does anyone feel better when they dont eat?

[Sing]

Hi Athene,

It seems very complicated--all the meds you take and the sequencing. It sounds as though you have a good doctor who is really working with you on this. I'm glad you are finding pathways to improvement.

I wish I had relief from my sensitivity to chemical fragrances...

Sing

 

[leaves]

IF you fast then DHEA increases. Ketogenic diets also increase dhea.
Dhea is known to be low in ME and is needed for mood/energy/immune system etc.

 

[Alesh]

Not only DHEA but also ghrelin increases:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin

I would like to know all the metabolism changes related to fasting and try to mimic fasting chemically as much as possibe. Ghrelin seems to be really interesting hormone.

 

[helios]

I realise this thread is a few months old, but I felt the need to add, that I am another person who also feels better for eating less. I picked on this years ago. Indentification and avoidance of food intolerances has helped me without doubt but it is not the full story for me. I also find if I skip the evening meal I have a better quality nights sleep and good dreams.
It is a difficult concept for me to come to terms with as I am underweight despite having a pretty decent food load, snacking between meals, protein shakes + other supps and weight lifting. I have noticed in the past gorging hardly adds any weight on for me, and just results in me being continaully exhausted. Digestive enzymes never did anything for me, unfortunately. I have experimented with low card diets before and never noticed a real health benefit. Twice I have experimented with low meat diets and did notice better health. I have recently gone down this path again with the 'blood type' diet.
Some interesting posts in this thread.

 

[uni]

Fasting also increases catecholamines. Even in normal people, they will feel better when they don't eat. Unfortunately, I think many people with CFS are unable to tolerate fasting, and also have food sensitivities which might make them feel worse after eating.

 

[svetoslav80]

I've heard that of all body processes, digestion takes most energy. Even healthy people become "lazy" after a big meal. So yes, it's normal to feel better without eating, up to the second, third day, while you still have energy reserves. The gut theories sound more like a conspiracy to me, but who knows.

 

[Athene]

I've heard that of all body processes, digestion takes most energy. Even healthy people become "lazy" after a big meal. So yes, it's normal to feel better without eating, up to the second, third day, while you still have energy reserves. The gut theories sound more like a conspiracy to me, but who knows.

That's interesting and a good point.
Though I do remember being healthy and when you are, eating makes you drowsy rather than feel ill. It's very different nowadays!

I reckon if you think the gut theories sound like a conspiracy theory, then this illness has spared you from the truly evil things it can do to your innards. If so, then Long may your bowels remain well-behaved!

 

[mellster]

It's the same for me, and though what Svet said is correct it is mainly not the lazyiness/tiredness feeling, but actualy gut & torso problems and other aches arising from eating food, esp. if too much. If I limit myself to eating less (but more often if necessary) which is hard for me to do, I can push FM symptoms almost completely into the background and my gut hurts less as well. Now I need to find more discipline as I love food..

 

[svetoslav80]

I reckon if you think the gut theories sound like a conspiracy theory, then this illness has spared you from the truly evil things it can do to your innards. If so, then Long may your bowels remain well-behaved!

rofl. thanks. I guess you might be right that not having gut problems makes me believe that others don't have them too.

 

[Dufresne]

KDM offers an explanation of why some feel better when they don't eat. Can't remember it off the top of my head, but I believe it's in the following video. I'd look through it to tell you the exact time, but I'm currently on an internet usage limit. However it's a really good watch if you haven't seen it already.

 

[mellster]

Looks like the video is missing Somebody once posted a thread about when he/she would take histame (Daosin) before meals he/she would experience a symptom reductions of 90%. I have never consistently tried it though I had ordered some, but to me it seems something along the lines of (allergic?) inflammation possibly triggered by leaky gut. Anyhow, I have to figure out how to diet more successfully

 

[Dufresne]

I'm such a bonehead. Here it is. And the bit about feeling better when not eating is at 107:25.

 

[Sherlock]

Fasting also increases catecholamines. Even in normal people, they will feel better when they don't eat. Unfortunately, I think many people with CFS are unable to tolerate fasting, and also have food sensitivities which might make them feel worse after eating.

Amen to that, especially referring to the catecholamines adrenalin and dopamine. Adrenalin is secreted to prompt the liver to start releasing glucose, which is especially needed by the brain. Dopamine is released to get the person to start seeking out food.

I felt good when not eating since long before I got sick. I still do now.

Question: why can't PWCs tolerate fasting? I know that in the general population, people with a history of constantly overeating can't fast, but I don't know the connection with CFS.

 

[roxie60]

Yepyep - ditto here. We feel better when we eat less or if we haven't eaten for hours. Also better when we've avoided any processed foods. If I eat something I can become so drousy that I have great difficulty with even reading. It sucks. It never gets better. It only ever gets worse for me this condition, I want to be able to eat loads of chocolate and drink lots of coke like I used to in the early days of this condition. When will there be a fucking cure before I die!!

wow, i have fund kinfdred spirits here for sure. this happens to me, drs have convinced it is food allergy/sensitivity related. I remember for yrs telling drs i have what i call a histimine reaction that can get so bad it puts me to sleep or keeps me from frunctioning, can last hours.

 

[Marlène]

I was semi-unconscious for about 3 months beginning 2009 so I did not eat that much, once a day when I was awake. I do remember the pain diminished substantially. One week after I started eating "normal" again, the pain went through the roof. I switched to home made soup (thank you mum) again and the pain became less. That's how i discovered food and pain were closely related in my case. I was too sick to feel a difference in physical condition. Things have changed now. My overall condition improved since and when food is "wrong", my condition is backfired right away for several days.

 

[sianrecovery]

Welcome back Athene!

ditto on the better not eating - for a while. I get a speedy kind of buzz, and eventually crash. I think its partly adrenal, and the kind of mini starvation I did when busy working in the run up to ME was one of the reasons I got ill. You dont eat, your adrenals have to work hard to help maintain stable blood sugar, and in the process, kick out energising type chemicals. While they can. You overdo, its takes a long time for the system to come back right. Now I try and keep the the system relatively stable. Tried high protein, tried high green veg no carbs, tried low fat plenty of carbs, paleo, metabolic typing, mcdougall...have come to believe for me - we are all different - balance is more important than purity.

 

[Marlène]

I know that in the general population, people with a history of constantly overeating can't fast, but I don't know the connection with CFS.

My wild guess: many patients don't digest gluten.

Gluten are digested by the enzym DPP-IV. If you lack these enzymes, gluten will become toxic: exorphines. Exorphines destroy cell receptors which are responsible for insuline tolerance, immunity, pain reception, dopamine, ...
If your cholesterol is high, your diet is fine and you don't tolerate gluten, consider a lack of the enzym DPP IV.

Your cells will have become insuline intolerant which makes you easily become hypoglycemic (snacking after dinner for instance) or angry when hungry.

It makes no sense to take statines to lower the cholesterol since it will lower the levels of DPP IV enzym even more. You have more chances to become diabetic and the real problem isn't your liver but your gut.

 

[Waverunner]

I also feel better when I skip dinner. Allergies diminish, my concentration goes up etc.. Fasting for days is no option for some of us here because they already are low in weight. This is why I would recommend to get all the calories before 3 o'clock pm and eat nothing till the next morning. Therefore you can eat enough to keep your weight but also benefit from fasting for 16 hours.

 

[nanonug]

or know what this means or what to do about it?

This is a very old thread but I would like to add my two cents nonetheless.

In my case, the extreme fatigue and brain fog, plus a bunch of other symptoms including syncope if I am not careful, appears to be caused by mast cell activation once food - any food - touches the stomach.

 

[adreno]

I actually feel much worse if I don't eat for 5-6 hours. Weakness, coldness, worsening of OI and fatigue, brain fog. My guess is that it's blood sugar related, but I really haven't got a clue. My blood sugar always comes back normal on tests.