Hi everyone,

I just tested my blood, because I was very shaky, spacey, etc.  It measured at 68.  I'm trying to document these "episodes" for my visit with my PCP on Oct. 14th.  These episodes are happening more frequently for me.  This morning, I had my usual vitamins, iron, calcium.  My DH stopped by McDonalds and brought me an egg McMuffin.  I NEVER eat food from yuk-donalds, but didn't want to hurt DH's feelings (he usually doesn't do "thoughtful" things like this).
Anyway, is this the dreaded reactive hypoglycemia that seems to be happening more and more to us that are farther out in our WLS journey?
I ate some string cheese and a protein drink.  I'm feeling better now.  I'll measure glucose again in a bit to see how much it came up.
Anyone in a similar boat?  Meltingmama, if you're reading this, I know you'll give me some advice.
Big thanks!
Karen

you need to up your carbs.

Kathy_08,
Sorry, but that is the complete opposite of what this lady needs.  If she is suffering from reactive hypoglycemia, carbs will only worsen the problem.  They provide a short term increase in blood glucose - insulin surge - then hypoglycemia.  Protein as she indicated is the best way to deal with a low, but not critically low blood sugar.
Cindy

Thank you,
I was going to post again, and say that carbs seem to be making it worse.  After I had my string cheese and protein drink....waited a bit and did another test, that result was 137.

I seem to have certain things that I CAN eat throughout the week, repetitive meals that I can trust.  I stray from that, and BAM....I get the shakes, sweats, confusion, etc.  I had to get myself out of the shower this morning during this episode because I felt like I was going to pass out.

I'm very concerned, and want to show my PCP that there IS something going on with me.  I'm afraid of this happening while I'm driving.  I'm expecting my first grandchild in April.  I don't want ANYTHING else  to compromise my spending any time with him/her.  I already have a hernia, and am not supposed to lift over 5 lbs., so I told my daughter she better have a very lightweight baby!

My DH got laid off yesterday, and with the economy/construction the way it is right now, it's not looking very promising for a rehire anywhere anytime soon.  That leaves us with insurance for 90 days, and I want to make sure I'm OK before we lose our insurance.
Thanks again,
Karen

 This happened to me just this morning, and I had to leave work because of it.  NOT a good idea, and I certainly can't do it often!!!  I had gotten one of those little sausage burritos from McD's on the way to work.  I felt really tired and a little weak, so I got a pack of peanut butter crackers out of the snack machine a little later.  BIG mistake, evidently!  I have never heard of reactive hypoglycemia before.  Can you get the little meters to test your blood without a doctor's order?  Have never had problems with my blood sugar, except when I was pregnant.  Thanks SO much for posting this...you may have just given me answers that I really needed...at least now I know EXACTLY what to ask my doctor!

Yes, you can purchase a glucometer without a prescription.  The meter is usually very low cost or free, it's the test strips that will cause sticker shock.

  Karen..

I am over 3 yrs post-op..but i too wrote a post
like this, im having more and more low blood sugar
episodes..I have read try to eat your protien with your
carbs..to balance them out..I DO...but it still happens
And ya know im sure by now..we cant wolf a candy bar
down  ..lol...so try and eat a few crackers, or part
of a protien bar,...hope you get yours under control...
good luck !!!!  Good idea your keeping records for your
doc!
Hugss
Beverly

protien, protien, protien.....as a diabetic, carbs turn into sugar which gives you the initial rush, then the drop.....and i mean drop.....to this day if i have carbs i fall asleep....the protien even keels my bs levels....
MM knows the ropes, as do a lot of pre wls diabetics, and post wls diabetics.....be sure to watch and check your bs on a routine basis if you are having these fluxes recently...better safe than sorry

teri

I get these episodes if I don't eat often enough--so I make sure I eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.  A protein bar counts as a meal that way!

Try to keep your carbs to a relatively low level.  Myself, I find I can't tolerate even whole-grain carbs too much.  White foods make me go night-night!

Protein first!

0700 Breakfast--GNC Dutch Chocolate in 2% milk, small banana--30 g protein
1030 Snack--Ka****LC trail mix bar--6g protein
1300 Lunch--Romaine salad w/4 Bean salad & hb egg chopped up, Balsalmic Vinaigrette--20 G protein
1530 Snack--Power Bar Nut Naturals --6 G protein
1900 Dinner--My version of Jambalaya (lots of shrimp, chicken, sausage) not much rice--20 G protein
2200Snack--ka****LC Trail Mix bar--6 G protein

This is a typical day for me, yours may vary!

Good luck!

Thank you all for taking time to answer my post.  I'm still teasing DH that "he tried to kill me with an egg McMuffin".  I do eat 6 or 7 small meals/snacks per day, always do protein first, and limit carbs.  If any carbs, they are complex.  I'm finding that sometimes (and increasingly more often), this just happens.
I'm glad I didn't end up doing a face-plant in the shower this morning.  I bought the glucose meter because my glucose read showed in the normal range when I last had labs done.  I wanted to test while this was happening to me.  Yes, the meters are not that expensive, but the refills DO give you sticker shock.

With my weight re-gain, and now this, it's becoming more frustrating!
Thanks again,
Karen

23.

Try that number on.  I still don't know how I stayed conscious enough to do the test.  I was shaking so hard I could barely do it, and I was actually drinking some milk and took a bite of something while the strip was being read.

Our bodies can adapt to ridiculously low numbers.  I usually start feeling weird at around 60 or 70; since I've bottomed out many times, my body has adapted. 

Another reason to give up refined carbs, folks.  I do not eat bread, crackers, bagels, muffins, pastas, or candy.  An occasional bite, and the once-a-month slice of pizza are about it.  I found it easier to deal without those things than to regularly freak out and wonder if I was going to wake up on the sidewalk or the floor at school.

You can reduce your tendency to crash in most cases by eating frequent small meals, avoiding high-carb foods (refined carbs, not fruits and veggies), and keeping some sort of snack (like nuts and raisins) with you in case you start to feel strange.  I recognize the symptoms now, but it took years to get good about it.  I also always have a monitor, just in case there is weirdness and I am wondering why I feel strange. 

MeltingMama seems to have a particularly unfortunate crash-all-at-once scenario, and I do not envy her the precautions she has to take.  But most of us, with a few simple adjustments, can manage well.

23?? Oh my God!  I don't know how you did that either...isn't 50 "go to the hospital/medical emergency" time?  Wow, I was shaking so hard, I had a hard time getting the lancet to work.  Thank you so much for the advice.  I just got back from the health food store, and stocked up on things I can keep upstairs in my bedroom...don't want to fall down the stairs while I'm trying to find a snack.
I have been having these "episodes", and tried to explain to my Dr., but she's not very WLS savvy.  Hoping I won't have any more before my next appt., but at least now I have a number, and I'm printing out all the info I can find on reactive hypoglycemia/gastric bypass.  I have Kaiser, so it's not that simple to just change doctors.  Plus, DH just got laid off yesterday, and looks like we'll have insurance for just another 3 months.
Thanks again,
Karen

Sophie -

That crash all at once thing is rare for me.  And, it DEFINITELY follows eating POORLY.  So, I don't eat poorly. 

Hi Karen.

68 is okay.  Really.  I know you may have felt like pure poop - but 68 is decent.

70 is "safe."  That is my cut off for being safe. 

But, what you felt is reactive hypo, yeah... it sucks.  If you let it go - you may drop further - the 50, 40, 30, 20s.... REALLY REALLY STINK - so please keep safe.

 I am approaching 3 years post op and I have also been experiencing low blood sugar episodes.  I did not know it is associated with WLS.   This morning it was 68 and after eating some cheese and wheat crackers it is up to 109.  Last week it went down to 55 and after eating rose to 110.  Is this something I need to discuss with my Dr?  or just work to manage it with eating properly?

 I had some readings under 70 post banding and my nut prescribed an evening snack of 10gr protein.   These were am fasting readings...if you're below 70 midday, you should consult with doc and nutritionist.

 I guess this is going to sound cavalier but its something you get used too, I was diabetic before I had wls and pretty reactive now to any over abundance of carbs eaten alone.  You need to figure out what works for you, we are not all created equal.  I test generally when I wake and my readings are always in the 80's.  I eat nothing all day long, I drink tea with lemon.  But I have a nonphysical job, I am a systems analyst, some days I never leave my office at all except for the bathroom.  If I eat anything at all remotely carby I will crash and need to continue to eat all day.  If I eat nothing then there is no signal to the pancreas to over produce insulin to compensate for what I just ate.  No I don't feel hunger so if you do not eating all day might be hard.  Most busy days I barely notice, and when I am really busy sometimes my first food of the day isn't until 7pm.  I eat protein forward dinner, and snack on healthy things like greek yogurt and strawberries or almonds and cashews.  I aim for 60 grams of protein and have no trouble getting there.  Because I have been trying very hard to avoid sweets when I do eat something it usually has a bad result, like the cookie I ate last night that was shortbread with raspberry jam inside.  I got instantly sick and felt like death, I didn't even fini**** it was lights out afterwards.  Very bad choice.  Today I ate much better and no problems, whole wheat pasta with meat sauce that my mil made, I stick to the meat and skip the pasta or I get a stomach ache.  But its all part of the learning curve of living with RH.  And whoever said you can't just gobble down a candy bar if need be, needs to come sit by me, cuz you can and you will get sick and crash again and eat another candy bar, repeat until you get sick of being sick.

Hi MM,
Thanks for your reply.  I tested again after the 68, and got a 66.  After I ate cheese and protein drink, it went up to 137.  Then I felt much better.  At first I thought "what could I be dumping on", because I had only eaten the egg McMuffin, and no sugar that I was aware of.  I've eaten them before throughout the years post WLS with no problem.  Well, I guess I learned my lesson!  I'm glad I was able to measure, because at least I got a number to correlate with my symptoms. 
My DH still doesn't understand all of this, and thinks I'm nuts, especially when I scared him this morning. He just equates the glucose monitor to being diabetic.  I'm telling him I am not diabetic.  My daughter who still lives at home does understand, and keeps an eye out for me.  She knows before I do just by looking at me when I need some protein. 
I'm lucky that this hasn't happened to me at work - yet. 
Thanks again, and I'll do my best to stay safe.  You do the same!!
Karen