Search the Community

I have had the same thing happen to me after surgery. I have an appointment with my Physician this week to have a glucose tolerance test done. Being in the medical field as a Paramedic, I have done a bit of my own research. I believe what we might be experiencing is Reactive Hypoglycemia. Here a a link from Mayo Clinic explaining Reactive Hypoglycemia http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-hypoglycemia/AN00934 . I think that you should see your doctor to find out exactly is going on in your body. When you eat or drink something with sugar in it, lets say a protein drink with added sugar! This causes your body to release insulin to breakdown the sugar and use it for energy. Your body is use to releasing a lot of insulin from when we were indulging in sweets before the surgery. So, your body continues to release a lot of insulin. Once that little bit of sugar is consumed by the insulin and used as energy, the body continues to dump out insulin looking for sugar that you ate. However, there is no more sugar there. Your blood sugars begin to fall below normal limits, your pancreas creates glucogon and tells your liver to break down the glycogen which releases glucose into your blood stream. This will cause your blood sugars to begin to rise to a normal level. Your body then releases epinephrine (adrenalin) into your blood stream this is what makes you shaky. Most people would eat or drink sugar to make their blood sugar rise. This will only make it worse in someone with Reactive Hypoglycemia the cycle continues. It is recommended for persons with Reactive hypoglycemia, to eat small meals throughout the day including lean proteins and foods that are high in fiber. Make sure that you are limiting simple carbs and sugary substances. This will prevent your body from dumping too much insulin when you eat. If you are experiencing these symptoms make sure you see your doctor. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. This is research I have done on my own that I am sharing with you. I have experienced many of these symptoms myself, and I have contacted my Physician for testing. Good luck, let me know what you find out!

kimaly, I think that you were just being "reactive" as it was my post and it was a post about me and my band issues. I have no problem with people not agreeing with me as that's what the world of forums are for but as you've been banded for a month and I've been banded for just over a year now I think I know a bit more about my body than you might. Plus feel free to add all you know to the "Life After Lap-Band Removal" forum as I'm sure you're an expert. As you were not in my situation you cannot relate or obviously understand what impact being under-filled was for the first three month was like as I trusted my tech to be a professional. I know now to question all professionals. She also was the same tech that did not read how much fill I had a third time and put in an extra cc in that sent me to an emergency visit with an on-call surgeon after midnight and also blew off my daughter who had been vomiting for days after 3 months post-op RNY and was then that night in the ER getting IV fluids and then the following day admitted to the hospital for an endoscopy and a dilation of her stoma. So though you think I'm not taking credit for my "failure" of the band I think I have the right to vent a bit about a tech who has made four mistakes so far and the one that was made on my daughter ranks to be the worse in my book anyway. We now avoid her at all costs! I think anyone would. Basically I was responding to a poster who asked me why I had problems with the band and was trying to give her information without "bashing" the band as that was not my intent. I do not know the statistics of those who do not do well on the band and as one can see who does not just "react" to my posts but actually reads them and understands them people who have issues with the band are individuals with circumstances that add to their failures, it's normally not as simple as just doing A or B. Although I have read posts of people who just freak out that they have a foreign object in their body and want it removed fairly soon post-surgery, that would be a different situation. I had to analyze why I was eating the wrong foods while banded and why it wasn't working for me, doesn't mean to say that I've never taken credit for my part to me that's obvious. I had the intention in the beginning like everyone else here does and did the five week liquid diet and was able to lose the 25 pounds that they expected but it just wasn't working out as I had expected it to. As someone who has been dieting since they were young, also knows what it's like to drop 100 pounds twice only to gain it back again I know a bit about losing weight and it got tougher and tougher as I got older and also while on my antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. I don't know if you have a difficult time understanding that part of the picture or maybe you do but once off those meds I can lose weight but I tent do have a major breakdown during that time which is not worth it to me. I really thought the band would over-ride some of these stumbling blocks for me which it did not. It wasn't something that I would have known prior to banding, it was trial and error and after a year of trial and error and also working with my endocrinologist to get my meds right again I'm hoping to now get to a healthier me. You don't have to feel sorry for me and I don't see where I'm "giving" up on the band, to me that's just silly! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell me that the band was not the right solution for me. It maybe the right solution for 99% of all people but I'm that one lone 1%. I'm being generous with this percentage as I have no idea of the actual one. Anyway being straight forward can be a wonderful way to communicate at times and in the right situation but not always taken in the "spirit" as it was intended. I know there is a group out there that believes in "tough love" and that their posts are only there to inspire and help those of us who are not in touch with reality but they need to really think about how they come across as it is not really that helpful and they end up looking pompous. Oh and I accept your apology, thanks Nancy.

I am kind of confused as to why you would tell people your weightloss was due to being "diagnosed" wth hypothyroidism? I have hypothyroidism and that is exactly why I chose to get this surgery. Neither hypo or hyperthyroidism make you lose weight, and not drastically; I have been treated for both for over six years now. I just found that interesting that you would say that since the disease makes you do the exact opposite.

Wow, thank you, I think this is truly what I need to hear. I am already looking into therapists because while Ive never had an ED, I think it's better to be proactive then reactive, and I actually found one who uses food as healing which I think will be great for me! I definitely am giving myself credit - I've lost 34 lbs from my first visit, and 10 post-op. I just am a "nip it in the bud" kinda gal when problems arise. Overall, I think aiming for perfection, as most of you said, right now is a good goal - but knowing it wont be perfect everytime is something I have to be mindful of!

I got that at about two years out. I went in for a work up (they checked EVERYTHING), and everything came back normal. Then I noticed it again about an hour or two after I'd eaten a piece of cake at a retirement party. I mentioned it to my PCP, and she said it was probably reactive hypoglycemia - my glucose may have just happened to be normal when they did the work up. But then you said your glucose was normal during or right after that event, so that's probably not it. I'd let your doctor know...

Absolutely. When I had my VSG ten years ago, most bariatric surgeons were just learning how to do them - while they are in concept simple and straightforward to perform, like anything else technical, there are subtleties and techniques in doing them correctly - "twenty years of doing bypasses and they think they know how to do a sleeve..." was the refrain from one prominent surgeon at the time. While the sleeve does have some predisposition toward GERD (much like the RNY is predisposed toward dumping, reactive hypoglycemia and marginal ulcers,) this was compounded in the early days by surgeons who hadn't yet figured out the technique to consistently get them right to minimize that predisposition, and to some extent continues today in areas that were slower to adopt the sleeve and are behind the learning curve. This is a good part of the reason that I travelled 400 miles to a practice that had been doing them for twenty years (at that time) rather than a local practice that had been doing something else for twenty years. Talk to your doctor on interpreting this. Hiatal hernias are common with morbidly obese people, and a common cause of heartburn. They can easily be fixed during the WLS procedure, so if that is the cause of your heartburn, things look better for you. A hiatal hernia can be described as a diaphragmatic hernia, but not all diaphragmatic hernias are necessarily a hiatal hernia - so get some clarification on that.

My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother had Hashimoto's. I have it. Surprisingly, it skipped my daughter. You might have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It tends to pass to females. You need a simple antibody test to confirm the diagnosis. Depending on your age, you might still be flip-flopping from hyper to hypo. You're probably in a hypo state now.

It's up to you. I had the surgery because of my family history. I am perfectly healthy now, but being proactive is better than being reactive once something wrong happens. Plus the younger you are, I imagine, the easier it will be to bounce back after surgery. I'm in my 30s, good health, and bounced back quickly (I know it's not like that for everyone). BTW- This is *not* easy by any means. It's a hard decision, pre-op is hard, post-op is hard, changing habits is hard. But being obese is hard too, so choose your hard! good luck!

Do you mean hyperglycemia? Hypo is low BS but at 301 it’s high?

I've been taking synthroid for years and I couldn't wait to get the band. The problem with being diagnosed with Hypo is they put you into a "range". What's to say, what is average for you is average for me. It's a guessing game and what is prescibed for one person with the same "range", may not be enough or too much for another person in the same "range". Make sense?

I keep away from most carbs. Definitely proactive in getting mt Protein in (love turkey dishes! lol) I did run out of my meds for hypo but at the time I was overdosed. I did gey a full panel done last year and my levels came back normal. I have been taking kelp since. Aside from slow # weightloss...taking my Vitamins and minerals keeps me straight. But I am not sure if it may be reverting back to hypo. I use myfitnesspal as a tracker. It reminds me alot my caloric intake ia too low lol

Haven't posted in awhile, but I am not finding anything really on GOOGLE to address the issues I am having. My one year post-op coverage ended last March (had surgery 3/29/12 - goal is 60lbs). The first year out I did pretty well, and the second year was weight wise a bust for me. I seemed to have lost/gain the same 5lbs all year...first year I had a net loss of over 34lbs...second year only 14lbs. Now here's the thing..I'm not necessarily concerned about my number weight because I workout alot, and it's pretty intense. I lost inches for sure and have put on muscle..continue to do so at this point. But the scale hasn't budged past 209...I was 258 when I started the journey. My goal for surgery to be a success is 198...so being THAT close and it hasn't happened yet is frustrating me. This will be my third year, 2nd year post op, and I am considering having the Fluid removed from my band if I get a decent tax return, just to see if that would help me get the net calories I need, which is about 1700 for my activity level. I'm on the fence about it..I was hypothryoid, and didn't actually have a eating issue. But because I am so active at this point, I don't take in enough calories, so my weight isn't moving. I can easily burn and exceed my daily intake in one workout session. So I need to eat more, but with my band being filled I am having issues with it. I have had some increase in vomitting the last few months, but my band hasn't been increased in almost a year. So it's hit or miss. I am also wondering if my thyroid is reverting back to being hypo. When my panels were checked last year, I read normal, but I wonder if that might be causing issues too. So I guess my question is for those that are pretty active...did you have to do anything with your band to be able to get more good calories in? I eat every 3-4 hours, and I don't eat crappy foods the majority of the time. My liquid consists of 95% Water, and I make an effort to drink enough. I feel really stuck. I went from the "fat person" to the "fit person" and I really feel like at this point I should be at least in the 190s! LOL Any input would be appreciated, thank you Manda

I know for me I was kinda forced to share with coworkers because they over heard my conversations with the Drs office. I'm a person that's almost reclusive so I don't have friends outside of work. So I said all that to say I didn't willingly share with coworkers because of the stigma, reaction, snide remarks & jokes. To heal and be successful I must focus and not be consumed with judgement. No one wanted me to get this surgery not even my family. So I had the surgery 2 days ago and I trusted one friend to be there for me. People really don't understand that we are doing this to improve our quality of life. To have a long life and be proactive instead of reactive to health issues. I know when I go back to work people will be watching & talking but that's ok. I only want positive reinforcement..So I won't be discussing it. It's important we keep positive along our new journey. I know how u feel and I refuse to allow doubt in my life no matter what. Do I still feel ashamed, yes but I'm praying that will go away.

I got that way when I was about three years out. I had a complete workup - nothing. Everything normal. Then I noticed once that I got a bad case of it about an hour after I ate a piece of cake at a retirement party. I asked my PCP if it could be RH (reactive hypoglycemia). She said it was definitely possible - it could be that my blood sugar was normal the day/time they tested it, so that wouldn't have jumped out at them. She said I could get a glucose monitor to verify - OR just try to eat something every 3-4 hours. Either a protein or, if a carb, then pair it with a protein. That seems to have done the trick - at least for me. The dehydration theory could also be what's up, though. (btw - during the workup they also checked my inner ear and checked me for orthostatic hypotension. They also did a urinalysis - not sure what they were looking for there - and did a complete blood panel.

Sorry for your panic, but one thing is for sure - it will be much easier to obtain new employment being 50 pounds lighter. Take a deep breath, try to make a game plan to continue to succeed with your sleeve, and pull your resume together to look for a new job. I find being proactive rather than reactive helps me feel in control.

I am an employee benefits professional and if you elect COBRA you should be fine. The employer is required by law to treat COBRA participants exactly as they do actively employed participants. You might have some hiccups from it going from active to COBRA coverage, just in terms of one ending and one starting, depending on how quickly you elect the coverage and make your payment. That is easily sorted out once they receive your COBRA Payment and reactivate your coverage. I am SO SORRY that your husband lost his job. That just makes it all so much more stressful.

If its happening after eating it could be the reactive hypoglycemia, one lady who had it was put on a zero carb diet and that helped her. I recommend getting a referral to an endocrinologist from you primary doctor. Let them run the labs they are specialized in it and will know better than anyone here. 😬

Since I've been getting ravenously hungry every two hours, I was really looking forward to my first fill today. I went in and the fill nurse and I talked for quite awhile, and she was concerned with the number of times that I've PB'd and vomited in the past week. I explained to her that I'm starving when it's time to eat and that I keep having to fight the urge to eat quickly and with too large of a bite. She told me that she really didn't think I should have a fill yet, but she'd go ahead and give me one, if I promised to work on those issues. I promised, and she whipped out the hypodermic and gave me a 1.2cc fill. I went to take my drink of Water and it was quickly apparent that I was too tight. We went back to the room where she proceeded to poke me a second time, and removed .3cc. Back to the water fountain and this time when I took a drink, I felt like I was in huge trouble. The nurse gave me the option of having the fill removed, or going over to the surgery center and having an x-ray because she was beginning to feel like I had slipped, with all the PBs and vomiting. They got me into the xray room and gave me my barium, and said the band was fine - no slippage (hey, some good news), but the nurse once again came over with her handy dandy hypo and after poking me for the third time, took out the rest of my fill. She said that until I learn to get PBs and vomiting under control - no fills for me, but that I can try again in two weeks, if I have the issues under control. I am totally bummed. I could really use some encouraging words, because I'm feeling like such a failure today. :think

I actually have experienced a kind of dumping syndrome both within the week after surgery and now. When I went on to full liquids (milk/soy base Protein shakes), it caused me to shake a bit, sweat, and run for the toilet. My body held nothing and I had to slow down my Protein Shake intake from 8 oz in 30 mins to 2 hrs to help me retain it. This is using low sugar, low fat, bariatric Protein shakes. Now, I have a strong sensitivity to carbs. If I have a meal w/ 20 g total carbs (including fiber), my heart starts to race. I had 1/2 slice of pizza from a small pie, this triggers the same effect. I'm netting around 25-40 g carb per day, which is extremely low. My doctor says its likely reactive hypoglycemia, when my body produces too much insulin in response to a relatively high blood sugar load. Some patients experience thing after surgery, but you'll want to consult with your doctor to rule out anything else.

hey you are human and it happens, i'm sure you will have lost enough. Being type 1 diabetic having a hypo you will need a high carb boost so you know....don't worry it'll be fine

Hmmm, changes within the inner ear would account for the dizziness, but not for the darkening of vision while standing. That is almost always related to blood pressure. Either hypo or hypertension can cause vision issues like the ones described.

I still have restriction but nothing like I did. I used to eat 4 bites and then feel so full. Then around 18 months like 5 oz now I can eat a full burger. Not like a huge restaurant one but a fast food one. Eat pretty healthy. Mostly nuts, cheese, meat veggies but I do have whatever I want in moderation. It's just not my daily diet. It's def harder to maintain the further out I get I'm not hungry but I just can eat so my h more do I have to be more cautious of what I eat. I weigh every day because of this and try to eat dense Protein at each meal so I get full faster. I still do a Protein shake each day for bfast. I also now have pretty crappy Iron levels. Just did labs Saturday. I also now have reactive hypoglycemia due to eating small amounts so I have watch my sugars. Y eating very balanced food not high sugar n not going too long without food

Kel----maybe start throwing him a line now!!!! Let him know you loved that attention so he knows to give it to you! My man will do anything for me, but sometimes he does need directed---as do I!!! Let him know he is YOUR choice, but to be on his arm and being ogled by other men is not a bad thing in your eyes! Let him know as the new you emerges, he can be free-er (even a word??) to treat you like a new you! This can make your marriage incredible (I know!) or it could as you fear cause problems. I always tell my kids this----so even though you are older than they are--I'll do my MAMA routine!!! BE PROACTIVE----------NOT REACTIVE!!!!! Work on it now, prepare it rather than working later to repair it!! Good men (or women) are really hard to find, and I would hate to see yours hurt by you getting healthy and just wanting to be appreciated for something new! Good Luck! Kat

In deferse of we men, may I say that we tend to be proactive rather than reactive and analytical rather than emotionanl. I don't say this to offend you, rather, just to let you know where we are coming from. He just wants to be certain that you have all the data you need to make in informed decision. Tolerate him.:grouphug:

Hi ya! Synthroid is a medication that is given to people with thryoid conditions. In our case - Hypo or underactive thyroid! :-)