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Hello folks... I am 23 months postoperative. I was 3.5 lbs from goal and decided to up the daily routine of exercise wanting to hit goal, I am a slow loser. More importantly the emotional victory was really all that I cared about, not the physical. So Instead of my normal 600 calorie a day burn on the elliptical I started burning 750 calories daily. I managed to lose 1.4 lbs in a month, but started to become ill. Having all the signs and at times severe, of hypoglycemia. After three weeks of fearing to drive at times, I finally went to see my Dr. My normally very nice blood pressure was extremely high and she followed up with lots of blood work, a kidney workup etc. I was asked to check my blood sugars randomly and especially when feeling ill . I'll call them spells. I would tremble, feel light headed, blurred vision, rapid heart rate and overall weakness with a strong desire to EAT. This at times woke me in the middle of the night accompanied with cold sweats, feeling much like a heart attack or my impression of one. There were times at work I'd have a project in my hand and not know why, my thought process was on "hold". I was lethargic and my memory would shut down. After googling hypoglycemia I was convinced that was what I had, yet my blood sugars were always within normal ranges, my A1C (three month average of blood sugars ) was great. So more testing was ordered, I do not have the results yet, of all the tests but one thing I do know is that I had a 2 hr fasting glucose tolerance test and that was not fun. The test is simple. They check your blood upon arrival, my number fasting was at 93, then they make you drink a bottle of sweet syrup within 5 minutes, then I was SICK. Many of the same symptoms were replicated, although not all, I was near passing out, blurred vision, not even being able to focus on my Ipad. I thought I was going to vomit, defecate in my pants and maybe even stroke out. I could barely speak. and actually didn't dare to in fear I'd throw up. This lasted nearly an hour. At hour two they draw your blood again and it is suppose to be 140 or less to be in normal ranges. Mine was 56. I have done further reading and honestly never read about this prior to my surgery, but this seems to be a delayed symptom of the Gastric Sleeve. It's called Reactive Hypoglycemia. Protein and vegetables. I've added a slice of 15 grain bread or a whole wheat English muffin to my diet daily and overall do feel better. I've had a few spells, not nearly as bad as before, and no more night issues. My question is there anyone else here with the same problem? If so why had I NEVER heard of this? If someone has had this experience I have questions about whether this is temporary, will I end up gaining because i'm eating more carbs etc. Thank you in advance for your help!

Anyone have the symptoms of either one since being sleeved? Im a little over 3 mths out and it's one thing after another. Very unhappy so far.. But mostly blurred vision and very shakey after I eat or don't eat, and very fatigued after I eat. The blurred vision is driving me crazy. I keep having to go to the doctor and it's stressing me out financially because I don't have insurance anymore. Anyone relate to my symptoms?

I had a bad case of hypoglycemia after eating some pasta, turns out to be reactive hypoglycemia anybody else have or had this problem ?

Hi, I have Type II Diabetes and am wondering how to manage my "hypos" (blood sugar drops) when you are preparing for surgery and post surgery on the liquid diets? I know when I have prepped for a colonoscopy before and had to be on a liquid diet for 24 hours, I had a very tough time managing my blood sugar on that diet! I am worried about this. I know many people who go through with the Lap-Band surgery have Diabetes. How does this work? Thank you for any advice/insight you have! Vacationgirl

This is my first post. I had Roux-en-y (RNY) in September 2009 by Mr Date in The Luton & Dunstable Hospital in England. Have gone from 26-stone to around 16-stone. All seems pretty well except I suffer from Hypoglycemic events even though I am not Diabetic. Anybody else get this? Also I have Terrible-Tinnitus and my life (day and night) is becoming a living hell. Anyhow that's enough from me, any replies GREATLY appreciated. Bye-4-now - Neil :-)

Yes, we do get into it here sometimes. There are posts and comments that cause our hackles to rise. We are from different states, countries, cultures and have different values systems, experiences and opinions. We respond to different approaches in different ways. Some of us need a "kick in the pants" or "tough love" and respond well to that, others are more responsive to a gentle hand and softer words. There is no one size fits all in these forums, which is what makes it stronger for the differences. One thing is obvious to me at least, and that is we all share a common experience and passion. We are planning to, or have been through vsg surgery and we are at times scared, excited, thankful, ashamed, proud, angry, apathetic, and countless other feelings. This is an emotional process. It is mentally stressful. It is academic in our search for information. It is very physical. For some it is even spiritual. We do not have to agree on everything. We are here to share our thoughts, opinions, experiences and questions. Since it is a public forum, it is also open to anything from anyone at anytime. That may be more challenging for some than others when they read a response that they interpret as offensive. Some react strongly, others are not as emotionally invested in what others have to say. There is no right or wrong way to feel about this. We do all need to remember that we are working through a framework of a shared experience, though we may process our thinking about it in different ways. Definition of Reactive Thinking Reactive thinking is crisis-based thinking, coming up with solutions after problems develop. Reactive thinking responds to the situation. A reactive thinker often spends too much of his time fighting fires. A reactive thinker is easily blindsided by circumstances. A crisis-driven reactive thinker may be more prone to feeling stress. Definition of Proactive Thinking Proactive thinking, on the other hand, involves foresight. To be proactive means to think ahead, in anticipation of future changes or problems. It means covering your bases to include all possible scenarios. A proactive thinker will have several contingencies in mind. A proactive thinker sees the likelihood of crises before they happen. Ref: http://www.ehow.com/...e-thinking.html

I went for my check up and my doctor realized that after several blood tests over the last year that my TSH levels were high. I didn't know what that meant but I realized that I am almost 7 weeks out and I am so tired that I can't even get up and walk around without feeling like I did a 5K run. I know my vit-D levels are low. I now have to take a 50,000 IU's of Vit-D once a week. My B-12 came back up to normal, now I have to take a B-12 shot. I have to also continue to take Calcium and Iron and I still feel very week. I was put on an anti-depressant which helps a little. The doctor then checks my last blood test and said to me " I think you have a thyroid problem. I replied " I thought high levels of TSH means high functioning thyroid. However, high TSH means low functioning thyroid. After the doctor goes back into my record and realizes that all my blood test from last year showed a problem with my thyroid I had to take another blood test to see if the TSH levels are still high. High TSH levels leads to the following You may experience chilliness or sluggishness or feel weak, depressed and tired, symptoms often labeled as chronic fatigue syndrome. You may have problems thinking and with cognitive functions, have difficulty breathing or experience muscle cramps with vague or specific joint pain. You may be plagued with uncontrollable weight gain, dry skin, constipation, menstrual problems, hot flashes, PMS, increased menstrual flow or have a miscarriage or be diagnosed with infertility. The list of common symptoms of high TSH levels includes weakness, fatigue, difficulty waking up, difficulty losing weight and/or weight gain, roughening of the hair and skin, hair loss, a pale or yellow tinge to skin, brittle nails, intolerance to cold, constipation, depression, mood swings, abnormal menstruation, decreased sex drive and memory loss. High TSH levels can affect a person's overall outlook and mentality. I had all these problems pre surgery. Now I thinking did I have to do this surgery at all. I hope this test confirms my worst fears so I can finally feel normal again. I don't have any energy. Read more: Symptoms of High TSH Levels | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz23woxuHNH Read more: http://www.livestron.../#ixzz23woj9MJF

I just set my date for surgery and got some blood work back showing a really high c-reative level. I emailed Dr. Alvarez's office to ask if I might not be able to have the surgery.... I was hoping for a " well of course you can still have the surgery!" email back and I didn't... I need to wait to hear what the dr says.. soo nervous now.. anyone else with high levels before surgery?

I'm going on Day 5 post op, have had no problems at all and felt great. I was off pain meds and I walked a mile today, but I decided to take a full dose of my liquid hydrocodone tonight at 8:30 after I put my kids to bed. I am still on clear liquids. I am starting to feel a little shaky, a little faint(the feeling I used to get occasionally when I would accidently forget to eat) and cured if I had a glucose tab or a quick sugar fix to counteract the low blood sugar. I've never been diagnosed with hypoglycemia but it has happened a handful of times in the past. My question is.... if this feeling continues to get worse and I feel like my blood sugar is dropping, can I take a glucose tab or an ounce of apple juice with sugar to bring my blood sugar back up? I'm starting to freak out a little bc my kids are all here asleep. If I knew I could have regular apple juice that would set my mind at ease but I know Im not supposed to have sugar??? Will it cause me to have a leak or is it only for losing weight reason. What will happen if I need to dissolve a glucose tab to prevent passing out? Like I said, I have been feeling 100% great, getting pleanty of proteins and liquids in. I'm afraid maybe walking in excess, taking care of kids while my husband traveled today and having a full dose of hydrocodone was a bad combo for me. Any advice please??? Thank you, any help appreciated.

My body has decided to partake in this. Anyone else? Any tips?

So after a couple of unpleasant incidents, I've done some digging, and as far as I can tell I have been suffering from reactive hypoglycemia (RHG). All of the symptoms I get are hypoglycemic (flushed/chills, nervousness, trembling, slight mental confusion, feeling like I'm going to collapse, etc., all coupled with a sort of panicky hunger -- "I have to eat NOW or I'm going to fall over!"), and it's relieved by eating (but only if I'm careful and eat high-Protein foods, carbs just make the swings worse). I'm curious if anyone else has gone through this with the sleeve. Incidentally, some call this or confuse this with "dumping syndrome" -- they're not the same, but they may be related. Eating in a way that leads to dumping apparently can dump a lot of blood-sugar spiking food into your small intestine at once, faster than your body can properly deal with. So part of the "eat every two hours" thing is to eat smaller meals and avoid dumping. The Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia) mentions this. I am not diabetic, according to NUMEROUS tests by my PCP (given my weight and a family history, it seemed like a good precaution). Apparently, RHG is very common for WLS patients about 15-20 months out (I'm ~19 months out). It's made worse by not eating lots of small, high-protein meals, by not getting enough cardio, and by consuming too much caffeine. I'm guilty on all counts, but it seems like caffeine is really the worst offender for me. I don't do well with moderation, and I've discovered that when I really go overboard on caffeine, I get bad RHG, often at night. Also, it seems to be the combination of caffeine and carbs for me -- I don't drink caffeine at night, but my nighttime meals lately have been carb-heavy (spaghetti, for instance), mostly for convenience. And it seems like my RHG is happening mostly in the evening. So, I'm curious who else has struggled with this, and how you dealt with it. Unfortunately, since I changed jobs in mid-June, I'm not yet eligible for health benefits so I can't go see a doctor about this. That will be changing soon (next week, I think), but I really don't think this is an emergency condition, especially since I seem to be able to manage it by eating healthier, avoiding caffeine, and so on. Mostly I'm looking for support and advice

My weight loss is so slow. I can't help but get discouraged. I am excerising, eating the recommended foods and drinking my water. I was banded 03/30/2011, my pre-op weight was 215 pds. I had a fill 04/30/2011 (not sure how much fill). My current weight is 205 pds. I am petite, so I need to lose about 90-100 pds. I know I did not gain it overnight, but hoped for more progress by now.

One of the main reasons I've had problems losing weight in the past is due to a Hypo-active thyroid. I wonder if anyone else here has a thyroid problem and is finding success with the lap band. So far, I'm doing very well..... and I'm praying and hoping I don't hit that hypo-thyroid wall and my weight loss stalls. If this doesn't work... I'll be pretty upset. Please let me know if you can relate!!!

Hi :smile2: I'm scheduled for surgery in January and I'm just curious how those with hypo-thyroidism are making out with their lap-band...? I know how slowly I lose weight NOW with it - (I also have type II Diabetes controlled by metformin). I'd love to hear from all of you that have this thyroid disorder to see how you're making out or how you've made out... Thanks renee

Maybe someone can help me with this. Becasue of my profession, I am pretty well know where I live. I am not trying to sound concieted or cockey or anything like that, but a whole lot of people know who I am and have for several years. It is obvious that I am bigger that the obvious person. :frown1: When I start losing weight, I will be doing so in the public eye where tens of thousands of people will see me every week. I was thinking of having my journey documented and then shown a few weeks after surgery before the questions start coming about what I am doing. Now what if I go that route and the weight loss does not happen as it should? In your opinion would that be worse than answering the question "How are you losing weight" countless times. Sorry about being so vague, but I do not know who is reading these boards and I do not want to reveal my idenity right now, but I eventually will. Don't worry, in the end you will be like "Oh it's only you,big deal!" :biggrin2: Has anyone had an experience similar to mine? Thanks!

Thyroid disorder bandsters- curious as to if you think your thyroid complications hold up your weightloss with the band? Whats your overall opinion-- on how you work through it? I have Graves, but am hypothyroid now, treated with sinthrod and my levels seem to be stable for a year + now. There were quite a few bumps along the way to get physically heaalthy from all that. It certainly encouraged me to get banded since no matter what I kept a slow gain.... I was banded in March 2010, and loose 4lbs a month. Lots and lots of exercise, a healthy diet and finally better restriction- as I am a pretty new bandster. What is your average weight loss? Heaviest weight 244, Surgery weight 221, now I'm hovering at 204. If I knew how to set up a poll, I'd do one. Is anyone having better success? Did your meds require a different dosage as you lost? Any success secrets out there?

Has anyone had problems with a high reading on their c-reactive protein level and with lapband surgery it was reduced?

Dr C Just like my Mom, I have found out that I am allergic to adhesives. I am a week out and most of my wounds have scabs. I have two that are kind of open, just the top layer of skin is pulled apart. Do you know of any type of bandage that will not cause a reaction? My poor stomach has blisters where the steri-strips were. Would it help to put benedryl around the wounds, let it dry then put a bandage on it? Anyone else have this issue?