Gastric bypass reversal
I had gastric bypass 20 yrs ago. I started at 285. Got to goal maintained until pregnancy 5 yrs later but so still have not gone up over 200. Currently 190. I'm fine with my weight problem is all of a sudden carbs and sugar cause my glucose to go high and then it plummets to a low. Which is dangerous. Endocrinologist said it's bariatric hypoglycemia and generally occurs around yr 2. So stumped why it's happening 20 yrs later. Anyhoo I have an appt next month with bariatric surgeon to discuss options.. possibly a reversal. At this point I don't care if I gain back some weight.. low blood sugar can kill you. And I'm pissed that 20 yrs ago they did not know that this could possibly happen. They should have.
It's reactive hypoglycemia (RH). A lot of us have that. The way to control it is to limit carbohydrates.
There are foods that give me RH every time I eat them. So I don't eat them. These are the food that also would cause weight gain.
There was a study that showed that people post op RNY can develop excessive insulin response to foods. Not only carbs but even fast absorbed proteins (i.e. whey protein, egg white protein, etc). There are also papers on "adult onset nesidoblastosis" of the pancreas following RNY or even other WLS.
Make sure your doctor is aware if that before you decide to have reversal. Reversal won't change the condition of the pancreas. Only resection of part of pancreas can change - improve the insulinoma.
This is the reality of life following RNY.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
Thank you for that info.. this very well could be what the issue is. I have been seeing a gastroenterologist lately for upper right abdominal pain and high GGT which indicates a bile duct issue. Can't be gallbladder as I don't have one...liver issues have been ruled out.,I'm actually having a specialized mri on pancreas and bile ducts on Monday. So definitely going to mention this to him. When I saw the endo for this she didn't mention this as a possibility at all so will go back and ask her about it too.
It's not a recently discovered side effect. It's always been there. It usually hit around year 2, because that's when most people fall off the protein forward diet and start overeating carbs again.
It's completely controllable through diet, as Hala pointed out. I'd certainly go through that route before seeking a revision.
6'3" tall, male.
Highest weight was 475. RNY on 08/21/12. Current weight: 198.
M1 -24; M2 -21; M3 -19; M4 -21; M5 -13; M6 -21; M7 -10; M8 -16; M9 -10; M10 -8; M11 -6; M12 -5.
It was not known about when I had my surgery which is what I'm pissed about. I researched wls for 2 years before I decided to get it... weighed all the pros and cons. I was willing to get nutritional deficiencies and strictures ..which I did but not this. I have been restricting carbs and sugar but I'm still having issues as well as the meds my endocrinologist put me on is not helping either.
I am 19 years out and had Reactive Hypo before surgery...actually started a yahoo group for it in 2002...I thought RNY would cure all cause it helped reverse diabetes...but I am sufferering with it as well now along with sever B12 deficiency that I finally was diagnosed with and now SIBO symptoms (Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth) have nerve and muscle probs due to this as well. None of it should be taken lightly...and the RH is scary as heck especially waking up in a low...be sure to eat protein and fat before sleeping and avoid carbs by themselves...always eat them with protein and fat to slow absorption. I am with you...Of course I gained weight cause RH causes my insulin to shoot up and that makes weight just stick onto me again...maddening process. Let us know what the doc says...I am interested as well!
I had issues with low b12 years ago and now for some reason I have high b12 and I'm not even supplementing it. What were your symptoms of SIBO and how diagnosed? I have appt in a week with gastroenterologist, then a few days later endocrinologist and then bariatric surgeon. I'm going to discuss this with all 3 to get opinion on reversal... I also read that putting a ring on stoma can also help so I'm going to ask about that too. So I will let you know what they say. It really is disheartening. It's easy to say don't eat carbs or sugar but harder to do. I look at it this way.. when I was 285 before surgery... I was told just don't eat high fat, carbs, sugary, high calorie foods. Easier said than done so I had gastric bypass... it was successful for me.. I got to goal and In 20 yrs I have gone up and down through pregnancy and a lot of surgeries but I have never gone over 200 pounds. Before surgery my weight was hurting me.. now this gastric bypass is hurting me.
High B12 is a symptom of deficiency... I had the same thing.. over 3k at one point and I wasn't supplementing either other than my multivitamin... you need to see a hematologist and get you MMA and Intrinsic factor etc tested... do not start supplementing before getting tests done! You are for sure deficient... we should have been getting shots done from the very beginning... watch this video.. I was in a lot of pain.. better now that I am on shots but I was deficient for almost 10 years.. and have permanent nerve damage now due to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEizypoyO0
95% of gastric bypass (RNY) will have Sibo they say and if you have a blind loop even more of a chance... that is what I am dealing with... I burp a lot and have on and off diarrhea ... IBS symptoms etc...the bacteria will damage your nerves as well...
good times...
