Does anyone crash after eating?

[Sledgehammer]

PANS and HPA axis which are in dissarry in ME/CFS are all part of digestion and converting food for energy. anaxiety is the stress response due to dysfunction, so I have read.

It certainly sounds like what you've described, but it's hard to pin down and no two days can be the same when eating. I originally thought a change in diet would stop the issue but it didn't.

 

[judyinthesky]

@livinglighter thank you.
Funnily enough I read on some dysautonomia forums that they have better times in the evening also...
Interestingly also my noradrenaline is always out of range, but low. But my cortisol a bit higher. Well yes I am constantly in a fight or flight )
I've been thinking about some strange dysautonomia and had my heart monitored but nothing. I've been thinking I would have to have heart issues or so for the tests to show something?
I am not sure whether that was before the fatigue though.
But it totally makes sense to me regarding being stuck in this neurological imbalance/ANS dysfunction. This is entirely how it feels. I personally entered there via the combination of thyroid hyperthyroidism (also read somewhere that hyperthyroidism essentially exhibits dysautonomia symptoms) at the same time as pancreas issues.
Thanks for the nutrition link will check

 

[livinglighter]

It certainly sounds like what you've described, but it's hard to pin down and no two days can be the same when eating. I originally thought a change in diet would stop the issue but it didn't.

I agree no two days are the same which correlates with the fluctuations of the disorders - hormones, neurotransmitters...... Of course, there could be many over reasons as well. I read one research paper that suggested the HPA axis is more sensitive to carbs as well. If I can find it, I’ll post it later.

I assume Adrenaline, Cortisol, Norepinephrine are released during meals as a stress response to digestion and metabolism. High levels of Norepinephrine is measured in Hyperadrenic POTS (the less common form). A UK doctor called Julia Newton also re-diagnosed several ME/CFS patients with POTS. I’m not saying everyone with ME has POTS, but a lot unknowingly do.

 

[livinglighter]

@livinglighter thank you.
Funnily enough I read on some dysautonomia forums that they have better times in the evening also...
Interestingly also my noradrenaline is always out of range, but low. But my cortisol a bit higher. Well yes I am constantly in a fight or flight )
I've been thinking about some strange dysautonomia and had my heart monitored but nothing. I've been thinking I would have to have heart issues or so for the tests to show something?
I am not sure whether that was before the fatigue though.
But it totally makes sense to me regarding being stuck in this neurological imbalance/ANS dysfunction. This is entirely how it feels. I personally entered there via the combination of thyroid hyperthyroidism (also read somewhere that hyperthyroidism essentially exhibits dysautonomia symptoms) at the same time as pancreas issues.
Thanks for the nutrition link will check

PEM is the heart problem. I was told to monitor my heart rate and stay within my rage that doesn’t trigger symptoms. Upon further explanation I have it cited in my medical records that adverse physiological responses in ME cause exertion intolerance - which is heart related.

There is something called borderline POTS. Some people on this forum have mentioned when relatively stable they scored as borderline during automatic functioning testing but during bad periods scored higher.

The thing with ME is that no large enough studies have been done - properly, to say definitively what it is. WHO lists it as a neurological illness and some argue it should be considered as a form of dsyautonomia, so who knows. What I can say is that long covid patients here in the UK are now being recognised as having dsyautonomia and being offered treatments. I have been offered to be seen in a long Covid clinic, but privately......

 

[Aspen]

@Aspen keep us updated did the ice pack do anything?

I think so! It could just be a placebo effect... I’m pretty sure it limits my post-meal tachycardia by 5-10 bpm, although I wasn’t logging those prior, so I can’t be 100% sure. But I do feel more relaxed during and after eating. I’ve used an ice pack sitting on my tummy (I eat in bed so it’s easy to balance it there). I’ve also tried to simply eat more cold foods, and that seems to work just as well.

 

[livinglighter]

The crashing I suffer from after eating has recently been diagnosed as reactive hypoglycemia by an endocrinologist with a special interest in CFS. A low carbohydrate diet has been advised, plus further testing.

 

[livinglighter]

I must add, I got fed up with the crashes and purchased Metformin myself and it stopped the crashes.

 

[maple]

@livinglighter I had this too. It got better with digestive enzymes, probiotics and arabinogalactan fibre. Basically- digest and move it through.

 

[maple]

@livinglighter I meant I too would crash after eating

 

[livinglighter]

@livinglighter I had this too. It got better with digestive enzymes, probiotics and arabinogalactan fibre. Basically- digest and move it through.

I'm glad you managed to resolve it. Energy crashes on top of fatigue was utterly debilitating.

 

[Aspen]

The crashing I suffer from after eating has recently been diagnosed as reactive hypoglycemia by an endocrinologist with a special interest in CFS. A low carbohydrate diet has been advised, plus further testing.

I’m so relieved you found an answer for yourself!

I started a low-histamine diet about 2 weeks ago, under the care of a dietician. It’s already making a big difference, although I’m not fully compliant with the diet requirements yet (it’s hard to cut out all those foods at once!). I would say that about 50% of meals go without a crash so far. And since my baseline is becoming more stable, it’s also becoming increasingly obvious when I eat something that disagrees with me - I used to feel crappy at every meal, so I usually couldn’t tell what the trigger was. And I’m hungry now! I often need to eat seconds, and I feel good when full. And I wake up craving breakfast, which I haven’t been able to eat since I got sick. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Here’s one of my favourite low-histamine diet sites so far, in case it’s helpful.
https://mastcell360.com/what-to-eat...on-syndrome-going-beyond-low-histamine-lists/

 

[Sarouna70]

No link in specific. That's what I picked up from reading quite a few papers. Basically, carbs cause a rise in insulin, and insulin increases TRP transport into the brain. For me, it was a pretty consistent 20 minute delay from starting a processed carb meal and the abrupt rise in symptom severity. This fit my observations of my responses to TRP, carbs, and BCAAs, but I didn't see any point in delving deeper into details. Carbs with high fibre either don't trigger the response, or delays and spreads it out enough that I don't notice it.

It is the same for me with glucides including those without gluten, as rice for example. It is terrible, I am so tired after meals and have brain fog and many other problems. I have to rest. Intolances came at about the age of 50 ! Before, I was able to eat anything. I wish you courage and energy.

 

[JasonPerth]

Did anyone else only have these issues once they had GI issues or where Housebound?
When i was Mild, if i didnt have dairy, i would have no issues with foods, i just had Mild ME and muscle issues not allowing me to run anymore.
But since randomly deteriorating last year to housebound/bedbound with a constant aggrivated stomach/intestines , brain fog , pots, mcas and feeling shit after random meals happens now

Perhaps its just the symptoms aggrivated as i feel worse?
I personally sometimes feel ok after food, and sometimes feel shit.
Last night i treated myself to fish and chips and i feel horrible today.
But not too horrible compared to having a healthy beef stew

 

[hapl808]

My ME/CFS really started in full swing along with GI issues many years ago. In fact, now that I'm more severe, my GI issues are generally better. This is because I eat an incredibly strict diet, plus I eat the same thing every day. It used to drive me crazy when rice one day would make me sick, steak another day would do it, then it would reverse.

Now I've found that exertion seems the main trigger. If I eat the same food daily and avoid the phone, minimal computer, etc - then my digestion is quite good. But a few long phone calls and suddenly it's acid reflux and diarrhea.

So my digestion is certainly sensitive and I never eat processed or even prepared foods, avoid leftovers or high histamine foods, etc. But crashing seems to affect me more than food. Sadly, just surviving means pretty regular crashes.

 

[Judee]

I only crash after meals if I eat foods that I know I'm sensitive to. Some foods can really crash me badly and for days after I eat them.

Otherwise eating will sometimes actually make me feel slightly better.

 

[Sarouna70]

Concerning my bad digestion, maybe is salivary amylase which is low because my saliva is low (I did one exam to verify something else and the doctor told be I have not enough saliva). It can be an explanation for the non-digestion of glucides ? Low enzyme ?
I often suffer also of dry mouth, terrible, even if I drink and I drink and I drink water.
With a little quantity (as a bird) of glucides I am so much better even if this illness is always married with me and possessive !

 

[JasonPerth]

when i was very mild, i only felt abit extra crappy (mostly tired) after lunch, this was because i was still working and i felt notably abit worse.

Now that i have recently become severe with apparent “Leaky gut” or MCAS issues, now after food i generally feel horrible, and sometimes i crash so hard i ALMOST am forced to sleep and just dont want to move.
I feel like it’s correlation with either all symptoms deteriorating, or specifically my sleep aswell. I just cant sleep before 4am or until the stomach rumbles and noises ease abit which seems to not happen until after the “histamine active” time. Even if i eat food that have no histamine. Im assuming my stomach is making these noises because its really really slow.

Does anyone know if an autopsy from a colonoscopy would look into muscle disorders and not just parasites?

 

[Dysfunkion]

When I snack throughout the day as long as I don't overdo it I generally feel ok save for immune system going a bit nuts and trying to burn my face off. How I feel after eating a larger meal is very complex and depends on a million factors. I tend to need to eat a lot at once because for some reason overloading myself with food calms my system down more, I guess what could be happening is that the problematic bacteria in there when there is so much food can't completely release their toxic load when there is too much in the way that causes the immune reactions.

Like for example of this weird phenomenon a couple nights ago I went out with some family to some all you can order Japanese place. Everything here normally besides some cucumber avocado rolls would flare what I have going on into oblivion but I only ended up very tired with less of a face burning, insomnia fest after. But the very next day I had a little too much peanut butter when I was snacking and ere comes the hot face, fatigue, brain fog, and other assorted neurological nonsense.

I know I shouldn't even be eating that but peanut butter unfortunately is one of the only things I just tolerate enough to get me through the day fat and protein wise. I can't handle eating land meat but for some reason seafood is generally ok. I react radically different to chicken and beef for example too, it's very strange. . I know if I have way too much histamine things can get pretty bad but my triggers are all over the place and seem more consistent with some kind of invasive bacteria/pathogen in my guts because of how consistent but in not alignment with any overall sensitivity structure.

There is a reaction symptom cross section with me on most things I eat though whether it be immediately or I have too much. I'll get a hot head/face (forehead and cheeks, ears can turn red if it's bad enough, I'll get intense brain fog, erectile dysfunction, a sense of impending doom, an increase in tinnitus, twitching, and insomnia.

What is really interesting about meat though is that it will override that symptom set depending on if it is chicken or beef. Chicken makes me very drowsy, warm, and gives me some weird kind of mania at first which drops off into complete lethargy the next day and a climb out of it the day after. Beef is like shooting me with a tranquilizer dart, doesn't produce the burning face/hot head thing, gives me weird different feeling depressive brain fog, and will make me sleep like a rock. The chicken or beef effect also doesn't flare the tinnitus. Gluten itself, like say I just have some plain bread makes me kind of tired and brain foggy instantly and for a day after but it's actually the lesser of all evils. In fact I'd go as far as saying I have probably one of the most bizarre cases on this forum after reading through here but some people I found actually have nearly identical strange one's that are almost just like mine.

I'll dig and post around forum more generally will be keeping up in my profile blog here if anyone wants to follow this madness.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

I crash after eating all the time, doesn't matter what I eat. I've always thought, that it's because of blood goes to your stomach to digest the food and there's not enough of it going to the brain to oxygenate it properly. Eating smaller meals helps a little bit.

 

[forestglip]

I get extremely tired after eating high fat or protein foods, from about 15 minutes after to about 3 hours after. Foods high in only carbs don't seem to have nearly as much of an effect.

This is a much different timespan than exercise crashes, which happen 24-48 hours after.