Do we have information overload about hypoglycemia?

I was sick for 10 years before I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. Upon hearing the results, I was ecstatic!  I finally had a diagnosis, a name and a cure. Unfortunately, what I hope to be an “overnight” remedy turned out to take several years of sorting through a mass of confusing and complicated information.   Due to the unfamiliarity with the stages of hypoglycemia, the controversy surrounding its treatment and acceptance, I found myself with the feeling of being the only person in the world suffering from this baffling condition.

Now, almost 40 years later, it should be different.  But is it? We literally have more information at our fingertips than ever before–more books, CD’s, videos, blogs, and of course, the Internet. However, with all this extra access, I ask myself…what is better…too little or too much information?  Today, the field is wide open and the Internet has taken the lead.  Plug the words hypoglycemia or low blood sugar into a search engine and hundreds of links come up, but how do you know which ones to choose? How do you know what sites are credible [...]

Two studies were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The findings caused a stir among lay, medical and media alike…that Type 2 diabetes, or “diabesity “, could be cured with gastric bypass surgery.

I am not here to post the pros and cons of what has been written, but I do have some important information for anyone that has had gastric bypass surgery or is contemplating doing so.

In the past 10 years, an increasing number of concerned patients contacted the HSF because they had gastric bypass surgery and were now experiencing hypoglycemia symptoms ranging from mild to severe.  It was then that I approached Dr. Mark Lamet, an gastroenterologist who practices in Hollywood, Florida and asked if he would write an article for our members.  He wrote the following in 2005 and had recently reedited it again after I suggested we reprint it due to the renewed interest and concern.

At the HSF we believe it is imperative that as a patient you become involved in your own decisions concerning health care. We hope the information we provide empowers you with the knowledge to make informed choices.

GASTRIC BYPASS [...]