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To: Jeremy Hunt, Heidi Alexander, Theresa May
Research needed into Reactive Hypoglycaemia and Hypoglycemia Free test strips
Dear Sirs,
I am starting this campaign to get more knowledge out there on Reactive Hypoglycaemia and spread awareness.
Reactive Hypoglycaemia is caused by over producing insulin when eating and causing dangerously low blood sugar levels. We need to eat more often which costs more and only certain foods which can be expensive trialing what affects the individual and replacing carbohydrates with high protein non processed foods. Low blood sugar is also caused by other factors including stress and physical activity. Low blood sugar causes confusion, dizziness, weakness, shaking, nausea, anxiety, migraine, fatigue and can induse coma.
Often GPs are unaware of this condition, I have had to explain to gps what it is. I had to diagnose myself by testing my blood sugar with a home kit (agreed by a diabetes specialist) and was not sent for further testing, insulin resistance testing or tumour detection. Blood sugar testing kits and test strips are not free to us as we are not classed as diabetics.
Almost every food has sugar or sweetener added which is highly dangerous for anyone with Reactive Hypoglycaemia and diabetes. Take a look around next time you go shopping.
Why is this important?
Reactive Hypoglycaemia is not diabetes. In people with diabetes blood sugar is too high and insulin not released and the body can't control it. In hypoglycaemia insulin is over produced. Perhaps research could find a link between these two conditions and find a cure for diabetes as well as hypoglycaemia.
Some Doctors believe it can lead to type 2 diabetes as it is a pancreas problem.
Testing blood sugar is essential to Reactive Hypoglycaemia as the higher our blood sugar is the more insulin we produce the lower the drop; some of us do not get the high but do get the reaction and drop. We not only feel the lows but also the sudden drops in blood sugar. What we eat controls our blood sugar and it needs testing so we do not go too high or too low. It is just as dangerous to our health as a diabetic yet it is not seen as a dangerous health condition; it will not internally damage our organs however oxygen cannot be carried to the brain with low blood sugar count. While having a low, confussion and dizziness is uncontrollable and accidents can happen. Without testing we would not know whether our blood sugar levels were too high or low and what to eat to keep it level.
Patients are often given the wrong advice by Drs on how to handle their blood sugar levels and left to control it by the wrong diet. Even after a glucose tolerance test we are advised to drink lucazade. Any sugar in our system including fruit can cause serious over production of insulin and dangerous low blood sugar. More and more forums and social media pages are growing with people advising each other and its surprising how many are making themselves worse. There are lots of connected conditions such as Hypoglycemia, Insulinoma which is a tumour in the pancreas and Congenital hyperinsulinism in which babies are born with it.
More and more connections to other symptoms are being noticed by us patients such as vision disturbances, leg weakness, adrenal and thyroid problems.
Please research.
Please give more knowledge to gps for diagnosis.
Please grant us free test strips.
