Diabetes post-op???
Have any of you developed diabetes post-op? I was borderline type-2 when I started my WLS journey, not enough to justify treatment. However, of the last month, I've had several episodes of hypoglycemia (low sugar) and they've been occuring more often. I've tried adjusting my diet to compensate but so far haven't had much affect. I already have a call into my PCP and my surgeon for advice. I'm just wondering if any of you have developed this complication post-op.
Thanks
Thanks
I'm not sure if that would be classified as diabetes. When one has diabetes, your body does not use the insulin correctly, and thus your blood sugar goes up (I'm a type 2 and am now only taking oral meds). When a diabetic has "low blood sugar", normally the person either has taken too much insulin, or hasn't eaten enough for the insulin injected. I too have herd of the hypoglycemic events also. I would be interested to see what a medical professional calls it. Luckily, that is easy to fix by just altering your diet. IMHO
I'm only a week postop, but I've had some trouble with hypoglycemia events (at least this what my PCP thinks) since surgery. He says that I used to eat so much of my food in carbohydrates that when I eat, my system starts pumping insulin that I don't need on a low-carb diet. It's used to having to gear up for carbs, even though I'm not eating many now. My doc told me that this effect will go away, and that I should add some more carbs to my diet in the meantime. I've either added 4 ounces of juice to each meal, and sometimes substitute something like yogurt for a high-protein food. Of course, I'm still on a liquid/mushy diet so I have more flexibility right now.
Since I am not a doctor, and certainly not qualified to give advice, continue to talk to your doc.
By the way, the doc called my probable condition as "hyperinsulemic hypoglycemia." I did some research and found that some studies have found 5-6% of WLS patients get this either temporarily or in the long term. Let's hope that -- if this is your problem -- it's temporary.
Since I am not a doctor, and certainly not qualified to give advice, continue to talk to your doc.
By the way, the doc called my probable condition as "hyperinsulemic hypoglycemia." I did some research and found that some studies have found 5-6% of WLS patients get this either temporarily or in the long term. Let's hope that -- if this is your problem -- it's temporary.
Rick in Washington
First goal: Week-long canoe trek in summer '09. Second goal: lose 107 pounds. Third goal, attain any weight that starts with a "1."
Started at 332, current weight: 310
First goal: Week-long canoe trek in summer '09. Second goal: lose 107 pounds. Third goal, attain any weight that starts with a "1."
Started at 332, current weight: 310
I was doing some Web research for something completely different (I do product design for a Web application so I was looking for new ideas) and came across this link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17658016?dopt=Abstract
Whi*****ludes this:
"Bantle JP, Ikramuddin S, Kellogg TA, Buchwald H.
"Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. [email protected]
"BACKGROUND: Post-gastric bypass hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia causing confusion and loss of consciousness was recently described, and appears to be an important late complication of gastric bypass surgery. We report 3 additional patients with this disorder, and describe their responses to high and low carbohydrate test meals. PATIENTS:The patients were 1 woman and 2 men ranging in age from 50 to 65 years who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) for morbid obesity. 15 to 37 months after surgery, they started to have episodes of postprandial confusion and loss of consciousness. RESULTS: When given high carbohydrate mixed meals, all 3 demonstrated peak plasma glucose >200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l) and peak serum insulin >300 microU/l (1800 pmol/l). Although serum insulin declined rapidly, all 3 developed hypoglycemia with plasma glucose <42 mg/dl (2.3 mmol/l). Following low carbohydrate test meals, there was little change in plasma glucose or serum insulin and no hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that low carbohydrate diets may be effective in treating post-gastric bypass hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. We hypothesize that rapid digestion and absorption of carbohydrate is an important feature of this disorder and may be treated with measures other than pancreatectomy."
You might want to direct your doc's attention to this research. Hope you feel better soon.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17658016?dopt=Abstract
Whi*****ludes this:
"Bantle JP, Ikramuddin S, Kellogg TA, Buchwald H.
"Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. [email protected]
"BACKGROUND: Post-gastric bypass hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia causing confusion and loss of consciousness was recently described, and appears to be an important late complication of gastric bypass surgery. We report 3 additional patients with this disorder, and describe their responses to high and low carbohydrate test meals. PATIENTS:The patients were 1 woman and 2 men ranging in age from 50 to 65 years who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) for morbid obesity. 15 to 37 months after surgery, they started to have episodes of postprandial confusion and loss of consciousness. RESULTS: When given high carbohydrate mixed meals, all 3 demonstrated peak plasma glucose >200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l) and peak serum insulin >300 microU/l (1800 pmol/l). Although serum insulin declined rapidly, all 3 developed hypoglycemia with plasma glucose <42 mg/dl (2.3 mmol/l). Following low carbohydrate test meals, there was little change in plasma glucose or serum insulin and no hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that low carbohydrate diets may be effective in treating post-gastric bypass hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. We hypothesize that rapid digestion and absorption of carbohydrate is an important feature of this disorder and may be treated with measures other than pancreatectomy."
You might want to direct your doc's attention to this research. Hope you feel better soon.
Rick in Washington
First goal: Week-long canoe trek in summer '09. Second goal: lose 107 pounds. Third goal, attain any weight that starts with a "1."
Started at 332, current weight: 310
First goal: Week-long canoe trek in summer '09. Second goal: lose 107 pounds. Third goal, attain any weight that starts with a "1."
Started at 332, current weight: 310
People who have diabetes don't have episodes of HYPOglycemia, unless they're taking insulin or other hypoglycemic drugs to address their HYPERglycemia.
There seems to be a rare complication of gastric bypass surgery known as nesidioblastosis, in which the beta-cells of the pancrease proliferate, causing an excessive surge in insulin secretion in response to dietary challenges, producing episodes of hypoglycemia, often severe.
This is sort of "anti-diabetes", if you think about it.
From what little reading I've done about nesidioblastosis (and there are a few women here on OH who have been disgnosed with it), it can take 18 months or longer after the surgery to exhibit these symptoms (probably because it takes that long for the beta-cells to proliferate to such an extent that you see any symptoms.)
/Steve
There seems to be a rare complication of gastric bypass surgery known as nesidioblastosis, in which the beta-cells of the pancrease proliferate, causing an excessive surge in insulin secretion in response to dietary challenges, producing episodes of hypoglycemia, often severe.
This is sort of "anti-diabetes", if you think about it.
From what little reading I've done about nesidioblastosis (and there are a few women here on OH who have been disgnosed with it), it can take 18 months or longer after the surgery to exhibit these symptoms (probably because it takes that long for the beta-cells to proliferate to such an extent that you see any symptoms.)
/Steve
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