
S.

Hi. I am a mommy and a nurse and suffer from hypoglycemia myself. It sounds like your husband is suffering from hypoglycemia or "sugar crash".

What is happening is that after he eats his pancreas releases insulin to help him digest the sugars from the foods. After the sugar has quickly been digested the insulin remains in his system and causes a rapid decrease in sugar in the bloodstream, causing sweating, shaking and tempers to fly.

He should try eating every 2-3 hours instead of waiting for 4 (sorry :) ). However, he should not just have something sweet. He needs something substantial like some crackers and cheese, nuts, a small turkey sandwich. Foods with carbohydrates and protein will help keep his blood sugar on an even keel. If he eats just sweets he will feel better but crash faster and harder.

Now, about you dropping everything to feed him. What?? He is an adult, capable of feeding himself. He may be afraid of what is causing these crashes, so help him buy some snacks to keep on hand so he can grab them at a moments notice, BEFORE he is sweaty and shaky. I suggest yogurt, crackers, cheese, nuts, granola bars, small sandwiches, graham crackers, fruit like grapes or bananas. The good news is that hypoglycemia sn't a horrible thing you just need to know how to work with it.

Encourage and remind him to grab something every 2-3 hours (small or you'll have a big hubby in no time) and you should find it helps. I also always bring some snack in my purse for when we're out (granola bar, small candy bar for emergencies). Be prepared but make him do most himself. Good Luck!

PS--Does he drink alot of regular soda? That can cause crashes like no ones business.

my husband has Type One Diabetes and he's been independently taking care of his medication management (calculating insulin dosages based on carb counting, adjusting the dose to account for things like exercise and illness, etc.) and symptom relief (including episodes of hypoglycemia) since he was a teenager. Your husband can certainly manage his hypoglycemia all by himself. It might seem like he's in dire need of your help because hypoglycemia makes people so darn irritable and impatient. If it's a frequent problem he should be carrying snacks and/or glucose tablets with him.

encourage him to eat protein and fat with every single meal. And no sugary/carby snacks; it will only make things worse. Gently nudge him toward the library and/or doctor's office to get more info so he can help himself. Good luck.

I'm hypoglycemic and this sounds a lot like what happens to me if I don't eat, or don't eat correctly. There have been times I've gotten tunnel vision and totally passed out and awake seconds later disoriented and weak on the floor.

The thing is, neglected hypoglycemia can turn into diabetes, so he really needs to take care of himself.

Sometimes, my husband makes me snacks if I'm having an episode (but he loves to baby me)... but overall, I take care of myself. It's good to have something on you when out too, like a baggie of trail mix or almonds or something.

And yes, he is being a man baby. He needs to eat a proper snack before the episode hits. Some good info on eating/prevention/care/cause and what goods foods he can have here:

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Hypoglycemia_Diet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia

It might not be hypoglycemia - he may have diabetes.

Have his doctor check him out.

When taking care of a hypoglycemic or a diabetic - the meal structure is important....

For diabetes - carbs are a bad thing - peas, corn, other starchy foods breakdown into carbs - which depending upon how their body reacts - they can either have a sugar rush or a sugar drop.

Orange juice, peanut butter - other items like that are good for him to have around - they help regulate the sugars in the system, especially when he drops or bottoms out.

Good luck!!

I don't know your husband and I hate to judge but based on what your side of the story, I would say he is being a man baby. He knows he needs to eat every 4 hours too and assuming he has the use of all of his limbs I see know reason why he can't feed himself when you are busy taking care of other household responsibilities. Now is the time to have a serious talk with him before either of you say or do something you may regret.

He is a grown man. He should make his own food or carry around protein bars. This is what my 15 yo does and she has the same issues. I do not make her food, I do not make anyone food unless it is dinner and that is served on my time, when I get it done, usualy 5:45
Also he is not your husband, do you want to live life by serving him? I would have a huge heart to heart with him.
This is a form of manipulation. I would let the guy get hungry.

You could fight dirty. When he is like that do nothing. Then at dinner make something he detests. This is very passive aggressive and will only piss him off more, but sometimes it sure feels good to stick it to em when they are being a jerk.

Good luck with him.

My vote for man baby! Yes, it does sound like he has hypoglycemia and if he hasn't had it worked up with a doc, he needs to! AND, hello...this is a grown man. He can get up off his duff and make some crackers with peanut butter on crackers for Pete's sake!
Many times it is actually "reactive hypoglycemia". (I've dealt with this and it sucks because sometimes you think your bases are covered and it hits anyway). Here's what happens...you eat something...especially if it's white carbs (I ALWAYS get it when I eat pancakes or waffles for breakfast). Simple sugar overload, and the body OVER produces insulin to manage the sugar...then the it swings too far the other way and drops too low.
A lot of times this becomes a vicious cycle...feel bad, grab a cracker, soda, cookies, candy, whatever, feel ok, forget to eat something "substantial" with protein that would slow the sugar spike, and not long after it happens again.

Best bet...tell him to keep some orange juice with him. If he starts feeling bad even a tiny bit, drink some OJ while he makes some food FOR HIMSELF that includes complex carbs and protein, and if he keeps it up like this, with regular complete snacks, he may actually be able to stop the cycle.
Good luck!

My SIL has diabetes and crashes like this when her blood sugar goes too low. I would definitely tell your fiance to quit being a "baby man" (love that expression!) and 1. take charge of his health and go find out for sure what's wrong and 2. plan HIS day around his feedings which means having small snacks available - nuts, crackers, even candy bars if it's really bad. It doesn't have to be a full meal - sometimes even just sipping a soda will do (according to my SIL). If he has trouble remembering to stop and eat, there are watches available that he can set alarms on or maybe even set his cell phone alarm to go off every 3-4 hours. Point is, if he WANTS to work this out, he can!