Question:
About 10 months post op, been getting blood sugar levels as low as 55...

I eat a diet of protein, veggies, and fruits, and occasionally give in to a sweet craving. I notice that if I do have a high sugar treat, I will not experience dumping, but in an hour or so, I will get extremely shaky and dizzy and feel like I'm going to faint...and when I check my blood sugar, it's between 50-65. I know that it's obviously happening when I eat the high sugar content food, but wonder why this is happening now? I do not indulge in sweet cravings often, but when I do, I get this alarming reaction. I will check with my doctor, but would like to know if any of you other post ops experience this and what is the cause of having the sugar instability now. (I've never had diabetes, or any other blood sugar related problems pre or post op).    — Iris B. (posted on July 30, 2003)

July 30, 2003
Sorry, but you ARE dumping when this happens to you. Not everyone gets diarrhea and pukes. Everyone's body reacts differently. The overall reaction of dumping depends on the amount of sugar injested. The more sugar you have, the worse the reaction. If you are checking your blood sugar after an hour, it's at 50-65 because the insulin in your body has been working on the sugar for awhile aleady. Insulin is what takes the sugar from your blood and pushes it into your cells.
   — Kathy J.

July 31, 2003
hiya~ i second that answer! that is exactly what i was going to say... just because you don't feel the "dumping" from your initial insulin rush, you are going into hypoglycemia as the insulin clears out of your system. {{hugs}} kate
   — jkb

July 31, 2003
Iris, you might want to have a fasting INSULIN level checked. I had a problem with insulin resistance and was on Glucophage before surgery. I am about 9 months out and just yesterday had my doc order another fasting insulin level with my other labs, since I had not had one done since well before surgery. Sometimes when you eat something high is sugar (simple carbs), your body produces too much insulin at once, and not all of it is used, so you get a drop in blood sugar until things "even out". I had thyroid problems and saw a really great endocrinologist who even went so far as to tell me it was not my fault I was fat! I would eat, my blood glucose level would spike, then I would dump out too much insulin, causing my blood sugar to fall, causing me to be hungry and eat! The cycle perpetuated itself. The Glucophage helped to even out the ups and downs. I felt better and I didn't eat as much, but it didn't really help me lose any significant amount of weight. Hope this helps. (You might try having a piece of cheese or something containing protein if you know in advance you are going to have a "sugar bolus".)
   — koogy

October 31, 2005
Actually this is called alimentary hypoglycemia. It is completely different from dumping. It affects 5 to 15% of patients that have had some sort of gastric surgery. I have been dealing with it since I was about 1 year post-op (I am now 2 1/2 years post-op). Just try to eat a high protein/low-carb diet and it helps. Alimentary hypoglycemia is another form of reactive hypoglycemia that occurs in patients who have had prior upper GI surgical procedures (gastrectomy, gastrojejunostomy, vagotomy, pyloroplasty) and allows rapid glucose entry and absorption in the intestine, provoking excessive insulin response to a meal. This may occur within 1 to 3 hours after a meal. Very rare cases of idiopathic alimentary hypoglycemia occur in patients who have not had GI operations.
   — dl_roark