• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Symptom Exacerbation from hunger

Messages
5
Hi all,

Long time reader / first time poster. 2 years into my CFS journey, working part time but not much of a life other than that.

Was wondering if anyone else gets an extreme exacerbation of symptoms (e.g. weakness/heaviness, lightheadedness, need to lie down, headache and sometimes even PEM) if you skip a meal / get hungry?

I've had to add in large mid morning and afternoon snacks (e.g. avocado, quinoa, sweet potato) and always have, say, nuts, on the ready to avoid these crashes. If i leave lunch any later than 130pm I'm screwed and much more likely to crash later that day.

Interested in whether anyone has had similar issues! Thanks

Nick
 

TiredSam

The wise nematode hibernates
Messages
2,677
Location
Germany
Yup. But then before I had ME I always got very irritable when hungry. Now I get headachy etc, which can disappear as soon as I've had my first mouthful of food. I can never miss a meal, if I have the choice between missing breakfast or being late for work I'll be late for work, rather than run the risk of getting to work hungry and letting myself down badly in the politeness department.
 

Fogbuster

Senior Member
Messages
269
I share all your symptoms, along with moderate/severe cognitive impairment and adrenaline surges, this really affects my social ability and general function too. It seems that when I get the hunger feeling, if I don't eat within a 10-30 min bracket, my symptoms will bit by bit start to play up or worsen. Eating carbs reduces it a tiny bit, but still, not a very nice! :thumbdown:
 

hellytheelephant

Senior Member
Messages
1,137
Location
S W England
I share all your symptoms, along with moderate/severe cognitive impairment and adrenaline surges, this really affects my social ability and general function too. It seems that when I get the hunger feeling, if I don't eat within a 10-30 min bracket, my symptoms will bit by bit start to play up or worsen. Eating carbs reduces it a tiny bit, but still, not a very nice! :thumbdown:
I am exactly the same re hunger: I carry protein with me at all times!
 

Sidney

Senior Member
Messages
146
Location
East Sussex, U.K.
Yes to all...
Except that, further on the CFS journey ( i. e, further down the tunnel), I've suddenly started terrible carb cravings, for the first time in my life. I can't face the healthy proteins, or anything 'strong'.
Very bad development.
 

ryan31337

Senior Member
Messages
664
Location
South East, England
Yup, same here. A meal would give me a boost, more so on PEM days when I'd take on a bunch of carbs with good effect.

But after 20 years it switched and I gradually began experiencing all classic symptoms of diabetes with reactive hypos, though I'm still a healthy BMI and have normal fasting blood glucose....
 
Messages
5
Thanks for your input (and general agreement!) everyone. Has anyone discovered anything to reduce the sensitivity to this in any way? i.e. increased tolerance / longer breaks in between meals?
 
Messages
5
Me too.

If I start to get symptom exacerbation, I must eat. Worry about weight!

As for weight and general health, I've certainly discovered the high protein, high veg (and even high fats) and low simple carbs helps a lot here. Pretty close to paleo.

e.g. My mid morning snack is quinoa cooked in coconut milk, early arfternoon brocoli will be tahini or a whole avocado (sliced up with olive oil apple cider vingegar) or sweet potato. Breakfast I'll generally have 3 eggs scrambled with kale.
I've also pretty much cut sugar and once you get over that first month of no sugar, you stop craving. It's unbelievable.

I was of normal weight to begin with but since adopting this diet i've probably lost weight and randomly get people asking why my skin looks so good all of a sudden (probably from no sugar!). This actually sucks in a way as it hides the feeling of death going on underneath :)
 
Messages
5
I am exactly the same re hunger: I carry protein with me at all times!

I have this too and have thought a lot about it and the extent to which it might be triggered (or worsened) by my own symptom anxiety. i.e. get hungry > start feeling a bit weak > know if you don't eat you might feel worse > stress response triggered > start feeling worse etc.
 

ryan31337

Senior Member
Messages
664
Location
South East, England
Has anyone discovered anything to reduce the sensitivity to this in any way? i.e. increased tolerance / longer breaks in between meals?
Ketogenic diet has worked wonders for me. No idea if that's primarily because I was developing insulin resistance or something related on the side though.