Diabetes / Sugar readings after Sleeve Surgery

[LoveSimcha 97]

Hello all, I had my surgery 5 days ago and was released after 1 day. My discharge from the hospital had me stop virtually all diabetes meds and drop my blood pressure meds a lot as well. Even though I am not eating much, my sugars are still elevated so I put myself back on some of my meds and I called my endocrinologist. My endo said a lot of people almost immediately don't need insulin anymore but if my sugars were high, I should cover it with insulin but test my sugars to avoid a low. Has anyone here (who has diabetes) been completely taken off your meds right after surgery? I know in time my doses will decrease and I am not looking for a magic bullet to say poof - diabetes is gone but I am curious if you have / had diabetes and how fast your sugars responded to lowering doses or eliminating the meds completely. My endo said my liver is probably spitting out glucose to replace what I am not eating but the hospital made it seem like it should have been automatic after surgery.

Thanks

[Jaelzion 1,127]

30 minutes ago, LoveSimcha said:

Has anyone here (who has diabetes) been completely taken off your meds right after surgery?

I've talked with many people who had this experience but they differed from you in two significant ways:

1. They were all type 2 diabetics

2. They all had the bypass

I don't know if the sleeve gives that immediate resolution or you have wait to see improvements over time.

[RickM 1,747]

It varies - some walk out of the hospital free of insulin and meds, even with the VSG, while others it may take a few weeks or months. and occasionally not completely. Remission rates for the VSG and RNY are typically in the 80-85% range. Often the longer one has been in treatment for it correlates with a longer time after surgery for remission, but not always. For my wife, who had been on diabetes meds for around twenty years and just short of needing insulin, it took the batter part of a year to be free of all the meds, and that is with the more powerful DS that she had (which has remission rates in the 98-99% range.) So, it's a big YMMV thing. Best to continue monitoring things and stay a little ahead of the curve; much the same with blood pressure meds - it's often better to be a bit high for a while than be too low.

[Gilly0769 2]

I am 4 days post op for the sleeve myself. Before surgery I was taking a tablet in the morning and insulin at night. I was directed to stop taking all diabetic medicine. Since the surgery and being on the liquid phase, my blood sugar levels have run level between 85 and 112. I use the Freestyle Libre to monitor my blood sugar all day. I would definitely keep monitoring closely so that it doesn't surprise you one day and drop too low.

[amyp12345 10]

Eight months post op and I was taken off my diabetic meds immediately after surgery and haven't had any need for them since. I was previously on metformin and glipizide, and I'd been diabetic for about 3 years, which may be why it was a relatively quick remission. I was also taken off my blood pressure meds (two, but I can't remember them right now).

[Gilly0769 2]

Amtyp12345,

Congrats on that and your accomplishments. I was on Xigduo and Basaglar for the last 3 years. I still have to be on my BP meds for now. Hoping to get off of them soon.