Can a revision of a RNY help with reactive hypoglycemia?

My situation.....reactive hypoglycemia, 9.5 yrs post RNY, stretched stoma.  I've been thinking that if my stoma was smaller, food passing would be slowed and help with the situation.

Any experience here?

I've read a report that even after RNY take down in a patient whi*****luded a 100lb weight re-gain, that symptoms still persist.  Also reading about pancreas removal is kind of freaking me out.  

Just wondering about others in similar situations.

JR
 

 
One thing you might want to focus your research on under the cir****tances is just how long food stays in the banded pouch.  It's not as long as we think.

The way the band really works is it keeps it in there just long enough to trigger the vagus nerve and the people FEEL full, doesn't mean they are.

I *think* it was Dr. Terry Simpson that was writing an article about just how short of a time food stays in the banded pouch.

The real problem is that bands are a temporary fix to a life long problem.  The stats are not good with bands and they are worse with BOBs.  Let's say the band gives you 10 years, then what?  By that time you'll have even more scarring than you started out with due to RNY.

ROSE?  Horrible procedure, even worse than the band.  But, you have to do what is right for you.

Some people revised to DS... but that is drastic surgery.

Hi there,

I am having my RNY revised to a VSG on May 8th because I also have really bad reactive hypoglycemia.  I'm just shy of 3 years out.  Hopefully it will make a difference, because I too am freaked out by the prospect of having part of my pancreas out.  In fact, if the revision to the VSG doesn't work, I won't have another surgery.  I'm just gonna suck it up and live with it good, bad or indifferent. 

If you haven't already done so, go see a good endocrinologist.  Some people have been marginally successful with medications to keep their glucose under control (ie: calcium channel blockers, octreotide, and acarbose)  I've also seen some people on the forums that have revised from a RNY to a DS or VSG have success too.

If you're gonna hit up your insurance for a revision for this complication then you're gonna need to prove that you've tried to control the hypoglycemia medically (ie: with diet (lower your carbs if you're not already doing that, and with medications) and the endocrinologist will be able to help your case.  If you're not already testing your blood sugar, begin doing so if for no other reason than so that you know that you're safe when you're driving.  Doing glucose testing on a home meter won't be sufficient for insurance approval. They will require a GTT or a mixed meal test or both, along with a serum glucose blood draw that the endo will have to do.  They'll also want to run a bunch of tests (c-peptide, cortisol and a couple others I can't remember) on you to prove that your hypoglycemia isn't a result of an insulinoma or some other metabolic abnormality. 

I wish you luck.  I know how hard it is to deal with.  Don't let the stuff you read on the internet worry you too much.  Every situation is different and just because their hypoglycemia didn't resolve doesn't mean that yours won't.

Hope this helps!  Good luck,  Kristina

 
Why are you having part of your pancreas removed?

I'm not having part of my pancreas removed.  I'm revising my current RNY to a sleeve.  I was saying that if the revision of my RNY doesn't fix the hypoglycemia then I'm just going to have to live with the hypoglycemia, because I don't want to have part of my pancreas removed.

The reasoning behind removing a portion of the pancreas is because the pancreas makes excess insulin which ultimately drives blood sugar down below normal levels.  If you remove part of it, less insulin in made, and so blood sugar is higher.

I just wanted to say that I didn't have to have all of the tests done that you said in here. I simply took pictures of all of my meter readings and submitted them with the paperwork that I submitted to the Department of Managed Healthcare when I was fighting the insurance so everyone is different. I'm really glad that I didn't have to go through all of that :)

I was revised to DS in October 2010, and have not had one single episode since then.

 Thanks for your response.

I have already had several of the tests, like an oral glucose tolerance test, scary result!  My glucose dropped to 18, when my doc got the results he was shocked.  

As far as my insurance goes, I've got a pretty good plan and the surgeons office doesn't think there will be an issue having a revision covered.  The bigger question is should it be done or can I control it with diet & lifestyle changes.

How often were you having hypoglycemia? Where there other reasons for your revision, weight regain or anything else?

How much of a problem is RH for people here?  For me it's intermittent, maybe once a month sometimes not even that.  The scary part is the unpredictable nature, the worries that carry with me, and the thoughts about middle of the night while I'm asleep hypoglycemia leading to other major issues.

When I'm really good on my diet, low carbs and liquid manaent....not much of a problem!