Reactive hypoglycemia

The term postprandial hypoglycemia ( formerly known as reactive or functional hypoglycemia) describes an excessive drop in blood sugar levels a few hours after eating a meal, which mainly composed of short-chain carbohydrates.

The emergence of a post-prandial hypoglycemia can cause several problems underlie, for example:

• An excessive insulin secretion, which can be caused by reduced insulin sensitivity
• Accelerated gastric emptying following a stomach operation or intestinal motility disorders
• Renal glucosuria, is excreted in the glucose in the urine.

The symptoms consistent with the generally typical of hypoglycemic states neurological abnormalities

Distinguished from the adrenergic postprandial syndrome (APS ), which takes place a severe sympathetic " counter-regulation " before lowering the blood sugar level, which can manifest itself in the form of sweating, tremors, heart palpitations, anxiety and nausea. What causes this disorder of the autonomic nervous system is still unclear.

An adrenergic symptoms similar nature can also be found in the dumping syndrome, which is characterized also connected by fullness and pressure feeling, nausea, rumbling in the abdomen and blood pressure disturbances with tachycardia or bradycardia. There are two different forms:

• Which occur in 10-15 % of cases after resected stomach surgery early dumping syndrome (also called " jejunales hyperosmolar syndrome " ), which bind within 30 minutes after ingestion of highly concentrated carbohydrates these osmotically large amounts of water in the small intestine
• And the late dumping syndrome, which leads to easier postprandial hypoglycemia.