Gastrectomy Done. Sweaty And Shaky In Morning. Noticed High Sugar Level After Eating And Then Sudden Drop

Posted on Thu, 4 Apr 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 4 Apr 2013 Answered on

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My son has special needs and is post gastrectomy. We noticed that he is waking up in the morning shaky and sweaty. I tested his blood sugars. About 45 minutes after eating his blood sugar is 260 and then drops by 2 hours to around 80. Is this diabetes?

Answered by Dr. Madhuri Patil (1 hour later)

Hi there.
Thank you for the question.
A person with Gastrectomy can actually have this presentation called ' dumping syndrome'- Late dumping syndrome. But having high sugars a short period following a meal is something to check for diabetes. He is having very much normal sugar at 2 hour post meal due to the late dumping syndrome. So you can actually check his fasting glucose, HbA1c and pre-meal sugars before lunch and dinner. This will give clear-cut idea what is happening. Sugar tests you can be done at home on glucometer. HbA1c test will be done in laboratory.
He feeling shaky and sweaty mostly to be due to hypoglycaemia from dumping syndrome.
Wait for reports from your side. Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar