Type 1 diabetic-still having trouble with malabsorption
This is what I am afraid is happening to me! I had my RNYGB on Jan 29/14 for diabetes control (LT type 2 on massive insulin, meds and severe complications). I weighed 185lbs and I am now done to 135lbs, with about 10 lbs I could spare to loose yet before being too thin! My hubby says he thinks I am going to starve to death having had this surgery. It has helped my blood sugar control immensely- was always on the border of coma land before (too high) and now mostly normal values, once In awhile I creep up to 12. Anyways, the biggest thing is I have these weird symptoms the docs can't explain and they are making my life a living hell!
I do not get the typical dumping type symptoms- diarrhea is one of them! I do get some of the other symptoms of dumping though- sweating, heart palpitations, nausea, vomiting. Then I also get hypoglycemic attacks that are not TRUE hypos,-just get the symptoms of one at 4-7 levels! I also get headaches, severe fatigue, severe bone pain, and I get very cold body temperature. The drs think I have an dysautonomia (autonomic nervous system dysfunction) now- maybe had it before too and that is why my diabetes was so intractible! All I know is now I am always feeling yucky and as I loose more an more weight I am getting weaker too.
R u using meal replacement drinks or protein shakes at all? I live on them lots, try to take in as much healthy normal foods as I can too but I still have tons of trouble eating anything that isn't pureed. Does your doctor think you have dumping? Do they say you absorb your nutrients? I had to increase my intake of fat too- that helps somewhat.
I wish you luck and hope you get some answers soon. It is very scary to loose too much weight too!
You can pm me too.
Have you been tested for C. diff? It's an intestinal bug that DSers sometimes struggle with. One of the symptoms is chronic diarrhea. Have you been tested for it? If not, it wouldn't hurt.
Another thought--what about food sensitivities? As we age, we naturally become less lactose tolerant. Or, maybe a preexisting sensitivity to wheat has been amped up by perimenopause?
RNY doesn't usually produce profound malabsorption like the DS does, so I'd be hesitant to label your problem as that. If it is, though, have your doctors tried Creon or other prescription pancreatic enzymes? DSers use those sometimes.
Good luck to you.
Hi, I, too, am a type 1 diabetic for 26 years and while I don't have experience with the stomach issues you mention (I had the surgery in August so it hasn't been long), I'm happy to see another type 1 on here, and I hope you are feeling better and have an answer. Before RNY I would have the feeling like food would pass right through me and I'd had a lot of diarrhea and what not and wondered if it was a result of long term type 1--some people with type 1 also have delayed stomach emptying, I think, or the opposite of that, and my first thought when issues crop up is ,"is this diabetes related?" which is isn't always, but it's hard to not think that way. Feel free to send me a message to connect further. I have a few q's for you re: type 1 and RNY! Thanks!
