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Information & Support for Fibromyalgia

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Established in October 1997 as a non-profit enterprise the original, international Guai-Support Network offers access to 'self-help' health education and support.   Discussion revolves around all renditions of the guaifenesin treatment for FMS, CFS, CFIDS, ME, IBS, EDS, IC, MCS, NMH, RLS, VV, MVP, MPS along with many other health issues such as HG, IR, reflux, Thyroid, Toxicity, etc., reference to other theories about FMS.  Other health conditions & treatment possibilities are referenced here and discussed under appropriate topic in the mailing list.  Members have access to extensive archives.

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FAQ about Hypoglycemia (HG)
HG: An abnormally low plasma glucose level that leads to symptoms of sympathetic nervous system stimulation or of CNS dysfunction
More
Revised June 29, 2006
 

Contents

What is hypoglycemia?
Is there an easier explanation?
What Does HG Have To Do With FMS
Will Guaifenesin help people with only Fibromyalgia?
Is too much sugar bad for Fibromyalgia?
All foods become glucose during digestion.  Doesn't that drive up insulin and cause symptoms?
Does a Low-carb diet help FMS (and guai protocol] too)?
If one has a major slip with sweets can it take two or three days for the symptoms to settle down?
Does Hypoglycemia lead to Diabetes?

Are HG and Carb Intolerance the same thing?

Is there a self test for HG?

 

Also see these links:
Dieting For Hypoglycemia (HG)
Insulin Resistance  

 

Insulin Resistance and Cardiovascular Disease
 

The Insulin-Resistance Diet : How to Turn Off Your Body's Fat-Making Machine

 

Blood Sugar Control   Reactive Hypoglycemia (RHG) Insulin Resistance: FMS & CMP Perpetuating Factor (by Devin J Starlynal)   Insulin Resistance   Low-GI   LowCarbCooking-Products-Recipes-Forums   Bonny's Low-carb Helpful Links, Tips & Recipes   Members' Book Reviews   Low Carb, Low Fat Cook Books    Which Diet Is Best For You?   About Coconut   Low-carb Diets  Low Carb Cook Books
Eradication of H. Pylori shown to improve hypoglycemia   Both obesity and type II diabetes may be associated with an increased incidence of H. pylori-colonization 

 

 

 

Xylitol looks, feels, and tastes exactly like sugar While sugar wreaks havoc on the body, xylitol heals and repairs While sugar is acid-forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking and baking Unlike many artif  

 

FAQ Hypoglycemia

What is hypoglycemia?
It is a metabolic disturbance characterized by fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemics have depleted reserves they need to rebuild in various endocrine glands including the pituitary gland and growth hormone; pancreas and glucagon; adrenal gland and cortisol. In addition, hypoglycemics may lose the brain's ability to perceive hypoglycemia and no longer respond to low levels of sugar with an appropriate release of adrenaline, the saviour that always pulls you out of the hypoglycemia.  More from the MERCK Manual.

"Hypoglycemia is a result of any disorder that causes abnormal restrictions in the production of glucose by the liver or kidneys or that causes abnormal increases in glucose uptake by the cells (Barzilai N 1999). Hypoglycemia can be divided broadly into three categories: reactive, drug induced, and fasting."  More

Postprandial Reactive Hypoglycemia

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Is there an easier explanation?
This story from Kathy Shuller (copyright) might help.
Once upon a time there was a town called Kathy's Body. In this town there was a choo-choo train called insulin. The train would pick up phosphates from the sewage treatment plant (intestines) and take them over to the local power company called cell mitochondria.

When the power company got the phosphate delivery, it would immediately throw it in the furnace to make electric power. BUT something at the power company wasn't working. The furnace was making a BUNCH of heat but no electricity. The furnace was consuming ALL the energy it was producing with none left over for the town to use. SO the mitochondria power company was overheating and kept shutting down.

The phosphate supply kept gettting larger as the insulin choo-choo train kept bringing more and more phosphate. There was no time to shut down and repair the power company's defective furnace. SO the town decided to do something about the fact that they had NO ENERGY. They started sticking guaifenesin in the town's phosphate supply.

Lo and behold, the combination of these two substances began to correct the malfunction in the power company furnace, and energy began to be produced again. The phosphate supply began to equal what was being used to make energy. They did this by shortening the insulin choo-choo so it couldn't carry all that excess phosphate to the power company. The guai was added at the furnace to improve the burn rate. All was well. And the moral of this story is we should have been atomic instead of burning fossil fuels. THEN all we would have to worry about is a total melt down. LOL.

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What does hypoglycemia have to do with fibromyalgia?
Fully 40 percent of women fibromyalgics and 20 percent of men fibromyalgics have hypoglycemia or carbohydrate intolerance as well.  It is postulated that for them the proper diet is essential along with the guaifenesin for overall improvement.

All forms of dizziness, blurring of eyes, light-headedness, shakiness are fibro symptoms unless eating carbohydrates makes the symptoms disappear within a few minutes. Then you may be experiencing carbohydrate intolerance or hypoglycemia, a metabolic disturbance common to folks with fibro. Some experience it only during cycles or stress, but anyone with fibro is more prone to carbohydrate intolerance.

In people with fibromyalgia, the contracted muscles, tendons and ligaments are making BIG demands for fuel, along with other overworked cells such as the brain and gut adding to the demand. The body's yearning for energy manifests as a craving for carbohydrates since the brain remembers: "Give me chocolate (or pasta) and I'll get energy."

Unfortunately, when fibromyalgia is preventing your body from forming energy, the ingested carbohydrates are forced to make heat (excessive sweating) and ultimately store weight. Releasing insulin again and again eventually pushes some of the endocrine system into overactivity, and it becomes overtaxed. Adrenaline (epinephrine) releases restore the rapidly falling blood sugar by blocking insulin action. However, this hormone causes the sudden tremors, sweating, heart pounding, anxiety and frontal headaches. These are the minor, or sometimes major, panic attacks we experience with hypoglycemia. This metabolic disturbance causes overlapping symptoms with fibro and adds to the diagnostic confusion.

Also check that your condition hasn't progressed (regressed?) to Insulin Resistance (IR) (Diabetes Type 2, Adult onset Diabetes).

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Will guaifenesin help people with only hypoglycemia?
No, only a diet will help hypoglycemia.  Guaifenesin is for fibromyalgia only.  High carbohydrates, or for some, high GI foods, are bad only for the people with fibromyalgia AND hypoglycemia or IR.  There is no evidence that a specific diet will help FMS, although various suggestions abound.  Dietary correction must be made for hypoglycemia even while the fibromyalgia is treated with guaifenesin and/or other treatment regimes.

Country Life  Hi Potency Biotin -- 1000 mcg 100 Tablets Source Naturals  Biotin -- 5 mg - 120 Tabs NutriCology  Biotin 5000 -- 60 Capsules

Biotin is a B vitamin that aids in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

 

More Information

GNC Women's Biotin 2500 mcg, Capsules

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Is too much sugar bad for fibromyalgia?
It probably would be best if none of us would eat sugar since it releases insulin and insulin helps move phosphates into cells, but it is not absolutely necessary for someone with uncomplicated fibromyalgia. On the other hand, if you have hypoglycemia along with fibro, sugar is a culprit.

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All foods become glucose during digestion.  Doesn't that drive up insulin and cause the symptoms?
All foods do become glucose, but protein and fats do it without the release of insulin.  In fact, if you go on a pure protein diet, you lose weight very fast.  An HG diet has enough carbs to keep that from happening but too few to release insulin.  Remember the glycemic index of food measures how fast the carbs cause the sugar to rise, causing the release of insulin.

Country Life  Brewer's Yeast Tabs -- 500 Tablets

 Brewers yeast has a mild stabilizing effect on blood sugars

 

More Information

Twinlab  Brewers Yeast Powder -- 18 oz

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If one has a major slip with sweets can it take two or three days for the symptoms to settle down?
Yes and some hypoglycemics find it takes a week to recover from a sugar binge.

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Does hypoglycemia lead to diabetes?
It does seem to lead to an increased chance of type II diabetes, Insulin Resistance. the kind you can usually control with diet and medication if necessary, but not insulin.  Blood sugar disorders do run in families, some members are merely hypoglycemic, and some diabetic.  All members of a family where there are diabetics should take it very seriously, from childhood on.

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Are Carbohydrate Intolerance and Hypoglycemia the same thing?

No. Carbohydrate Intolerance is typified by diarrhoea and abdominal distension caused by inability to digest carbohydrates because of a lack of one or more intestinal enzymes.

From the Merk Manual
"Pathophysiology
Disaccharides normally are split into monosaccharides by lactase, maltase, isomaltase, or sucrase (invertase) in the small bowel. Unsplit disaccharides remain in the lumen and osmotically retain fluid, causing diarrhea and abdominal distention. Bacterial fermentation of sugar in the colon leads to gaseous, acidic stools. Because the enzymes are located in the brush border of mucosal cells, secondary enzymatic deficiencies occur in diseases that lead to morphologic alterations of the jejunal mucosa (eg, celiac disease, tropical sprue, acute intestinal infections, neomycin toxicity). In infants, temporary secondary disaccharidase deficiency may complicate enteric infections or abdominal surgery.

The monosaccharides glucose and galactose are absorbed by active transport in the small bowel (fructose is absorbed passively). In glucose-galactose malabsorption, the small bowel lacks the transport system for these monosaccharides, and symptoms develop after ingestion of most kinds of sugar."

 

Further reading at the MERCK Manual.

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Is there a self test for HG?
Take the HG Quiz
at The Hypoglycemia Foundation site

Members can also access these tests in the archives under  the subject lines:
HG-Diet HG Test for adults part I - Date: 00/06/23
HG-test for adults part II - Date: 00/06/23
We are in the process of translating the original data with permission from 'association des Hypoglycemiques du Québec inc.' .

Caveat
inserted from L. Huhman: "if you are MSG sensitive, as MANY fibromyalgics are, you may get a false positive on the test.  Some of the issues that may cloud your results are insomnia, migraine headaches, obesity, food allergies, asthma, confusion, fatigue, anxiety, etc. It is a good test, but not specific for HG."

Caveat inserted from Tesa: Please ensure that you haven't progressed to
Insulin Resistance (which can also be treated by medication as well as diet) and are not Celiac or Gluten Intolerant.

The test is not intended to replace nor challenge proper medical diagnosis and care. 

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Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue & Irritable Bowel: Treating Symptoms Treating Cause

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The Guaifenesin Guide)

A unique book that gives sufferers and their families clear explanations and practical information on every type of treatment for these distressing and hard to manage disorders. It dispels the misconceptions, that lead some people to dismiss these conditions, with thoughtful explanations and reasoning. This book gives emphasis to eliminating the conditions by addressing their 'cause', with a commonly used 'over-the-counter' medication, guaifenesin and provides detailed, easy-to-follow guidelines.

 

 

 

              

Examining Guaifenesin

 

 

Parting the Fog: The Personal Side of Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Sue Jones, a GG Member

Parting the Fog" is a candid, first person account of what it is like to walk in the shoes of someone suffering from fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome. It relays the seriousness of this condition in an easy-to-read manner, while employing humor and focusing on hope.

 

 

 

 

 

Crack Up at the Wake of Dawn: Everyday Poetry to Incite and Delight Your Soul

Another great Book from our GG Member Sue Jones!  If you are a fan of "Parting the Fog", you won't want to miss this book. Although it isn't specific to fibro, you WILL find chapters you can closely relate to, since many topics are dealt with. Some of the poems may make you cry, others make you laugh, and still others trigger a thought or give you greater insight. Whichever the case, you won't be left unaffected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take My Hand: The Extraordinary Story of a Girl Named Janis

In Take My Hand, Audrey Revell (a long time member of GG) paints a vivid and moving picture of the life and indomitable spirit of her daughter Janis, an exceptionally talented musician and composer despite having lost her sight as a child together with progressive hearing loss.

 

 

 


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