I have hypoglycemia, and a doctor told me that I should cut out all sugars in my diet, but I have also been told that I should carry some barley sugars in my purse and if when I feel faint I should drink orange juice or a can of Coke. I am a little confused as to what to do.

Hypoglycemia can have several causes. I would suggest first trying to evaluate the condition more thoroughly. Sometimes people with hypoglycemia also have a condition known as insulin resistance which precedes type 2 diabetes and can be evaluated more by checking your blood pressure as well as your cholesterol/lipid tests.

Sometimes people think their blood sugar is low and it is not. I would recommend that you obtain a blood glucose meter like people with diabetes use and check your blood sugar when you are feeling like it is low to see how low it gets. You also might check after eating high carbohydrate meals to see how high your blood sugar gets. People with low blood sugar may be experiencing the body’s rebound from an episode of high blood sugar. I would talk with a health care provider who is willing to work with you more to investigate the hypoglycemia episodes rather than just treating them with some type of sugar.

TB

[Editor’s comment: See Other causes of hypoglycemia at the Diabetes Monitor.

WWQ]