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I have reactive hypoglycemia (RH) (but not dumping - that is controlled by limiting your sugar intake). To control RH, my PCP suggested I eat some protein - or something along with protein - every 3-4 hours to keep my blood sugar stable. It seems to be working - it's really cut down on my "episodes".

Aww, thanks! I'm glad it helped! It is amazing at how sensitive and reactive our tummies are post-op. They definitely have opinions! How are you feeling now with another week having passed? Early out things can change so quickly looking back on it but in the moment feel like they take forever. I blame it on the "drinking water like it is your only job" thing, the day seems to stretch on sooo long when you have 64oz worth of baby sips to take! 🤣

ive had problems with dizzyness and some tiredness. i dont think my problem is b/p related, but im not sure.( i dont drink enough water) i take olmetec for my hypertension. ive been on it now for the last four years.(olmesartan medoxomil tabs). about six months ago the dose was put up from 20 mgs to 40mgs. my average readings are systolic ... around 140. i used to be hypo... very low b/p. ( with constant fainting). Could you ask for another brand of meds?? most of them do have some sort of side effects. Perhaps this one doesnt suit you so well??

I finally think I have it figured out. Today I ate sushi and then ate a couple of fries. I mean I ate a small fry. It was one of those days when I was so hungry I just took what I could get. NEVER AGAIN!!! EVER EVER EVER! Basically I ate WAY TOO MANY CARBS...This is not dumping. I thought it was caffeine a few months back...but it isn't. So yeah...I will never eat a carb heavy meal again! Reactive hypoglycemia occurs in people who do not have diabetes. It's a different type of hypoglycemia than the one that affects people who have diabetes. Although the causes are unrelated, the symptoms of both kinds of hypoglycemia are the same. Symptoms of hypoglycemia: Trembling or weakness Lack of coordination Drowsiness or confusion Headache Dizziness Double vision Convulsions or unconsciousness What is the cause of reactive hypoglycemia? The exact cause of reactive hypoglycemia is still unknown, but there are several hypothesis that might explain why it can happen. Sensitivity to epinephrine, a hormone that is released in the body during times of stress. Insufficient glucagon production. Glucagon is also a hormone which has the opposite effect of insulin. It raises blood glucose levels. Gastric surgeries can also cause reactive hypoglycemia because food may pass too quickly through the digestive system. Enzyme deficiencies can also cause reactive hypoglycemia, but these are rare and occur during infancy. How to manage reactive hypoglycemia Limit foods with a high sugar content, especially on an empty stomach. For example, eating a doughnut first thing in the morning can trigger a hypoglycemic episode. Eat small, frequent meals and Snacks. Eat a varied, high Fiber diet, with adequate servings of Protein, whole grain carbs and vegetables, fruits, and dairy foods Carry pieces of hard candy with you, for those times when you feel your blood sugar dropping. What to do if you are having a hypoglycemic episode. Eat or drink something that is a fast sugar source, such as orange juice, regular soda, a few pieces of hard candy, or sugar cubes. This should relieve the symptoms within 15 minutes. Avoid choosing chocolate as a sugar source. The fat in chocolate makes it absorb more slowly and it won't raise your blood sugar up as quickly as you need it too. Make sure to eat a small balanced meal after the symptoms are gone. This will prevent another blood sugar spike and consequent drop.

Denmark, Norway, Sweden,Finland and Iceland. Trolls are Scandinavian in origin. Ever notice how people who have lost their favorite coping vice....and are really freaking hungry...can be really really...bitchy? And also really touchy and reactive about other people who they perceive are being bitchy? Hell, I'm guilty of it. Probably of both. Sure don't mean to be. I'm not pointing fingers at any particular party....just something I've noticed. People get extra angsty and on edge when they're stressed and have one of their main coping mechanisms missing. This whole adventure has tough moments you don't expect. Emotionally difficult spots that might show up as fangs instead of tears. Something to keep in mind. PS...if anyone asked me if I went to the gym in real life, I'd probably smack the **** out of them. If they're not a close friend whose kind intent I was certain of...without the context of real love and support....it's a rude question. Just sayin'

I have a 8 year old stepdaughter that lives with us half the time. She is 4'7" and weighs 113lbs. (Hubby and I have only been married a year so I'm still adjusting to my new role.) I've expressed a huge concern about her weight at such a young age. We've discussed it with her mother but she feels like we are making a mountain out of a mole hill. (We don't discuss it with the daughter, just me, hubby, and her mom.) I wonder if I am not overly sensitive and reactive to it because of the way I grew up being fat. I want so badly to "fix" this in my stepdaughter so she won't have to deal with all of the cruelness that comes with being overweight. I've always sworn that I would NEVER let my kids get too big. Do you think I worry about it more than I should? In a way I feel like a hypocrite because I am trying to help control her portion sizes and food choices and exercise and then I look at myself. I didn't do a very good job of those things pre-band. The last thing I want to do is make her self-conscious about her weight and expose her to eating disorders and low self-esteem. But how do you get it under control with a delicate touch?

I think some people might be confused on the thyroid stuff -- If your TSH level is HIGH, it means you are hypo-thyroid (not enough thyroid hormone). The doctor explained to me that your brain is sending out the message to pump out TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) because your body needs more but your thyroid is not producing enough. If your TSH level is LOW, it means you are hyper-thyroid (getting too much thyroid hormone). Normal levels are down between something like .5 to 5.5 -- when I was first diagnosed hypo-thyroid my level was over 25 (instrument didn't read higher than that) --- so it meant my brain was pumping out tons of TSH to try to get my thyroid to pump out what my body needed but the thyroid was just laying around doing nothing.

Yes mere. I have high thyroid .. Whatever that is. I just haven't been scheduled for surgery yet. This is my last month for the journey and I meet w the surgeon June 4.. Super excited If you have high thyroid then you have HYPERthyroid. Do you think I'll be approved ? Yes, I don't see why not... SOme docs say that after your surgery maybe your thyroid can resolve itself. It's not a guarantee and I am no doctor but I do read like a mad woman and research everything. If you have hyperthyroid that means you have a super fast metabolism and maybe you will lose weight. Do research it, it's called graves disease, my husband was diagnosed with it (hyperthyroid) and I have the hypothyroid (slow thyroid) maybe opposites do attract. Ask your doc all the questions and then go home and look it up. Take good care of yourself as hyper or hypo affects all of your cells, your entire body and brain. Good luck. I am here for you if you need.

Yes, that's correct. Same as what I read and Doc told me. It's another young lady last night that didn't know what exactly she was when she wrote I think (I think I'm hyper something) as a patient you must know and be specific with what you have or what you were told. So we all jumped and gave her advice from what we know. I for sure am hypo and my hubby is hyper, trust that I know how it feels but 25 wow, that's super high. Some people can't function not even past a 5... also, I was told different labs have different thresholds for what they think is high. What I love about my new doctor is that he also asked me about all my symptoms. Some doctors don't really sit and listen. That's why I hate doctors at the VA, it's like pulling teeth with them. Glad to know you are doing great!

Im hypo been so for 30 years but the past 3 have gained 30 lds. Today i pray is my new start getting sleeved. I hope i can loose. Self pay. Lots rideing on this. My health. And finances.

I was never a ketosis kid either. I was very intent on avoiding post-bariatric reactive hypoglycemia, so I always tried to eat at least as many carbs as Proteins (grams). I reached goal (150 pounds at 5'5" and 69 years old) at 8-1/2 months post-op. And now I'm 3 pounds below that while trying to stop losing. I'm averaging about 1400 calories/day the last few weeks. But still losing very slowly. I eat extremely healthy -- lots of good veggies and fruits, typically 100 grams of Protein daily, whole grains, very little refined sugar and other refined carbs. Always take my vits/mins, and my big four-page blood panel results found everything was normal and good. Feeling good. Looking good. All going good here. So here's my challenge of the moment: It's a challenge for me to mentally *agree* to stop losing. Seeing the scale go down, even 0.2 pounds, is definitely a more positive feeling than seeing it stand still. Honestly, I'm a little worried about that. The idea that I could become anorexic is ridiculous to me. But I do realize that I've got to change my attitude into one that feels rewarded by seeing my weight stabilize. Anybody got any thoughts on that front? BTW, many thanks to @@Rogofulm for lobbying Alex to open this maintenance forum. Thank you, Rog.

okay... I know it seems like a weird thing to be happy about.... but I'm thrilled. I have been a painfully slow looser since surgery. The most I ever lost in a month was 10lbs (one memorable month). I work out 2x per day most days... yoga (harder and more intense than it sounds) and weights. I also hike and bike and almost never watch tv. I eat mostly Protein and my calories stay between 600-1100 per day. My loss has slowed to the point where I loose about 1/2 lb per week (some weeks its a whole lb!). I am .1 bmi points away from being "normal" still, and would like to loose 20 more lbs to end at a bmi of 21. I had come to accept that that might never happen, and that if it was going to happen in would take me 8 mos or so (to loose 20 lbs post gastric sleeve.... seriously!!!!). Its been depressing but I reached a place of acceptance. Got my 3 month labs done (I know I know... I'm 5 months post op) and everything looks fabulous... great Iron, b12, D etc. Only thing is I have hypothyroidism. We are going to check again in 1 month... but if its truly hypo... that exlains my slow loss, and if I get on some meds that last 20lbs will more than likely come right off. So.... I guess I'm excited about the news that my thyroid isnt functioning well. has anyone started thyroid medecine post op???? how did it affect your weight loss?

Thanks for the great advice! I can already see I will have some people very close to me that just don't get it and most definitely don't understand nor support my decision. I got my surgery date on Friday - it's Nov 15! That's so crazy because its only 2 weeks away! I do have a few questions: The first, how long does it take to recover enough to carry on with life? I am a co-owner of a business and it will be very hard to be away for a long time. My surgery is on a Wednesday, and I'm hoping I can return the next week (just for short periods of time). My work isn't physical, so I don't need to worry about heavy lifting and all of that. The second question is about nutrients. I've read through my binder about 10 times and I've talked with our nutritionist and the surgeon, but I'm still concerned that I will have trouble getting enough calories and vitamins. Even at the weight I am right now (253), I have a pretty small capacity for food. I'm a grazer, not a binge-er. I'm one of those people that doesn't eat breakfast or lunch, then I have dinner and snack through the evening on high carb foods (or dairy, my fav). I take meds for a hypo-thyroid and my metabolism is totally shot. This is mainly how I've gained and stayed at this weight. My question - do any of you have a hard time getting in your calories and is it hard to be creative with your meal choices - making sure to get in your protein, etc.? And, did you lose hair? How much weight did you lose per month? I've heard many people say they lose most of their weight in the first 6 months? That's a lot of weight! Lastly, what about extra skin? Has that been an issue? Thanks so much for listening to my ramble! I'm so glad to have this platform and I'm especially excited about meeting and making new friends that 'get' this process Cathy

Most any surgery that you can contemplate, in addition to the basic risks associated with surgery, hospitals and anesthesia, will have some risk of side effects that may be less than desirable, however we take those risks in order to correct a problem that we have created by injury, disease or genetics, with the intent that the result will be much better than what we started with. The various bariatric procedures have different predispositions to consider - conditions that happen more commonly than in the general population. The VSG is predisposed to GERD as the stomach volume is reduced much more than its' acid producing potential, and while usually the body adjusts and corrects the problem, sometimes it doesn't completely. Similarly, the RNY is predisposed to marginal ulcers (typically around the anastomosis) because the part of intestine to which the stomach pouch is attached is not resistant to the stomach acid like the duodenum is (the part of intestine immediately below the stomach outlet, which is bypassed along with the remnant stomach.) Likewise, it is also predisposed to dumping and reactive hypoglycemia owing to more rapid stomach emptying due to the lack of pyloric valve. Usually, these problems don't hit most patients, or don't persist if they do, but sometimes they are long term problems. These are things to consider ahead of time, particularly if one has any relevant pre-existing condition. Another consideration is that the VSG is fairly easy to revise if it does run into a problem that can't be resolved otherwise, while the RNY is difficult to revise or reverse. Another point to consider is that while the sleeve leaves behind a relatively "normal" anatomy, the bypass leaves a blind stomach and upper intestine which is more difficult to examine endoscopically, so some problems may not be diagnosed until they are more advanced and symptomatic. For instance, if one is subject to stomach polyps, that is a pre-cancerous condition that should be monitored, but is difficult to do after a bypass. An pre-op endoscopy is a good idea to understand what is happening inside you, even if your program doesn't require one. On the diabetes front, they both do well, typically seeing 75-85% remission rates (remission is what it is, rather than a "cure" - it can come back, particularly with some weight regain) though the bypass is generally considered to be marginally better. The best results come from the Duodenal Switch which typically shows remission rates in the 98-99% range, but that is a more complex procedure that few surgeons offer. However, if the diabetes fails to go into remission, or comes back, after a VSG, a revision to the DS is straightforward (as the DS uses the VSG as its basis) while revising an RNY to a DS is very complicated, which only a handful of surgeons are able to perform. So, while the VSG may not be quite as good as the RNY in that respect, it has a much more viable "plan B".

I dont have a sleeve. Does that matter? I had gastric bypass. Plus I have reactive hypoglycemia, what do I do about that? Sent from my SM-G970U using BariatricPal mobile app

@@Daisee68 Yes, I kept my beta blocker for "just in case". I have both propranolol and atenolol, and I am glad that I kept both. This disease can make life so much harder, especially when trying to get back on track with all the responsibilities, and social interactions. I have been on 100mcg of Thyroxine since January this year. 4 months after my RAI and thyroid destroyed, I swung to TSH 17.4 Now, back to square one .... My Endo doesn't want me to cut my pills (ironically I got another refill for more 100mcg script, recently, and still have 1/2 box of the currrent 100mcg .....) She just wants me to take my med for 6 days, then not take it on 1 day per week. So, I am to take it Monday-Saturday, then not take it on Sunday My blood tests are due in 6 weeks time, then again 6 weeks later. Yes, I have to monitor it carefully. If in 2-3 weeks I don't see a change, I may have to cut the tablet, and try it that way. I don't want to go hypo, but hyper is tough too ..... Thank you for your support.

@ Grave's disease here too. Had my thyroid destroyed by RAI (radioactive iodine) swallow when I was in the Navy Sometime in 1999. Been Hypo and on Synthroid since 1999. I am Pre-op and hope my thyroid does not hinder my weight loss progress. Time will tell. Currently on 300 Mcg tablet once a day and skipping Sundays. I never knew about taking it with Calcium..will have to watch for that. I take it everynight at bed time and my levels have been steady ever since. I see an Endo once every 6 months, I find the Endo knows a bit more about Graves then my PCP.

I'm going to Tijuana. Mi Doctor with Dr Valenzuela. I'm on clears too. Diabetic and felt so sick earlier that I had some apple sauce. Head is pounding, can't stop crying because my blood sugar is way too low. Other doctors recommend 200g of carbs per day pre surgery for diabetic patients to avoid hypos and keypads.

Just tried the calcium chewable from Bariatric Advantage today. It was raspberry flavored - SO YUMMY!!! It looked like a Starburst and tasted like one too!! I really like the liquid stuff I have now (Reviva) but these might be great to have for traveling or times when I have to leave home before I can take the first dose of Calcium. I take thyroid medicine (hypo) and can't take the Calcium for 2 hours after....so these might be good for my morning dose and I could stick with the liquid for my evening dose.

I just need to vent a little, as I have had a setback in the middle of my pre-op two weeks (diet and the surgery itself) I am a little bummed, Friday night an asthma flare went downhill, so I ended up at Urgent Care at 1 am, and from there, I was sent by ambulance to hospital to be admitted... because I had been started on 5 days of prednisone(steroid) on Thursday morning and had gotten worse instead of better after two days of treatment... Long story short, the two treatments at Urgent Care, and the oxygen in the ambulance must have started to work about the time they loaded me into the ER treatment room... and I ended up being able to leave there at 5 a.m... but then I was home, and trying to sleep, and got a call from the hospital to come back in as a radiologist did not like something on my chest x-ray so they wanted to evaluate me further... I went in, had a CT scan with contrast (Radiologist thought they saw "enlarged veins" around the cardiopulmonary connections apparently, so a lot went through my head while waiting for the scan and the report of NO ABNORMALITIES from the scan with contrast... my thoughts were, was it FenPhen that did this and so on and so forth... But now I am afraid the gain from the steroids (mostly Fluid retention) and the restricted pre-op diet (could this be too severe for someone who is so sick), and will the Surgeon push back my date... I was so afraid of this all winter, as they would not give me a date, would not give me a date, in spite of insurance approval very early on - since the later it gets in Spring, the more likelihood of asthma (this has been a problem for the past year)... I will not know anything, until I have the pre-op eval. with the anesthesiology team at the new pre-op work-up clinic they have. I see the surgeon after that. He will weigh me again, and there there will be all of this flurry of medical activity this weekend for me, to consider. But at least I know my heart, lungs, aorta, etc all looked normal on the CT scan. Anyway, my lungs are still pretty reactive, and I have a feeling my surgery is going to be pushed back at least a week or two... :laugh:

I have definitely had the hungry/not hungry feeling since surgery, so I totally get where you are coming from @Arabesque! 🥰 Anything too greasy has been completely unpalatable. I am very thankful I tolerate protein bars and shakes or I would be in a bad place for getting enough protein. I know I need protein to heal, but meat has not sounded good at all since surgery. We had dinner at some friends’ house last week. They served salmon and flank steak. I only manage a couple bites of the steak and gave the rest to Husband. I managed about 2 ounces of the salmon. 🤷‍♀️ I bought a jar of no stir peanut butter to keep at work to eat with fruit. The fat and protein should help with the reactive hypoglycemia to stabilize my blood sugar from the fruit. 🤞🏻🤞🏻I also have walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dips, cheeses. I already use high protein milk for my protein shakes, so they are protein packed. My goal is to maintain my weight at 130-135. I need to gain a pound 🤣🤣 I plan to start working out as soon as I am healed, which will help with appetite, but conversely burn those extra calories. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷‍♀️ So many skinny girl problems! 🤣😂🤣

I managed to lose my weight and keep it off, but about a year ago they diagnosed me with Reactive Hypoglycemia. I wear a monitor and eat very low carb. I recently spent the day in the ER due to being light headed and the only thing that showed up was my red blood counts were slightly low. Otherwise I feel pretty good, like the way I look (except some loose skin) Love wearing a size 4, but sometimes it is hard to find my size. Funny, that was an issue when I was in the 200's. Now I look at the larger sizes and wish they were in my size, lol. Picture of me on the right.

i'm 26. My bmi is 36 (going by my home scales anyway, which are always a little bit lower than the hospital scales) and i dont care to gain weight to make sure it's any higher :S I don't have any co morbidities *sp* that i know of.. unless depression and hypoglycemia count and i've never been actually tested for the latter, a dr otehr than my pcp told me he thought i was hypo and i should eat that sort of diet.. I can't really think of anything else that might be considered a co-morb...... It seems like my ins covers the surgery IF i'm approved, but i don't see that happening, ya think? the last line on the answer on this link has me wondering if i should just give up... or go ahead and gain the weight and be a hermit until then.. darnit, the goal is to get INTO pants, not get big enough that i can't fit into any of mine.. Answers.com - Will blue cross and blue shield pay for weight loss surgery with a thyroid problem

I have hypo thyroidism I went from weighing 130 to. 230 in a couple months no change in diet or excercise it was awful I trieeverything then two kids and a tubal preg made it even worse I'm so thankful I got to do it because maybe I can have the confidence I used to and be in shape like I was

Hi all! I need some help! I have been struggling since I've had surgery on November 4th. I have "only" lost about 30lbs since surgery but 50 overall (2 week liquid diet before surgery). As you can see I lost more on the liquid than I did after surgery. I have hypo thyroid as well. But listen - I weigh over 300lbs at 5'7". I should be dropping fast...I should be down at least 60 or so pounds...or more. Some of you, I look at your stats and go...OMG how come I'm not like that. I know I've lost inches.. I know I have... I'm looking better every day....clothing fits differently nearly every day. BUT it isn't the same. I want the pounds gone. I want to be under 300 by January 1 (my birthday) and that isn't going to happen in two days. I've never had a big dramatic loss, simply just pounds...then I hold for days. I wasn't eating enough calories for a long time - so between me and the NUT we increased... and it is still not working. I'm getting in my Protein and Water... those are my goals for every day...protein and water. BUT I'm not losing. I'm so frustrated...sad and pissed off. What am I doing wrong????? What is a good menu to stick to ???? I know I eat too fast... and probably don't chew my food small enough. I'm seriously thinking I broke my RNY. Can anyone give me some constructive ideas? I don't eat junk (ok, I did once but I won't do that again). I eat healthy meat, yogurt. I rarely have veggies...just eat protein. I'm so sad.... does anyone have any good thoughts for me? Christina