Hyopglycemic & Low energy 1 yr post op

[Meagan]

I really didn't have much troubles the first year; but almost right at my 1 year mark, I started having new low blood sugar symptoms. (Supposedly this is 30% common with VSG? ... would have been nice to know beforehand...)
I had slacked off of high protein/no carb to a more normal eating but less quantity. Dr. tests said fasting blood sugar was 70 (normal is 76-120), first hr of test went up to 120, then dropped to 40 and never came any higher than 60 in the 4 hours.... during this test, I did not feel the usual low symptoms of shakey, depressive, hot/cold flashes, confusion/ foggy head, almost passing out feeling I had been, so Dr. said it was likely dipping dangerously to 30s-10s or less when I felt that bad. So, his answer was... ((great)) eat every two hours & never drive without food available, up the protein a bit, and eat whole grain... and get a meter. None of which I really wanted to do.

So I've done that... unfortunately am eating 'something' most of the time, usually nuts or taking all morning to eat a pack of poptarts or my lunch salad/ sandwich.... but still feel pretty DANG DRAGGY most of the time. Forget exercising, A. absolutely NO time with work (thus surgery) B. NO Energy and feel lightheaded. Weight is stable within 2 lbs of 128 for past 8 months... although I 'feel' I little fluffier.... but it might be fear/illusion... I don't know, clothes are the same.
It "is' 100-111 deg outside... but I don't work in it, so I feel like its a vitamin thing or something surgery/ diet related.

Anyone have similar issues and found a solution or Dr. advice? I take 3 Flintstones vitamins a day. Extra B vitamins increase the shakes, so I doubt that is deficient.
I sure don't want to re-gain weight just because I have to eat all the freaking time to not pass out/ be coherent enough to focus on work!

[Zosime]

B-12 sublingual tablets? Won't add to the crowded stomach. Thyroid checked?

[Zosime]

Also, if doctor said to add protein, perhaps you can try the unflavored genepro powder (amazon) which you can add to "regular food" since it is only 1 tbsp serving size with equivalency of 30 grams of absorbable protein. I can't post the URL, but it is under Musclegen Research - Genepro Medical Grade Protein.

[Kindle]

I've eaten every 2-3 hours since my VSG 2 1/2 years ago. I feel light headed and get quite crabby if I don't. Never checked my sugar levels, just listened to my body. Jerkey, quest bars, nuts, beef sticks, Greek yogurt with ground flax seed, Natures Valley Protein bars, cheese sticks, and protein shakes are my goto snacks all day every day. I only have one structured meal a day in the evenings. I hear you on the busy thing....I work 12 hour days with no lunch break, but grabbing a little snack while driving or in between appointments is quite doable. Like your doc said, just always have a snack nearby at all times. I never leave the house without a big water bottle and protein snacks. However, pop tarts would not be on my list. Nothing high protein/whole grain about them and they will spike and then crash your blood sugar quite dramatically.

I've maintained below goal for over two years eating like this. The only two rules that I really stick with are 80+ g protein and 100oz fluids every day. It doesn't seem to matter that I get there by eating 8 times/day. I also take a whole food based multivitamin, extra D, sublingual B12 and calcium, and have my bloodwork tested at least annually. My iron has always run high so I stopped taking the extra iron that is normally recommended for WLS patients. I take my multis with a high fat snack to help in the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

I'm assuming you have had bloodwork that includes Vitamin D, B12, iron/ferritin, calcium, folate, zinc and magnesium? These are all things that WLS patients can develop deficiencies in, depending on your diet and supplements. I have two friends that have had WLS and they have issues with their iron, B1 (not B12), vitamin K and vitamin A levels. You may also ask them to run a thyroid and hormone panel (including estrogen, progesterone, AND testosterone). Turns out the fatigue, "fuzzy" head and depression I suffered from was from low testosterone.

Good luck.