Question:
What do you take when you get low blood sugar symptoms?
Hi, I am scheduled for open RYN on April l4th.I have diabetes. My concern is when I presently get low blood sugar symptoms, dizzy, weak and generally feeling awful I take something with sugar in it. Like orange juice, can of sugar pop, candy or something like that. What do I take after the surgery when this happens. I don't want to trade the awful feeling of low blood sugar for a dumping session. Help! I really need to know. Also, can you take Ecotrin, which is aspirin that dissolves in the intestions not in the stomach after surgery. These are some of the little things I am worrying about . Appreciate your help. Thanks — Maureen M. (posted on March 11, 2003)
March 10, 2003
I can only speak for myself when I say that I drink a little bit of milk or
eat a graham cracker when my sugar is low. You should consult your doctor
or dietician for their professional opinion. Good Luck!
Sincerely,
Mary Beth
— Beffy W.
March 10, 2003
I've heard peanut butter on a cracker will fix you right up.
— mom2jtx3
March 10, 2003
I cope by eating protein every two hours or so. I dump on milk so that's a
non-starter for me, but I have used protein shakes (find one you like - I'm
OK with ketoshakes from Healthy Ways). The first couple of months may be
rough as your body is readjusting. I'm having less problem now that I am
off all the meds. (Pre op I was taking 4 shots a day and three oral meds, I
left the hospital still on insulin (1 shot a day) went to orals twice a day
after a month, once a day at five months and off completly at seven
months). BPD July 10, 2002, down 125 total, including 25 pre op. No longer
morbidly obese!!! (Still have 70-100 pounds to go)
— Sunny S.
March 11, 2003
I only get hypoglycemic when I don't eat regularly. I try to eat every 3
hours or so. Prevention is your best bet. If you do get hypoglycemic, try
some orange juice if you don't dump on fruit sugars. Protein shakes, if
they are sugar free, won't do a thing for the hypoglycemia. Peanut butter
and crackers might work, too, but if you don't dump on fruit sugar, I would
say that orange juice or apple juice is your best bet. A few ounces ought
to do the trick. Good luck!
— ctyst
March 11, 2003
I was having a lot of trouble with bouncing blood sugar. before surgery I
was not diabetic, however I was insulin resistant and that may be the issue
that caused it later..?? Anyway I do drink milk to get some sugar in, most
people will suffer from it so that may not work. I have been eating these
new Balance Nutrition Protein bars that are perfect 40 30 30 nutrition and
it helps tremendously! I used to get so sick throughout the day because
the protein does not help at all with blood sugar dropping, but by
balancing the sugar, protein and dietary fats that really helps. You may
have to combined some carbs with your protein if you start having attacks
of low blood sugar. I find that trying to keep it consistent throughout
the day is a lot better than trying to balance it out after I crash and
burn!! take care. **1 yr PO, -196 lbs, cur. wgt 124**
— smedley200
March 11, 2003
If your low blood sugars are caused by insulin glucose tablets will work.
They are absorbed mostly in the mouth as you chew them, so they don't cause
dumping. Also, you only need 4 or so of them to bring your blood sugars
back u to normal. I have Type 1 diabetes and have used those once I found
out that apple juice, which is what I used to use, was causing me to dump.
If your lows are not caused by too much insulin, you really don't want to
take in anything with much sugar in it. That will start a yo-yo effect.
Low blood sugar, take some sugar, pancreas kicks out more insulin, driving
the blood sugar back down again, etc., etc.
— garw
March 11, 2003
We discussed this recently on the Grad list and for the majority of us, PB
on cracker or bread was the winner for fast relief. I personally use a
smear of jelly (less than a tsp) to make it easier to eat. I have used
glucose tablets, but it doesn't work as fast as the PBJ. Which makes no
sense.
— vitalady
March 11, 2003
Ecotrin. It dissolves in your intestine when you are intact, after a long
trip via the stomach, having mingled with acids, enzymes & the gastric
cocktail. THEN it hits the intestine. Yes? With us, it goes pouch,
intestine, bang. No swim thru the vat, no time lounging around thru a sea
of juice. I still avoid anything that could potentially hurt my pouch I've
only got one, it's tiny and I'm afraid to abuse it.
— vitalady
March 11, 2003
Just thought I'd like to make sure that everyone's on the same
page here...people with diabetes really DO get hypoglycemic. Everyone
else...does NOT. If you have a normal pancreas, then you won't get truly
hypoglycemic, even if you do not eat for 40 days or so. Your body just
breaks
down your muscles to make blood glucose. So I hope all the people giving
you advice are
fellow diabetics :)
— Brittany C.
March 11, 2003
In regard to Ecotrin, or any coated generic aspirin or NSAID product
(Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) -- If you've had RNY, these are
strictly a no-no. The fact that they are enteric coated has nothing to do
with the damage that they can cause in the stomach. It's true that
immediately they don't dissolve in the pouch, which would be the worst
thing (and the fact that regular ones can wreak havoc in the tummy), BUT
once they dissolve further on down, they still circulate in the blood
stream and are deposited throughout all the organs in the body, even our
pouch, and can cause major trouble on down the road. This was told to me
by a WLS surgeon when I had the brilliant idea of producing enteric coated
naprosyn, which I USED to take) Even with folks who have not had WLS, but
take enteric coated aspirin, they can still have problems down the road.
The stomach is protected initially because of the enteric coating, but they
can still get ulcers and such from use with the medication circulating in
the system. Of course, as I'm always saying to people here on AMOS, you
should always check with YOUR surgeon for verification of any questions you
have.
— Lynette B.
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