Post bariatric surgery hypos

[barb1]

I had bariatric surgery 2 years ago and have in the last two weeks had 4 hypos. Apparently this can occur in a small number of people. Has anyone had this, heard of it and how would you cope with it. My blood sugars are dipping post prandially to 2.6 - 2.7. It as easy as not having carbs for breakfast? It does respond to glucose tablets and only seems to happen 2 hrs after breakfast and then runs at about 4.0 - 4.4 for the rest of the day. I eat porridge for breakfast.
Any ideas gratefully received.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @barb1 ,

What diabetes meds are you prescribed?
You may possibly need a reveiw of these with you HCPs..?

 

[Lamont D]

I had bariatric surgery 2 years ago and have in the last two weeks had 4 hypos. Apparently this can occur in a small number of people. Has anyone had this, heard of it and how would you cope with it. My blood sugars are dipping post prandially to 2.6 - 2.7. It as easy as not having carbs for breakfast? It does respond to glucose tablets and only seems to happen 2 hrs after breakfast and then runs at about 4.0 - 4.4 for the rest of the day. I eat porridge for breakfast.
Any ideas gratefully received.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

Hi,
Yes I've heard of this condition.
It comes under the Hypoglycaemia type.
I have a similar condition, which has the same symptoms.

If I'm wrong, you can correct or ask questions on my post.

When you eat the porridge, your blood glucose levels rise quite quickly.
After a while you start getting symptoms similar to shaking, blurred vision, unsteady, sweating, thirsty, hungry, lethargy, and others.
Your post prandial testing of lows is asymptomatic of the carbs you are eating.

Because of the bariatric surgery, your body has changed and your insulin response has changed.

We have our own forum called Reactive Hypoglycaemia. It has some great knowledge and our experience of Hypoglycaemia and how to control it.

I would also suggest that you contact your doctor/surgery team about what has happened to you. It is becoming more common to develop Hypoglycaemia after surgery.
You may get good advice, then again, the advice didn't work for me. But we are all different and what works for me might not work for you.

But in general, carbs and sugars are the usual dietary culprits of why it happens.
I can't eat porridge or even low GI foods as they rocket my blood levels.
If I stay away from them, I don't get the high bloods, then I don't get the post prandial lows. No hypers, no hypos!
I have been diagnosed nearly four years now, one hypo (unexpected) since my last eOGTT. I'm in total control of this condition and really healthy.

Do have a read of our forum and ask questions.
We will help you through this.

Best wishes

 

[Resurgam]

After a few weeks of eating low carb I began to get lows mid afternoon. I was eating my first meal about lunch time with about half my daily intake of carbs. I found that eating earlier in the day, with only a small amount of carbs stopped the slumps.
I used to get the same thing in my teens and twenties until I started to eat according to Atkins. I'm a lot older now.

 

[barb1]

Hi @barb1 ,

What diabetes meds are you prescribed?
You may possibly need a reveiw of these with you HCPs..?

I don't have to take any diabetic medications since my bariatric surgery. This has only started happening recently. I thought by having bariatric surgery and losing 8 stone that my diabetes had gone but now it's gone the other way, so I assume, once a diabetic always a diabetic one way or the other l

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

 

[Lamont D]

I don't have to take any diabetic medications since my bariatric surgery. This has only started happening recently. I thought by having bariatric surgery and losing 8 stone that my diabetes had gone but now it's gone the other way, so I assume, once a diabetic always a diabetic one way or the other l

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

Hi again,

If you have read my previous post, your diabetes care can be controlled.
Great weight loss!
It doesn't have to resort back to meds.
What has happened is the way your hormones manage the food you are having.
A change of diet and lifestyle will help you cope with what is going on.

Do read the reactive hypoglycaemic forum. You will understand more or Google reactive hypoglycaemia on Wikipedia. This has the reason and science of your post bariatric surgery and why you are having reactive hypoglycaemia symptoms and the hypos!

Best wishes.

 

[DCUKMod]

I don't have to take any diabetic medications since my bariatric surgery. This has only started happening recently. I thought by having bariatric surgery and losing 8 stone that my diabetes had gone but now it's gone the other way, so I assume, once a diabetic always a diabetic one way or the other l

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app

Barb - We did have someone post a few weeks ago and they were having lots of hypos after bariatric surgery, so you're not alone. Frustratingly, though, I cannot remember the chap's name.

I know you will only be able to eat small portions, since your op, but I wonder if it could work for you to have a protein, rather than carb based breakfast, like scrambled eggs (or any other sort of eggs), or even cooked bacon or a decent, high meat content sausage.

With protein and meat, you might find your bloods are a bit more stable.

I'll just point out that that's my instinct, rather than a medical professional's guidance. Have you spoken to your support folks, post surgery, or are you signed off now?

Well done on the 8ths though. That's just more than a whole me! Your life must be transformed.