Low Blood Sugar After Gastric Bypass Weight Loss Surgery

by Cheryl H
(Florida)

I had gastric bypass surgery in June of 2004. I lost 90 lbs and have gained about 6-8 from my lowest point. After eating, I often feel tired; I sometimes feel like my blood sugar is low because I feel anxious, sweaty, nauseous, and shaky (I had low blood sugar tendencies before my surgery although gestational diabetes during 2 pregnancies, w/o insulin). How can I keep my blood sugar more level?


Cheryl,

Congrats on your weight loss to date!

Experiencing low blood sugar after weight loss surgery is actually very common.

You probably have it ingrained in you to eat protein at every meal. However, along with that protein you need a little bit of carb...whether fruit, veggies, or a small amount of a whole grain that you can tolerate. If you just eat protein, protein, protein, without the carbs, or without enough carbs you may not be bringing your blood sugar level up enough and consequently experience low blood sugar symptoms...shaky, sweaty, etc.

My other thought is that you could possibly be experiencing slight dumping syndrome symptoms after meals if you are in fact including carbs, but not the right ones?

And finally, simply not eating enough will result in low blood sugar. I'd suggest establishing a regular pattern of eating that includes small, planned, balanced meals every 3-4 hours.

Keep me updated as to you're doing!

Suzette

Comments for Low Blood Sugar After Gastric Bypass Weight Loss Surgery

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Same Problem
by: Anonymous

I am having the same problem. I had my Gastric Bypass Surgery in August of 2007 and I have lost 145 pounds. I've gone from a size 32/34 to a size 22/24, depending on the clothes. I have a lot of hanging skin, but I feel so much better.

I have a great deal of energy and I try to walk everyday. I am very proud of my accomplishment, but I am also experiencing shaking, sweating, racing heart, etc., usually this takes place if I do not eat every two hours.

I've discussed this with my surgeon and my primary care physician and my surgeon said that I need to be taken off of my blood pressure medication but when I told my primary care physician what my surgeon said, he immediately took my blood pressure and just lowered my medication. He said that it was still too high to take me completely off of the medication.

So I've noticed that I don't have the attacks as often but I still do have them. Looking for any advice or suggestions to help with this problem. Maybe I'm not eating the right foods to solve this problem.
Small, Frequent, Balanced Meals after Gastric Bypass
by: Suzette Kroll-Barancik, RD

In order to keep your blood sugar level up after weight loss surgery, you need to eat small, balanced meals every 2-4 hours.

A "balanced" meal includes one high protein food and 1-2 other food group (depending on how much your pouch will hold): fruit, vegetable, or healthy grain.

Examples:

cottage cheese + berries

lowfat string cheese + sliced apple

Beans and cheese rolled in a corn tortilla.

Deli turkey spread with hummus. Roll and eat with a few carrots.

Baked sweet potato topped with cottage cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Get the idea?
Thank you!
by: Bren

Thank you so much Suzette. I really appreciate your time is addressing my issue. I will take your suggestions to heart and see if that will help! Thanks again!
Reply to your problem
by: Anonymous

I had gastric bypass surgery back in March 2006 and I've experienced the same problems. They started maybe a yr or yr and a half ago.

I have a problem regulating my sugar levels. When I eat my sugar goes up, then within 1-2 hrs it drops rapidly and sometimes goes too low.

If I eat a meal high in carbs, my sugar gets too high which makes me very tired. Then an hr or so after I eat, I get shaky, irritable and sometimes sweaty as my sugar drops. I ended up going to an endocrinologist. You might need to have a glucose tolerance test to see if this may be your problem too. Also get a complete blood workup to see if there's something else going on.
Response to "Anonymous'" Comment
by: Suzette

Reminder (as below):

In order to keep your blood sugar level up after weight loss surgery, you need to eat small, balanced meals every 2-4 hours.

A "balanced" meal includes one high protein food and 1-2 other food group (depending on how much your pouch will hold): fruit, vegetable, or healthy grain.

Examples:

cottage cheese + berries

lowfat string cheese + sliced apple

Beans and cheese rolled in a corn tortilla.

Deli turkey spread with hummus. Roll and eat with a few carrots.

Baked sweet potato topped with cottage cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
WOW
by: anonymous

I had gastric bypass Nov 06. and I've been having same thing. I work at a hospital and the diabetic educator gave me a glucose monitor to use.

I would spike right after a meal, 184 (in which I'm sure I had too much refined sugar) then bottom out at 54, 2 hrs later..

Finally I think I've learned my lesson! I will always have to stay away from too many sweets. I did well with that for the 1st two years, but in the past year I thought I could handle a few more...wrong!

I will continue to monitor my sugar levels for a while and if I don't see an improvement will see my Dr for a possible GTT. Glad I found this internet page!!!
Thanks so much
by: Anonymous

I've had gastric bypass 4 years ago and lost 100 lbs and kept most of it off. However, this year I started getting hot flashes, sweats, and shakes then numbness and right side paralysis. My hemiplegic migraines were given the excuse for all of these, but now I find out that my sugar is low and drops almost every hour after eating sometime down to 53. I get slurred speech and several items that seem like MS.

After reading your notices I'm going to check into possible gastric problems too--it may be just complications with my diet and pancreas due to the bypass.

Thanks and thanks for the info on the diet--I was more into protein and only ate a little carbs (mainly due to afraid of a blockage--had one and that was enough for me).

Also fruit causes dumping with me so I only did it in limited amounts--sometime very limited. I'm going to try increasing it slowly and continue to eat the 1-2 hours since I have problems so far doing 3-4 hours meals with just a little of protein and a little carbs.

However, do you have any hints for food allergies to dairy, nuts, oats, melon, and must keeping soy products to a limited amount due to estrogen too high?
Blood Sugar below 40
by: Anonymous

I had gastric bypass 17 years ago. My blood sugar crashes down to below 40 but my symptoms are just slight shakiness and a hot flash. Getting my blood sugar back is sometimes difficult. I will eat fruit and it will go up to 100 and then within 30 minutes it is down below 50.
Gastric Bypass After 4 1/2 years
by: Anonymous

I've had the low sugar, shaky, night sweats, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, numbness w/tingling and even paralysis on right side. My doctors thought it was more of hemiplegic migraines, but after reading your items I think it is more problems with gastic bypass and my migraines. Also, I'm having another problem with food allergies--cow and goats milk, nuts, melons, oats, and I get the dumps with sugar items and/or too many carbs. Also, have Vit. D and iron deficiency now (not B12). Any ideas for better diet choices with consideration to allergies?
low blood sugar after gastric bypass
by: LynLou

Had gastric bypass 2001. About 3 yrs ago i would get low blood sugar which would get high when i eat carbs or sweets then 2 or 3 hrs later it would go to 40 50 60.Then i would sweat get shaky and tired. i gained 20 pds back and trying to loose it. Its depressing all that work and pain and Im afraid to gain it all back.Any advise? IM VERY DEPRESSED OVER IT. Thanks

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