Reactive Hypoglycemia

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/2002 6:31:01 PM Pacific Standard Time,

Penelope@... writes:

> I too have had this happen to me. Even took a dive while dropping off

> work at the doctor's office I work for. Took a stat blood sugar and it

> was 47. They gave me orange juice to drink. Suggested to me to always

> have something to drink on me with sugar in it as it is the quickest way

> to get into your system. Practically impossible thing to do. Also told

> me to have candy on me, like life savers or chocolate. They had a pack

> of Reece's Peanut Butter Cups in the office and they worked like a

> champ. Could also justify using them by saying the peanut butter is

> protein. I know it's a stretch, but hey.

>

Regina,

Sugar is ABSOLUTELY! the WORST thing you can have when you are hypoglycemic.

My " mean " (or average) blood sugar test came back at 44, which is very low

and NON fasting it was 55. I went to the endocrinologist who said it was

because of the dumping syndrome and absolutely sugar should be at or close to

ZERO for intake. He said small, FREQUENT meals, never going more than 2-3

hours. Complex carbohydrates IF I needed some carbs, and PROTEIN FIRST. He

was quite please I was doing protein shakes and totally was for it, stressing

that high protein, low carbs, frequent feedings, little to no sugar

(including juices and fruits) and veggies. He said the way the pancreas

works is that it will think that it needs to hang on to the insulin cuz we

wait too long to feed it, then when we DO feed it, it rushes to help out and

stabilize our blood sugar, when in fact, what it DOES do is make it drop.

Therefore, it's important to keep a constant blood sugar level by giving it

frequent feedings. He also said that with my big babies that I had (3 kids

over 10 lbs) that there was a 90% chance that I WILL develop Type II

diabetes, however, as long as I follow his instructions, I could hopefully

stave it off for a bit.

I would get an endocrine consult. I now measure my blood sugar regularly and

I keep generally between 88 and 135, and when I waited to long to eat,

immediately afterwards it was 165, and then an hour later, 42. Sounds like

he just MAY be right! :-)

B

Distal RNY 12/27/95

275/155

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/02 7:36:39 PM US Eastern Standard Time,

looneybird@... writes:

> I use 5 units

> of a new timed release insulin at 10:00 pm and by 2 am every night

> (morn) I'm up with what I think is an insulin reaction. Heart

> pounding-sweating-hands shaking-can't think-insides have turned to

> mush thing.

This is EXACTLY what happens to me, except I don't use insulin and have never

been diabetic.

hugs,

Ann

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/02 10:32:04 PM US Eastern Standard Time,

71160@... writes:

> I now measure my blood sugar regularly and

> I keep generally between 88 and 135, and when I waited to long to eat,

> immediately afterwards it was 165, and then an hour later, 42. Sounds like

>

> he just MAY be right! :-)

>

, what happens at night when you are asleep and don't eat for several

hours?

hugs,

Ann

[Guest guest]

If it's late dumping...I'd like to know from what. Misery is putting it

mildly! My BS has been spiking upwards of 250 and dropping way low inside an

hour causing these same symptoms...Blood tests show no diabetes. I am a

strict no sugar person...even watching for hidden sugars. I even had that

precipitous drop in an hour while I chugged a protein shake...PB&J sugar free

of course...seems to be my cure of choice...or what I crave at these times.

I limit myself to one slice of bread...slather on the PB with a light bit of

sugar free smuckers. Darned if my bod isn't sucking it up and laying it on

as fat!!! What to do, what to do??? Fortunately, I've only been having one

of these " attacks " a day...I started taking chromium picolinate...and my high

spikes seem to have leveled out...but I'm still going way low. Does insulin

create fat all by itself? I'm doing shakes with water and ice every 2 hours

to try and keep level...but this has just started in the past month. Makes

me furious, because I know no one will believe I'm not stuffing my face.

Hubby suggested that maybe the piece of PB&J toast I'm having during the day

is the " cause. " Come on now...give me a break! Aren't we supposed to have

" some " solid food?? I've put on 5 lbs from air....believe me! Impossible?

I agree....but I can't argue with the scale. If only I could enjoy doing

what most people do to gain. I am as straight as an arrow....but am fighting

this blood sugar thing with all I have. Hopefully the chromium will settle

it once and for all...and maybe it is all just temporary? If they call it

reactive hypoglycemia....what is it reacting to to cause it? I'm befuddled!

Seems the blood sugar and the weight gain all came around the same time. I

was dx'd with diabetes right before surgery...so never did get on medication

for it...and was fine after surgery. I'm 2 1/2 years post now...and having

this happen is really confusing me. If anyone has any good answers...I'm all

ears...or eyes...or whatever. Let's hope there is a statute of

limitations...and hope it isn't 7.5 years!! I will have totally regained all

my weight by then!!

Regards~

´¨¨)) -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨))

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- Jacque

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*

www.jacquemiller.gasupusa.com

Discount Gasoline! Save 21%

with a Costco-like membership!

Ask me how!

>

> I know there are many, many of us who have (or are still) or are just

> starting to suffer with this. Whether it IS or is called late dumping (may

> or may not be the same thing) or whether it's a blood sugar plummet off a

> cliff, I've had 'em, and I call it misery.

>

> Would those who know a little about it please chime in? My own attacks go

> like so:

> standing there minding my own business, hands go cold, mouth goes dry,

> knees buckle and I crawl into kitchen. TODAY, I throw together &by than

> hands are shaking violently, lights are flashing in front of eyes) a PBJ,

> fast, and start eating ASAP. That seems to have arrested a few in

> progress.

>

> Eating or drinking protein just before or during, using sugar to stop it

> (even mixing some up in a glass to drink!)--nothing stops it like PBJ.

> That's 2 sides PB, light film of J on trashy white bread. LOL!

>

> Anyone else have any better recipe to snap out of it before hitting the

> floor? Have done the blood a coupla times, but my glucomter only says

> : " LO " under 52. I KNEW it was low, sheesh. But every other time I've

> tried it, my brain was too intermittent to remember how to make it work.

> Scary.

>

> OK, and here's another weird thing. I haven't had a debilitating one since

> maybe last spring. Is there a 7.5 yr statute of limitations on this?

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/02 1:18:25 PM Central Standard Time,

vitalady@... writes:

<< My own attacks go like so:

standing there minding my own business, hands go cold, mouth goes dry, knees

buckle and I crawl into kitchen. TODAY, I throw together &by than hands are

shaking violently, lights are flashing in front of eyes) a PBJ, fast, and

start eating ASAP. That seems to have arrested a few in progress. >>

--------------------------------------

I have had 2 attacks like this in probably the past 2-3 months. BOTH times I

got into some CANDY and ate more than just a teeny bit (more like what I USED

to do pre-op, i.e. gobble till I can't any more; how dumb is THAT?). I don't

get the flashing lights but do get lightheaded and have to fight off passing

out. Now in the bad old days of diabetes, when I would eat a buncha candy or

sweets, my blood sugar would spike way up HIGH, and the remedy was to shoot

some insulin. This is just the opposite: eat candy, sugar goes way low (1st

time it went down to 40; last time to 55). But you can't take insulin for LOW

blood sugar. And when I had sugar lows as a diabetic, the remedy was to chomp

down some lifesavers (never was that bad that I had to shoot glucagon). Well,

I'm sure as heck not gonna eat more candy when it seems like it was the candy

that sent me into the dump in the first place! First time it happened I

called the surgeon's office & asked him what was going on and what to do.

Reply? " I don't know. " Big help. I decided to eat some good solid heavy

protein; food, not shakes. Worked fine. It is strange though, that this

didn't start happening till I was about a year post-op. Do I have this to

look forward to for the next 6 yrs or so??

Carol A

[Guest guest]

I too have had this happen to me. Even took a dive while dropping off

work at the doctor's office I work for. Took a stat blood sugar and it

was 47. They gave me orange juice to drink. Suggested to me to always

have something to drink on me with sugar in it as it is the quickest way

to get into your system. Practically impossible thing to do. Also told

me to have candy on me, like life savers or chocolate. They had a pack

of Reece's Peanut Butter Cups in the office and they worked like a

champ. Could also justify using them by saying the peanut butter is

protein. I know it's a stretch, but hey.

Doesn't happen to me often and sometimes it's hard for me to tell when

the blood sugar is dropping or when the SVT is kicking in. Sometimes one

causes the other. Also seems to happen when I start dropping weight

again too. My body seems to like it where it is and if I go under this

weight, I get all out of whack.

Hope this helps.

Regina

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/02 9:32:04 PM Central Standard Time,

71160@... writes:

<< Sugar is ABSOLUTELY! the WORST thing you can have when you are

hypoglycemic.

My " mean " (or average) blood sugar test came back at 44, which is very low

and NON fasting it was 55. I went to the endocrinologist who said it was

because of the dumping syndrome and absolutely sugar should be at or close

to

ZERO for intake. He said small, FREQUENT meals, never going more than 2-3

hours. Complex carbohydrates IF I needed some carbs, and PROTEIN FIRST >>

-----------------------------

I found this out by accident, sort of. Got way low blood sugars an hour or so

after eating candy. Which is the opposite of what used to happen when I was

diabetic. Then it was eat candy, get HIGH blood sugars. Take insulin to bring

'em down. But if you're sitting there shaking with LOW blood sugar, insulin

is NOT the remedy, right? So I figured try the opposite. Eat some protein.

SOLID protein. Worked right away.

Carol A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/02 11:05:25 PM Central Standard Time,

jacquemil@... writes:

<< Hubby suggested that maybe the piece of PB&J toast I'm having during the

day

is the " cause. " Come on now...give me a break! Aren't we supposed to have

" some " solid food?? >>

--------------------------------

I'm no expert on this (or anything), but what about trying ONLY protein for a

few days and see if that fixes anything. And not just protein shakes, but

lots of protein from solid food, ala Atkins (which I don't follow). Bcuz the

body eventually converts all carbs (even the complex, low-glycemic value

ones) into sugar, maybe eliminating ALL carbs would help. If it did, it would

certainly be an indication of SOMEthing (but I don't know what; I don't think

it's good to live on only protein and nothing else). Just thinking out loud

here. 'Scuse the ramble.

Carol A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/25/2002 11:40:08 PM Eastern Standard Time,

vitalady@... writes:

> .

>

> My estimate is round about year 2.

I am right on target then.. been having some reactive hypoglycemia episodes.

I have found that if I am consistent with protein every two hours and keep

my small meals to 4-5 each day.. I dont have as many episodes of this. For

me, pb crackers work very fast.. like within 20 min of eating a couple

crackers... I keep these in my purse for those times at work.

Hugs,

from GA

open RNY 12/12/00

Revision 04/18/01

Revision 02/07/02

St wt.... 392

Cw.......187

Wt loss..-205

[Guest guest]

I carry Necco wafers in the car, in my purse..... they're quite old now.

LOL! I like them well enough to eat them if I must, not well enough to eat

them for fun. It's better than hitting the floor if I'm stuck without the

means to get to the PBJ. But I agree, sugar is the last thing I want to do

to fix it, because I might level out, go up and crash again. Ouch.

Thanks,

Vitalady T

www.vitalady.com

If you are interested in PayPal, please click here:

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Re: Reactive hypoglycemia

> <

>

>

> I'll have to keep that in mind. Pre-op, I had these episodes fairly

often, a few times a month. For me, the symptoms were so severe that I did

the fastest thing to stop them: eat pure sugar, a spoonful of jam, honey,

etc. I took to carrying little packets of sugar in my purse, because God

help me if one hit while driving or on the train.

>

> I have probably only had 2 or 3 of these episodes since my surgery. I

think the eating of protein and spacing out of meals meets with all

guidelines for controlling low blood sugar, so I chalked it up to that.

Each post-op episode seems to have been triggered by too much coffee

ingested with no protein (like having toast, or cereal, or a waffle). I

actually can't recall the last time I had one, and I am hoping it stays that

way!

>

> Next time I'll try the PB&J though!

>

> Kate

>

> Homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

>

> Unsubscribe: mailto:Graduate-OSSG-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

And my point was:

it seems to hit darned near all of us.

My estimate is round about year 2.

Thanks,

Vitalady T

www.vitalady.com

If you are interested in PayPal, please click here:

https://secure.paypal.com/affil/pal=vitalady%40bigfoot.com

Re: Reactive hypoglycemia

>

> >

> > Anyone else have any better recipe to snap out of it before hitting the

floor? Have done the blood a coupla times, but my glucomter only says : " LO "

under 52. I KNEW it was low, sheesh. But every other time I've tried it,

my brain was too intermittent to remember how to make it work. Scary.

> >

>

>

>

> This is the toughest thing I have had to deal with, bar none. I get the

crippling foot and leg cramps sometimes, but I get the RH reaction ALMOST

EVERY NIGHT. It wakes me up in the middle of the night: cold sweats, heart

pounding, flashes going off before the eyes, etc. So much fun to wake up in

the middle of the night in order to pass out. I guess it's better than NOT

waking up, huh?

>

> Last time it happened (2 days ago) my blood sugar was 42. That's like,

drop-dead low, right?

>

> There are 3 things that help stop the attack:

>

> 1. Peanut butter, on a spoon, straight from the jar. I couldn't make a

pb&j sammie to save my life during one of sleep attacks.

>

> 2. Half a carton of nsa yogurt

>

> 3. A glass of buttermilk. I know, I know - milk=naughty naughty. But it

works, and FAST.

>

> I have found nothing, absolutely NOTHING, that prevents them. My PCP (the

wonderful one that you all covet) is completely stumped, as is my surgeon. I

do not know what to do. I'm pretty terrified, actually.

>

> hugs,

> Ann

>

>

[Guest guest]

He also said that with my big babies that I had (3 kids

> over 10 lbs) that there was a 90% chance that I WILL develop Type II

> diabetes, however, as long as I follow his instructions, I could hopefully

> stave it off for a bit.

> B

> Distal RNY 12/27/95

> 275/155

***********************************************

,

I have never heard this. I too had 3 large babies. My first 7.7 and the

other two were 10. I thought there was a risk of gestational diabetes with

large babies. My youngest is 12 so maybe the information has changed since

mine were born. I would like to know where your doctor's information comes

from so I may read about it.

My Dad has developed this type of diabetes. He had a major heart attack a

couple of years ago (strange, my Mom did 6 months before him). He controls

his diabetes well with proper eating. He actually looks better than he has

in 10-15 years. With this type of diabetes, I believe, IMO, we are better

off being that our cholesterol is greatly reduced. I would worry about heart

problem and diabetes since both my parents have had problems, if not for my

surgery. I might also add, my mother has never had weight problems.

I have had very low blood sugar but have never been diagnosed as having

diabetes.

Just very curious,

Dawn

[Guest guest]

>

> I am right on target then.. been having some reactive hypoglycemia

episodes.

> I have found that if I am consistent with protein every two hours and keep

> my small meals to 4-5 each day.. I dont have as many episodes of this. For

> me, pb crackers work very fast.. like within 20 min of eating a couple

> crackers... I keep these in my purse for those times at work.

> Hugs,

> from GA

*********************************************

Many of you use peanut butter for protein in an episode. Darn...peanut

butter always sends me running to the lady's room. Did I mention I use deli

meats a lot for my protein? What I do not understand is why do we have such

a drop in our blood sugar when we are getting plenty of protein in the first

place? I DO NOT do sugar. I eat more protein than anything else in my diet

because I've always known I needed more. My surgeon could not stress that

enough. On my last blood test, my protein was at 6.7 with the normal range

being 1.6-6.9. Any ideas?

Dawn