Search the Community

Some individuals who undergo RNY gastric bypass surgery experience Reactive Hypoglycemia. It is caused by low blood sugar a few hours after a meal. Here is a link that describes the condition. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/expert-answers/reactive-hypoglycemia/faq-20057778 This condition can cause you to faint or lose your balance. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness, anxiety and confusion. Generally those that experience this condition can manage it without much difficulty because they can detect the signs and take something (such as a small glass of fruit juice) to stop it. https://www.ridgeviewmedical.org/services/bariatric-weight-loss/enewsletter-articles/reactive-hypoglycemia-postgastric-bypass It might be rather then the stress causing the fainting; is that the low blood sugar is causing the fainting and amplifying the stress. I have no idea about the stomach pains. Maybe it is an ulcer.

It might have been reactive hypoglycemia since it happened after you ate. Some BBQ sauces are loaded with sugar, and eating sugar can cause reactive hypoglycemia. It's definitely a good idea to see an endocrinologist because 26 is scary low... It's amazing you were still conscious!

I had my lap band May 7, 2008, and I haven't had much change in my pain. I've only lost 24 lbs since my surgey, but if I exercise too much I will be unable to move for days. I find I hurt more all over my body after my fills - I've asked MD about this but they have no answers, and I'm very sensitive to fills, I've had more fills /unfills than I care to count - I was diagnosed with Reactive Epstein Bar Virus (Mono) 3 months after my surgery, because I complained to my main MD that I was so weak and had no energy. MD said it was probably activated by me having the Lap Band procedure - I hope you have had more luck with weight loss and pain, because I haven't.

I kept pretty good records from when I had the band in 2009. From the date of surgery to 1st mos I lost 8 lbs. 2nd mos I lost 4 lbs and 3rd mos 3 lbs. See my signature below for comparison. Keep in mind, I'm a slow loser, I have hypo thyroid and I was was a higher BMI when I got the band. So, to answer your question yes I'm losing faster with sleeve but best of all I'm doing it without throwing up & sliming every day like I did with the band.

So sorry-its so frustrating!!! We're all going at a different pace, and I'm afraid mine is slow too. I've lost about 52. I was almost 240 DOS, am now 188. I was 186.8, but gained about 2lbs and stalled in the last two weeks. I know part is related to my hypo-thyroid, part to not getting in enough protein. I do exercise regularly but not super heavily. My caloric intake is steady at 900, but sometimes I get "the snackies" in the late afternoon/evenings, and it's not "good" food that I snack on. I think we go into this knowing it will be hard, hope it will be easier than what we've done before, get excited at losses, then when we face stalls it's even more disappointing.

I don't have dumping syndrome. I had one episode of reactive hypoglycemia, which is considered late dumping, and I had that before revising to bypass. I've also thrown up once but I didn't have the sweats or shaking, so I think it was more related to eating too much. I think the current way they do the surgery actually minimizes dumping, so don't count on it. But the good news is that it still makes it difficult to eat too much of the bad stuff and doesn't allow full absorption. So you still need to make good choices, but it's very possible to still enjoy bits of indulgences.

I am what Kaiser calls a "reactivated case". I was in their bariatrics program years ago but dropped out and recently have been approved to go back. In the 4 years that I was gone, I gained 40 pounds. Kaiser wants me to lose that 40 pounds before surgery and they have given me approx. 4 months to do it... They gave me a meal plan and told me to exercise. I am going to have to BUST MY A** to lose this weight in 4 months and I need some serious suggestions...

Gingerbug: Sorry forgot to mention. They take your complete medical history. ON my band I have "gastric band", hypo thryroidism, high blood pressure, diabetes. I was also given a wallet card. The Canadian Medica Alert are in the medical field and very discreet. You have to have passwords, etc. Just tell them a gastric band, they don't ask for more information. Doddie

I also, have hypo thyroid problems. Can this effect surgery and being approved?

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 have Graves disease. I had my thyroid destroyed via Radioactive tx, been Hypo thyroid since Dec 2015. On Thyroxine since January 2016. My surgery had to be postponed when I was hyper thyroid. Since March 2016 (WLS) I lost total of 9 kg ( approx. 20 pounds), Seems slow loss, however I did hit the stall couple of weeks ago. It is normal though,to have stalls, even though they can be frustrating ..... I am interested in thyroid disease weight loss, also. I had couple of mini binges recently, emotional/head cravings, chocolate made me ill, so had some ice-cream and extra Proteins late at night. I only started gentle exercises 2 weeks ago.

Thanks Orion and Alcn! Brief update: Surgical nurse suggested it was possibly low BP or reactive hypoglycemia. I already had an appointment with my NUT the same day, and she said the hypoglycemia was unlikely based on symptoms and timeline, but she mentioned the sodium issue. I was cleared to start trying veggies, and I started with pickles yesterday bc I missed them so much. Should also cover any missing sodium, although I'll also pick up some electrolytic water to drink every day. I reached out to my primary care, and I'm waiting on a call back so they can look into the bp issue. Unfortunately we got about 10+ inches of snow yesterday so no one is open. Teri, I have asthma and am only 40 pounds into my weight loss journey, I am frequently out of breath. [emoji23] Sent from my SM-G900V using BariatricPal mobile app

I should probably clarify what i mean by long term, 12 months is relatively safe, beyond that being at extremely low calories can cause the following: Fatigue Anemia Cardiovascular issues Gallbladder issues Increased cortisol Ferility issues Psychological Vitamin deficiency Loss of muscle mass Malnutrition Reactive hypoglycemia I know some of these are resolved with weight loss, but they can also be brought on by having extremely low calories for years.

I consider myself an expert when it comes to autoimmune rheumatic diseases. First- let's talk your prednisone: See an endocrinologist. Pronto. I was taking 60 mg of pred a day for years. There was no weaning off, because any time I got down to 20-25mg, I literally could not function. In any capacity. Enter the endocrinologist. Because the prednisone does just as much (if not more!) damage than good, my adrenal function was gone, I had prednisone induced glaucoma as well as prednisone induced diabetes. I needed off the meds ASAP. She prescribed me ORAL hydrocortisone. It mimics- and tricks- your body into believing it is prednisone, and is MUCH easier to wean off of than the prednisone. It took a total of 2.5 months vs over a year or longer if it were the prednisone. Do this. Again, ASAP. Ask for it. Second- methotrexate, either by pill or injection: pills made me sick, puking, typical chemo side effects. The shots did not, and they actually work much more effectively than the pills, so if given a choice, it is a once a week teeny tiny needle. Side effects- don't bother paying attention to them. The benefits far outweigh any possible adverse effects. You will need regular blood work to monitor your liver enzymes. Again, I have been on a very high dosage, so mine were often screwy. Third: I can't imagine any surgeon doing WLS or ANY elective surgery while you are on either of these meds. I had to "wash out" before I could have my surgery, meaning get all traces of the meds out of my blood system and stored reserves. Both drugs make you more susceptible to infection and the prednisone especially makes healing hard. And keeps weight on. Again- seeing an endocrinologist will get you off the pred by using oral hydrocortisone pills. Usually PMR goes away after a year or so. I wonder if you don't have true rheumatoid arthritis? The tests- a sed rate and C-reactive Protein screen are used for PMR as well as other autoimmune arthritis diagnosis. Just a thought. So- don't worry about side effects of the methotrexate and get off the pred!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Hi am just seeing this now. Thank you for responding. I did get off prednisone about 8 months ago. But it started to come back and about 2 months later I couldn't take it and went back on. My rheumatologist says cut down till I feel pain. Then start methotrexate. Shots. So I can continue to get off prednisone. I did have all the testing done. They did suspect fibromyalgia ms. Lupus RA etc Till all tests were done. I will look into seeing an endocrinologist. I did tell the dr about prednisone. He said it was fine and I may lose slower. I am now 9 weeks out and lost 20 pounds. 10 more the week before surgery. I was "only" 201 day of surgery. I would like to lose faster but. I really want to get off the prednisone. Thank you and why doesn't my rheumatologist k ow about this? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would agree, forgot about the Hypo....

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure I fit into that category because I was on clear liquids the first two times, and I have been following my liquid protein diet to a tee since coming home. It sounds like reactive hypoglycemia happens when someone eats the wrong thing and spikes their blood sugar, which then falls rapidly as well. It's definitely good information to have though, for when I'm further down the road I will keep it in mind when tempted!

Hi Jen: Are you seeing a Rheumatologist? If not you might want to consult one to help with a diagnosis. I went to doctors or 14 years, most of them told me that my symptoms were all in my head. It wasn't till I sat down one day and wrote down everything I though was a symptom and when I was done I had 2 sides of a piece of paper. I went and saw a new Rhematologist and gave him the paper with the symptoms, he spent an hour and a half with me going over everything and then sent me for a million x-rays and tons of blood work and some other tests. He had told me he thought I had reactive arthritis. I went home and looked it up and thought hum, that doesn't sound too bad. When he got my results he told me I have Ankylosing Spondylitis! I said what the HELL is that I can't even pronounce that. It is also a form of arthritis and is an autoimmune disease with no known cure. I also have a secondary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis , along with Fibromyalgia. He is constantly testing me though for Lupus, that's what they thought I might have in the beginning, but it is hard to diagnos. Don't give up on a diagnosis, only you know your body and you need to keep pressing the doctors for a diagnosis, not just arthritis of unknown origin. I am pre-op right now, but will be getting sleeved in July. My doctors say it should help with some of the issues I have. Also when you have one autoimmune disease, it is possible to have more than one of them. I hope you get a clear diagnosis in the near future it will help put your mind at ease when you have a name to what is causing you so much troiuble. Sorry for the long post....Jill

Thanks Freckles, Wendy did a complete unfill and then refill last time I was there, so I know the amount is accurate, possibly if I can have a tiny amount in it will reactivate the band and start me losing again, I need all the help I can get. Other than that I need some stress in my life that always tightens the band, perhaps I'm just too chilled out after my holiday.

Morning ladies. Wow, yesterday was a tough one. Looks like not only for me. Karla, hugs darling. Remember I am here for you if you need me. You are very strong. It will amaze you how strong you will be able to be when the time comes. Believe in yourself. I know it's very hard for you, but you are strong. Phyl, amazing. Super amazing. All i can say is WOW! Candice, I hope you are staying home with Peter today. You two need a little alone time. Kari, missed you. Trust me, I am right there with you. My depression is kicking my butt. Stay here with us. We will try to help you through it. Okay...therapy was very hard yesterday. Most of the time I was crying. Michael, according to the therapist, was sitting there completely blank. Imagine that. She wants me to read up on attachment disorder and part of his diagnosis list was reactive attachment disorder. So I looked THAT up...more tears. Then Jeff came home and I finally had it out with him. MORE tears, actually break your heart sobs. The afternoon ended with a migraine. Finally at 8 or so I was up and feeling human. But Jeff didn't want to bring up the problems we had discussed at noon...so I guess he just really doesn't give a flip. grrrr. Anyways. Today is a new day and I hope it is better. I'm still feeling crappy but no worse than yesterday so I'm pretty sure it isn't swine flu. Body aches and cough, but no vomit or worse, no fever or chills. I'll get over this too. Okay...going to crash on the couch while Jai watches a couple of her shows. Have a great Wednesday everyone. Hugs!

Daisy, I have no words of wisdom, I still get about 2-3 emails a day from POF. I thought i had temporarily suspended my account but did something to reactivate it. Most of them are just so... wildly inappropriate matches for me. I think you get best results initiating contact with men who interest YOU. I sometimes feel like these guys are just casting a net to as many women as possible without even considering if our location, interests and other things even make sense. I also think OKCupid is a better online service, but I DID manage to cancel my account on there. Depending on how things go... if I decide to start dating again next year I am thinking about trying some other ways to meet people like speed dating or something. Somehow, the online thing seems to deliver me a zillion possibilities but so rarely are they actually interesting to me. If I do restart online - it will be OKCupid because I found higher quality matches there over POF or Match.

Did you go thru a lot more corsets because of it? And I finally got my heart rate somewhat under control so I started working out and plan on getting my gym membership reactivated also ❤️

Morning folks. Sorry - gone all day with my 6month check-ups! Good news is that I have another 6 months under my belt of "dating NED" and am good for another 6months. Yippee! Interesting news is that I have to wear an "event monitor" to see why I'm having skipped beats, and we're trying to figure out how to get rid of my last bp med. More scary news...we went to a new restaurant for lunch yesterday and I split a cup of chili and burger balls and came home, fell asleep, and woke with a 36bg! I have my first reactive hypoglycemia attack and it was so so so scary. Sweating profusely, heart racing and skipping, shaking so much I could barely navigate or use my arms/hands, could barely coordinate a thought to speak. And had to forceably make myself go get a can of pineapple juice (only juice in the house) that I keep for making a marinade and some unsweetened applesauce to try to get my bg back up to normal. I was successful in doing that (thank you God). But holy whackadoodle! It was scary larry for a while. Also before saying BS, you'd be dead at 36bg, we use a Fora brand bg meter which I "think" may read low by 10-15points from bgs measured with drawn blood. But it was still very dangerously low, I'd say at least in the mid-40s to low 50s judging on how discombobulated I was and how bad I felt the rest of the day. I also got my fasting insulin back and it's awesome! It went down from 14 to 2!!! So my IR is in remission right now it looks like! IF appears to really be working metabollically for me. My bg this morning was 76. I am planning on doing an 18-6 today but will watch it. @GreenTealael so MAN! I can relate to your posts now about your RH or dumping. I think it may be very similar? How are all of you doing?

Hello All I haven't had a good day. The stress is mounting as I am trying to finish my diploma coursework, have a new job with so much school preparation etc and a 10 year old that is behaving like a teenager! Bl***y hormones! Stress really made my band very reactive today at lunch time and it wasn't pleasant believe me! I had to come home from school as I couldn't stop heaving. Finally, after about an hour I lost my boots and am now feeling a little better. But it was awful. I agree that it some days one thing will go down really well and other days it may be quite the opposite! Just a complete nightmare. Wish I hadn't got out of bed!! Anyway, upward and onward - come on Marine don't let the side down. Have a good evening all.

I have lost hundreds of pounds on diets only to gain all of them back multiple times. That is really hard on your body and your heart. I noticed in the last 5 years, I am 51 that I just was not able to lose weight as easily as when I was younger. For me it took a diagnosis of stage 3 kidney disease on top of diabetes, apnea, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I have had 5 back surgeries because I have psoriatic arthritis and this extra weight was literally crushing my spine. I saw my nurse today for a follow up and she asked me if I was happy that I made this decision. For me, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have not regretted it even for a second. I feel fantastic, am off all meds besides my hypo thyroid replacement. I think you should take the time needed to get your head around it so you have the best chance of success. You MUST be ready before you move forward. Good luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress.

I have reactive hypoglycemia also. It is true that each surgeon/office will have their own ways of doing things. You're comment: "portion sice and calories ect and there reply was as long as I stick to the bariactric place then calories and portion size will never be an issue" - I submit there will be an issue. You can pile that plate and still are getting too many ounces of food. I can say right now, we have veggies only rather than fruit (carbs) and veggies and salad. Carbs, we don't have that, we have fruit. There's one issue I can see. The only carbs we get are in the fruit and we are to go for low calorie fruit (meaning not bananas or grapes). Berries are what they discuss.