Poll: for those with RHG and who get blood sugar dips

The only thing I notice is that it usually occurs just before I go to bed - I get dizzy.  When checking my glucose - I get a reading of about 65.  I don't think that is low low - but I do get dizzy.  I also notice that it happens even after eating complex carbs.  I was under the impression that it should only happen if simple carbs were eaten and the complex carbs were ok.  Doesn't seem to be the case for me.

Mine typically occur if I have went too long without eating.  I have to eat about every 4 hours to avoid lows in my blood sugar.  I haven't noticed then being worse when I eat more carbs,  but I definitely will crash if I go to long without food.  I always make sure to have a protein bar with me, nuts or some other easily portable food just in case.


Christy

I think you may be like me and not have RH but have regular hypoglycemia since it does not happen in response to eating, but is tied to going too long without food.  My surgeon told me that the easiest way to tell which issue you are dealing with is to find out if drinking a couple of ounces of juice causes the symptoms to subside.  If the juice causes the symptoms to subside, it is regular hypoglycemia; if it makes the problem worse, it is RH.  

Apparently there is some evidence for RNYers developing both reactions, but the RH gets more publicity so many people with hypoglycemia assume that it is RH.  The approach to avoiding both is the same, of course: frequently eating small meals with a mix of protein and carbs.

Lora

I only had a few incidents prior to 2 yrs post op and ALL of those I could directly connect with too many carbs, too little protein. But in the last few months it has been getting more unpredictable, I will have to watch and see if I had more carbs the days before. I had a low blood sugar Tuesday morning (symptomatic and bs was 60-- I normally am 90-100) about 90 minutes after my protein shake---now my protein shake did have a light yogurt and some OJ in it--but I had that same shake 5 mornings last week with no trouble. So I am definitely perplexed about this.

I had an episode a couple of months ago where my blood sugar was 34 and I was starting to convulse and dh called the paramedics--but that night we had mexican and I had eated too many chips and salsa and not enough of my meal.......not to mention the margarita I drank!! So I knew what caused that!

My issue -- and it sounds like Christy is in the same boat -- is not so much RH but plain old ordinary hypoglycemia.  I generally do not get it in response to eating (although if I eat carbs only with very little protein I don't feel very good, but it is not the same reaction); I generally only have trouble if I go too long without eating.  Typical symptoms: visible trembling, lightheadedness, increased heat rate, etc..  Within just a few minutes of eating something (a combination of carbs and protein) or drinking some milk or juice I am fine.  I had this issue very mildly before my RNY (it would take going more than 7 or 8 hours without eating), but it happens more easily now (going without food for only about 4 hours).  As long as I eat my usual 6-7 times a day (usually 7, but occasionally I skip the after-dinner snack) I am fine.  

What I have found, however, and the reason I responded to this post, is that even with regular hypoglycemia, it happens more quickly (sometimes only 3 hours after a meal) if my previous couple of meals were light on protein and heavy on carbs.  This makes sense for me since the carbs are processed more quickly than the protein (so the cycling of the blood sugar happens more quickly without any protein to slow it down).  Unlike those with RH, though, I can stop it by drinking a small amount of juice (carbs with no protein), which wold probably just make things worse for those with RH.  That is part of the way I realized that what I had was probably not RH.

Lora

 Mine has no rhyme or reason. Sometimes it's worse when I get sick with other things.
That's kinda the annoying thing. Not knowing when it's gonna happen and how to prevent it from starting.
Once I do have an episode it's like it "triggers" it to be more sensitive  for a few days.
Deb T.