I just finished reading COUNTLESS pages of how people react to r-ala and k-rala (glucophase xr etc.) and i've noticed nobody really complained about the effects of both of them in terms of lethargy (even with an ungodly amount of carbs.) I have tried every amount of carb possible to stop this side effect (drowsy eyes, tiredness, cloudy) and nothing has worked which leads me to believe that i may have an allergy to r-ala/k-rala. Has anyone encountered this side effect (has taken r-ala/k-rala with carbs and still gets lethargic?) Within 5-10 min of ingestion, my eyes get really heavy and at first thought it was hypoglcemia... but everytime??
Just wanted to see if anyone else has suffered this side effect. I've had bloodwork done countless times and blood sugar came out superb.

Have you tried using GXR or R-ALA without ingesting carbs? Just to assess whether it is the compound.

Lethargy from carbs typically comes because insulin release causes a clearance of the amino acids from the blood sugar. Tryptophan is typically ound to albumin, so can't be transported by insulin. The lower amino acid concentrations means there is less competition for brain uptake, so more tryptophan can enter, converting to serotonin and causing you to drowse. So, when you eat meals that you use GXR with, do they include protein and fat also?

I have tried w/o carbs and almost fell asleep. Typically my meals consist of protein/fat or carb/protein. I will admit though that i think i'm getting "adjusted" to the glucose clearing properties of GXR. Although I still get drowsy, not as bad as I use to.

I am not sure why that is then. You must be hyperresponsive.

Do you feel like absolute crap when you refeed/carb load?

Absolutely... I feel like complete crap which often stops me from eating a lot of carbs. Sometimes I start to get a bit of tachycardia when I go overboard.

Have you been to your doctor about this before? Not to scare you, but it seems like you may some kind of hyperinsulimia. Basically, your pancreas may release more insulin from a meal than is necessary. I am NOT a doctor by the way, so this is pure speculation.

The way you strategize your meals, only combining protein with fat or protein with carbs likely doesn't help this. Fat can help slow digestion, so would be good to consume all three macros in a meal. Increasing your intake of fruit and green vegetables would also help.

you know what.. i think you may be right. I have energy all day when I limit my carb intake dramatically... however, once I eat high GI foods, I tend to "crash" and feel sluggish. I was a fat kid when i was younger, but now i'm 6ft 220lb with abs.... only cause i watch what I eat. From what i've read, the only way to control this is by eating low GI foods and excersise.. which is what i've been doing for years. I have to get this checked out I assume, but like i mentioned before, my fasting glucose values are superb. Maybe glucophase is helping my sensitivity to insulin, which is why I started to get sluggish when taking it... The lethargy is getting better though, only hitting hard when taking 2 caps instead of 1.

Wait a second, I've always thought I was hypoglycemic, but my fasting glucose always come back normal. If I don't eat carbs, fat, and protein in every meal I end up in a hypoglycemic state (the reason for thinking so), but a lot of what is being said regarding hyperinsulimia makes sense as well. Yet, I don't feel like absolute crap when I refeed or carb load, but I do feel lethargic and sleepy (mood is fine though). And, I usually have to eat every 3 or 4 hours, depending on what I eat, to maintain my blood sugar levels. Does this sound like hyperinsulimia?

For GXR, i'd only suggest using 2 caps with any meal where the CHO exceeds 60g. So thats like more than 100g of oats, for example (just a basic guideline). So realistically, i would only use more than one cap of GXR during a refeed.

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Low GI carbs are tried and tested (even if the GI itself isn't), so they are the best way to go. But you can prolong digestion and control blood-sugar increases more by including fibrous veg and/or fruit, and fat.

You may not have anything phsyiologically wrong with you, it may be just that your body has gotten used to a certain method, but i guess to be safe you could ask your GP. That said, i'm not too sure what he would suggest beyond what i am suggesting here.

Pretty much everyone feels lethargic and sleepy from a refeed.

Again, i'm not a doctor, so i think it best you ask a real one.

Try lowering the ammount, and split it into two doses, morning and early evening.