1 year post op now very LOW blood sugar levels

I am not understanding this... even my doctors are confounded.. I talked to my WLS and He said that if I just take away some starches that my sugar will level out but that was may 2010 

now Sunday night 7-25-10 I was in the middle of eating food and my mouth and tongue and lips went numb then my nose went numb then I started to feel real hot and dizzy and sorta sweaty and hubby checked my sugar level and it was 56!

Now normal range is around 90 for me and once it goes below 85 I get shaky  and not feeling well but for the last week or so my sugar drops into the 60's every day / night I am not understanding what is going on I have done everything I have been told to do and my PC doctor ran blood tests and He said that all my vitamins levels are GREAT and my liver function and pancreas function are perfect and the only thing he even sees wrong is my sugar levels were low... Then he asked me how I felt in his office and I told him kinda shaky and not feeling so well even though I had eaten a yogurt 45 minutes before he checked my level it was only 80! So he ordered MORE BLOOD TEST! This time he drew over 7 or 8 BIG tubes of blood from me and said that I would have to wait till Friday or Monday before I will even get the results back..

In the meantime I am here asking has this happened to anyone here after a year of everything being perfect to have this happen now.... I am confused

Please to anyone who can offer up any advice as to why or to what I can do to change this I would so thank you!

BTW I had RNY gastric bypass

I would recommend trying a low-carb eating plan. My understanding of part of the problem after RNY is that the carbs (ANY carbs other than strictly fiber) hit the intestine too quickly due to the bypassing of the pylorus. This triggers a release of insulin, but because the flow of food from stomach/pouch to intestine is no longer regulated, the body releases too much insulin because of the speed at which the original carb**** the intestine, so it thinks there are more carbs coming (all layman's terms here, of course!). That extra release of insulin then causes blood sugar to drop because it is more than what was really needed.

What helps most people in this situation is eating low in carbs and eating many small meals throughout the day instead of just 3 meals and no snacks. Try having some protein at least every 3 hours. It doesn't have to be a big MEAL every 3 hours, but just a deviled egg, a little beef jerkey, 1/4 cup of almonds, a few slices of cheese and turkey pepperoni, a scoop of chicken or tuna or egg salad, things like that.

I also might seek out a doc or endo with experience in post-RNY hypoglycemia.

Wow very interesting... I wish I had of know about this before .. so I guess what ya'll are saying is that I can control this by not eating certain foods? Are there any foods I should try to make sure I get in during the day or anything that is recommended?

I didn't even have the RNY for weight loss I had it to by-pass the stomach acid that was eroding my esophagus and so I gained 4 pounds to qualify to have the rny done and paid in full by my insurance co. So I didn't wind up with throat cancer which is what they said I would have been facing if I had not had it done.

Thanks for your help and I will def get set up to go to an endo to find out exactly how to manage this

Gloria:

My level went to 45 today, I thought I was going to die.  I just had blood work done on Friday, 7 tubes and wondered if that had something to do with it. It sure is scary, I am one year out also from RNY. Started at 225 and now weigh 127. 

Martha

I am going through the same thing right now!! I, too, had RNY. I have been to the Cardiologist and even wore a holter monitor for 24 hours. I found out today that my heart is fine but my blood sugar, b12, iron and vitamin d are too low. My blood sugar before WLS was always low(in the 70's) but my labs today showed it at 49 and that was NOT fasting blood sugar. I'm confused because I thought I would be rid of this and here it is 10 months post op and it is back. I'm a little scared though! I blacked out on Sunday and I thought it was from being overheated. Man, I've got some research to do.

Thanks for posting the articles and I'll look for more info that may be helpful.

Well it's official I have been diagnosed as reactive Hypoglycemic so the best treatment is eat often keep sugared candy or glucose tablets on me at ALL time no exceptions and make sure I DO NOT drive if my sugar is below 70 still don't know much about it but will try to figure it out.

Do you see an endocrinologist, or just a PCP? Is your PCP in Florence? I ask because I LOVE my PCP, and she's very understanding about WLS patients.

I am supposed to see the endo doc monday the 20th but I have basicly kept it under control with a diet change who is your PCP mine is Dr. Tonya Long at college street clinic she is great!

Mine is Dr. Linda Clemons on Tennessee Street. I was her first-ever DS patient, and she's been great to work with. She's one of those who treat the patient like we just might have some sense and actually KNOW something about our health issues. I think she's got 2 or 3 more DSers now---I've recommended her to people in the area. She's very good about researching how the DS makes me 'different', and she's very good about ordering labs, etc.