Endoscopy Wednesday...worrying About Fasting!advice Anyone?

Sarahsmile416 · December 18, 2012

As stated in the title, my endoscopy is coming up on Wednesday and though it may sound strange, I am more worried about the fasting aspect of it than the endoscopy itself. I have Type 1 Diabetes and am on the pump and often get hypoglycemic when I wake up...and that's with being able to eat a 10pm snack. I don't know what I am going to do now with not being able to eat after 8! I am thinking of maybe getting one of those protein shakes or something but am not sure if its allowed. It's such a fine line because I don't want to get hypoglycemic because that would mean rescheduling this, but I also don't want to have a 300 blood sugar or even 250+ because then they won't do the procedure either.

Anyone who has diabetes have any advice? Or even those prone to hypoglycemia? What did you do? Any help or advice would be appreciated !!

Adalaide · December 18, 2012

My husband isn't on a pump, he does injections but it isn't much of a difference besides he has to do math. He also has a tendency to wake up hypoglycemic and had surgery about 5 years ago. We were quite concerned, although they didn't say they would reschedule if he were high. We had spent some time talking to the doctor and hospital staff about it before going in and they said better high than low and to eat a healthy meal the night before and to have a good protein rich snack at the cutoff time to help keep him level. Since every diabetic reacts differently to different foods, you'll know what you do best with. I like to give him dairy at bedtime without a shot to account for it which lets him be a little but not too high overnight and wake up level. We've tried everything with his long acting insulin and dose it now at lunch time but still have this problem. On the day before surgery he also did half a dose of his long acting, again not something he did without doctor's advice and they were prepared to operate with him high. Of course, he could just wake up in the morning and take a shot. My niece has a pump and I'm not sure but seem to remember her being able to pretty much correct in the same way. If you wake up high, can you correct just a little with a pump?

Sarahsmile416 · December 18, 2012

Hello Adalaide -

Thanks for the response and the advice as per what your husband did- I appreciate it. The milk is especially a good idea - thanks for the tip!

Yes, I can correct with the pump but I am a little afraid of over -correcting - even with the pump, with my sensitivity to insulin especially in the AM, I am a little worried I might end up hypoglycemic.

Actually I had read somewhere that people who have Celiac (pre diagnosis) are more prone to hypoglycemia because their bodies do not fully absorb gluten. Not sure if that's true or not, but I did find it interesting

Adalaide · December 18, 2012

I'm pretty sure my husband's hypoglycemic episodes are due to undiagnosed celiac. Between his own symptoms and his family's medical history there is no reason for the lot of them not to be gluten free. But yes, it does make perfect sense. You eat something, correct for it but are incapable of absorbing it entirely because your villi are useless and BAM! low.

Sarahsmile416 · December 18, 2012

I'm pretty sure my husband's hypoglycemic episodes are due to undiagnosed celiac. Between his own symptoms and his family's medical history there is no reason for the lot of them not to be gluten free. But yes, it does make perfect sense. You eat something, correct for it but are incapable of absorbing it entirely because your villi are useless and BAM! low.

Is Celiac considered to be genetic as well? Not sure what kind of family medical history tends to point to Celiac?

Yes, the link between Celiac and hypoglycemic episodes made sense to me as well.

Adalaide · December 18, 2012

Is Celiac considered to be genetic as well? Not sure what kind of family medical history tends to point to Celiac?

Well, celiac does tend to be genetic although no one in my husband's family is diagnosed with it.

Diseases closely linked to celiac that in your family history can point to needing to be tested: dementia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diabetes (both types), thyroid problems, Crohn's, IBS, depression.

Really, the link between celiac and SO MANY diseases is ridiculous and I'm sure lots of people could draw these same conclusions. But really, would it hurt anyone to go gluten free? No.

GFinDC · December 18, 2012

Hi Sarah,

Celiac is auto-immune, and people with one AI disease tend to have a higher chance of getting a 2nd AI disease. So a family history of AI diseases is what you would look for.

shadowicewolf · December 19, 2012

Yes, it is genetic. It behaves similar to diabetes in a sense. You can have family members with it, and you yourself may never develop it. But you may develop it, but your family members don't.

At any rate, I've heard that so long as you stop eating before midnight, you'll be fine (don't quote me on this).

Sarahsmile416 · December 19, 2012

Well, despite all my best efforts, at 2 am last night I had a low blood sugar (54)- that thank goodness I was able to bring up just by removing my pump for a little while!! Although I was so worried about the whole thing, I got little sleep.

I still love my GI - when I saw her this morning prior to the endoscopy I remembered everyone 's advice and asked how many samples she was going to get...she told me 6-8 and I knew then I was in good hands. After I woke up she told me I had a lot of inflammation in my intestines that could be something else but since it was so diffuse, she doubted it...and that I had significant evidence of acid reflux (I don't know how they see that, but all I know is that that is a major symptom of mine so it didn't surprise me it was there - only that it was so obvious ). I asked her if it would not surprise her if it was Celiac and she said no...and given the look on her face, it seemed that was her best guess. She stressed of course that we won't know for sure until the biopsies come back, but at least I will know for sure soon!

So I guess my new question for everyone is - what do you all think? Does this sound like the preliminary (pre-biopsy results) findings for Celiac? Do most people show these things?

guest134 · December 19, 2012

diabetes (both types)

That is not correct. There is no correlation between type 2 diabetes and Celiac and there have been countless studies to show that. In all clinical studies done, it has the same prevalence in diabetes type 2 patients as the general population. Also hypoglycaemia is not even on the long list of 300 symptoms by the Chicago Celiac disease center and once again has no connection with Celiac. Now before you try and use a case of "I have Celiac and I am hypoglycaemic" or that you know someone, that is not factual causation. The person happened to have both issues, absolutely no link to it.

Celiac can cause symptoms that would be similar to hypoglycaemia but in no way would it cause it.

Sarahsmile416 · December 19, 2012

That is not correct. There is no correlation between type 2 diabetes and Celiac and there have been countless studies to show that. In all clinical studies done, it has the same prevalence in diabetes type 2 patients as the general population. Also hypoglycaemia is not even on the long list of 300 symptoms by the Chicago Celiac disease center and once again has no connection with Celiac. Now before you try and use a case of "I have Celiac and I am hypoglycaemic" or that you know someone, that is not factual causation. The person happened to have both issues, absolutely no link to it.

Celiac can cause symptoms that would be similar to hypoglycaemia but in no way would it cause it.

I don't think anyone used the word causation, although I could be wrong. I am very much a newbie here and all I know are things I have read in different places. Let me be clear, I never read that a symptom of celiac was hypoglycemia merely that some Type 1 Diabetics may experience hypoglycemia more than others due to the lack of absorption of gluten. I do not know if this is true or not, never stated it as a fact, I believe we both just stated that were that true it would make some logical sense. That is all.

guest134 · December 20, 2012

That comment was not directed at you Sarah. I know that there is a link to type 1, I was just saying not type 2 and not hypoglycaemia.

Sarahsmile416 · December 20, 2012

That comment was not directed at you Sarah. I know that there is a link to type 1, I was just saying not type 2 and not hypoglycaemia.

I know...that really wasn't what I was trying to say either...sorry for the misunderstanding - I got 3 hours of sleep last night worrying about my blood sugar and the endoscopy - so my comprehension skills today are not top notch

guest134 · December 20, 2012

I know...that really wasn't what I was trying to say either...sorry for the misunderstanding - I got 3 hours of sleep last night worrying about my blood sugar and the endoscopy - so my comprehension skills today are not top notch

Sorry to hear that, was the endoscopy today? If so how did it go? Mine is on Friday.

Sarahsmile416 · December 20, 2012

Sorry to hear that, was the endoscopy today? If so how did it go? Mine is on Friday.

Yup, this morning. It was not bad...a little better than I expected I think. I made the mistake of eating after it and paid for it all day long!

Doctor said my intestines showed inflammation and seemed to indicate that she thought it was celiac, though was careful to say of course that nothing was certain until the biopsy came back.

Good luck to you on Friday!!! Hope your post-op experience is better than mine was!!