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Gastric band

lotuslight

Well-Known Member
Messages
135
Location
Yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi I just wondered if anyone on here has had a gastric band and blood sugars gone down afterwards?

I am considering having it done.

But recently I have lost 2 stone but my sugars worse than ever. I wonder if weight loss doesn’t always equal good sugars?

Thank you
 
lotuslight said:
wonder if weight loss doesn’t always equal good sugars?
Click to expand...

There are lots of theories about what causes T2, if you believe the media its because we're fat.
We got fat eating the same food as everyone else? Oh well we must be greedy then!
Did I get T2 because I was fat or did I get fat because I have T2?
I have a friend who has been very overweight all of his adult life. He has a few medical problems, including fatty liver and heart disease but he doesn't have diabetes.
Then of course there's the 10% of T2's who are not overweight. That's where the personal fat threshold theory comes in. We are all individuals so the idea that we all have our own personal fat limit sounds reasonable.
If we cross our individual line we get T2, get back under that line and it goes away?
Then there is the genetic theory, if other members of your family have T2 then you are more likely get it too.
Or is it because of all the suspect additives they put in our highly processed food nowadays?
I have no idea which theory is correct, they could all be true, maybe we all have different reasons for getting T2
One thing I am sure about is that carbs when digested will put my blood sugar levels up. If you are having trouble controlling your levels cutting as many carbs as possible should help
 

When you say you are considering having it done, have you been referred to an NHS hospital for this?

Whilst many living with T2 find if they trim up their bodies function better, including improved blood sugars, but often that trimming up will have involved changing their diet and reducing or removing foods not helping their blood sugars.

Gastric band, or any other form of weight loss surgery is a serious thing to contemplate, and can lead to unwanted complications significantly impacting quality of life. Were it me, I would want to investigate all non-surgical means of managing my blood sugars, and any excess weight before considering undergoing life changing surgery.

Finally, gastric bands are no silver bullet for either blood sugars or weight loss. Many (including someone I know), undergo the surgery, lose a load of weight, feel fab, then find themselves liquidising Mars Bars, icecream, or whatever and piling the weight back on.
 
lotuslight said:
...
But recently I have lost 2 stone but my sugars worse than ever. I wonder if weight loss doesn’t always equal good sugars?

Thank you
Click to expand...
For me it's essentially eating reduced carbs that equals good sugars.

Changing my diet is what brought me down from definitely diabetic to pre diabetic levels from within 2-3 months of my T2 diagnosis. My GP recommended losing weight, but it came off when I began cutting back down on the carbs, and not as an immediate priority. I'm still overweight, my diet remain low carb, and my glucose levels remain good, so personally I might only ever consider such surgery as a last desperate resort if all else had failed.
 
I was seriously considering the same, but after coming to this site I thought I’d give low carb a go first. I’ve been a bit strict with myself re carbs and manage about 20-40 a day. I’ve ignored my weight just concentrated on blood sugar even to extent of having free trial with libre to monitor sugars more closely. To my surprise my weight is now down by 40 lbs , but more importantly my blood sugars have come way down along with hba1c and I feel so much better. Some members manage higher carb levels but much more than 10 carbs in a meal shoot my blood sugars well up. I know I’ve been a pain in the **** looking up every last thing on my phone to see how many carbs in it before it passes my lips (complaints from diabetic husband), but it’s worked. Any research I’ve looked at does say gastric band can send diabetics into remission,but at a cost from effects of surgery. It’s no longer a risk I’m prepared to accept given same affect from adjusting diet.
 
But what an informative pain in the **** it is as you are shedding weight which all helps us
 
My best friend of 50 years has a band. It worked well initially, good weight loss but within 2-3 years a lot of that weight is back. She only eats small portions but fits in an awful lot of those portions, still on carbs.
She now has new medical issues which I suspect are related.

I wouldn't, if it were me.
Low carb has worked well for me, and is, I believe, sustainable for life, without medication and without surgery. Has to be a more natural, less risky option imho
 
If your blood glucose is not under control I'd advise taking a serious look at the food you are eating as for many type twos that is the problem.
There is also the possibility of a misdiagnosis and some other type of diabetes causing the high levels.
Many people find that they can achieve consistently normal levels and subsequently Hba1c by testing before and after meals and tracking the intake of carbohydrate, either reducing or replacing starch and sugar with low carb foods. If you are eating low carb and not seeing improvement then perhaps your GP can order further tests for you.
 
I know of two people who had gastric bands (for weight loss, not diabetes control). Both ended up having to have it removed - one as a life-threatening emergency with severe malnourishment and sepsis, the other after many futile attempts trying to achieve the right "fill" level: she couldn't seem to achieve the balance, the band was either too full (and she became malnourished) or too empty (and she regained weight). The NHS obesity clinic my former wife attended in London stopped doing gastric band operations because, in their experience, it proved unsuccessful in controlling weight in the majority of their patients when looked at over a 5-year period (that was more than 10 years ago).
 
It seems the Roux-Y bypass is the most successful technique for diabetes control but it is only about 30% effective for a while and as has been said, rarely survives 5 years in terms of remission. It is not a cure. And it is not reversible whereas a gastric band can be removed. An alternative is the Newcastle Diet plan that emulates the process without surgery, and has nearly 50% success for T2D, but again the results are not permanent nor guaranteed.

With all these procedures, both surgery and diet plan, need a clinical startpoint of severe obesity, and are not really advised for people just a little bit overweight,
 
I had rny 13 years ago, I had other comorbidities as well as t2. As you said my remission lasted about 5 years . My glucose levels have been steady using metformin and sitagliptin for a few years until fairly recently and are now erratic, without me having made changes to diet. Currently trying to stabilise again with glimepiride, even more erratic had a hypo on Tuesday, that was not a pleasant experience hopefully it will level out.

So no I don't think gastric surgery is totally the answer. BTW I'm on a gastric surgery group and constantly see bad reports about the band, so many having to have revisions etc.
 
It's come to light again since Shaun Murphy, the snooker player, recently had the procedure.
For long term data the Swedish Obese Subjects Study is the best reference, it covers 20 years post operation.




For those diagnosed T2 before surgery about 70% achieved remission at 2 years.
This tapered to 35% at 10 years.



From memory duration of T2 pre-surgery was the largest determining factor for achieving remission.
 
bulkbiker said:
A tad generous to say the least?
Click to expand...
According to the original study, it was 46%. The DIRECT trial (Phase 1) confimed this but the extended double tap version of DIRECT is claiming over 50%.
 
Oldvatr said:
According to the original study, it was 46%. The DIRECT trial (Phase 1) confimed this but the extended double tap version of DIRECT is claiming over 50%.
Click to expand...
But for how long.... 12, 24, 36 months?
You know I'm a ND skeptic so longevity is important.
 
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