Hypoglycemic episode: How to raise blood sugar when you're a dumper?

I had some fasting bloodwork done on Wednesday (for my 6^th month post-op exam) and scheduled it so I’d only be 30 min off from my breakfast time. Because I have difficult veins to find, I had two large glasses of water before the tests. After my tests, I blacked out. When I came to, I tried to eat some yogurt (which I brought) and water. The clinic called my GP who had them give me a sugar drink, which caused a dumping episode. When the ambulance arrived, my sugars were down to 3.7 with a pulse of 45 and low blood pressure. At the hospital they tested me again and I’d dropped to 3.2, so they gave me apple juice, which caused a dumping episode. It took about 6 hours to get my sugars up to the point where I could function. Today at work, I started to get tunnel vision so I had a protein bar and 3/4th of a small orange, which triggered a dumping episode. I’m not diabetic. I’ve had moments post-op when I get woozy when I don’t eat, but never had my vision go, nor any of the confusion/loss of motor control before.

Aside from eating on a regular schedule, what tricks do other dumpers have that they do when their sugars drop?

Us not being your PCP, you should really be working with medical experts (i.e., endocrinology) to solve this problem.  

For myself, I don't drink juices because of the sugars.  Protein with a complex carb is what I used to use for hypoglycemic episodes, but I'm not sure what you can do about the super-low blood sugar levels except insulin.  

Talk to your doctors.

I eat something with some protein and some sugar, but not so much sugar that I dump.  A protein bar with up to 15 grams of sugar is OK for me.  Or I'll eat a couple spoonfuls of almond butter.

I had extreme RH, and hypoglycemia on the past...

Now know the symptoms and know what triggers mine to avoid it.  I was also diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency so now i take cortisone to help my body. 

Adrenal insufficiency-  my body does not make enough cortisol. That steroid is needed to regukate blood sugar. Low cortisol  - can cause hypoglycemia.   Reactive.Hypoglycemia can be managed with just diet - adrenal -fasting hypoglycemia.-  not so much...

Until my diagonosis and even now - i learnt to mange my condition. My "savers" - are nut buters.  Peanut butter, almond butter - NSA. 

Now if i get low BS.- first i take glucose tablet - keep it in my mouth. Let it dissolve and absorb in my mouth..depends how low my BS is. 1-2 tablets can get my BS to a safe level - and i follow with nut butter...

1 gr of glucose should raise BS app 4-5 points. Glucose tablet is 4gr. 4×5 = 20 points. BS. 40 -50's- i take 1 tablet. And follow up with nut butter....BS in low 30 - 2 tablets - chew one- gets absirbet faster..then follow with another  - slower absobtion, and follow up with nut butter. 

I carry individuall Packs  (check Justin's nut butters individuall) with me all the time. A few of them. They are also my emergency quick "food" when i am out and forget to eat or there is nothing i can have (party)..

I also make sure i eat just before bed.  I tried differnt foods -but nuts are the best for me. I get 5 brazil nuts + macadamia nuts. They slowly get digested as i sleep..and keep my BS stable through the night and morning.  I take my cortisone when i get up and start moving...but even without that my morning bs is ok. 

I keep nut butter in my night stand (individual packs). 

Before my diagnosis of AI - i would eat 1-2 tsp of nut butter first thing am...then had coffee. 

(Typing on a tablet - probably lots of typos...sorry) 

Liquids with sugar are the MOST likely thing to cause dumping, so that should NEVER be your first choice, especially since you are apparently one of the minority who are sensitive to natural fruit sugars. I say that nof only because of the dumping issue, but also because the rapid influx of sugar without protein just contributes to the vicious blood sugar rollercoaster.

Instead of the apple juice (or, in addition to a very SMALL amount of the juice), eating something with protein and some carbs and some fat would have been a better option for getting your sugar levels stabilized.  I wasn't there, obviously, but if it took 6 hours to get you feeling better, my guess is that it may not have been that it took 6 hours to get your sugar level UP, but that it took that long to go through TWO sugar cycles and get you STABILIZED because of the juice and dumping.

Depending on what kind of artificial sweetener is in the protein bar, that might not the best choice if you are sensitive to sugar alcohols. 

Nuts (or nut butter) or cheese along with a whole grain cracker or two are really good options because of the protein/carb/fat combination. Unless you are lactose intolerant, drinking a small amount of milk can also be better than fruit juice to get a quick lift.

I always have some nuts and a protein bar in my purse in case of emergency.  Making sure you eat regularly, though, to avoid the problem is better than trying to fix it after the fact.

If only being off 30 minutes from your normal breakfast caused such an issue, though, you should probably consider doing what a number of us do and eat something small right before bed. For me, 3/4 - 1 cup of milk or some cheese or yogurt right before bed can be the difference between waking up feeling good and waking up shaky.

Lora

My best advice would be to keep glucose tablets with you all the time. IF you look at the nutrition on them they actually have a lot less sugar than you'd think and they are MADE to bring sugar levels up.

My doc told me to have a bit of fruit with a protein when I felt it dropping. Mine liked to drop like a rock from Stonehenge weighted rock. So when I learned to recognize before it would get that bad I could grab the right thing for me. I always carry a quest protein bar in my purse for those days when I am unexpectedly delayed from eating in a timely manner to prevent the dropping blood  sugars. But there are still times even over 2 years out when time sneaks past before I even realize it. If possible I have like an individual applesauce cup and a stick of reduced fat Colby jack cheese. Or I have an individual cup of no sugar added peaches and 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese. I know we can have the low fat cottage cheese, but I prefer the fat free in my stores brand. But I am 2 years out. At 6 months I would have used only half of those.

I have to have a protein snack before bed or I will crash in 4 hrs.(a horrible way to wake up) an apple with cheese  works best for me. nut butters are ok, but i will crash if I can't eat a meal soon after.  juice is mostly sugar and will work if you haven't had your insides rearranged.as you showed several people, I keep hard candy on me, it will bring you back from the edge long enough to get some protein in you.at 6 years out, I can eat a lot I couldn't at 2 years , so what works for me may not for you.