Reacting to sugar

[pinkmomagain]

I'm wondering if any of you ladies know anything about blood sugar and such.
In an effort to try to figure out what my dd1's problem is (other than being a teenager) I noticed this weekend that it seemed when she had something sugary (a milkshake one time, candy another....) she seemed to "crash" a little while afterwards. Get whiny, irritable, moody. Now I know this can be typical teenage stuff, and she is moody at other times....but I had the unique experience of being with her this weekend (without the distraction of my other kids) so I was really able to observe the effects of sugar. I think she noticed it too. Is this a legitimate thing with an official dx? Should I be concerned. I'm trying to get her to be mindful of it (although she really likes candy, etc.) and to make good eating choices.

If anyone can shed any light, it would be great.

TIA

[brittone2]

I'm insulin resistant and this is how I react to sugar. My body pours out a lot of extra insulin when I eat something sweet, which then lowers my blood sugar waaaay down and I get sleepy, grumpy, brain foggy, sometimes hypoglycemic feeling.

How people handle sugar/insulin issues is a big continuum and it doesn't mean she needs a diagnosis but you might want to explore that.

If I consume some fat/protein with it, it buffers it somewhat. In a person with a more normal insulin response this might be enough to stave it off. For me, it isn't enough.

eta: you might want to look up reactive hypoglycemia and see if that fits what you are seeing.

[JElaineB]

Yes, there a people who are sensitive to sugar and/or addicted to sugar, biolgically. If you google or search on Amazon (sugar sensitivity or sugar addiction) you will come up with some resources. A doctor's visit wouldn't hurt to rule out other or additional issues.

[pinkmomagain]

Thanks for your responses. I'm bringing her to the dr on Mon. I'm wondering if a few issues might be interrelated: Irregular heavy, cramping periods (already year 3 of menstruating), irritability/moodiness/some depressive-like thinking, acne, behavioral repsonse to sugar...others that may not be related (excessive saliva, sensitivity to heat/sun). Your responses gave me some direction!

[brittone2]

Obviously acne can be a normal teen thing, but that plus the heavy, irregular periods and the sugar issue could be worth looking at PCOS more closely if there's any concern there. I had irregular cycles as a teen and they were always chalked up to being a very competitive athlete (ran cross country and track year round and did practices 2x a day for a good portion of the year). It was only a decade later when we were ttc that I got diagnosed. I was put on BCP to help with my irregular cycles but no one ever realized I had pcos as I didn't have a lot of the external symptoms. Like many women no one paid attention until I was having infertility issues in my 20s after going off bcp.

There are obviously lots of other things they'd want to look at w/ the heavy/irregular cycles but that plus acne and the issues after eating sugar would make me ask the doc if bloodwork for PCOS might be indicated.

[JElaineB]

I agree with Beth, PCOS is a possibility. I have it as well and it definitely manifested when I was a teen, though my diagnosis never really received a name until years and years later. PCOS is also not one exact set of signs/sympotms, it can really vary from person to person, and doesn't necessarily invove ovarian cysts. But issues with insulin is definitely a hallmark. I did get treated with birth control pills as well, and I have been very glad that is a treatment that has be helpful to me over the years.

[WolfpackMom]

I agree with Beth, PCOS is a possibility. I have it as well and it definitely manifested when I was a teen, though my diagnosis never really received a name until years and years later. PCOS is also not one exact set of signs/sympotms, it can really vary from person to person, and doesn't necessarily invove ovarian cysts. But issues with insulin is definitely a hallmark. I did get treated with birth control pills as well, and I have been very glad that is a treatment that has be helpful to me over the years.

:yeahthat: To all of this. Mine wasn't diagnosed until I was 25 and was getting ready to be TTC. Once all the puzzle pieces from the teen years-on were put together it all made sense. What you describe does have some flags for that, but it could be nothing and just generally teenagedom so don't get too worried before getting the chance to speak to an actual Dr! Hope you figure out whats up.

[newg]

I was also diagnosed with PCOS in my 20's due to fertility issues. As a teen I also had horrible period issues which were chalked up to major athletic involvement.
But, being diabetic, none of the typicla PCOS symptoms could really apply to me. Going on BC did help me too.

[pinkmomagain]

Thanks for all this good info. The acne thing is this: my dh and I (nor our brother and sisters) had a major issue with acne as a teen. Yeah, we had some acne, but not to the degree, it seems, that dd has. We've been trying to control it for 1.5 years with various topical rx's from the ped derm to no avail. That got me thinking that maybe this is beyond some of the typical teen stuff.

I guess one thing that makes me question the PCOS possibility is that dd is very petite and skinny...no weight problem. She does have Ulcerative Colitis so I don't know how much that comes into play with the weight thing.

[JElaineB]

I guess one thing that makes me question the PCOS possibility is that dd is very petite and skinny...no weight problem. She does have Ulcerative Colitis so I don't know how much that comes into play with the weight thing.

Your daughter may not have PCOS, but there are plenty of women with PCOS who are thin. There is a subforum for "thin cysters" on http://www.soulcysters.net/forum.php.

[brittone2]

Thanks for all this good info. The acne thing is this: my dh and I (nor our brother and sisters) had a major issue with acne as a teen. Yeah, we had some acne, but not to the degree, it seems, that dd has. We've been trying to control it for 1.5 years with various topical rx's from the ped derm to no avail. That got me thinking that maybe this is beyond some of the typical teen stuff.

I guess one thing that makes me question the PCOS possibility is that dd is very petite and skinny...no weight problem. She does have Ulcerative Colitis so I don't know how much that comes into play with the weight thing.

I weighed under 100 lbs in high school (5'2") and have PCOS (at age 14 I was about 92lbs). I had it in high school and didn't know it. When our whole infertility journey began, my original OB/GYN told me there was "No way" I had PCOS because I wasn't overweight, etc. even though I had a few higher end of normal bloodwork results. He even recommended that I gain weight so I "would start ovulating again." even though my BMI was 19-20 at the time (normal range). I pressed on and was eventually diagnosed by an RE. I definitely have it, and I had it in high school. Obviously it might or might not be PCOS in her case, but there are plenty of thinner women with PCOS. Sometimes they are actually more challenging to treat (what I've heard from a few REs). PCOS has a laundry list of what are basically mix and match symptoms...it is possible to only have a few from the list.

As a somewhat related aside, there was something presented at a dermatology conference a few months ago about reduced carb (I think they did Southbeach?) consumption helping teens with resistant acne.

[WolfpackMom]

Yeah weight can be an issue in PCOS but definitely not always. I am 5'5 and weigh 116, I weighed even less when diagnosed 2 years ago. In hs I was teeny and still had many symptoms.

[brittone2]

Can you see this without logging in?

This is the bit I was thinking of about reduced carb/low glycemic diet and acne:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAD/13261

from the above:
And among survey respondents taking acne medication, 91% said they decreased the dose of medication or the amount of acne treatment after starting the diet, Panta Rouhani, Ph.D., of the University of Miami, and colleagues reported here at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting.

The findings not only suggest that a low-carbohydrate diet is an effective therapeutic adjunct for acne but challenge the view of many skin-care specialists who discount diet as a factor in the condition.

Recent evidence suggests that diet-induced hyperinsulinemia triggers a hormonal cascade, eliciting an endocrine response that simultaneously triggers unregulated epithelial growth and keratinization as well as androgen-mediated sebum secretion," the investigators continued.


Might be worth asking derm and doc about it for her, especially if she seems carb sensitive in other ways?

[pinkmomagain]

Thanks for the weight input! She is about 5'1 and less than 100lbs. Interesting to know that the weight trouble does not always hold true for PCOS.

And thanks for the article Brittone2. I accessed and printed it out...will bring it to the dr with me. I am very grateful. I've been trying to think out of the box with this issue since the ped derm wants to put her on an antibiotic to try to control the acne and with her colitis dx, this is not an ideal option to say the least. If diet and/or bcp can help her, that would be infinitely preferable.

[brittone2]

Thanks for the weight input! She is about 5'1 and less than 100lbs. Interesting to know that the weight trouble does not always hold true for PCOS.

And thanks for the article Brittone2. I accessed and printed it out...will bring it to the dr with me. I am very grateful. I've been trying to think out of the box with this issue since the ped derm wants to put her on an antibiotic to try to control the acne and with her colitis dx, this is not an ideal option to say the least. If diet and/or bcp can help her, that would be infinitely preferable.

Best of luck to you both. I hope you can get some answers :hug: