Constant Hunger

[Rosie:)]

Hi, I've recently hit a wall with my doctors. I’m currently suffering with constant hunger. My doctor has advised me to take more insulin which I have followed with no improvement. I would even say the more insulin in my body the worse it gets. I wanted to know if you had any information/research into this problem as my diabetic team do not seem to have any information so seem to ignore me. Thank you.

Any ideas or thoughts?


Rosie.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Rosie, I'm not sure what content hunger is - can you describe how it affects you?

 

[Rosie:)]

im hungery all the time. x

 

[Northerner]

im hungery all the time. x

Ah, I see - you mean constant hunger 🙂 I know how you feel - I'm often hungry between meals. Have you tried snacking on non-carb items, like nuts, cheese, sugar-free jelly etc.?

 

[Rosie:)]

yes sorry my little spelling mistake. Well i can eat till im bloated on things like you subjected im good at knowing low carbs. Its to the point where im so bloated i physically cant eat any more but i still have the feeling of starvation.

 

[Emmaathome]

i asked my DSN about this last time i saw her. I've actually been woken up by my tummy grumbling, and actual stomach pains due to feeling hungry. Not something i ever experienced before starting insulin!! She said it isnt anything to do wtih insulin though, and must be something else i'm doing.

would be interested if you find out any more from your doctor! hope you get sorted soon xx

 

[Rosie:)]

i asked my DSN about this last time i saw her. I've actually been woken up by my tummy grumbling, and actual stomach pains due to feeling hungry. Not something i ever experienced before starting insulin!! She said it isnt anything to do wtih insulin though, and must be something else i'm doing.

would be interested if you find out any more from your doctor! hope you get sorted soon xx

I have read that hunger is connected to insulin intake. Every doctor says different to me. If you find anything out let me know, im struggling Xx

 

[LeeLee]

I'm not on insulin, but my default state is hungry. High protein snacks help me to go that bit longer between pangs. Have a look in the recipes thread - I've posted a recipe for crustless quiche that's very low carb but still satisfying.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I find my own hunger is a bit 'chicken and egg'. The times when I often snack are the times when I feel really hungry (however much I've just eaten).

High protein foods seem to reduce them a little for me too, as does increasing fluid intake (I think sometimes my brain confuses thirst and gives the wrong signal). Sometimes though I just need to break the cycle and ride it out for a week or two until the habitual time-based snacking urges subside

Hope you manage to find a way through 🙂

 

[bennyg70]

I think theres a few little tips and tricks to trick your mind into thinking its less hungry.

I saw it on a program a while ago.

The first was to chew you food for longer at meal time, it makes your brain think youve eaten more.
You can also try chewing chewing gum - The same effect
Often when we are hungry - Its because we need a drink - Try downing a pint of water or something!

Ive tried these things as a hungry person... (Grrr the pains) andthey do work - I just have to remmebr to do them first instead of reaching for the snacks.

 

[DeusXM]

There is a loose connection between insulin levels and hunger - if your insulin is lowering your blood sugar, you are likely to be more hungry. But it's not a strong correlation and involves more than simply insulin on its own.

What is missing from this is what your diet and blood sugar levels are like. Hunger can be caused by a variety of things. Dehydration is actually one of the more common causes of hunger so if you are running higher blood sugars, that could be dehydrating you. High blood sugar can also be indicative that you aren't getting enough insulin to meet your body's metabolic needs, which also causes hunger.

Then there's other issues too. If you have a low calorie intake, then you're likely to feel hungry. You've also said you know about low carbs but you've not explained what the composition of your diet actually is - varying levels of protein and fat create different levels of satiety. And if you're transitioning from a higher carb diet to a lower carb one, you're also likely to suffer from hunger as your body adjusts its metabolic profile towards ketosis and gluconeogenesis.

 

[chris7]

Since before I was diagnosed last November I have been hungry and thirsty most of the time! I drink water like a fish at work and still I am hungry. I have asked the GP and diabetic nurse who have said it isn't my diabetes that is making me hungry and when I ask what it is they don't know! Which is no help to me!
I have been testing this week as I am off work on holiday and these are the results (not been able to test all meals)
24th 6.8 before food
9.6 1.5 hrs after
25th breakfast 7.0 before food
12.3 2 hrs after
dinner 5.1 before food
12.2 2 hrs after
26th breakfast 6.4 before food
9.9 2 hrs after
dinner 6.4 before
remembered 3-4 hours later not done!
27th lunch 3.8 before food
10.1 2hrs after

There doesn't seem to be any pattern and I eat porridge for breakfast. I have struggled with trying to not eat all the time but like today I had my lunch, dinner and within ten mins I am starving again!
If anyone finds out what this is or if there is anything that helps please let me know! My GP is fixated on the fact that my arms and legs keep going numb and not on the hunger, thirst and tiredness!

 

[Caroline]

Not sure if it will do much good, have you tried sipping warm drinks? Lots of people have said warm drinks help take the edge off of it. Also do you have warm or cold food? Warm makes a difference and makes you feel fuller for longer.

 

[DeusXM]

I'd also politely suggest you're having some blood sugar control issues which could be influencing your hunger.

Your 2-hour postprandial readings should ideally be about the same as your pre-meal ones but all of your postprandials are significantly higher. This isn't medical advice but on the face of it, it looks like either you aren't producing enough insulin or what you are producing just isn't getting used properly. Either way, this means that the energy in your food isn't actually getting into your cells - it's just sitting in your bloodstream. There are also a whole bunch of very complex hormonal interactions between your blood sugar level, your hypothalamus and your beta cells which can also drive hunger when your body misinterprets what high blood sugar means. There's no real need to go into these now as I think the essential point for you is to get your blood sugars under control.

Happily, this should also help with with your hunger quite considerably. As a T2, you have a bit more flexibility in reducing your carb intake safely. Reducing your carbs will reduce the pressure put on your insulin response, giving you more normal BGs. But you'll also have to make up the calorie deficit. This can include eating more protein but you don't want to overdo this as this can cause kidney issues, so the real place you need to pick up on are good fats - providing you are metabolising these, you should avoid any supposedly fat-related health issues. Fat also directly influences satiety and because it doesn't cause peaks and troughs in your insulin response and provides a more steady calorie release, it could also mean you feel fuller for longer.

Put it this way, if I have two slices of toast for breakfast, I'm hungry in about three hours' time. Give me a decent omelette and I can actually go until teatime without feeling hungry.