“Why do I feel tired after I eat?”
After I eat I feel tired and in a daze. This is how I usually feel when my blood sugar levels are low. I've been taking insulin injections frequently, but does this mean I need to lower my dosage?
4 Answers
Endocrinology-DiabetesInsulinInjections
It is caused by metabolizing food, particularly carbs, in people who are not very active and often overweight.
Diabetes is all about numbers - your sugar numbers that is! As people have diabetes longer, their bodies have a hard time differentiating between low, normal, or high sugars. The only way to know is if you keep a glucose log or wear a continuous glucose monitor and share with your endocrinologist, to determine if insulin dose adjustment is required.
Several events take place in the body after a meal which may cause the individual to feel tired and sleepy. Here are some examples:
First, blood supply to the gut increases preferentially, leading to redistribution favoring the central nervous system less and causing the individual to seek rest.
Second, the balance in the autonomic nervous system that services the gut shifts to favor the parasympathetic system that relates to a low energy state and a desire to limit activity
Third, foods rich in simple carbohydrates (sugar) generate an insulin response that shifts amino acid concentration in the blood and causes tryptophan to be taken up by the brain. Tryptophan is converted to chemicals that cause sleepiness (serotonin, melatonin).
Fourth, increased insulin moves potassium from the blood stream into cells. Lower circulating potassium levels can contribute to fatigue.
First, blood supply to the gut increases preferentially, leading to redistribution favoring the central nervous system less and causing the individual to seek rest.
Second, the balance in the autonomic nervous system that services the gut shifts to favor the parasympathetic system that relates to a low energy state and a desire to limit activity
Third, foods rich in simple carbohydrates (sugar) generate an insulin response that shifts amino acid concentration in the blood and causes tryptophan to be taken up by the brain. Tryptophan is converted to chemicals that cause sleepiness (serotonin, melatonin).
Fourth, increased insulin moves potassium from the blood stream into cells. Lower circulating potassium levels can contribute to fatigue.
Perhaps it does or maybe you need a different insulin or different timing of your injections. Without knowing kind of insulin, the doses, your body wt., your carb intake, & the time of your doses I can't give you specific advise. There are several possibilities 1) you are taking too much basal insulin. We have always said the basal insulin should be 50% of the total daily insulin but recently experts are saying basal should probably exceed 40% & most people are "over-basalized". So check this out with the Dr. who will need some data to figure out what the problem. Before you see the Dr. check a lot of BS Fasting, 2 hr post meal and pre-meal. Check some also when you feel bad. If the Dr. has ability to fit you with a continuous glucose monitor for 3 days and knows how to read the data it would help immensly. If he or she does not have it maybe they can find someone who can provide this service. Most endocrinologist, especially those with a special interest in diabetes, have this capacity. For your good health get it checked out.
