Hypoglycemia??

I am three years out from surgery and just recently have started getting what I *think* are hypoglycemic episodes (sweating, shaking, dizziness, anxiety). This has happened about a half-dozen times over the past several months but I wasn't sure what was going on. Yesterday during an episode I grabbed my son's diabetes meter and checked my blood sugar, it came up to 53 which I am assuming is way low (based on his target range of 70-180). What on earth could be causing this? Should I go see a doctor? -BJ

Definitely see your doctor.  53 is low. When had you last eaten prior to that feeling?  And more importantly what had you eaten? Some hints for maintaining blood sugar levels: 1.  Eat something every 3-4 hours (mini-meals) 2.  Try not to eat carbs by themselves.  Eat them with protein and fat.  Eating combinations will change your body's reaction to the carbohydrates and help prevent a big jump in blood sugar which can be followed by a surge of insulin followed by a sugar crash. 3.  If you feel shaky, check your blood sugar level.  One of the best things to bring blood sugar level up is peanut butter w/ crackers.  Don't use chocolate - the fat content is high and it will take longer to get your sugar level up.  In a pinch, fruit juice, milk, candy works too.  Always carry something with you.  I carry peanuts.  Peanut butter crackers fit great in an eyeglass case (prevents them from getting crushed in a purse.) 4.  If you are prone to lows, be sure to eat protein/carbs combo before you exercise. A few rare folks have extreme blood sugar issues following WLS.  Their pancreas overreacts to foods and gives off too much insulin.  It is because the pancreas in the obese body is giving off alot and it has more insulin producing cells then a smaller body with a small intake requires.  I know of one gal that had a surgery to remove part of the pancreas to take care of this.  Again, this extreme is rare.  Most folks can help avoid the hypoglycemia with dietary and eating schedule changes. Good luck, Kathy

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG

My usual repsonse if to send you to yahoo grads where there are hundreds of links and discussion of this, including one that is ongoing.

The basic conclusion is that we all carry peanutbutter crackers at all times, try to avoid naked carbs, as was said, and sugar. While eating and/or drinking protein (with no juice or milk or fruit added - sugar) can be helpful, for many of us, there sometimes IS no reason for a crash.

I have suffered from this my whole life even after WLS three years ago. If I eat enriched bread or crackers instead of whole wheat my blood sugar drops rapidly days after. Stick to a high protien with complex carbs. I snack on a hard-boiled egg or 1 oz of raw almonds. But if my sugar drops too quickly a sip of orange juice or a tsp of honey under the tongue brings it back up quickly.  Then I eat protein.  Peanut butter that has no added sugar will work but be careful, people tend to go over board with it and it's high in calories. Read this book: The Sugar Solution" by prevention. This will help you & your son.