Blood Sugar Crashes, Gut Chaos, and the Cost of Running on Empty
Blood Sugar Crashes, Gut Chaos, and the Cost of Running on Empty
If you live with IBS, fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, or sudden energy crashes, there’s a good chance blood sugar instability is quietly driving more of your symptoms than you realize.
Many women are told their digestion is “sensitive,” their anxiety is stress-related, or their fatigue is just part of a busy life. But underneath those labels is often a very real physiological pattern: the body running on empty while trying to hold itself together.
This is especially common in women with IBS and autonomic dysfunction.
Why Blood Sugar Matters More Than You’ve Been Told
Blood sugar isn’t just about diabetes. It’s about nervous system safety.
Your brain and nervous system rely almost entirely on glucose for fuel. When blood sugar drops too low or rises too quickly, the body interprets this as a threat. In response, it releases stress hormones—primarily cortisol and adrenaline—to bring glucose back into circulation.
In the short term, this is protective.
In the long term, repeated blood sugar swings create chronic nervous system activation.
For women with IBS, this matters because:
Stress hormones slow digestion
They increase gut sensitivity and pain perception
They worsen bloating, cramping, and urgency
They amplify anxiety, shakiness, and dizziness
Over time, the body begins to associate eating—or not eating—with instability.
The IBS–Blood Sugar Connection
Many women with IBS unintentionally eat in ways that destabilize blood sugar:
Skipping meals to avoid symptoms
Avoiding protein or fat because it feels “heavy”
Relying on quick carbohydrates for energy
Eating inconsistently due to busy schedules
While these strategies may reduce immediate digestive discomfort, they create downstream consequences.
Research shows that irregular eating patterns impair autonomic regulation and gastrointestinal motility, increasing symptom severity over time.¹
When blood sugar drops, cortisol rises. Cortisol:
Suppresses stomach acid and digestive enzymes
Alters gut motility
Increases intestinal permeability
Disrupts microbial balance
This creates a feedback loop: poor digestion → unstable blood sugar → increased stress hormones → worse digestion.
Why “Healthy Eating” Isn’t Always Regulating
Many women are doing their best to eat “clean,” yet still experience crashes.
That’s because nutrient timing and balance matter just as much as food quality.
Meals that lack adequate protein and fat digest quickly, causing rapid glucose spikes followed by sharp drops. The nervous system experiences this as instability—even if the food itself is high quality.
Protein plays a unique role here. It:
Slows glucose absorption
Provides amino acids for neurotransmitters
Supports blood volume and circulation
Helps stabilize appetite and energy
Research confirms that higher protein intake improves glycemic stability and reduces stress hormone release, particularly in women under chronic stress.²
Blood Sugar, Dysautonomia, and “Running on Empty”
For women experiencing dysautonomia symptoms—lightheadedness, racing heart, fatigue—blood sugar instability can be a major driver.
Low blood sugar triggers:
Increased heart rate
Vasoconstriction
Adrenaline release
Feelings of panic or shakiness
These symptoms are often mistaken for anxiety or cardiac issues, when in reality the body is trying to protect the brain.
Studies show that glucose instability worsens autonomic symptoms and orthostatic intolerance, especially in individuals with GI disorders.³
The body isn’t overreacting. It’s compensating.
Functional Medicine: Rebuilding Stability
From a functional medicine perspective, stabilizing blood sugar is not about restriction—it’s about predictability and nourishment.
Key principles include:
Eating consistently (every 3–4 hours initially)
Prioritizing protein at each meal
Including gentle fats for sustained energy
Choosing easily digestible carbohydrates
Supporting digestion so nutrients are absorbed
As digestion improves, blood sugar stabilizes. As blood sugar stabilizes, stress hormone output decreases. As stress hormones decrease, the nervous system can finally downshift.
This is regulation—not willpower.
The Cost of Running on Empty
Running on empty may feel productive in the short term, but it extracts a quiet toll:
Worsening IBS flares
Increased anxiety and fatigue
Poor sleep quality
Reduced resilience to stress
Fueling your body is not indulgent. It is foundational physiology.
When women restore consistent nourishment, many report:
Fewer digestive flares
Improved energy
Reduced dizziness and anxiety
Better emotional regulation
Not because they “fixed themselves,” but because they stopped fighting their biology.
Accompanying research article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019840/