• 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.

How do you feel after you eat?

Messages
38
Anyone feel like death after eating? Within 15-20mn after finishing a meal, I get MAJOR brain fog, fatigue, depression and sinus congestion. I almost certain that it's not due to a food allergen since I've experienced this after eating low-carb, high-carb, no gluten, no grains, no dairy, only meat, only veggie etc. I've also tried taking Betain/HCL with enzymes with meals, but I still get the crap symptoms. I also get bloating for a few hours after meals. This may go back to the whole leaky gut connection with CFS/Fibry...

Does anyone else get similar symptoms after eating????

Junto
 

AFCFS

Senior Member
Messages
312
Location
NC
I would often get bad feelings after a high-carb intake (and also was never really full, but felt bloated); like I had to lay down as if an overstuffed bear getting ready for hibernation. I did find that very-low carb and small quantities have helped a lot. For instance; a few bites of cheese, with some mustard greens, a few fresh mushrooms, a broccoli spear and a dab of virgin olive oil. I have been constantly amazed at how little food is needed to maintain good health. Now, if I look back at the Mcy D's super-size I used to enjoy it makes me want to puke.
 
Messages
57
Location
New Zealand
Yeah Junto I've also wondered if others experience post-meal symptoms.
Doesn't matter what I eat or drink, I just feel SO exhausted straight after........bizarre!
And like you, I get the very uncomfortable bloating a coupla hours later.
Are these all normal/common CFS symptoms?
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
My OI is worse after meals. If I need to be up I'm better if I don't eat. Heart rate rises significantly and very fatigued after eating. Something to do with blood being pulled away from circulation and pooling in the abdomen as part of the digestive process
 

Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
I would often get bad feelings after a high-carb intake (and also was never really full, but felt bloated); like I had to lay down as if an overstuffed bear getting ready for hibernation. I did find that very-low carb and small quantities have helped a lot. For instance; a few bites of cheese, with some mustard greens, a few fresh mushrooms, a broccoli spear and a dab of virgin olive oil. I have been constantly amazed at how little food is needed to maintain good health. Now, if I look back at the Mcy D's super-size I used to enjoy it makes me want to puke.

I don't follow any particular diet anymore, but one thing I continue to experience is that eating a meal leads to more of the 'fatigue' and so (perhaps stupidly) I tend to leave off eating breakfast as it is in the morning that I feel more able to function at least after an hour or so of 'waking up'.

To some extent this is probably normal. I would suspect many (most) people feel 'tired' after eating, and I don't mean a heavy meal by any means. What I do find now though is that the size or content of the meal doesn't relate to the feeling of 'fatigue' and exacerbation of the perhaps 'fatigue-associated-brain-fog' that I experience.

I am afraid that I try desperately to prolong this period of morning function by large amounts of caffeine. Then again I find coffee (good coffee) to be one of my few remaining pleasures. And I drank far more when working than I do now. If I do have breakfast I don't last as long doing anything that involves concentration or mobility (the latter doesn't last for as long a distance and requires more rest).

None of this is proven of course except from my own experience. I think it is a bad habit I have picked up. First meal of the day is at Midday for me. Followed still by a rest and/or sleep if I can manage one. Then some activity before dinner at 7pm and then reading in bed until sleep...

Not that I avoid food or am unable to eat of course but there's an apparent correlation with me too. In my case though I'd be willing to admit it's psychological - I rarely ate breakfast when working either :)
 

Shell

Senior Member
Messages
477
Location
England
Yup. I always feel horrible about ten minutes after I've eaten. I can't eat at all until after midday or so as the claggy nausea is just too horrible. My mini-hypothesis on this is that while my body is using up what little energy it has dealing with food - it doesn't allow me to function in much else.
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
It is because of reduced blood flow to the brain because of diversion of the blood to the digestive processes. It happens in well folk too and is called (officially) "the post-prandial dip".

Edited to add:-
It is a very, very common problem in M E.
Obviously, folk with ME suffer the effects far more severely - because our systems are only barely functioning at any time, any reallocation of resources (eg. of blood for digestion) will have a horrible effect. There simply isn't enough oxygen-carrying and distribution potential left over.

I really don't think it will be anything to do with leaky guts or allergies.
 

FunkOdyssey

Senior Member
Messages
144
Anyone feel like death after eating? Within 15-20mn after finishing a meal, I get MAJOR brain fog, fatigue, depression and sinus congestion. I almost certain that it's not due to a food allergen since I've experienced this after eating low-carb, high-carb, no gluten, no grains, no dairy, only meat, only veggie etc. I've also tried taking Betain/HCL with enzymes with meals, but I still get the crap symptoms. I also get bloating for a few hours after meals. This may go back to the whole leaky gut connection with CFS/Fibry...

Does anyone else get similar symptoms after eating????

Junto

Look into Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) in addition to leaky gut.
 

Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
It is because of reduced blood flow to the brain because of diversion of the blood to the digestive processes. It happens in well folk too and is called (officially) "the post-prandial dip".

Edited to add:-
It is a very, very common problem in M E.
Obviously, folk with ME suffer the effects far more severely - because our systems are only barely functioning at any time, any reallocation of resources (eg. of blood for digestion) will have a horrible effect. There simply isn't enough oxygen-carrying and distribution potential left over.

I really don't think it will be anything to do with leaky guts or allergies.

Has anything ever been written to support the view that we might suffer this more than most? Thanks.
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
I've never heard a well person complain of poorer function after eating. Well people have enough energy to digest their food and function at the same time.

If it were normal to be less functional after eating you wouldn't see tennis stars eating a banana or chocolate bar during a few minutes break
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
If more folk paid attention to the post-prandial dip... we'd all be being sensible and having a siesta after lunch, as the Spanish do, and work would be far more efficient. :)
tennis stars are not normal. :lol:
Here's a wiki bit about normal post-prandial somnolence - a slightly advanced version of the normal dip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postprandial_somnolence

I haven't seen any particular academic references which state that we suffer more than most normals, I have read advice that large meals make us feel ill and should be avoided. I have found this to be true.

But it's just simple physiology to work out that it will affect us more. Everything affects us more simply because we are only managing to hang onto running our bodies by the skin of our teeth... out troubles with temperature regulation are well known. Anything beyond lying passively is a strain - and for many unfortunate folk - even that is overworking their systems.
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
Junto~ You could consider going on a serious elimination diet. I know you think it's not due to food allergies/intolerance, but you don't have anything to lose by trying it.

This book is helpful, and I think has the best elimination diet in it: http://www.amazon.com/Dealing-Food-Allergies-Practical-Detecting/dp/092352164X

This book is also good, and while I think the first 2 stages of the elimination diet are good, I think his most strict elimination diet is a bit broad and includes potentially problem foods: http://www.amazon.com/Food-Allergie...&keywords=food+allergies+and+food+intolerance

Best, Timaca
 
Messages
81
It is because of reduced blood flow to the brain because of diversion of the blood to the digestive processes. It happens in well folk too and is called (officially) "the post-prandial dip".

Edited to add:-
It is a very, very common problem in M E.
Obviously, folk with ME suffer the effects far more severely - because our systems are only barely functioning at any time, any reallocation of resources (eg. of blood for digestion) will have a horrible effect. There simply isn't enough oxygen-carrying and distribution potential left over.

I really don't think it will be anything to do with leaky guts or allergies.

I always thought postprandial hypotension could be one of the factors exacerbating symptoms. Early on in my illness I also found that hot food proved to be a greater problem than cooked food that had been left to cool. However, this is not such an issue for me now.
 

ahimsa

ahimsa_pdx on twitter
Messages
1,921
My OI is worse after meals. If I need to be up I'm better if I don't eat. Heart rate rises significantly and very fatigued after eating. Something to do with blood being pulled away from circulation and pooling in the abdomen as part of the digestive process
I agree with Sea that one big cause of problems after eating may be Orthostatic Intolerance. I have more energy, and more ability to be up and around, when my stomach is empty. After I eat it's best if I lie back in the recliner with my feet up.

Here's an extract from the Johns Hopkins patient handout on Orthostatic Intolerance:

When do NMH and POTS lead to symptoms?

Symptoms of NMH and POTS usually are triggered in the following settings:
* with quiet upright posture (such as standing in line, standing in a shower, or even sitting at a desk for long periods),
* after being in a warm environment (such as in hot summer weather, a hot crowded room, a hot shower or bath),
* immediately after exercise,
* after emotionally stressful events (seeing blood or gory scenes, being scared or anxious).
* in some people, after eating, when blood flow shifts to the intestines during digestion.
* if fluid and salt intake are inadequate

One medical term I've read for this problem is "splanchnic pooling":
Splanchnic pooling is occurring after meals in some POTS patients. Excessive pooling of blood in the abdomen has been shown to occur while the patient is supine and at rest (Tani, Singer, McPhee, Opfer-Gehrking, Haruma, Kajiyama & Low, 2000). The splanchnic vascular bed contains up to 30% of blood volume. Limited autonomic neuropathy causing peripheral denervation may be the cause of increased resting flow and reduced mesenteric resistance in these patients.

This may not be true for all ME/CFS patients but anyone who recognizes those triggers in the list above should probably investigate whether they are having problems with Orthostatic Intolerance.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
If you havent had one already.. anyone with this symptom should have a 2 hr glucose tollerence test (GTT) done with the insulin included. To rule out if this issue being caused by hyperinsulinemia (also called insulin resistance).

Within 15-20 mins after a meal (or sometimes immediately). i used to go very lethargic and get other symptoms too. It turned out this was due to I was getting abnormally raised insulin (prediabetic state which will lead to diabetes). I personally thing that this is an even bigger issue if a person also has MCS (and hence then one can end up getting some quite severe symptoms to the abnormal insulin level).

In my case.. a low carb diet which diabetics have...is FAR TOO HIGH in carbs and will be causing me many more symptoms.. things like carrots, corn, bananas, potatoes, pumpkin etc etc are all too high in carbs to include in my diet... skim milk can even cause issues for some with an insulin problem (the fats in milk help to balance out the carbs in the milk.. so my insulin specialist has me on full cream milk only when I have it). The diet my specialists have put me on.. onlhy allows me to have one small piece of fruit a day cause fructose is a carb too..

People with bad insulin issues may need to eat meat (to help stop the insulin from spiking too fast) before other foods.

My specialist for all this (I got to two different specialists in this) he told me last visit that its possible to have a big insulin spike without even eatting but rather just with the thought of food. This hormone can be released in some who have abnormal insulin levels by just "THINKING" about food. Even with over a year on an extremely low carb (far stricter then diabetic) diet.. my insulin levels are still going up 3 times higher then the normal blood level range.

So anyway.. do get yourself ruled out for possible issues with insulin ... my specialist asked me if I got bloating and gas with it (in my case I dont) as its one of the most common symptoms which usually appear with it. (In my case it just gave me lethargy and made it harder to get out of bed in the mornings (my insulin would be high still from dinner the night before), more sore throats, mood swings and GERD).

It may not be an issue just with low blood volume which many of us have and the digestive process during more blood to it.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
I've never heard a well person complain of poorer function after eating. Well people have enough energy to digest their food and function at the same time.

If it were normal to be less functional after eating you wouldn't see tennis stars eating a banana or chocolate bar during a few minutes break

Lots of people nap after eating. In Mexico its called a siesta. This is not properly investigated, but then again its not considered a medical issue. Its just life. I think its less common in younger fit people, and more common in older unfit people, but thats just an observation.

I think some if it is insulin. Some of it is allergies and intolerances. Some of it is also diverted blood flow.

I can get extreme tiredness and fog after eating. If I eat too many salicylates this will do it, and thats an intolerance. However I can eat high protein with almost no carbs or salicylates and have the issue, thats a blood flow problem I think. This response is a collection of overlapping responses in my opinion, it does not have a single cause in every patient. Some will have one cause, some another, and some will have all the causes working together.

As for sweating after eating, the only thing that does that for me is vinegar.
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
While I agree that normal healthy people can observe some effects from the normal process of digestion I do not think that what I experience is anything like normal.

It also seems to be common among people I talk to with autonomic dysfunction (OI, POTS, NMH) with or without the ME/CFS label.

When I was well I never rescheduled eating or activity based on symptoms after eating. The midafternoon slump (which may or may not be related to lunch) is a well known phenomenon in healthy people, but I haven't heard anyone healthy who needs to change their lifestyle because of it.