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Anyone feel better after a large meal?

Prefect

Senior Member
Messages
307
Location
Canada
I find a lot of my head symptoms don't necessarily go away but improve dramatically some times immediately, but most times around 1/2-1 hour after eating a large greasy meal, especially if it contains massive amounts of meat and good carb content. It has nothing to do with blood sugar, because consuming sugar or juice should temporarily create the same affect, but it doesn't.

It appears to be directly affected by the shear size of the meal, the bigger the better. If I feel stuffed, I know I'll feel well soon. It makes no sense.

The closest I've got to any ideas is: 1) Parasympathetic nervous system is activated after a large meal, calming the body down. 2) Insulin increase after a large meal, which triggers tryptophan to enter brain cells, calming the brain.

Anyone else?
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
I'm quite the opposite after a large meal. I feel that my ribs are just holding my body together, and then it leaves me hungry for the rest of the late afternoon. Before that I'm fine, no desire to eat or overeat.

I don't know the sex of everyone who wrote in. But is this something that mainly affects men? Leading them to feel better after a large meal or a certain type of large meal. Interesting....I wonder what the reasons could be? Yours, Lenora.
 

keepswimming

Senior Member
Messages
327
Location
UK
Yes, if I eat a large (unhealthy!) meal I get a rush of energy. However I avoid doing this as the next day I usually pay for it with PEM symptoms. Whether that's a result of the stress on my body of digesting the meal, or because the energy rush causes me too do too much (or both!) I'm not sure.
 

Aspen

Senior Member
Messages
145
Interesting, sounds like it calls for Thanksgiving dinner every night!! I’m the exact opposite, I feel awful after eating a whole plate of food. Blood pressure drops, HR goes way up, and I get flushed, nauseous and light headed. Dreaming of food right now... yummmm.
 

bensmith

Senior Member
Messages
1,547
Im getting fat as fuck from it.

all carbs no breaks.
 
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Booble

Senior Member
Messages
1,390
I often feel good after a big meal, especially if it's something nutrient rich like a good old fashioned piece of steak. HOWEVER, my intestines often don't feel good and I can get intestinal cramps which ruins the brief bit of energy.
 

Sledgehammer

Senior Member
Messages
270
Swings and roundabouts for me. Sometimes I will feel fine after some fruit and a medium sized meal.
Other days I will feel sick eating a small meal and feel really unwell after a large meal.

Sleep depravation is the main issue IMO. It plays hell with everything.
 

Davsey27

Senior Member
Messages
514
Its interesting .Theoretically eating one meal a day could improve mitochondrial functioning through autophagy but it seems fasting this way can be a stressor for many with me/cfs
 
Messages
53
Location
UK
I feel quite awful when I'm hungry. Weak and flakey with this weird empty/drained feeling that goes beyond normal hunger, it's hard to describe. It begins to set in about 4 hours after a meal. It's not low blood sugar, I'm diabetic and know what my levels are. When I eat a meal I feel so much better.
 

bensmith

Senior Member
Messages
1,547
Its interesting .Theoretically eating one meal a day could improve mitochondrial functioning through autophagy but it seems fasting this way can be a stressor for many with me/cfs

I used to fast constantly. Ever day plus random larger fasts. Now i cant at all makes me feel like crap. Eating tons or carbs is the way for me now.
 

Prefect

Senior Member
Messages
307
Location
Canada
@Artorias is there a way for diabetics to measure their blood insulin level? I ask because there may be a connection between insulin and how we feel after a meal that's not necessarily related to blood sugar.
 

leokitten

Senior Member
Messages
1,542
Location
U.S.
Always feel worse after a large meal. I actually have avoided large meals for a very long time because they make me feel so much worse. Pre-ME large meals didn’t do anything other than common increase in sleepiness.
 
Messages
23
Thank you for this thread.

I also feel much better after overeating. It gives me a calm sense of relief. A few hours of food induced comatose-like relief. Everything calms down inside me and I can watch a litte bit of tv etc, almost like a dream like state.

The best type meals for me to over-eat is typical junk food or other unhealty high-carb + high-fat dishes. I also feel terrible when fasting, periodic fasting or on low-carb diets.

Any clues to why it is so are welcomed.

It is a sadistic play of irony that the only thing that giving me some relief is unhealthy and very bad for my long-term overall health (blood vessels, heart, liver, kindeys, digestive system, etc)

I am a moderate to severe male in my mid 40's. Used to be very skinny, now BMI of 25 (and rising). Had ME for 15 years.
 
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Prefect

Senior Member
Messages
307
Location
Canada
@robson have you tried Tryptophan? I haven't but I understand large meals raise insulin levels which causes more Tryptophan to enter the brain. It would be interesting to see if Tryptophan would create the same effect you're describing.
 
Messages
23
@robson have you tried Tryptophan? I haven't but I understand large meals raise insulin levels which causes more Tryptophan to enter the brain. It would be interesting to see if Tryptophan would create the same effect you're describing.

I have not yet tried Tryptophan. I will look into it for sure. Thanks for your reply.