How to heal mysterious leaky gut symptom & blood-sugar-related insomnia
June 21, 2020 10:17 PM Subscribe
I am desperate for some advice. I can't sleep without eating some form of sugar and can't figure out why (please read details).
I have leaky gut and a laundry list of food intolerances and associated symptoms (eczema, hormonal imbalance, irregularity, dry hair, hair loss, candida, fatigue, etc.)
This time last year, I started having terrible problems sleeping and I couldn't figure it out. A couple months ago, it was late and I couldn't go to sleep. I was craving carbs so I cheated on my diet and ate some late-night cereal. To my surprise, I went right to sleep afterward and woke up totally rested.
Ive continued to sleep normal ever since, but I have to have glucose before bed or else I absolutely will not go to sleep. (**I've tried eating all kinds of other sugar-less carbs and they don't have the same affect**)
Glucose (or lactose) not only helps me sleep, it wakes my whole body up. I feel alert, and my dry, coarse hair gets soft almost immediately — it sounds weird I guess, but it's like my body is depleted of fuel.
Having glucose before bed wouldn't be a big issue except it flares my candida — it solves one problem but causes another.
My questions are:
> Why can't my body get the fuel it needs from carbs? Why can't I go to sleep without actual sugar?
> What body system/organ/process is responsible for converting carbs to sugar?
>How can I get the glucose I need without feeding the candida?
(I take probiotics, l-glutamine, and Zinc)
I have leaky gut and a laundry list of food intolerances and associated symptoms (eczema, hormonal imbalance, irregularity, dry hair, hair loss, candida, fatigue, etc.)
This time last year, I started having terrible problems sleeping and I couldn't figure it out. A couple months ago, it was late and I couldn't go to sleep. I was craving carbs so I cheated on my diet and ate some late-night cereal. To my surprise, I went right to sleep afterward and woke up totally rested.
Ive continued to sleep normal ever since, but I have to have glucose before bed or else I absolutely will not go to sleep. (**I've tried eating all kinds of other sugar-less carbs and they don't have the same affect**)
Glucose (or lactose) not only helps me sleep, it wakes my whole body up. I feel alert, and my dry, coarse hair gets soft almost immediately — it sounds weird I guess, but it's like my body is depleted of fuel.
Having glucose before bed wouldn't be a big issue except it flares my candida — it solves one problem but causes another.
My questions are:
> Why can't my body get the fuel it needs from carbs? Why can't I go to sleep without actual sugar?
> What body system/organ/process is responsible for converting carbs to sugar?
>How can I get the glucose I need without feeding the candida?
(I take probiotics, l-glutamine, and Zinc)
This post was deleted for the following reason: -- cortex
Have you been checked for diabetes at all? The candida flaring up made me think of it. I've known several folks who suffered with persistent yeast infections during their pre-diabetic phase.
posted by cabingirl at 11:38 PM on June 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by cabingirl at 11:38 PM on June 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
Can you share what your normal diet is and what your dietary intolerances are? It might help people brainstorm without suggesting that you do something you're already doing or something you can't do.
Without knowing anything else, it sounds like it could be an insulin thing. Your pancreas produces insulin when you eat carbs, and insulin transports the sugar from the carbs from your blood stream into the rest of your body. Too much or too insulin from the pancreas can result in too much or little blood sugar -- which can cause lots of physical problems, one of which is sleep disturbances.
posted by invincible summer at 6:31 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Without knowing anything else, it sounds like it could be an insulin thing. Your pancreas produces insulin when you eat carbs, and insulin transports the sugar from the carbs from your blood stream into the rest of your body. Too much or too insulin from the pancreas can result in too much or little blood sugar -- which can cause lots of physical problems, one of which is sleep disturbances.
posted by invincible summer at 6:31 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
I popped back in to say that consuming a bunch of sugar when you don't usually do so, can cause a big spike and crash in blood sugar levels and that can make you sleepy. For example, if I eat ice cream I will be exhausted for about an hour. Look up reactive hypoglycemia or dumping syndrome and see if those sound like you.
posted by cabingirl at 7:01 AM on June 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by cabingirl at 7:01 AM on June 22, 2020 [2 favorites]
> What body system/organ/process is responsible for converting carbs to sugar?
That'd be amylase, one of the digestive enzymes. Some amylase is produced in your saliva (which is why starchy foods can turn sweet with a lot of chewing), but the rest is secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine.
Unless you have pancreatic disease or one of many disorders of carbohydrate malabsorption, (which cause gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, gas and abnormal stool that you didn't mention) you're probably breaking starches down to sugar. Differences in the speed of the process (i.e. the glycemic index and glycemic load of starches compared to simple sugars) lead to different insulin responses and different timing of blood sugar changes.
Gonna add to the chorus of voices saying you should get checked out for diabetes or reactive hypoglycemia or something along those lines.
And if you do have more digestive symptoms than you mentioned, I cannot underestimate the importance of getting a full GI workup and identifying the root cause of your "leaky gut" symptoms. Intestinal permeability and inflammation is a symptom, not a cause on its own, and leaky gut is an alternative catchall diagnosis that can slow down your search for a root cause. My partner went through this with an adult celiac diagnosis after a possible cancer scare and an endoscopy; they had suffered for a long time with seemingly unpredictable gastrointestinal symptoms, and a non-specific elimination diet that didn't focus on their allergen (gluten) would not have helped them at all.
posted by fountainofdoubt at 8:06 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
That'd be amylase, one of the digestive enzymes. Some amylase is produced in your saliva (which is why starchy foods can turn sweet with a lot of chewing), but the rest is secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine.
Unless you have pancreatic disease or one of many disorders of carbohydrate malabsorption, (which cause gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, gas and abnormal stool that you didn't mention) you're probably breaking starches down to sugar. Differences in the speed of the process (i.e. the glycemic index and glycemic load of starches compared to simple sugars) lead to different insulin responses and different timing of blood sugar changes.
Gonna add to the chorus of voices saying you should get checked out for diabetes or reactive hypoglycemia or something along those lines.
And if you do have more digestive symptoms than you mentioned, I cannot underestimate the importance of getting a full GI workup and identifying the root cause of your "leaky gut" symptoms. Intestinal permeability and inflammation is a symptom, not a cause on its own, and leaky gut is an alternative catchall diagnosis that can slow down your search for a root cause. My partner went through this with an adult celiac diagnosis after a possible cancer scare and an endoscopy; they had suffered for a long time with seemingly unpredictable gastrointestinal symptoms, and a non-specific elimination diet that didn't focus on their allergen (gluten) would not have helped them at all.
posted by fountainofdoubt at 8:06 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]
Why can't my body get the fuel it needs from carbs?
It's possible that it can, but it takes up to 1.5 hours to convert carbs so you probably aren't waiting long enough.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:23 AM on June 22, 2020
It's possible that it can, but it takes up to 1.5 hours to convert carbs so you probably aren't waiting long enough.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:23 AM on June 22, 2020
« Older Novels written by men with female characters that... | Western MA – outdoor swimming season Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ygmiaa at 10:20 PM on June 21, 2020