Diabetes After Sleeve

kmill · March 3, 2011

I am 13 days post-op and have lost 30 pounds. I am very concerned because I can't get my Protein Drinks down, my taste is off and everything I try another shake, I gag and want to throw up. In a few days I will be able to start mushy foods, and hopefully I will be able to get some in with that, as well as drinking my milk. I have rheumoid arthritis and diabetes. After my surgery for about 4 days, my diabetes was 102, 104, which was great. Now almost every morning it is 166, 168 (which it was before surgery and then I take meds and it goes down) and in the afternoon 182, and I am only on thicken liquids right now. Now of course right now I can't take any pills, so I am worried about my numbers. Has anyone had diabetes, that they can share their experience with me post-op.

Capt Wolf Larson · March 13, 2011

I am 13 days post-op and have lost 30 pounds. I am very concerned because I can't get my Protein drinks down, my taste is off and everything I try another shake, I gag and want to throw up. In a few days I will be able to start mushy foods, and hopefully I will be able to get some in with that, as well as drinking my milk. I have rheumoid arthritis and diabetes. After my surgery for about 4 days, my diabetes was 102, 104, which was great. Now almost every morning it is 166, 168 (which it was before surgery and then I take meds and it goes down) and in the afternoon 182, and I am only on thicken liquids right now. Now of course right now I can't take any pills, so I am worried about my numbers. Has anyone had diabetes, that they can share their experience with me post-op.

Hi,

I am a Type II diabetic on insulin. I had my sleeve on 3/1/11 so I'm 12 days post-op. I was really interested to see how the VSG would effect my BG. Before the sleeve, I took 40 units long acting in the morning, 25-35 units short acting with meals and 120 units long acting at bedtime. In short, I was shooting a TON of insulin, which kept making me hungrier and hungier, and gaining more and more weight!

Like you, within 5 days I was down to NO short acting, and 70 units long acting in the morning.

Also, like you, I saw averages in the morning in the 150's and 160's. However, by the afternoon, they would drop into the 80's. I was thrilled but, the high morning values seem to be due primarily to 2 things -

1) The "dawn" effect which raises BG slowly through the night, and which I've always had a problem, and

2) The fact that I was eating Soups with a fair number of carbs for my evening meal.

I can drink all the Protein shakes I want with almost no rise in BG, BECAUSE THERE ARE ALMOST NO CARBs IN THEM. Then I have a cup of Soup thickemed with flower, or one with noodles, and there goes my BG up!

There are a number of studies that show that insulin resistance takes a sharp drop after VSG (even BEFORE substantial weight loss), but eating a meal with a fair number of carbs without a rise of BG is just asking too much at 11 days out. Over time with continued weight loss our insulin resistance should continue to improve, though I doubt that I'll ever get off insulin because after 15 years with the disease, my pancreas is probably exhausted. Or close to it.

However, being able to get by on so much less insulin is a beautiful and healthy thing! I'm nothing but grateful.

Don't forget to check the carbs in thoses Soups. The creamy soups they suggest are LOADED with flour to thicken them.

Can't wait until this "full liquid" stage is over!

Wishing you every success,

Capt. wolf Larson

Scooter2010 · March 14, 2011

I am 13 days post-op and have lost 30 pounds. I am very concerned because I can't get my Protein drinks down, my taste is off and everything I try another shake, I gag and want to throw up. In a few days I will be able to start mushy foods, and hopefully I will be able to get some in with that, as well as drinking my milk. I have rheumoid arthritis and diabetes. After my surgery for about 4 days, my diabetes was 102, 104, which was great. Now almost every morning it is 166, 168 (which it was before surgery and then I take meds and it goes down) and in the afternoon 182, and I am only on thicken liquids right now. Now of course right now I can't take any pills, so I am worried about my numbers. Has anyone had diabetes, that they can share their experience with me post-op.

Newbie:

I am a type 2 diabetic for over ten years, taking two oral medications and two insulins a day. I too struggled with my health, diabetes, cardio issues, pain in my lower body. I had a A1C over 7 but my endocrinology doctor considered me under control before surgery. I was taking Lantus for basil coverage (90 units/day) and Apidra for fast acting (up to 125 units/day)! I weighed 334 at the time of my sleeve on Nov 10, 2010.

Since surgery, I now weigh 253, having lost 81 pounds. I no longer take any oral diabetic medications (in fact I have dropped 10 of 12 meds!) and only take my fast acting insulin as a correction when over 200 bg. Most days I take NO insulin and on my worse day since surgery was 29 units! It takes time, but as the weight comes down, your diabetes will get better. My specialist tells me that she expects me to be off all medications for diabetes at my one year anniversary.

It takes time, dawning was an issue for me for about 60 days (higher in the morning) but as I moved from Protein shakes to soft foods and now a regular diet, I saw the changes in my diabetes.

Let me know if you have any other questions, Good luck on your journey.

Brother J · March 16, 2011

I took pills, a lot of them the day after surgery. I just spread them out. I use insulin only and have cut my Lantus long-acting by 2/3rds and rarely use short acting. No matter what, I watch my blood sugars closely. I can't exercise much but if you can, your medication need should decrease as you ramp up.

kmill · March 16, 2011

Thanks to all of you for your input. I am now almost four weeks out and my diabetes is alot better, still not on any meds, but my blood sugar is now coming down. I am sooo excited to know that I will be off my meds. And I am 30 pounds down.....whoo hoo!!

sasijean · March 20, 2011

congratulations! I am only 11 days post off and since surgery I've not taken any of my blood pressure medication or my diabetes medicine! That in itself makes this all worth it, though I look forward to loosing more weight have having all my joints feel better!