Help..if your diabetes goes into remission after surgery, can it come back?

I had surgery in June and am off most of my medications, but heard that diabetes can come back on you. Can it really, and would it be worse? I had to ask after hearing that!

Yes. Not everyone goes into remission either. It depends on your diabetes history.

I didn't have type II Diabetes until 10 years ago. I did have insulin dependent gestational diabetes the year before surgery.

It's well controlled on metformin, diet and exercise and hasn't worsened in those years - HbA1c is usually around 6. I have no doubt it would be worse if I was 100lbs heavier.

I didn't have diabetes until 7 years ago, A1c hovered most often around 8.3. Thank the lord it is lower now, but I'm going to work hard to keep it there, it scares me to think of it coming back!

Your diabetes is not cured. There is a good chance, about 95% with DS, 80% with RNY, and 50% with VSG that the diabetes can go into remission.

The damage to your pancreas that caused diabetes is still there. So even with weight loss and the proper diet, the pancreas might not make enough insulin or your body may not process the insulin that is being made.

Having diabetes come back does not mean you are not doing the right thing. It means that your pancreas or body is not working in a normal way. In studies, diabetes returns to 1/3 of patients within the first five years.

Once you have diabetes it is pretty much impossible to get rid of it. Weight loss, exercise, and lifestyle changes do not stop it from coming back. The years of remission, plus the better food choices, more exercise, and improved lifestyle may lower the risk of eye disease, kidney disease, strokes, heart attacks, and death. But the risks are still there.

Sorry, I think I missed this reply, White Dove. Since the diabetes is not going away, I'll at least take remission for a long time, with an overall much healthier lifestyle and exercise 7 days a week. Days 6 & 7 are the recumbent bike, unless there's a great hike to do on day 6. Dropping the weight has made exercising easier, although I've never liked it much. It's just a given now for me since my surgery, I can't give myself the option of NOT exercising.

This is such good information, thanks a bunch.

I had surgery in 2007. My AIC before surgery was 8.2. After surgery I was taken off all medicines and at three months A1C was 4.7 and stayed like that until 2015. Then I started being very tired, very thirsty, and I lost 10 pounds in a week with no change in what I was doing.

The diabetes was back and I have been on insulin since then. Those years of not being on insulin were a good thing.

Yes. Diabetes is never cured. If you have diabetes, you have diabetes. Gaining weight back will bring it back in most cases, but also just time/age. Most people who are Type II diabetic will eventually need to treat diabetes in some mechanism (all the way to taking insulin), especially if you were diagnosed young.

Erin T., thanks for this input. Diabetes stinks and it doubly stinks to know that it can come back on people as they age. I don't look forward to aging, but at least I have this great tool to try to remain healthy in several ways if I keep myself in line with choices and exercise.

I do appreciate you posting this.

I was on 5 insulin shots a day before my original VSG. I still had to take small dosed metformin until my revision to RNY. Remission means it can always come back. I was diagnosed at 17. I have no doubt that it's done major damage to my pancreas. My whole body has damage from it. I knew going in that it could send me into remission but it wasn't and isn't a guarantee to anything. You still have to put in the work...every single day.

good luck to you on this journey!

Melody P., thanks for sharing. I guess the best thing to do is to stick with the healthier plan for every day and not dwell on anything returning but build up a good defense so it has a much harder time of coming back. This sharing of information is really helping me, even psychologically, so I'm grateful for your response.