Severe Hypoglycemia?

I came to the net to find any other gastric bypass people who may be having similar symptoms as me. I have been dealing with hypoglycemia for many months now. In March, I had a seizure followed by respiratory arrest. Luckily, my husband found me and did CPR. When the paramedics arrived, my glucose was 33. Since that time, I have been having a severe time keeping my glucose in a normal range. I'm going to be wearing a DEXCOM when it arrives in the mail. It's sort of like a port that continuously monitors my numbers. I carry a little beeper type pack that alarms me when I get below 70.

I have been hospitalized 4 times since my first episode in March. At one point, my body started shutting down and I truly thought I was going to die. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who never gave up on me and pushed until the doctors would do something for me. I slowly got better but my numbers are like a roller coaster. The endocrinologist said there might be a possibility of removing part of my pancreas to produce less insolin or have the bypass reversed. I refuse to consider either option. There has to be something else I can do.

To date, I have lost 160 pounds and at 5'10", I weigh 132. At my sickest in March, I got down to 120. I'm thankful to be gaining weight now as I looked like a skeleton and very gaunt.

I've read the initial post on dumping as well as the responses and it sounds like there are others out there like me. I don't have much dumping but do from time to time.

I need for someone to break this down for me a little easier since this has been a new thing I've been dealing with. I'm a lost soul who is desperate for a better life. Who can explain this to me in layman terms?

It sounds like you've had a rough time. 

I can only relate my own experiences. 

I don't know if hypoglycemia is quite the same as getting reactive hypoglycemia after eating too many starchy carbs, which is somewhat common it seems, especially at or after the two year mark.

I have dealt with reactive hypoglycemia since last year. I've not had it get severe like yours. Mine shows up when I eat too many bready/starchy carbs. I had a couple of bad ( for me ) episodes, which have scared me straight-so to speak. No more starchy foods for this girl. ( No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or other starches or simple carbs. )

Has yours been found to be related to your diet, or is there something else causing it? Have you been able to talk to your surgeon at all about this? 

Hypoglycemia is not the same as RH - reactive hypoglycemia. 

I had both.  Plus low blood pressure, Plus I was tired, etc etc..

From what I know - RH is caused by bad food choices and body overreacting with insulin. 

Hypoglycemia can be caused by hormonal imbalance - I.e insulin and cortisol.  Either one or both. 

App 3 years ago I was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency. - my body was not making enough cortisol. Cortisol is needed to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, mineral balance and many other function. Not enough if that is bad... Too much is bad... I was put on supplemental steroids to help with that. I got my life back.  I still get RH if I eat things with too many carbs or sugars.  But unless I forget take my cortisone. Or don't take enough - I don't get hypoglycemia. 

If your body is making too much insulin - you maybe dealing with insulinoma. And removing part of pancreas is probably one of the options. But - once pancreas makes too much insulin - reversing RNY may not fix it. 

I would strongly suggest you get second opinion and get tested for adrenal insufficiency . I had ITT - insulin tolerance test - that show that my body responded to insulin - but not good enough. My morning cortisol level was low normal...and a lot of docs ignore posibility that you may be cortisol deficient. 

I need to take more cortisol when I am sick, or when I exercise, or when I have any procedure - surgery... But getting that is life saver.  Read on adrenal insufficiency.  A lot of endos ignore the symptoms..and blame the patient or RNY or their diet. 

My first endo dismissed me..He told me to stop eating carbs... And told me that having RNY caused that...and to "deal with it" ....

BTW: taking steroid is associated with weight gain - not only I did not gain weight - but I actually lost all of my regain.  Taking too much steroids may cause weight gain. Taking enough to function - to live - means that. I can don't need to graze all the time. I can exercise, I can ..not eat for 4 hours without passing out... 

We need steroids to live. If out body does not make enough - we may die...due to adrenal crisis. 

Google that. Adrenal insufficiency, adrenal crisis... Etc...good luck..

I absolutely love your posts. You are always so helpful to everyone here on OH. But you had surgery so long ago and I really appreciate your advice.  Thank you so much.

R

Nobody can tell me anything. It may be due to diet, I don't know at this point. I could probably do better on my protein intake. I haven't seen a surgeon for 3 1/2 yrs when I moved to the Seattle area from ND. Apparently, when you move other surgeons don't take on patients that they haven't performed the weight loss surgery on. Very few people know that going into though, like myself. I called every bariatric clinic in all of the Seattle area and nobody would see me. Even University of Washington, which is a major hospital, wouldn't take me. Only after all my hospitalizations did a set of doctors insist they see me. And even this guy wouldn't see me without a full Upper GI performed.

So, the earliest they can get me July 21st. I'm hoping to come up with some answers. In the meantime, I'm reaching out to others who have been through some issues after gastric bypass.

I've had all my adrenals tested and it's fine. All my labs are fine except for slight lowered potassium.