Blood Sugar Spikes

Hi there, Thank you for your reply. You are the first person who has suggested that I may actually have diabetes. My doctor is not even saying that at this point. Most of the replies that I have gotten suggest that my readings look pretty normal. Also, I have never had a high after fasting or more than an hour and a half after eating.  I opted out of the glucose tolerance test because I am very aware that I will get sick from 50-60 grams of sugary liquid. That's why my doctor ordered several random finger sticks. One was high an hour after eating which led to me checking my blood sugar several times per week at home. I feel quite sure that if I did do the GTT I would see a higher result the first hour and then normal results the second and third hour. However, I am not aware of ever having had my A1c checked. So can you tell me more about why you think I have diabetes? I'm interested to hear more about your opinion. I don't think that I have diabetes at this point, but I'm certainly not going to ignore what's going on - especially while I'm pregnant. Thanks!

I got an interesting comment about this today when I had my gastroscope. I was converted from LapBand to Roux-n-Y two years ago because of a dilated esophagus. My surgeon told me I would have to be careful because my esophagus was so dilated that my pouch was bigger than most people's. Well, I have been having some trouble in the last month that thankfully turned out just to be an irritation and I have to take Nexium for 8 weeks. But the guy who did my EGD commented about the size of the opening of my anastomosis site. He said he understood why I was so carb-sensitive now that he saw that. He said my food doesn't spend any time in my stomach at all, it just slides right through into the small intestine so I'm absorbing everything at once. A doctor in Houston had told me I was absorbing faster than most but I didn't realize this was why.  In a way I'm glad though, I'm so carb-sensitive that I have an aversion to them now. I ate a small slice of pecan pie year before last on Christmas day and I can't even look at pie anymore. I had palpitations so bad; my sugar went up to 280 and then plummetted down to 40 an hour later. My husband was scared to death.  I just wish I'd lose this last 50# though.  Laura

Well there ya go..my answer that the GI's office just wasn't that concerned in the manner I thought thy should be after a swallow test and barium small intestine series that showed not only the overlarge stoma opening from (12 dialations post surg due to strictures) but that the barium went shooting through my gut within 45 min. (after some insistence they are sending me for a referral for a revision for the large non existent stoma)The radiologist that 'read' the testing supposedly said the quick emptying of the small intestine  was in keeping with RNY and at an expected rate!!  but I know that is NOT true..This is why I saw them in the first place!     I eat it hurts and it IS exactly like anything I eat immediately causes pain, and dumping syndrome!!! PLUS!! the absorbing everything at once your doc refers too..well does that not make sense to have slow but steady weight GAIN!!!??? The techs in the radiology room didn't think that made sense at all...lol blonde moment there tech ladies or what? LOL

   And yes I too am very much getting to where the thought of food makes my gut hurt and I don't want to have anything but the safe stuff...chicken, tuna, some cheeses,...beans protein or complex protein only.  I've always been sugar sensitive since this surgery and it's worse now but there are random times I do tolerate it.

---when my sugar drops terribly low after a 'spike' as ya'll are calling it what I find is if I have to do the glucose tablets or something high in sugar to get it up before it goes below 50 then I'll back it up with protein to try and keep it up and then within the next hour I'll eat again with complex carb/protein and another protein. But the 'trick' really is to eat on a SCHEDULE...I know I know! what a pain !! of every 2-3 hours without fail.    My first incident with the horrible drop was with a bunch of paramedics & EMTs on a training course we were doing and I was on a 3 story building hanging on a ROPE!!! NOT the best time to first find out that you have low blood sugar. They took very good care of me and gave me several tubes of glucose and had to drive me home!

Hmm...this is all still very interesting. I think my "problem" sounds minor compared to what you all have experienced. Generally I'm not all that sensitive to carbs - at least not to the point where I have an aversion to them. Certain ones do bother me as I mentioned above. I am curious about the the possibility of the larger/enlarged stoma causing absorption issues. I think after the baby is born I need to go for a complete check-up with my gastric bypass surgeon. Being pregnant may be what's causing my issue now...but then again maybe not. I'm glad I posted this though. I have learned a lot!

My surgeon says that we no longer have "normal" blood sugar curves.  Which is why a glucose tolerance test is almost worthless for us.  Because of the shortened gut, our BS raise pretty quickly.  As long as the 2 hour falls back to fasting levels, most WLS docs aren't too concerned.  You need to have a A1C1 done to really tell what's going on.  If that's under 6, then you are probably fine.   I have NIPHS.  I was diagnosed at Mayo Clinic a couple weeks ago.  My low lab documented blood sugar was 36 while I was there.  That was after eating Wendy's chili.  I will probably need to have 70% of my pancreas removed to control it.  I'm trying to put it off until June.  I hope I can.  My food choices are pretty limited - cottage cheese, eggs, protein bars and shakes.   My endo says milk is about the best thing when you drop.  The milk sugar acts quickly and the protein will stablize it.  He thinks it's better that juice.   For those of you who are really dropping, you need to get to a good endocrinologist who can diagnose this.  You need to have an insulin level, c-peptide, and pro-insulin level drawn when you are low.  If they are elevated, you very well may have NIPHS.

I got pregnant 6 months after having surgery and had horrible problems with blood sugar. Anything besides protein would shoot it up, and it would fall fast too. I passed out a couple of times. My doctor's office handled it poorly. They would tell me to drink a regular Coke. Well, being 6 months out, it was a very bad choice. I have continued to be on a blood sugar roller coaster.  Good luck to you! Things will be fine. Just stick to solid protein and you should be fine.  Tracy