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I wonder if I'm having a form of reactive hypoglycemia. From what I read, it's all lumped together but reactive hypoglycemia has a drop in blood sugar too. I'm still in the pre-diabetic range but my Dr isn't concerned nor has advised me to test sugar. Just one of those things I wonder about. But the bottom line is always 'don't eat that'. I wish it was that easy! Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

From my research, reactive hypoglycemia is pretty common about 18-24 months after WLS. I have it and noticed it mainly at night when I would have a carb snack with my evening meds. I have to have a small amount of protein with every snack and meal.

PS: My cooked cereal contains teff, amaranth, quinoa, and slivered almonds, along with soy milk, so the oat carbs are getting somewhat balanced by higher protein grains, nuts, and soy. I would never try something like plain cream of rice. I used to have very bad reactive hypoglycemia to plain carbs in my former life, so I learned to never take carbs without protein. I shudder to think of the reaction I could have now after bypass.

I'm fortunate to work at a hospital so I just had my hemoglobin checked. My HGB was 14.5. I'm going Monday for a bigger gamut of lab tests for my 5/1 appointment with my primary. Not really sure what's going on but I did read about something that is making me think I am experiencing this. Reactive hypoglycemia. Happens in 15% of people that have some kind of stomach surgery. We shall see. I will post about what they say.

A search of the internet shows that others reported problems with balance after RNY surgery. There are probably several potential causes. For example a Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause dizziness. Some people experience reactive hypoglycemia after surgery and this can lead to dizziness. Also if you were diabetic prior to surgery and are still taking some blood sugar medicines, your dosage may need to be adjusted. Normally at the 1 year mark they have you undergo blood work. This allows them to fine tweak your Vitamins. Make sure when the time comes that you undergo this. Here is some discussion about this topic. http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/lightheaded-and-dizzy-after-gastric-bypass-surgery.html

Sleepiness after eating is one of the signs of reactive hypoglycemia in bariatric surgery patients. Reactive hypoglycemia (postprandial hypoglycemia) refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal — usually within four hours after eating. This is different from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that occurs while fasting. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness and anxiety. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778

Be careful with doing everything "sugarfree". See what the sugarfree substitute is and what is the fat content, etc. Sometimes they make up for the lack of sugar by adding things that actually work against you. I try to stick to things that have Truvia (stevia) as the substitute, everything else sugarfree I stay away from. Also i'm weary of metformin it made me extremely ill, my doctor switched me to Januvia, I have a copay but its worth every penny. I'm presurgery but this is just my experience from losing in the past. Is hypothyroidism the one that makes you gain weight? I get hypo and hyper confused, but you may need to see if they need to change your thyroid meds since your surgery.

There is a condition called "reactive hypoglycemia" which is low blood sugar that occurs after a meal - usually within 4 hours after eating. Several individuals who underwent gastric bypass developed this condition even though they never had diabetes prior to surgery. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness, anxiety and confusion.

All labs have been great and have been read by my barbaric surgeon. Will look into it more. Will research additional vitamins and ask about the reactive hypoglycemia. Thanks for the input.

Jen, let me say thanks for doing that study! I think there are a lot of things that are still unknown about the band and why it works for some people and yet not for others. Part of the reason is that I think obesity is not just a physical issue it is a mental and emotional one as well. I am fairly new to the band, but I can tell there are days when it is not just the physical feeling of having the band. There are aspects to the way it affects the nervous system both the central nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system or the reactive emotional nervous system. Finding that delicate balance for each of us is not an easy task. Everyone's "green zone" is as different and diverse as each one of us and seems to change as we do. So what worked for you before the study may have shifted a bit, and needs a little tailoring till you find that balance again. You're doing amazing and thanks again for taking the time and the challenge of that study to help all the rest of us learn more about the band and how it works.

Quick update. I think it was caffeine. Had been increasing my coffee consumption without realizing it. I cut back to one a day and they decreased significantly. I also cut back on the amount of whey I was consuming at once to 30g or less. Thanks all for the reply. I had them checked and they are benign. I also have reactive hypoglycemia so this could also contribute. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Okay so awesome that you’ve identified the culprit, but I’m sad to know that’s why. I also have these syrups (I got the peppermint to add to my bariatric hot chocolate and the English toffee to add to coffee). I’ll have to start using these really sparingly, but it’s good info to have. I am pleased with myself, but I’m also aware that I don’t want to start patting myself too hard on the back cause then I might start to take it all for granted and that’s the top of a slippery slope. Still trying to keep on top of all the head stuff. I started a wonderful soup in the quick pot. Defrosted some frozen turkey, then added in carrots,celery,onion,garlic, collard greens and okra. The smell of this stuff cooking is driving me half crazy so it’s time to have some meat and cheese ASAP. I’m usually fine until I smell food. Then it doesn’t matter how full/hungry I am. Wish my brain wasn’t so reactive to the smell.

Dont be dissapointed in yourself you are doing so well...the pcos and hypo may slow things down but they arent going to keep you from losing. Stay positive girl...youll get there!

Yes I regret it and I wished I have never done it, I lost weight , I am thin but I'm not healthy. 3 years post op gbp and I'm battling what I suspect reactive hypoglycemia and dumping and vitamin issues. I am a wreck, I would advice nobody to get the surgery.

I've had thyroid disease for many years. I've had more than one Endocrinologist tell me "you can't blame everything on your thyroid". Like being overweight, thyroid disease does run in families so it's very likely that you could have a thyroid problem. If you're being advised to take thyroid medication by a PCP, don't take it! Go to an Endocrinologist and have your thyroid function checked. The biggest mistake people make is listening to a doctor who has no clue what they're dealing with. See a specialist. When you start toying with your thyroid function you are playing with more than just your weight. Your thyroid controls a host of functions in your body that you won't even think of. Over-medication, under-medication, and non-medication of your thyroid can causing lifelong damage to your other glands and organs. If your TSH level is between 1.5 and 5.5 and a doctor puts you on thyroid medication that doctor is a quack. That is a normal thyroid function and medication can cause your thyroid to become hyperactive, which is just as bad as hypo. In all the years I've been on thyroid medication I've not been able to lose the weight I want to lose. My thyroid function has been in normal range for many years. I lose some weight, then it just stops. I eat a healthy diet always and see my Endo every 3 months to have my TSH checked. Sorry to sound like a medical journal. My thyroid almost killed me several years ago and I hate to see anyone taking chances with theirs...I hate even worse to see doctors handing out thyroid medication.

Hi everyone! Welcome Nicole, glad to have you here. Ready4, welcome! Keep up the good work! One word of caution I give about setting a number goal by a certain date. If it doesn't happen, don't beat yourself up. Sometimes you can do EVERYTHING right and still not lose an ounce. It can be very frustrating, and annoying. Just ask ElfiePoo, right, Elfie? I've seen people set a goal of say 6 pounds lost in a month. It is reasonable, yes, but when they 'only' lose 5, they say they are a failure. NO, they are NOT. They lost 5 pounds!!! Rosey, welcome to you, too. All you can do is what you can do. I understand fibro makes exercise hard...but just a short walk is a good start, when you are feeling well enough to do it. Your losses may be slower, but do your best. Is your thyroid being treated? If you are on replacment hormones and your levels are normal then you should not be hypo. (Your diagnosis is Hypothyroidism, but if treated properly then your thyroid is operating normally and should not be much of a factor in weight loss). If you are indeed still hypo, go see your doctor and get the dose adjusted. I have a very long history of thyroid problems. Elcee, you've been on my mind a lot this week. Hope your son's surgery comes out well. Shammah, does being unfilled make you appreciate your band? This is a serious question. Next Tuesday is my 3 year Bandiversary. I KNOW my band works and it works wonders. But things are just "normal" for me now. I often try to think back to my appetite pre-banding and I honestly cannot remember. It is as though I have always been like this. Leigha, nice to have you back after your taxes...was afraid you might have gone to jail when you were done cheating on them! Sorry I've been MIA lately. MIL is slowly deteriorating. DH and I have been doing a lot of talking in the evenings, and I don't want to be rude by being on the computer. He needs me right now. He has 3 siblings. His brother who supports his arguments for her care lives in Las Vegas. They believe she should be moved to hospice care and accept the inevitable in as much comfort as medical science can provide. Her PCP is in agreement and spoke at length about it at her appointment yesterday. His two sisters who are local feel that the doctors should be able to cure her and don't accept that she is in her final days. Mom is in agreement with the sisters. So unless something the doctor said sinks in, she'll keep getting rushed to the hospital to fix things that cannot be truly fixed. One of his sisters normally comes to appointments with him, but yesterday she could not. The other will not go, why I do not know she doesn't work, but demands that we tell the doctor that he, "needs to address this issue and that issue." Uh, no...he needs to address what he considers the priority. She has a vested interest in Mom staying alive as she lives in the second house on the lot for $250.00 a month. The other sister is about to lose her house and is considering moving in with Mom. DH said she might reconsider that as she will most likely have to move right back out if Mom passes. She says why? With my share I can stay...... Huh? What? yes, you have a quarter interest in the property, so what. You've bailed on 2 (yes TWO) mortgages in the last year, DO YOU THINK YOU WILL GET A LOAN to buy the other three out???? The sister in the back was pissed about 6 months ago when BIL told her she'd not be able to stay in the back house when Mom passes. So was Mom, she cannot fathom that the boys will not take care of the girls. Different generation, I guess. Mom's own instructions are for the property to be divided 4 ways. Unless she changed something, and we don't know. But she generally asks DH about stuff like that. The good news? I am not overeating! Woot woot!!!

In recent weeks, we have witnessed liberals in the highest level of government sanctimoniously defend terrorists who kill us while persecuting those who defend us from murderous attacks. In an effort to understand this reversal of good and evil, it has become a cliché to call liberals crazy. But while supremely hypocritical, liberalism is not insane. It is a highly adaptive ego device that enables people to violate commitments, vilify those who are true to their faith, and avoid personal sacrifice while feeling great about themselves. The only defense against hypocrisy is self-knowledge, but the politics, spirituality, and morality of liberalism are well-constructed firmaments of self-delusion. The United States was founded in a Judeo-Christian theocentrism that is informed by scripture and assumes a personal God who hears prayers and grants forgiveness for sin. Theocentrism provides stable laws and settled moral codes. In the mid-twentieth century, an unorganized, reactive spiritual orientation arose -- egocentrism -- which has become the dominant moral framework in our nation. This orientation says there may or may not be a God, so each individual must follow his or her own conscience and ethical values. Theocentrism has been promulgated by traditional religion. Egocentrism has mainly been introduced through mass media, educational power structures, and more recently by reoriented religions. A theocentrist lives out the question, What does God say is best to do? An egocentrist lives out the question, What do I think is best to do? Here is the central difference between theocentrism and egocentrism: Living for God is largely a conscious, intentional process, informed by a written scripture that presupposes the need for repentance. Egocentrism, on the other hand. largely proceeds below the level of conscious awareness through a series of experiments in self-directed living. It presupposes constant change -- and who is there to repent to? The consciousness-unconsciousness dichotomy may be shown by a behavioral exemplar. Theocentrists are always praising and blessing God, saying things like, "Praise the Lord," "so help me, God," and "Insh Allah." But for egocentrists, it's not so clear whom to thank. They don't proclaim "Praise Me!" "Me have Mercy!" or "May it please Myself!" This difference explains the gratitude gap between liberals and conservatives. Thanking God is central to theocentrism. Thanking oneself is more complicated, and that is why self-esteem is all important in egocentrist spirituality. The individual ego is a PR shill. Its job is not to find the truth but to organize life and win every game from the viewpoint of the all-important I. And just as the eye cannot see itself, the ego cannot be honest with itself. It always buys its own pitch. The individual ego is the strongest force in the phenomenal world because of its capacity for self-delusion. Toward that end, there is no form of self-service that the ego cannot transform into a sense of moral superiority. This is why we see a case like Representative Patrick Kennedy, who claims to be Catholic, yet facilitates mortal sin by endorsing "the right to choose." His ego, not Christ or scripture, is in the driver's seat. But the ego is so enthralling that Mr. Kennedy may not even know it. Though hypocritical, his public position is not crazy. In fact, it is functional and advantageous in a world dominated by egocentrism. The spiritual orientation of theocentrism generally provides the moral framework for conservatism, and the spiritual orientation of egocentrism generally provides the moral framework for liberalism. When a theocentrist is hypocritical, it is because he has knowingly violated the tenets of his faith, and this transgressor tends to be secretive because he knows he has broken his own laws. That is the purpose of scriptural codification: it lets you know when you are wrong. And that is why there is no equivalent written code of behavior in egocentrist spirituality. Egocentrism has no written moral law because a written code would in itself violate the process of self-directed experimentation. Because of the way the ego works, the politics of liberalism are bulwarks of hypocrisy and self-deception. But liberals are often not secretive, but just clueless. They tend to be "in-your-face" hypocrites because they are obeying the ego, which tells them that ultimately, they cannot be wrong. This is why liberals speak of tolerance when they really mean approval. Tolerance is based on disapproval. It is a conscious, meditative process of non-interference with something disapproved of. Tolerance is a compromise that the ego cannot make, because the ego is an on-off switch of self-interest. The anti-American statements and policies of the Obama administration are the sacraments of two generations of ascendant egocentrism in our country. The ego is loath to admit, "I don't want to get my behind shot off in some war." No problem. Liberal academia has given us fifty years of indoctrination in the many reasons America is not worth it. And here's some good ego-logic: The reality that "it takes courage to knowingly bring a Down Syndrome child into the world" becomes "Sarah Palin is confused and slutty." Eric Holder calls the American people cowards and then casts self-confessed terrorist murderers as civil rights victims. Khalid Sheik Mohammed becomes the new Rosa Parks. But none of this is crazy. It is adaptive. For example, in the case of Mr. Holder, his deference to admitted terrorists is an ingenious, though probably mostly unconscious, ego-projection of himself as a civil rights hero while he breaks his oath to defend the Constitution from foreign enemies. Liberal hypocrisy is not insanity, it is pretersanity, a powerful tactic of self-absolution and a way to become rich, admired, and powerful while supposedly "fighting for the little guy," or to exhort others to self-sacrifice while doing none of that yourself. The notion, now commonly posited in liberal media, that the Fort Hood terrorist Major Hassan is mentally ill is another unconscious capitulation to egocentrism. It is the worst form of hypocrisy to make excuses for somebody who takes all of the benefits of military service and then murders his defenseless fellow soldiers. Theocentrism and egocentrism are opposite and irreconcilable. One revels in the new moral entitlements, the other sees a mad world portending the end of days. A theocentrist will not give up God, and an egocentrist cannot give up himself. American society is being split in two. It is also a testament to our rule of law and compassionate character that we still hold onto our pluribus unum. How will it all end? Let's use a psychological assessment technique. Complete the following sentence:

I've seen a number of posts from sleevers about Reactive Hypoglycemia which, for people who have had gastric surgeries, can happen when food passes too quickly through the digestive system. Maybe this is what some of you have been experiencing?

Reactive hypoglycemia is a form of dumping. There are 2 basic forms http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=134&ContentID=107 Also http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia Dumping more common for bypass especially if sugary foods gets "dumped" into small intestine quickly without usual stomach to digest it. But is happens to 10-15% of people who have had a partial gastrectomy (which the sleeve is) whether for weight loss or other medical reason. True dumping would not last overnight. It resolves itself in a few hours at most. Hopefully sooner! And it would have cardiovascular symptoms like palpitations and also flushing, etc. Falafel a are deep fries and not full of sugar so may not have been dumping precisely. This could have been just over eating for the sleeve which would also make you feel yucky but not dumping. I ate a falafel too quick a couple weeks ago and felt pretty yucky for a while. In any case hope you feel better soon and remember to eat very slowly any new food.

Well, I'm glad we all can help answer questions. Ik that the hypo controls it, but now I c that ghelin can affect the hypo as well. Thx

hair loss is another thing that most (maybe all?) of us vets, in retrospect, wonder why we worried so much about. It's temporary - and for many of us, we're the only ones who notice the loss (I know some people lose a lot - a very noticeable amount - but most of us don't). It's a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things. whether or not you need Spanx depends on where your loose skin is - and how much you have. I was apple-shaped, so I don't/didn't have much on my hips, butt, and thighs. Mine was almost all in my gut. And yes - I just tucked it into jeans or "tummy control" leggings, and always wore a slightly oversized, long-ish top. Ta da! Excess skin gone. I'm sure I was the only one who noticed it. Spanx would work, too, if you're not wearing something that it can be tucked into. as far as 500 calories, that's really just the first month or so. From about that point until maybe a year out, I was eating 600-800 calories a day, usually closer to 800. At around the year mark, I was at around 1000-1200. Now, in maintenance, I eat 1500-1700 a day. I did develop what we think was reactive hypoglycemia at about two years out, but I was told to eat something every 3-4 hours and, if I eat a carb, to be sure to pair it with a protein. That seemed to take care of it...

No, no eliminating anything from my diet - I am not eating anything new that I didn't eat pre-op, and I'm not eating anything I don't have permission to eat. My surgeon mentioned it may be a systemic reaction, something I ingested at the hospital. Maybe the thrush prevention mouth wash thing I had to take, who knows. I stopped the heavy duty painkillers about 4 days out. Have you considered shingles? It comes out with stress in the body and is only mildly reactive to steroids.

Thanks for the congrats guys. I'll probably be going up and down for the next week before the new weight settles in. Thats what usually happens. Jessica, as a Christian who went to Christian schools and sent my kids there and as one who teaches in a Christian school, I gotta say your SIL is nuts. She'd rather do the most unChristian thing I've heard of than get the child the help he needs from a public school? He's probably ADHD with a learning disability and now the hormones are kicking in. And she's too busy and tired trying to raise and homeschool the rest of them to give him the extra help and attention he needs. So she'd rather get rid of him than send him where he can get the help he needs and admit that she's failing him. What misplaced pride. The most generous interpretation I have is that she's having pregnancy psychosis. What a message she's sending to the other children. Screw up, don't measure up to our "Christian" standards and we will get rid of you. Where is her DH in all this? Why isn't he getting her the help she needs? Including psychiatric. I would have the boy thoroughly evaluated before fostering or adopting him. He may be very damaged already from his first home life as well as the second. He may need special placement in a therapeutic setting, particularly if he has bonding issues and PTSD as well as academic and behavioral issues. Reactive Attachment Disorder can make adopting an absolute nightmare. Some of these children are too damaged to be placed in a regular family. If that is the case with your nephew, then we may be judging your sister too harshly. Sometimes these children are actually a danger to their parents and siblings. But like most sociopaths they can present really well to outsiders who don't see them on a daily basis. They can be very charming but never actually bond and feel no remorse over doing wrong or hurting others, only over getting caught. They can be highly manipulative and you end up feeling crazy and not knowing why. I think what you are offering is tremendous and I truly hope it works out. Make sure you have state funding and medical care for this child and payment for any therapy and extra tutoring he might need. I would initially go foster care with him because once adopted you might not have access to funding to provide for his needs. My brother and his wife had to give a young child back to the province because the local social services refused to diagnose the child as having rad and provide them with the support services they needed. They had the child privately evaluated and found out she not only had RAD and PTSD, she was ADHD and had Fetal Alcohol Sysndrome. It killed them to do it but they did not have the training or the access to funds to provide the child with the care she needed and this was the only way they could force the province and social services to provide for her. The two or three years they went through all that were some of the worst times of their life and they felt like total failures. Cheri

Hi fellow tall sleevers! I am 6'1" and was 325 pre-op and 288 this morning so down 37 lbs 6 weeks post-op. I hope to reach 220 eventually. I am very shapely but carry most of my weight in my butt, hips and thighs. I also am hypo-thyroid so I expect my weight-loss to be slower than some. Now that I'm starting to eat more types of food it has already slowed to about 1.5 lbs a week as apposed to 4.5 a week. Kinda bummed by the slower loss rate but as long as I'm losing it's OK. I think it's true people often don't realize that a tall body can carry a lot of extra weight and not look like people's idea of what "fat" people look like. I had a couple of nurses who were involved in my pre-op testing say that I didn't look "fat enough" for the surgery. But my BMI definitely qualified me. I try very hard not to compare my weight or weight-loss to others but it happens inevitably. Right now I think I've left the honeymoon stage and am in the nitty-gritty stage of having to work at my weight loss. Pre-sleeve I would have been sabotaging myself by now! Sent from my iPhone using VST

Hi I'm Jamey. 45 yro mother of two daughters 24 and 21. I'd say my weight issues started in college. My freshman 15 was 30. I married young and it was an abusive relationship, I lost some weight remarried and became a widow at 29. Goodbye normal body forever!! I'm now married to the love of my life and my girls are both going to be married in the next year or two. My highest weight was 325 (hysterectomy and hypo thyroid helped NOT) but by the day of my surgery which was just Tuesday 9/23 I was down to 289. My goal now is 165 but I'll maybe change that when I get to that point. Nice to meet you all.