garret@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP (Trisha O Tuama) (08/05/84)
***** > After having spend untold hours and untold $s on various > medical specialists over a number of years, I was finally > diagnosed as having hypoglycemia. This diagnosis resulted > from my having taken a glucose tolerance test (5 hours) > which in turn was prompted by my having read Dr. Harvey > Ross's book "Hypoglycemia: The Disease Your Doctors Won't > Treat." I have been on the nutritional diet recommended in > Ross's book (very little sugars and simple carbohydrates) > for 6 weeks with clearly effective results. I am impressed, > and I am not easily impressed. > I do not understand the apparent conspiracy among members of > the medical "establishment" to not recognize the importance > and apparent prevalence of hypoglycemia (or a better generic > term is probably "food allergies"), or the importance of > nutrition in the treatment of hypoglycemic-like symptoms. > There is a fringe group in the medical establishment called > "orthomolecular physicians/psychiatrists" who claim to use > nutritional approaches in the treatment of various ailments. > Does anyone have any experience with these specialists? More First of all, hypoglycemia is not a disease or disorder (or a food allergy) it is a ***SYMPTOM*** of a disease or disorder. Secondly, a number of tests have shown that a majority of the persons who are administered the standard glucose tolerance test exhibit symptoms of hypoglycemia to a greater or lesser degree (this is especially true for women between the ages of 20 and 40). Although I have not read Dr. Ross' book, I would assume from your description that the diet he recommends is similar to that prescribed for diabetics, except that complex, rather than simple, carbohydrates are used. I doubt there is an actual "conspiracy" among your individual doctors not to treat your hypoglycemic condition. Hypoglycemia is one of those medical problems about which very little is known and which can appear as a symptom to a number of disorders (including pancreatic cancer and hyperthyroidism). Most family practioners and internists do not also specialize in endocrinology and while you don't indicate what type of specialists your physicians are/were, perhaps it would have been better had they referred you to someone who knew more than they did. It might be worth your while to find out what is actually causing your hypoglycemia -- not just how it should be treated. Doctor Trisha
abc@brl-tgr.ARPA (Brint Cooper ) (08/11/84)
Conspiracy? Gee, my wife was diagnosed with hypoglycemia 10 or 15 years ago. Subsequently, other physicians confirmed the diagnosis. It seems to be nothing more then a pancreas that is out of whack, producing too much insulin to metababolize a quantity of sugar. Your simple solution of no sugar and little carbohydrates seems more than adequate. I'm not sure that "fringe group" medicine is called for here. Also, in the strict sense, this does not seem to be an allergy syndrome since the immune system is not involved.