IBS and low blood sugar? Anyone else having a hard time? I'm 5 1/2 years post op

I'm so sorry I haven't been on here in a while. Turns out my pains were in fact due to being completely backed up. sorry if too much info. I also discovered a pattern with Regular Skim milk and not being able to go, and have switched back to lactaid which has helped me out. The doctor told me with the being backed up episodes and the severe pains it sounds like IBS (BUT HIGH just under rib cage????), haven't actually been diagnosed (military doctors) but I was also informed that an allergy can cause the IBS symptoms as well. I've been trying to pay extra close attention by keeping a journal of everything I eat so I can hopefully pinpoint anything else that is a trigger causing irritation.

I am also still experiencing the light headed episodes with the vision problems, weakness, exhaustion, and headaches (sometimes severe to the point where it feels like someone is pounding so hard on my temples), This may possibly be low blood sugar, which is something my surgeon had said to me about 4 years ago when he told me to carry glucose tabs with me when I was pregnant with my daughter. They are more frequent now, and as I use to be able to act like I was fine they seem to be harder to control and more frequent now. Sometimes I can eat a few carrots or an apple and I'm fine, other times I need to lay down and within minutes pass out.

My blood work for vitamins came back normal. My vitamin D is back up again, which is good.

Anyone else experiencing these things? It's so frustrating.  I'm so tired of being tired all the time, and really hate being sick.

Lady Lithia is having similar issues. Read her post.

I'm sending a prayer your way,

Hattie

It may be RH - Reactive hypoglycemia.

Nasty little bugger.  I react to sugars, natural or not. Carbs also.  Or not eating enough ...or not eating enough carbs..

My standing joke is about mashed potatoes - I don't need to eat them, I can smell them and my sugar will crash in 3..2...1.. lol.. It is not as bad ... but I do react to some carbs much worse to others. I stopped eating the one that will crash me every time, no matter what I eat with them. . And eat limited carbs - but only with fats and proteins (never just carbs)

What you describe : fruit followe dby carb coma - may indicate really strong reaction to carbs.  Welcome to the club. 

New Data on Weight Gain Following Bariatric Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery has long been considered the gold standard for weight loss. However, recent studies have revealed that this particular operation can lead to potential weight gain years later. Lenox Hill Hospital’s Chief of Bariatric Surgery, Mitchell Roslin, MD, was the principal investigator of the Restore Trial – a national ten center study investigating whether an endoscopic suturing procedure to reduce the size of the opening between the gastric pouch of the bypass and the intestine could be used to control weight gain in patients following gastric bypass surgery. The concept for the trial originated when Dr. Roslin noticed a pattern of weight gain with a significant number of his patients, years following gastric bypass surgery. While many patients could still eat less than before the surgery and become full faster, they would rapidly become hungry and feel light headed, especially after consuming simple carbohydrates, which stimulate insulin production.

The results of the Restore Trial, which were published in January 2011, did not confirm the original hypothesis – there was no statistical advantage for those treated with suturing. However, they revealed something even more important. The data gathered during the trial and the subsequent glucose tolerance testing verified that patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery and regained weight were highly likely to have reactive hypoglycemia, a condition in which blood glucose drops below the normal level, one to two hours after ingesting a meal high in carbs. Dr. Roslin and his colleagues theorized that the rapid rise in blood sugar – followed by a swift exaggerated plunge – was caused by the absence of the pyloric valve, a heavy ring of muscle that regulates the rate at which food is released from the stomach into the small intestine. The removal of the pyloric valve during gastric bypass surgery causes changes in glucose regulation that lead to inter-meal hunger, impulse-snacking, and consequent weight regain.

Dr. Roslin and his team decided to investigate whether two other bariatric procedures that preserve the pyloric valve – sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch – would lead to better glucose regulation, thus suppressing weight regain. The preliminary data of this current study shows that all three operations initially reduce fasting insulin and glucose. However, when sugar and simple carbs are consumed, gastric bypass patients have a 20-fold increase in insulin production at six months, compared to a 4-fold increase in patients who have undergone either a sleeve gastrectomy or a duodenal switch procedure. The dramatic rise in insulin in gastric bypass patients causes a rapid drop in glucose, promoting hunger and leading to increased food consumption.

“Based on these results, I believe that bariatric procedures that preserve the pyloric valve lead to better physiologic glucose regulation and ultimately more successful long-term maintenance of weight-loss," said Dr. Roslin.

http://www.lenoxhillhospital.org/press_releases.aspx?id=2106

Wow thank you for sharing! I never thought it could be related to carb intake. I still stay away from sugars, but with the being backed up problem the doctor told me to increase my daily fiber intake and eat more whole grains which I've been doing with a higher fiber bread, whole grain pasta, apple slices with peeling on, etc could this be causing things to get worse? 

It does me.  Some people can tolerate that. I can't.  Trail and errors.
I eat something... and if I get tired or sleepy after... - that is  sign for me that it was too many carbs.  Also - if my sugar drops. (I used to  measure that often - now - I just know) 

what I have issue with: 
most carbs - grains (bread, pasta, rice, oatmeal, etc)
Most fruits - but can eat berries and some apples...grapefruits are OK, but oranges - not so much. Pineapple - maybe 1/2 - 1 slice, Tomato and tomato juice (soups - ketchup) - really iffy. 
Can't eat bananas unless I use them to add to protein cakes..
Can't eat any potatoes. But sweet potato - maybe a little
no milk, skim milk = very low sugar, but full milk - can have 1/2 cup=4 oz. 
No normal plain yogurt but plain Greek yogurt is OK (6oz?) 

I always try to eat my carbs (the ones that I know are safe) with fat and proteins: nuts, cheese.... meats.  
I can eat very dark chocolate : 75-85% dark. 

I get discouraged eating some things - when my sugar drops to low 40 or below that because of food I ate.... and that happens a few times... I usually will eliminate that food from my diet.  The very low BS are just too scary and not worth feeling like that .. 
Sugar alcohols also affect me.  I get reaction when i get more than 6-10 gr of sugar alcohols. (beside the gas, smell and other issues). 

What is worse - that once my insulin gets up - my system us supper sensitive to carbs... and it may take me a few days before I stop reacting to even semi -safe foods. 

I don't eat cooked carrots - too much starches.  one or 2 in a soup - or a dish is fine... but not a lot.  I don't eat beans - one - too much very painful gas, and the carbs... my body dos not know that beans are good for us.

Fiber: I use lot of flax-meal and flax seed in my cooking. I also eat high fiber bars (quest bars), and some home made protein bars - cookies. Cooked veggies. 
   
I do try to avoid - if I can - any foods that has added sugar... or SA... or too many carbs. 
The best food for me is the one that has 20gr of proteins+ 10 gr of net carbs (or less) + 7-10 gr of fat.  
fat makes my BS more stable that sugar.  And fat makes me full. (i.e. nuts, natural nut butters, seeds, meats, etc.) 

If I let my BS drop too low.. then for the next 2-3 days I eat by the clock - every 2.5 hrs.  And mostly  proteins and fat and some carbs... (it almost feel like my pancreas gets too exited and makes too much insulin so very frequent small meals , low carb , helps to calm it down...) One then I can try to get some fruits... 

instead of bread I use flat-out wraps or any other high fiber wraps. Or lettuce leafs. 
Veggies, meats, cheese, protein bars, nuts, home baked protein cookies.. etc.  

Thank you so much for all of this information. I feel hopeful now that I will be able to get back to feeling better.

I have a problem with oranges as well, I can only have a couple pieces of one any more than that and I'm sick to my stomach I figured because of acids maybe?
 
I can't do orange juice or any fruit juice for that matter, even if I dillute it- Just too much sugar for me. I can't eat cooked carrots-they don't settle right, but I can eat them raw without a problem.

Steak and pork are hard ones for me, I always feel like either I didn't chew well enough or it is stuck in one spot for hours, I don't even bother to try anymore. I stick to chicken, turkey, and fish for my main sources of  protein.

A couple days after Christmas we took a vacation to visit family, and I was so tempted by the sweets ( way more tempted this year than any previous years) and tried one of the home made chocolate dipped peanut butter balls thinking if I have just that one It would be okay, and I could make up for it with exercise, but it was a BIG MISTAKE I paid for it big time afterwards and ended up going to bed early.  It makes sense now, and looking back I can think of other foods through our traveling I've had that would trigger this too. Pretzels, Crackers, oh my gosh what have I turned into? 

On a day to day basis I avoid sugar,  I use stevia or splenda occasionally. I drink water, and unsweetened tea. Even if I have a cup of coffee I've gotten use to drinking it black no cream or sweetener (cant be too hot though).  

You mentioned cooking with flax.  what foods do you add it to?

Fiber Bars? Are you making them or buying them?

Seems the way I was advised to up my fiber with the whole grains sure helped me with the poo problem but made other things worse at the same time. I sure will be looking for other options for fiber intake.  5 1/2 years post op and I'm still learning.

Thank you again.

Fiber - that is good... but also cab backfire. Too much fiber with not enough fat or water may make a HUGE problem...

Calcium and iron will constipate. So does not enough water. 

There is study that show that calcium need to be taken with magnesium ( ratio 2: 1)  for maximum absorption. If magnesium is not present - a lot of calcium ends up in colon (or may end up ion colon) and cause constipation/
Also - body needs magnesium. and When too much magnesium is taken - the rest will end up in the small intestine and pulls water in there.  Result - easy - no strain BM.   Or take Colace or other stool softener. Magnesium works great for me. I take 250 mg of magnesium for every 500 mg calcium. And I take additional 400-800 mg of magnesium oxide before bed.  Every day. In the morning - I get coffee and ... 5-10 min later I have a complete easy BM.  But if i skip 2-3 days.or not drink enough liquids... trouble, 

Fat is also needed - as lubricant - so things can slide... lol..