Why don't I want to eat?

[reader62]

Before I got this thing, I loved my grub. Although I ate a generally healthy diet (and also exercised regularly), I loved wine, chocolate, cake....all the decadent and delicious things. But since I began suffering from ME symptoms, I've lost pleasure in food. I'd live off toast if I could, and eating has become a bit of a dutiful chore Chocolate I was given for Christmas is still in the cupboard, and I've more or less given up alcohol.

Part of it is because I'm often too tired to be bothered to cook, and as a consequence rely on ready meals more than I've ever done before. It's also because food doesn't seem to taste the same as it used to, and whatever I eat just sits in a lump in my stomach. I'm trying to have three meals a day and eat healthily because it's in my best interests, but it's a chore.

Has anyone else found this?

 

[ScottTriGuy]

Yep, I used to have a very strong appetite. As my colleagues could attest, the most common thing out of my mouth was "I'm hungry".

Now I only eat to so that I'm taking food with my meds.

 

[TigerLilea]

I'm the opposite; when I'm really exhausted I have this urge to eat. Even when I'm not hungry. I think it has something to do with leptin.

 

[Mary]

@reader62 - when you say that food seems to sit like a lump in your stomach, it sounds very much like how I felt years ago before I discovered that my stomach acid was low. Many people with ME/CFS, for whatever reason, have low stomach acid. My doctor told me to take hydrochloric acid with betaine with meals and it make all the difference. I don't need as much now as I used to, my digestion is working better.

His instructions were to take enough HCL tablets until I felt "acidy" (and I did! it felt just like that) and to back off by one. I found that 3 or 4 tablets were needed for heavy meals that had meat or cheese which are hard to digest, and only 2 or so for lighter meals.

A simple test to check stomach acid is this, which needs to be done on an empty stomach: dissolve 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 6 to 8 ounces of water and drink it. You should burp within 5 minutes, and if you don't, it can be indication of low stomach acid. You need to do this on an empty stomach because the baking soda will neutralize stomach acid and screw up your digestion if your stomach is full.

 

[reader62]

@reader62 - when you say that food seems to sit like a lump in your stomach, it sounds very much like how I felt years ago before I discovered that my stomach acid was low. Many people with ME/CFS, for whatever reason, have low stomach acid. My doctor told me to take hydrochloric acid with betaine with meals and it make all the difference. I don't need as much now as I used to, my digestion is working better.

His instructions were to take enough HCL tablets until I felt "acidy" (and I did! it felt just like that) and to back off by one. I found that 3 or 4 tablets were needed for heavy meals that had meat or cheese which are hard to digest, and only 2 or so for lighter meals.

A simple test to check stomach acid is this, which needs to be done on an empty stomach: dissolve 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 6 to 8 ounces of water and drink it. You should burp within 5 minutes, and if you don't, it can be indication of low stomach acid. You need to do this on an empty stomach because the baking soda will neutralize stomach acid and screw up your digestion if your stomach is full.

I had no idea! Thank you: I'll give it a try. x

 

[Mary]

I had no idea! Thank you: I'll give it a try. x

I hope it helps! This is what I take, but of course there are lots of good products out there: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-premium-hydrochloric-acid-pepsin-250-caps

I read somewhere that it was best to take HCL with pepsin. And I was told to take the HCL maybe 10 minutes before meals, and that's when you will feel the "acidy" feeling which tells you to back off by one.

A chiropractor who does muscle testing helped me sort out my digestion as well as my doctor. The chiropractor also helped enormously with weak adrenals which were causing severe fatigue for me. This was in the mid-90's when there wasn't nearly so much information available about adrenals and so on and I think more doctors are aware now.

If you haven't already, I think it would be very good for you to see an integrative or functional medicine M.D., or a naturopath, who are much knowledgeable about nutrition and how to regain health, and won't just hand out drugs for symptoms like way too many doctors do, and generally know more about ME/CFS than regular M.D.s, who don't. And again, I've had a lot of help from various chiropractors over the years who do muscle testing with many different issues. I'd be much worse off without them.

 

[Chocolove]

@reader62 Nutrient deficiencies are associated with loss of appetite and may be implicated in anorexia according to these articles.

I've more or less given up alcohol.

It's good you gave up alcohol because alcohol depletes many nutrients including vitamins like Thiamine, vitamin B1.

Since an estimated 70-80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, there are snowballing consequences...for example, since enough magnesium is required for the body to utilize vitamin B1, you can take all the B1 in the world and it won't help until you get adequate magnesium on board.

Magnesium is required for 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. Magnesium is the key that starts the engine and keeps it running.

See:

Magnesium Deficiency 101 - Magnesium Advocacy Group
gotmag.org/magnesium-deficiency-101
Magnesium Deficiency Statistics 2 out of 3 Americans do not consume the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for magnesium, 500 milligrams of magnesium per day.

7 nutrient deficiencies that can make you sick | MNN ...
www.mnn.com/.../stories/7-nutrient-deficiencies-that-can-make-you-sick
7 nutrient deficiencies that can make you sick Tired? ... Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness.

Top 5 Signs of Zinc Deficiency - Newsmax.com
www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/signs-of-zinc-deficiency/2014/11/20/...
This is one of the prominent signs of zinc deficiency. Loss of appetite and/or anorexia: A deficiency of zinc causes decreased loss of appetite.

Anemia, Loss of appetite: 16 Possible Causes - Healthline
www.healthline.com › Symptom Checker
Discover 16 possible causes for anemia, loss of appetite including Hypothyroidism, Iron Deficiency Anemia and Celiac Disease (Gluten Intolerance)

Vitamin D & Loss of Appetite | LIVESTRONG.COM
www.livestrong.com › … › Vitamins and Supplements
Nov 17, 2015 · Vitamin D & Loss of Appetite. by OWEN BOND Last Updated: Nov 17, 2015. Owen Bond. ... Early symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include loss of appetite, ...

Magnesium deficiency: a possible cause of thiamine ...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4420329
Magnesium deficiency: a possible cause of thiamine refractoriness in Wernicke-Korsakoff encephalopathy. Traviesa DC. ... Magnesium Deficiency/enzymology;

Magnesium and Vitamin B1 - Team Players Needed for Brain ...
www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/magnesium_and_vitamin_b1...
Lack of magnesium and B1 (thiamin) can lead to poor mood, muscle fatigue, and metabolic problems. A high carbohydrate, high sugar diet makes matters worse.

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Evidence - Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/thiamine/evidence/HRB-20060129
Thiamine deficiency can be associated ... Early evidence shows that thiamine lacks ... liver damage from drugs or toxins, liver disease, loss of appetite, low ...

Thiamine deficiency - WHO
www.who.int/nutrition/publications/en/thiamine_in_emergencies_eng.pdf
Thiamine deficiency and its prevention and control in major emergencies ... manifested in the initial stages by anorexia, malaise, and weakness of the legs, ...

Vitamin Supplementation Prevents Anorexia
orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v04n02.shtml
The conventional medical approach to eating disorders such as anorexia typically includes ... The risk of thiamine deficiency is also increased by eating ...

Thiamine - vitamin B1, carbohydrates, energy, beriberi ...
www.moyak.com/papers/thiamine-vitamin-B1.html
The Response to Treatment of Subclinical Thiamine Deficiency in the Elderly. ... Winston AP, et al. Prevalence of Thiamin Deficiency in Anorexia Nervosa.

Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies - Mercola.com
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/10/19/most-common...
11 of the most common nutrient deficiencies include vitamins D, K2, B12, E, and A, omega-3, magnesium, iodine, calcium, iron, and choline.

Nutritional Deficiencies (Malnutrition) - Healthline
www.healthline.com › Reference Library
A nutritional deficiency occurs when the body doesn’t absorb the necessary amount of a nutrient. Deficiencies can lead to a variety of health problems.

PDF]Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletions
integrativerxpharmacy.com/drug-induced nutrient040709b.pdf
... but rather are a result of nutritional deficiencies that are caused by the ... across the United States implicates acetaminophen ... annual sales for Tylenol ...

14 Drugs That Deplete Magnesium by Suzy Cohen - Jigsaw Health
www.jigsawhealth.com/blog/drug-muggers-suzy-cohen-magnesium
14 Drugs That Deplete Magnesium by Suzy Cohen; ... Drug Muggers: Which Medications Are Robbing Your Body of Essential Nutrients--and Natural Ways to Restore Them. ...

Are Your Meds Robbing Your Body Of Key Nutrients? | The ...
www.huffingtonpost.com/suzy-cohen-rph/medication-side-effects-_b...
Mar 21, 2011 · Are Your Meds Robbing Your Body Of Key Nutrients? ... Suzy Cohen, R.Ph. Author, ' Drug Muggers', 'Diabetes WIthout Drugs' and 'The 24-Hour Pharmacist'

“Drug Muggers” Can Slowly Steal the Life Out of You ...
www.lifeextension.com/.../6/Drug-Muggers-Can-Slowly-Steal.../Page-01
Many leading pharmaceuticals create nutrient deficiencies that are often mistaken for drug side effects. In her new book, Drug Muggers, pharmacist Suzy Cohen advises ...

 

[Paralee]

@reader62 , thanks for bringing this up. I would rather take a beating most days than eat, except for early morning and late evening after my Xanax kicks in. It's been like this since before I got put on psyche medicine when what I really had was hyperparathyroidism.
Maybe someone knows something safe (supplement?) or do that can bring back some hunger....
I know leptin tells the brain you're full, I wonder what specifically tells your body it's hungry.

 

[Chocolove]

@Paralee "The best foods to activate the appetite are those rich in zinc, potassium and magnesium as well as those containing Vitamin B and C. Below we give you some tips to increase appetite"...
https://health.onehowto.com/article/how-to-restore-an-appetite-10360.html

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wel...-remedies/home-remedies-for-poor-appetite.htm

Stimulate Appetite - Ask a Naturopath
www.askanaturopath.com/faqs/stimulate-appetite/p/318
How can someone who has been on a calorie-restricted diet for years restore her metabolism and stimulate appetite? Metabolism is the rate at which your body converts ...

28 Home Remedies for Loss of Appetite - Home Remedies ...
https://homeremedyshop.com/28-home-remedies-for-loss-of-appetite
Or else, have hot garlic soups to restore appetite. 7. Coriander. Take a handful of coriander leaves and extract their juice. ... Herbal Remedies to Increase Appetite.

3 Ways to Increase Your Appetite - wikiHow
www.wikihow.com/Increase-Your-Appetite
Nov 08, 2016 · How to Increase Your Appetite. ... Restore your body's HCl levels. As mentioned before, HCl is an important substance for increasing your appetite when bodybuilding.

 

[Paralee]

@Chocolove, HCl? Sorry I did an oxalate "experiment" last night and found out to my detriment
that I definitely have a problem.

Edit: thanks for those links. I like the lemon in warm water the best, maybe put a little cinnamon in it. It's really hard to eat trying to avoid a lot of B6 and oxolates.

And the thiamine, I was going to try a little of that anyway.