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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Does Gastric Bypass Surgery Cause Reactive Hypoglycaemia?

Hi, my name is Sarah and I m writing this in regards to my fiancé Chris. This past Saturday around 1 in the morning I got home and found Chris napping on the couch. He woke up and walked into the kitchen. I noticed on the coffee table there was a box of cookies and a glass of milk sitting there that he probably ate some of before I got home. When he walked into the kitchen, I looked at him and he had this dazed look on his face. I shouted his name and he started to fall backwards, hitting his head on the kitchen cabinet. I ran to him and broke his fall by easing him to the ground when he suddenly started seizing in my arms. His body was rigid, toes on both feet curled inwards. He was unconscious because he was not answering me when I was saying his name and he convulsed for less than 30 seconds. Rescue came immediately and tested his blood sugar, it was 50! The doctors at the hospital suspected he did have a concussion from hitting his head but they feel it was the hypoglycemic episode that caused the seizure, and not the concussion. 2 years ago Chris had gastric bypass RNY surgery and lost approximately 160-170lbs in the past 2 years. He s maintained the same weight for the past year. He and I are both registered nurses and he works an exceptional amount of hours, working doubles and 12 hour shifts all the time for extra money. We were told that along with the low blood sugar and probably being so sleep deprived that that s what caused the seizure. In the past he s had instances at work and home where he s thought he felt low . He does not have a history of diabetes. When he would feel that way he would have a snack and feel fine. After this recent incident, and doing some of my own research I presume he could have reactive hypoglycemia related to his gastric bypass surgery. He is following up with a neurologist (as he s never had a seizure before) and an endocrinologist. The lab work came back normal when he was in the ER, however he s having more labs drawn tomorrow, fasting. Also his CT of his head came back negative. I guess I m writing this because being a nurse makes this situation harder for me because I understand so many (but not all) medical diseases and terminology. I am curious to see if maybe I m going in the right direction thinking this could be reactive hypoglycemia and maybe what else if you have any suggestions or thoughts of what this could be and what else we can do. I m very concerned because seizures are extremely scary, and even though he s out of work for the time being, he s eventually going to have to go back and start driving again, which scares me way more than him. I would appreciate any input you have on this situation. Thank you so much. Sarah
Fri, 26 Jul 2019
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Internal Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Hi,

Yes, many times, gastric bypass can cause reactive hypoglycemia as the amount of food and the quality is different.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist
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Does Gastric Bypass Surgery Cause Reactive Hypoglycaemia?

Hi, Yes, many times, gastric bypass can cause reactive hypoglycemia as the amount of food and the quality is different. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Salah Saad Shoman, Internal Medicine Specialist