Dumping Syndrome/Insulin Imbalance?

You didn't say if you have diabetes or not. If you don't have diabetes does this mean they can't help you? Have you been to an endocrinologist?

I had a faster heart rate and HBP before my surgeries. My heart rate is lower than it's been in over 30 years and my blood pressure is on the low normal side.

I'm also on thyroid medication. After the 1st surgery my heart rate went down and has stayed there. My thyroid was all out of whack, after surgery, and it took 19 months to get down to the correct dosage. My dosage is now half of what it was before the surgeries. My GI at the Mayo clinic said thyroid function can affect pouch function. I'm assuming they checked your thyroid and it is ok.

Have they checked your vitamin D and B12 readings?

I get light headed sometimes but assume it is because my blood pressure is now running on the low side. It seems as you and I have opposite changes since our surgeries.

I don't have any problems with big energy as I just don't have any at all. I still have hot and cold spells but nothing worth investigating.

Can they test you for this? My endocrinologist has tested me before and after giving me an injection of something to test for a different problem. I was wondering if they've done anything like that with you. Test your blood sugar before and after eating? Did they suggest eating smaller portions and more times a day?

I hope you find out what is wrong. I didn't realize the colon affected as many things as it does.

Thanks for the reply!

I have been tested for everything under the sun. Cardiac issues, diabetes, thyroid, etc. Ultimately, my Dr put me on potassium replacement-it was on the low side of normal, but she said for some people, they just need it on the high end of normal-same for my thyroid replacement. But the potassium destroyed my stomach, so I have just upped the avocado/potato/banana/orange intake.

She said for a lot of people after GI surgery they just develop this syndrome, but no real solution has been offered. I have been pre-diabetic for about 10 yrs-whatever that means. I eat really healthy & exercise very regularly-weights, elliptical, swim, stair climber. I'm young & otherwise very healthy. I just get so drained after these elevated heart rate & shortness of breath attacks-they did get better after my iron infusions, so I'm going to get my blood levels checked again to make sure I'm not low on iron again...the last time I had these spells was several year ago when I had severe thrombocytopenia-but my platelet count has been normal for yrs & yrs...

PouchMonkey,

Is your doctor a GI?

Sue

It has been discussed with my hematologist, PCP & GI-the hematologist believed it to be from severe anemia which required infusions, the GI believed it to be cardiac, the PCP believed it to be GI. So, no real solid answers, I just have to wait another month or so to see if my iron levels are low again indicating that there is still some internal blood loss...

I had an issue with supraventriculat tachycardia (SVT). Took about a year to sort out. 24 hour holter monitor did not find it. It just kept getting worse and worse, with more frequent episodes and higher heart rates (over 200). Eventually, wearing an event monitor did the trick, where I triggered a recording when I was having symptoms. Wound up needing catheter ablation therapy for the faulty heart conduction system. I still tend toward inappropriate sinus tachycardia (rapid heart rate for no apparent reason). It is well controlled with a beta blocker (metoprolol).

Dumping syndrome usually refers to the rapid emptying of he stomach and small intestines after a meal. Usually it is associated with stomach surgery or a large amount of small bowel resection. Never heard of it in reference to insulin loading, but I see how it is related, because of the symptoms of a large amount of insulin being released after a meal. Since you are prediabetic, it may have to with your altered carbohydrate metabolism. This is progressive, so you need to change things. Generally, reducing your carb intake will help with that, all carbs, not just sugar. Eating "healthy" is sort of vague and may not be what you think it is, especially if you do not know what prediabetes is.

Jan

Jan,
Your son was born with PAT, paroximal ? atrial tachycardia. Not sure of the spelling but had an extra electrical pathway in his heart - our electrical pacemaker. He was converted with electric shock the first time when he was 2 days old. He was a 10 lb newborn in a NICU with tiny babies. Long story short they didn't do ablation procedures at that time, 1980. He had the procedure at age 15 and has never had tachycardia since.

That's why I have a stethoscope and can count heart rates over 200 bpm - really scary. (I skipped the years of medication, episodes and hospitalizations.) He's still a big boy at 6'4", 200 lbs and an Electrical Engineer for Boston Scientific's division that makes pacemakers - how about that!

Pouchmonkey
Your symptoms are similar to those my son had when his heart started racing. It's difficult to diagnose as it comes and goes. That's why they didn't catch it when Jan wore a 24 hour monitor at first. Does your heart rate go up? You would not go into immediate heart failure with this unless it didn't go back to a normal rate hours later. SO if it is just "spells" that don't last long that might explain it.

It's probably not your heart but this is something that they don't catch as your EKG would look fine when your heart is not racing.

Thank you all for your replies!

I have worn a holter monitor & it just noted HR between low 60s to 130s, but stated it was otherwise "normal", my EKG & echo have been normal, my dr suggested wearing an event monitor for a month-but I'm a performer & don't really know how I'm supposed to fit wearing a heart monitor for a month into being on a stage in front of a lot of people? I'm tiny, & have a hard time hiding things in clothes-I had to wear maternity clothes when I had my ileostomy!

Otherwise, I just am sort of at a loss as to what to DO about it. I have a hard times sorting out my diet because I am intolerant of psyllium & need carb intake to keep my bowels from getting too watery, but am also a celiac, so I can only have gluten-free carbs, yet am trying to find a balance of having carbs with a low glycemic index?

The event monitor is WAY smaller than the Holter. About the size of a pedometer. You could probably stick it in your bra, but it probably would be uncomfortable. I needed to wear mine for only about a week, although it was approved for a month. You only need to wear it long enough to find something.

It's funny, there was nothing reported on my Holter recording either. But, once I had the SVT on the event monitor, the cardiologist said he reviewed my Holter again, and there were short episodes of SVT, but they were so short, they fell within the "normal" category, especially since they did not go long enough for me to note symptoms. You might also consider it when you take a vacation, or even a long weekend.

As to the carbs, I find that as time goes on, they are less and less important. I just rely on Imodium to reduce output. Even carbs with a low glycemic index need to be reduced, since they create an overall load to your pancreas. Sure, they are better than sugar and white rice, but you cannot have unlimited amounts. You may want to try Citrucel as a fiber supplement, since it has no psyllium. Less likely to cause gas.

Jan