3 1/2 years old - new health challenges ... ugh.

[MrsKarenC2008 622]

So as many of us know - we had the surgery for various reasons. Most are health related ... as was mine. Now 3 1/2 years out ... I'm developing a whole new set of health challenges ... Seems my refusal to eat sugar and carbs is catching up with me ... in the form of Hypoglycemia. Gotta love that. NOT. So the doctor says I need to eat some carbs and carry a piece of candy with me for when it hits ... which is getting more and more frequent and I've even passed out a few times ... once in the Chicago airport! LOVE the embarrassment there ... Carry a piece of candy?! Have you lost your mind?!

So has this been an issue with anyone else? How do you handle it? I'm so sad about this and confused and I have been away from the boards for quite a while ... but I need someone to talk to ... I cannot and WILL NOT eat sugar or carbs willingly ... What has anyone else done? Am I being stupid? Am I being ridiculous?

[BostonWLKC 807]

Oh wow. Sorry you’re experiencing that.

On the carb front can they be “healthy carbs” like chick peas or Beans?
I often hear carbs as breads and potatoes etc so trying to hear things a bit differently around them and shifting to healthier versions.

I also wonder if the sugar has to be candy? What about one of those honey sticks? Or fruit?

Don’t know much about it but wanted to show support for you. I’m sorry you’re going through this

[MrsKarenC2008 622]

thank you !! I've tried fruit ... but since surgery it gives me frequent trips to the potty ( ya know? ) ... so that is out ... I carry glucose tablets with me ... as a matter of fact - they're everywhere ... car/purse/stand by the couch/night stand ... I've even resorted to buying them in bulk!

[ummyasmin 1,603]

The thing I've found with hypos as a diabetic is they happen if I have a long gap between eating. So I would recommend splitting your calories into 3 meals with 3 Snacks spaced evenly. Try eating some cheese and/or nuts for your snack (something with a bit of protein), and a smaller meal to balance the calorie load. Eg
Breakfast 7.30am, snack 10.30am, lunch 1pm, snack 3.30pm, dinner 6pm, snack 8.30pm. You should still carry some fast absorbing sugar (eg glucose tablets) just in case. And do healthy carbs for your meal eg veggies and Beans, mixed with your Protein of course.

Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

[FluffyChix 17,415]

Ok, so yes, I've had 1 episode of RH. Sorry you are dealing with this. But it's common.

I would personally NOT add carbs. By keeping enough Protein and fats in your diet to be truly Keto, you will level and flatten out your blood sugar/insulin response. When you add carbs, you increase the amplitude of the blood sugar rollercoaster and the severity of the RH. The big thing to know is if you are truly hypo or if for some odd reason, you're turning into a T1 diabetic (not producing insulin) and that sometimes happens suddenly to adults. It's called LADA.

But, if it were me (and it is), I'd buy a test meter and carry it with you at the first sign of symptoms. I'd buy packages of Peanut Butter you can squeeze into your mouth. And also carry glucose tablets in your purse. 5g of glucose tablets will raise blood glucose usually about 10points. So in an emergency you eat 2 of them and bam, emergency gone. Then you follow with a packet of peanut butter. Or nuts. Then you have to be on the lookout for the rollercoaster that "might" happen for the next day or two.

I followed about two hours later wtih a very low carb, higher protein/fat mini meal. And had no other issues.

[GreenTealael 25,329]

1 hour ago, MrsKarenC2008 said:

So as many of us know - we had the surgery for various reasons. Most are health related ... as was mine. Now 3 1/2 years out ... I'm developing a whole new set of health challenges ... Seems my refusal to eat sugar and carbs is catching up with me ... in the form of Hypoglycemia. Gotta love that. NOT. So the doctor says I need to eat some carbs and carry a piece of candy with me for when it hits ... which is getting more and more frequent and I've even passed out a few times ... once in the Chicago airport! LOVE the embarrassment there ... Carry a piece of candy? ! Have you lost your mind?!

So has this been an issue with anyone else? How do you handle it? I'm so sad about this and confused and I have been away from the boards for quite a while ... but I need someone to talk to ... I cannot and WILL NOT eat sugar or carbs willingly ... What has anyone else done? Am I being stupid? Am I being ridiculous?

Ok Yummy Earth brand makes a Vitamin C lollipop. I give them to my children for immune system support, and I eat A LOT of Vitamin C gummies if I'm getting sick. Water soluble and almost impossible to overdose on. If your emergency sugar source doubles as Vitamins then its win/win for you!

Also Gummy Multivitamins can double as a sugar source. Carry a pack of those and you may not feel as bad about the choice

Welcome back, you got this!

[FluffyChix 17,415]

20 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

Ok Yummy Earth brand makes a Vitamin C lollipop. I give them to my children for immune system support, and I eat A LOT of Vitamin C gummies if I'm getting sick. Water soluble and almost impossible to overdose on. If your emergency sugar source doubles as Vitamins then its win/win for you!

Also Gummy Multivitamins can double as a sugar source. Carry a pack of those and you may not feel as bad about the choice

Welcome back, you got this!

Oh love these ideas!

(I'd be a little afraid I'd say to myself..."Hhmmmm I'm feeling a little like a sour Gummy. Oh wow, do I feel a little light headed? Yeah. Yeah I do. I think I need 1...or 40."

LOL, sucks to be me. I'm the weirdo that knows the consequences of eating SF gummy bears and still buys and eats them, each time thinking that I can control my portion and the outcome that is ALWAYS inevitable. ROFLMBO!

[Healthy_life 1,437]

38 minutes ago, MrsKarenC2008 said:

So as many of us know - we had the surgery for various reasons. Most are health related ... as was mine. Now 3 1/2 years out ... I'm developing a whole new set of health challenges ... Seems my refusal to eat sugar and carbs is catching up with me ... in the form of Hypoglycemia. Gotta love that. NOT. So the doctor says I need to eat some carbs and carry a piece of candy with me for when it hits ... which is getting more and more frequent and I've even passed out a few times ... once in the Chicago airport! LOVE the embarrassment there ... Carry a piece of candy? ! Have you lost your mind?!

So has this been an issue with anyone else? How do you handle it? I'm so sad about this and confused and I have been away from the boards for quite a while ... but I need someone to talk to ... I cannot and WILL NOT eat sugar or carbs willingly ... What has anyone else done? Am I being stupid? Am I being ridiculous?

Disclaimer - I don't give medical advice. I'm just sharing my experience with this. I have reactive hyperglycemia. It started a year out. I am four years out. I'm still managing lows.

Reactive hypoglycemia is your pancreas over functioning. Your pancreas will periodically dump a larger amount of insulin into your system. This is what causes low blood sugar. Treating/managing low blood sugars is not much different than managing diabetes. For me, RH is life long. My pancreas function is not going to change.

You said " cannot/will not eat carbs and sugar" Try to get out of the mind set of "bariatric rules" You are treating a health issue. This is doable and you still can work your healthy plan.

Keeping blood sugars level :

I had a consult with a dietician outside of the bariatric program. I have a blood glucose meter. I test often. I eat five to six small meals (all within my calorie and macro range). I add Low glycemic carbs in small amounts and not every day or every meal. Example - One day no carbs the next day I will have small amounts with lunch and diner. Low glycemic carbs don't spike your sugars. (sweet potato, lentil, Beans, brown rice, whole wheat and plant based (fruits veggies)

I am carb sensitive. Carbs make me gain weight. My preference is to alternate days and meals and eat sweet potato and plant based carbs.

Managing the low sugars:

You will not be eating sugar daily. Just like a diabetic, Serious lows will involve real sugar to bring low's back up. Glucose tablets work. I can tolerate watered down orange juice. (full strength upsets my stomach) It may be trial and error to figure out what sugar choice works for you.

[Healthy_life 1,437]

3 hours ago, MrsKarenC2008 said:

So as many of us know - we had the surgery for various reasons. Most are health related ... as was mine. Now 3 1/2 years out ... I'm developing a whole new set of health challenges ... Seems my refusal to eat sugar and carbs is catching up with me ... in the form of Hypoglycemia. Gotta love that. NOT. So the doctor says I need to eat some carbs and carry a piece of candy with me for when it hits ... which is getting more and more frequent and I've even passed out a few times ... once in the Chicago airport! LOVE the embarrassment there ... Carry a piece of candy? ! Have you lost your mind?!

So has this been an issue with anyone else? How do you handle it? I'm so sad about this and confused and I have been away from the boards for quite a while ... but I need someone to talk to ... I cannot and WILL NOT eat sugar or carbs willingly ... What has anyone else done? Am I being stupid? Am I being ridiculous?

I'm worried for you. Your lows are at a point you are passing out. No, your not being silly or ridiculous. You have a complication from surgery. You overcame and managed your obesity. Now you have the challenge of managing/ treating Hypoglycemia.

Edited November 29, 2018 by skinnylife

[elcee 3,341]

If the treatment to prevent you dying is to drink or eat some healthy sugars when required are you really going to ignore that?

A glass of orange juice or some honey followed by something like a healthy whole meal sandwich or a banana can’t be that bad if it saves your life

[catwoman7 11,210]

I have what we (my PCP and I) think is RH. It started at about three years post-op. She suggested I eat something every three hours or so to keep my blood sugar stable. I usually eat something like a Fit & Light Yogurt - or a tablespoon or two of Peanut Butter on celery. It does seem to have helped - I rarely have "episodes" any more.

[Andy1 16]

Hi every one. One thing no one h@s said is being overweight causes diabetes. Corr3ct can be but please please remember you could have inherited type two. So let’s not beat ourself up. Andy

[FluffyChix 17,415]

10 hours ago, Andy1 said:

Hi every one. One thing no one h@s said is being overweight causes diabetes. Corr3ct can be but please please remember you could have inherited type two. So let’s not beat ourself up. Andy

Or even inherited the auto-immune genetic one that is Type 1 that gets missed and treated as Type 2. This Type 1 late adult onset is called LADA.

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

11 hours ago, Andy1 said:

Hi every one. One thing no one h@s said is being overweight causes diabetes. Corr3ct can be but please please remember you could have inherited type two. So let’s not beat ourself up. Andy

The original poster was commenting and asking for help regarding hypoglycemia that is not related to being diabetic.

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

On 11/29/2018 at 8:40 AM, MrsKarenC2008 said:

So has this been an issue with anyone else? How do you handle it? I'm so sad about this and confused and I have been away from the boards for quite a while ... but I need someone to talk to ... I cannot and WILL NOT eat sugar or carbs willingly ... What has anyone else done? Am I being stupid? Am I being ridiculous?

Yes. I have had three or four episodes of reactive hypoglycemia. I am NOT diabetic, never have been. My A1C has always been 5.2 or less.

I have on hand at home my fairlife chocolate milk. It brings my sugar up quickly and is also high in Protein.

If you are prone to hypoglycemia you must prepare for it. Low blood sugar below 30 may result in becoming unconscious, it can result in seizures or death if no one finds you and you are alone.

If you have warning symptoms...mine is a feeling of heat followed by horrible sweats...take some easy and Quick digesting sugar/glucose right away.

You can manage this and stay within your diet goals!

Best of luck!