Getting the "shakes" or sick and jittery when you're hungry or haven't eaten...

This happens to me too and it sounds like it must be low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. That's what I have. Fruit juice or a candy bar works when you get the shakes (I prefer Snickers or Salted Nut Bars if available because they give you a sugar boost and peanut protein to help stabilize your system) but you should try to not let it get that far. Not to frighten you but if your blood sugar gets too low you could potentially faint or even go into a coma, so I've been told. The secret is a diet high in proteins. Meat and fish with veggies is fine for main meals but you should snack on protein rich foods throughout the day as well. Think boiled eggs, nuts, cheese, and when you eat bread, always whole grain. Eat small portions many times rather than large portions a few times: six protein-rich snacks per day is better for you than three big starchy meals. White bread, pasta, and sugary foods should be limited and when consumed accompanied by something protein rich. Fruit seems OK for me anytime. Eating properly for hypoglycemic people involves thinking ahead each day but you'll find it's worth the trouble if you can do it. And if you find a good system let me know because although I know the theory, I still don't have it down very well in practice! Good luck!

Yes I guess that is called Hypoglycemia. I think this is sudden drop of sugar in your body that is why you may feel cold sweats or jittery body as you have describe it. I guess you are just doing the right thing drinking fruit juices as that is a good source of sugar that can easily be absorbed.

oh yes... i get that all the time as well when i am really really hungry and tired... usually, i eat biscuits, sweets or chocolates to raise my sugar level and i will be fine after that... i don't know whether they are safe or not though... i think drinking juices are much healthier and safer rather than eating the stuffs that i mentioned when you are really hungry... take care and have a nice day...

this happens to me also and although i have asked the doctors, i havent gotten a really good answer. i think you are right in saying that is related to blood sugars though. i, too, posted this question probably about 8 months ago and someone on here told me that it was possibly a precurser to diabetes.

well i hope that you will find good replies from other members. but sorry i am not really good about health issues and food nutritional help. anyways, i too will like to learn how to get most needed health benefits from fruits and other natural foods. and i am trying to eat more fruits now. hopefully i will see the postitive effects soon on my body.

Yep, sounds like low blood sugar to me. I was getting quiter a lot of this a few years ago, so I had myslef checked out, and sure enough, type 2 diabetes. In retrospect it must have been pre-diabetes, because I lost a fair bit of weight fairly quickly and started working on my aerobic capacity as best I could with emphysema, and within 2 years my doctor took me of the medications, and I now control the blood sugar simply by diet and exercise. But definitely worth while having your blood sugar levels checked. It's no biggie to deal with as far as I can see, but if you do have diabetes, or something else, best to get it fixed up. The fruit juice is a good idea. A lot of diabetics carry jelly beans with them, they do it pretty quickly, but I can't keep them in my pocket and out of my mouth lol. Lash

I have the same thing happen....like if I eat pancakes for breakfast the sweet sugary syrup wears off and I get so hungry I shake.....it's when the blood sugar drops....I also get nauseated....even when I am over tired and not just hungry. I find that eating protein really helps...last longer then eating carbs etc.

Yes , story of my life. I have had this lots of times. It could be all kinds of things. But not to worry. What really helps the best is to avoid stress. And eat breakfast everyday. A good breakfast is very important if you want to get rid of those systems. And when I drink to much coffee or hot chocolate. I get it too. But mostly it is because I have not eaten enough. Recently I had my blood checked and I don't have enough red blood cells, doctor gave me iron.(I think it is called) And I am not as tired anymore and I can concentrate better too. If it does not go away by eating a good breakfast, and not drinking to much coffee. Then I think it would be best to go to the doctor. Normally when I eat something, bread or soup, I feel better. Take care.

I will get these jitter if I don't eat all morning and keep going until early afternoon. I usually drink coffee in the morning and I'll only have a 1 or 2 cups but if I don't do that and haven't ate anything and I start getting those jitters then I"ll make a quick sandwich with cheese and bread. Or find some left overs in the fridge from the night before to keep me stable. Have a great night

I suspect it's blood sugar related too. I know a blood test that I had last year showed that I was borderline hypoglycemic.

FISH. Apparently fish helps provide blood to your body. Anyway, i'm somewhat low blood for i do get those giddy spells or stars when i move too fast. So whenever i get over hungry, my body tends to be more prone to such spells than normal and my hands and feet tremble quite a bit. It seems like my joints are weak. At times like these, i'd just feast on a sweet and the fainting spell would be appeased but temporarily. It is always better to eat.

I had this five or six years ago, and come to find out it was anxiety, because I had the test and they couldn't find anything, but told me to drink orange juice if I continued to have the symptoms. My husband has hypoglycemia-He has a bad habit of not eating breakfast, and if he goes a long time without eating at work, he'll get shaky. It's a scary thing for me when he does this-one time he even passed out!

You are describing what sounds like "hypoglycemic" and the best thing to do is to try to eat 6 small meals a day. I know it sounds like a lot but it really isn't once you get yourself into the routine. Stress, lack of sleep and diet are all very important factors. Foods to avoid are sweets unless you are to the point of passing out. Eating things like a candy bar or high content sugar items will indeed "spike" your level quickly but it will also drop just as quickly once your body has processed it thus causing the "shakes" and jittery feeling to be worse than initially. Foods to include in your diet are: Fruits, veggies and starches. Fresh veggies are excellent for snacking especially carrots as they have some starch content. Try eating well balanced meals 3 times per day and snacking on fresh fruits and veggies 2-3 times per day. Good Luck!

... when you are having the hypoglycemic attacks try to consume "simple sugars" like a mentol candy a soda or a juice ... and try to eat breakfast ... i think it will help ...