Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver [Broda Barnes]

[HDD]

by Broda Barnes

Has anyone read this book? Thoughts?

 

[tara]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

I'd be interested in reading it, but have not seen it available.
Have you just read it? Any thoughts? Is it very detailed about the biochemical mechanisms, or more general for lay reader?

 

[Entropy]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

Yeah in the book turns out it's not your mind, not your liver, but your thyroid ..

 

[HDD]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

post 100232 I'd be interested in reading it, but have not seen it available.
Have you just read it? Any thoughts? Is it very detailed about the biochemical mechanisms, or more general for lay reader?

I ordered it a few days ago. I had figured it would be thyroid but thought there might be some useful information in it. If so, I'll post it here.

 

[andrewdcjr]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

Ya I've read it and have a copy. You may be somewhat disappointed when you get the book, it's about 50 pages long and a really easy read. He basically gives some information about things he has seen in his practice, the majority of which have gotten better with thyroid supplementation, which he always prescribed desiccated thyroid. Improved thyroid function improved liver function, which in turn got rid of hypoglycemia and allowed his patients to live normal lives.

 

[HDD]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

I thought I was probably paying too much for it - $48, but since it's an easy read it might be a good one to share with family members that have sugar issues.

 

[Nicholas]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

it's never an isolated system or dysfunction....though thyroid function would certainly precede liver function.
EDIT: blood sugar instability is often the root dysfunction. No system in the body can improve unless you meet the demands of the body.

 

[schultz]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

I have a copy and enjoyed it. Like others said, it's a simple read and quite short. The start of the book tells an interesting story of when Barnes was in medical school and they injected everyone in the class with insulin so that they could all experience what it's like to be a diabetic and therefore diagnose it. Here is a quote...

"One member of the small group developed severe mental changes. He became belligerent, irrational, unreasonable and at the end of the experiment, refused to take the antidote - orange juice. It was necessary to restrain him and inject a strong solution of glucose (blood sugar) intravenously. In a matter of seconds his sanity returned and he was the jovial, cooperative chap with the same pleasing personality exhibited prior to the hypoglycemia."

I thought it was interesting how having low blood sugar can literally change the way someone acts. That's an extreme example, but I wonder about a chronic and slight hypoglycemia. One could be grumpy, moody and anxious all the time and not even realize it's because their blood sugar is low. How many people walk around like this?

Another interesting thing in the book is regarding alcohol. He says alcohol can produce hypoglycemia in normal people but in people prone to hypoglycemia in the first place it may have exaggerated results. Think about people who become violent and won't listen. Part of this may be due simply to low blood sugar, almost like the story above.

 

[haidut]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

post 100314 I have a copy and enjoyed it. Like others said, it's a simple read and quite short. The start of the book tells an interesting story of when Barnes was in medical school and they injected everyone in the class with insulin so that they could all experience what it's like to be a diabetic and therefore diagnose it. Here is a quote...

"One member of the small group developed severe mental changes. He became belligerent, irrational, unreasonable and at the end of the experiment, refused to take the antidote - orange juice. It was necessary to restrain him and inject a strong solution of glucose (blood sugar) intravenously. In a matter of seconds his sanity returned and he was the jovial, cooperative chap with the same pleasing personality exhibited prior to the hypoglycemia."

I thought it was interesting how having low blood sugar can literally change the way someone acts. That's an extreme example, but I wonder about a chronic and slight hypoglycemia. One could be grumpy, moody and anxious all the time and not even realize it's because their blood sugar is low. How many people walk around like this?

Another interesting thing in the book is regarding alcohol. He says alcohol can produce hypoglycemia in normal people but in people prone to hypoglycemia in the first place it may have exaggerated results. Think about people who become violent and won't listen. Part of this may be due simply to low blood sugar, almost like the story above.

He also makes an argument in this book that hypoglycemia can be legally considered temporary insanity given the violent and uncontrollable behavior it causes in diabetic people or people injected with insulin. He also goes on to say that for many people drinking and having exaggerated response to the alcohol through even bigger hypoglycemia, the statement that alcohol does not justify their actions would NOT be true. When your brain is not getting the sugar it needs, you are medically insane for all intents and purposes. And if alcohol is one substance that causes it, legally you can argue that alcohol is a true insanity-inducing substances in some people and these people cannnot be held responsible for their actions.

 

[HDD]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

A family recently blacked out from one drink. It was a very strong drink and she was unable to walk, was ill, and does not remember what happened. She has been unable to drink alcohol since without feeling negative effects. She is peri-menopausal so hormones are most likely a factor.

 

[Valtsu]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

Does the book have reference list? It'd be nice to know if there are some interesting refs. His 1976 book (Hypothyroidism) had a lot of interesting literature endnotes.

 

[tara]

Hypoglycemia: It's Not Your Mind, It's Your Liver

post 100325 And if alcohol is one substance that causes it, legally you can argue that alcohol is a true insanity-inducing substances in some people and these people cannnot be held responsible for their actions.

Except that once someone has had the problem drawn to their attention to how irrational they behave when they drink, perhaps they can be held responsible for choosing to drink.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Is there anyone who has seen a reasonable price for this book.

 

[denise]

Is there anyone who has seen a reasonable price for this book.

Amazon has some copies for less than $20 right now.

 

[ecstatichamster]

thank you @denise

 

[burtlancast]

Reactive hypoglycemic tendency among habitually violent offenders. A further study by means of the glucose tolerance test.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Reactive hypoglycemic tendency among habitually violent offenders. A further study by means of the glucose tolerance test.

Yeah, people can completely change when blood sugar drops I have seen it. And I've seen a woman do something that would have landed a man in prison solely because of the male body being capable of killing with bare hands.

 

[Otterbutt]

Amazon has some copies for less than $20 right now.

also:
It looks like it's $20 on the brodabarnes (dot org)* bookstore, and if you only order one thing (and are not international) there doesn't seem to be any additional cost for shipping/handling.

*currently can't post links

 

[Dolomite]

I read this book and for me it explained why the several doctors I saw, when all the symptoms he describes as hypoglycemia were present, told me I was anxious. I never went to a doctor often, but when menopause came I had all the hypoglycemic symptoms but I didn’t know what they were. I thought I was dehydrated since it was summer. So I drank a lot of Gatorade and it helped. But I was disappointed in the lack of knowledge and help from any doctor. Reading Dr. Peat’s articles explained it all. Dr. Barnes book explains why doctors are taught to tell everyone they have anxiety. I never understood why symptoms of anxiety came before any thoughts of anxiousness until now.

 

[InChristAlone]

Reactive hypoglycemia is a b****. I went through it for a few years. I believe it is much worse in the morning when cortisol is high which makes you more sensitive to the effects of insulin after a meal, makes the blood sugar fall too quickly and adrenaline kicks in to prevent a hypoglycemic event. That is what causes the anxiety or aggression. The adrenaline which is keeping you alive. So technically you won't see it on the blood sugar monitor because the adrenaline is keeping it from plummeting and causing a coma. Actually this thread is helping me understand why my son has meltdowns. He is very thin, always thirsty, always hungry but doesn't always eat enough, and pees a lot. He likely has poor blood sugar handling but I've never caught a high blood sugar higher than what would cause me to take him to the doctor for it.