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Message started by George88 on Nov 15th, 2009, 7:19pm

Title: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by George88 on Nov 15th, 2009, 7:19pm

Hi everyone :)

I was wondering if anyone else has heard of this? Most of you probably haven't but I haven't been able to find anyone else that has it.

I'm actually not sure whether I have it or not, but I'm leaning towards yes. I also think it may be the cause of my anxiety so I thought I would post this here, as a lot of people here seem to have anxiety.

Anyway, the low-down. Idiopathic postprandial syndrome is the appearance of low blood sugar symptoms in the form of adrenergic and low blood sugar manifestations without having measurably low blood sugar levels.

I believe the cause of these symptoms is related not to low blood sugar, rather a rapid decline in blood sugar causing the release of epinephrine to stabalise blood sugar levels. This results in increased awareness, increased heart rate, palpitations, anger, irritability and anxiety!

But does anyone know what could cause it? I have been on two courses of corticosteroids (prednisolone) this year for 8 weeks at a time. I thought it may be something to do with those, as they can raise your blood sugar levels. My little theory is that my body might have adjusted to higher blood sugars and as a result, over releases insulin when I eat carbohydrates. I may be wrong though, as my blood sugar never actually goes low (wouldn't over production of insulin cause low levels?) ... thoughts anyone?

Looking back, these symptoms were present before I took my second course of steroids, but were not present before I took the first course. Also, they did not manifest right after my first course, so this leads me to some confusion!

All is not lost; though, as there are ways to control this syndrome. The obvious treatment is to cut out simple sugars and eat complex, low GI carbs!

Thanks for reading :) and post if you've had similar experiences!

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by cayron on Oct 30th, 2012, 5:48am

I also suffer from the idiopathic postprandial syndrome. My symtoms are hunger 2 - 2.5 hours after every meal and extreme fatigue. NO anxiety, although I've always been an anxious person (It has not worsened with the onset of the two mentioned symtoms). With regard to steroids I can't tell you anything, sorry.

Diet change (no refined sugars, high fiber, high protein, etc.) didn’t help. To find an explanation and a therapy, I did an extensive search including scientific databases – with no results. That’s why I know try to get personal experciences. Do you have any idea what causes the symptoms or did you even find a therapy?

To reduce the fatigue I’m planning to try drugs that were postively tested to reduce symtpoms in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I offer to inform you about the effects once I tried them.

I think sufferers of the syndrome should cooperate better. I consider starting a special web forum. There we could share e. g. medical parameters, that are apparently NOT linked to the syndrome thus approaching the real causes. Do you think, that‘s a good idea?

Thanks a bunch

cayron

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by George88 on Jan 31st, 2013, 8:01am

Hello,

I never saw your reply to my thread when you made it. To be honest I had forgotten all about this post of mine since it's years old now.

With respect to idiopathic postprandial syndrome: this so-called syndrome has long since disappeared for me, so I can't comment any further on this. I never did find out precisely why those symptoms were occuring, but I strongly suspect anxiety was the driving force behind much of them. I was also struggling with Chron's disease symptoms and a chronic infection at the time, so I shall never know the true cause.

Anyway, I hope you do find a successful treatment. Please share your thoughts and experiences if you ever find a way of controlling your symptoms :).

George.

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by cayron on Feb 8th, 2013, 6:20am

hey george,

Thanks for your reply! In 2009 you reported symptoms of anxiety and senisibility to high GI foods. Does the latter mean that you were experiencing hunger ~2 hours after each meal? I'm asking this because this is the key symptom in idiopathic postprandial syndrome. If so, what were the MD's explanations for this?

I find the question of this postprandial hunger very interesting, because - as far as i know - there's no explanation for it EXEPT your blood sugar is destabilized (which is the case in reactive hypoglycemia, what I obiously don't suffer from).

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by George88 on Mar 2nd, 2013, 4:01am

Hi Cayron,

Apologies for the delayed reply. I don't check the general section very often.

I don't recall experiencing hunger ~2 hours after eating. I've never experienced this symptom either. The only symptoms I recall are racing heart (~120 bmp) and opening of the airways, irritability, a shaky weak feeling (perceived weakness) and possibly others I don't remember.

I never saw my gastroenterologist regarding these symptoms, just my GP who assured me this was not blood sugar related. I do not remember his assumptions either, but he didn't think anything was wrong. I did afterwards buy a blood sugar meter to make sure I wasn't having low blood sugar. I measured my blood sugar religiously after every meal for around a week and never got a reading other than what is acceptable. Obviously I don't remember the results, nor do I recall what is accepted as normal, but I think 5.7 and below, on the measurement scale I was using (UK measurements) is acceptable 90 minutes post meal.

With respect to actual idiopathic postprandial syndrome, I can't comment any further. I remember some articles that were questioning the existence of this syndrome to those that claimed the reason for the symptoms was a rapid drop in bloog sugar levels, prompting the body to release adrenaline to counter the drop.

Which, if any, were right? I have no idea. For me all I can do is use the "common sense approach" to medicine and symptoms, which is the worst approach possible. In ignornace I would claim that this drop should not bring about adrenal response since the blood sugar never drops below normal and thus never technically requires action to be taken. Evolutionarily, why should the body waste energy anticipating a possible but unlikely outcome in any given respect? All I know of it is that LOW blood sugar causes an adrenal response, but is the body capable of detecting rapid drops in blood sugar, and further anticipating a decline below acceptable, and then just in case, taking action before it happens? I don't know if it has the capacity for such an action so I'm not in a position to comment. In ignorance I would say no, since that souds like an intelligently designed response, not an evolutionary one, but that's personal opinion and nothing more.

Again, sorry about the delay. I'll check back here daily from now on.


George.

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by cayron on Mar 6th, 2013, 6:49am

Thanks george for your reply.

As you never experienced postprandial hunger, you definitively didn't have the idiopathic postprandial syndrome, as this hunger is the key symptome of this syndrome.

I agree to your rejection of the adrenaline-response approach to explaining the idiopathic syndrome. The point is, that I don't even experience autonomic symptoms (palpitations, sweating, shaking, blurred vision, etc.), but only neuroglycopenic symptoms (hunger and fatigue).

Thanks for your help!

cayron

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by SoulHealer on May 4th, 2013, 11:52am

I'm trying, a several years, to find out root cause of my postprandial extrasystoles and even some paroxistic supraventricular arrhythmia episodes (PSVT, Afib and atrial flutter). There is a kit test named ASI (Adrenal Stress Index) from saliva. There is somebody trying to have a confirmation using this test for IPS?

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by cayron on May 6th, 2013, 6:08am

I don't know anything about heart palpitations, but I think measuring adrenal hormones through saliva is very inaccurate. You better measure them in urine or blood.

Greets cayron

Title: Re: Idiopathic postprandial syndrome & anxiety any
Post by lr3216 on May 8th, 2013, 11:45pm

SoulHealer,.  I just had that test done and my two docs said doing the saliva test is more accurate than any other test..    It was done in Washington state but the test was given to me at the docs office so cant remember the name of it. :) :)

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