I am really unhappy about this problem with eating. I will get a gagging after starting to eat. Sometimes this will happen after one bite sometimes I will get to eat a bit more first but ondce the gagging happens that is the end of my meal. To make things worse I can not eat more than a cupful of food or I will get palpitations and sweats and generally feel just awful. It took me a while to realize that it was eating that was the problem but it has gotten so bad that it is really clear now. Does anyone else have similar problems? How do you handle it other than to just have small snacks all day? oh and the alcohol intolerance. Rarely can I even have a sip of wine without feeling poisoned. and I am a winemaker!

Anne

I know some other people brought up the 'reactive hypoglycemia' topic. Aparently it is hypoglycemic-like symptoms without an actual drop in blood sugar. (ANYONE please correct me if I'm wrong) It also sounded like reactive hypoglycemia is related to some sort of adrenaline response to food. Anyone else have more info on this? I'm by no means an expert.

I continually feel nauseas and eating rarely sounds good, or feels good for that matter. It is hard to get past that feeling of stomach upset and continue to eat. It's hard because no matter how much you know that the food isn't what is making you sick, that particular food often triggers a bad response and never sounds good again because my body subconsciously knows "That made me sick last time"! Maybe I'm totally off.. feeling out of it today.

I hope this is helpful. Eating small meals often has helped me. I used to eat like a horse, but half-cup meals are the extent now. Keep up the good work and don't stop eating!

Good luck and God bless!
GoArmy

Hi, dipsydoodle,

My son does not gag, but he suddenly despises foods he used to love. Some times, just the smell of something can take away the appetite. He wasn't a small kid, so, of course, the doctors are happy he is not eating. Idiots!! Losing weight by NOT eating is not the way to do it. He used to eat like a horse, but now, barely finishes one serving.

Also, there are days that he wants to eat every two hours, and other days, when a bowl of cereal (ONE bowl) lasts the whole day.

We are seeing a GI doc. now, who put my son on 30 days of Miralax (for the cramping and the feeling that he wasn't emptying). That has improved, but I don't want him on Miralax forever! I don't know what are the long term prospects yet. Will post updates when I get them.

You may have to become a "grazer," someone who eats small meals every several hours. Also, I have made a list of things that set him off, and we just avoid them. Sorry about the wine! I know that must be hard. Imagine a kid without cola(caffeine)!!! He is so upset, but it no longer agrees with him at all. I wrote in another post how he had a bad reaction to herbs and supplements he used to take. Dys changes so much, we are all trying to keep up. Becoming symptomatic at the table is common at our house too. Sometimes, he becomes "punchy" right over the plate!

I wish there was an easy answer to the GI issues. Hopefully, more will chime in with other suggestions. In the meantime, take care and try to eat what/when you can.

Judi

Certain food "set" me off too... I might have to become " gulten free' or something...It is hard not being able to eat the food I used to only ten years ago. I t strrange because i can eat a food like a ceareal or a pasta and it cause me to to have extreme heart ratesand bloating..while at other time I could eat the exact SAME food...with NO effect whatsoever, remindes me of the russian roullette game.

I"m hoping that when I see a diet counselor
(Wish insurance would cover it) some soulutions
can be foud ...because I want to enjoy food again, like I used to.

I, too, find that certain foods "set me off" on a lot of heart-racing, fatigue, and shakiness for a while after eating. The same foods that I used to eat with no problem at all! But not everything affects me that way, so I've been wondering if it could be allergy related. Does anyone know? Can food allergies (or food sensitivities) set off POTS symptoms temporarily?

I've been wondering if getting allergy testing might help me identify what foods will kick start the POTS. Do you think there's a relationship there? Or would it just be a waste of time?

I thought about the reactive hypoglycemia thing, but the glycemic index of the food I'm eating doesn't seem to correlate with how much it does or doesn't affect me afterward.

But the same things definitely set me off every time! Especially these delicious Trader Joe's mini-pizzas with pesto, roma tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella that I love more than anything. It kills me not to be able to eat them anymore! Stupid POTS!!!

There may be some people out there suffering from related reactive hypoglycemia, but I think the most common reason (at least according to medical papers I've read) for people with dys feeling bad when they've just eaten is that the blood all goes to the stomach (away from your head and other places where you need blood to feel well.) Many people with fainting problems get presyncope or syncope if they eat large meals. They say to eat small meals so that there will be less of a rush of blood to the stomach.

Food is my enemy, and I hate it. I have lost all desire to eat, I don't get hungry, and eating totally wears me out. It actually takes my breathe away. The smell of food somedays is even too much, let alone the sight of it. I was always a 'thick' girl, averaging a size 12, over the years, I have dropped to a six~ I can even fit into some 4s. I have IC, a bladder disorder that makes it impossible to eat anything with citric acid~ and almost everything has citric acid. I have bowel problems, IBS and gastroparisis... I'm allergic to caffiene, always have been so I really don't know what I missing.....I'm allergic to NSAIDS, most pain killers and intorable to most meds. I have learned how to work through most of the pain, but I still can not find my appetite.

I do however have lots of tricks to help. I drink a Carnation instant breakfast every morning, this insures I get good nutrition that is easier to digest, and it gets my stomach moving in the morning without having to do a lot of work. Plus I don't have to chew. By the way, I tried Ensures, and couldn't get past the taste of them. I don't drink cold drinks anymore, they seem to put my stomach into shock. When I'm freezing, I drink some warn milk. I drink baby juices, less acid, and easy on the stomach. And lots of water!! I can only eat a little at a time, a half a peanut butter sandwhich is great snack. My best friend also MAKES me go to lunch once a week, dragging me out some days. But, it is good to have a support system that encourges you to eat.

And I'm totally with you on the wine. Makes my heart beat way to fast for my likings! I miss it!

I don't really feel that bad after meals but usually during meals I get very short of breath. It like I need to yawn but can't get it out or that I try and take a deep breath and it only feels very shallow. One doc previously said that it was anxiety but it even happens when I am lounging around at home snacking. Since my D/A diagnosis I really think that it is to do with that. I usually stay sitting down for 10 min or so after eating to help with the blood pooling as not only can you get dizzy and other symptoms after eating but can also get stomach aches as there is not enough blood to process the food just eaten.

rach

do you also get short of breath when having a conversation? i have that happen often and figured it was something to do with me not getting enough oxygen because i'm using my mouth? i don't know - just wondering.

Yeah I do. Anything that makes me use my mouth for a while (except for kissing - sorry I know it's a bit personal). Actually it's not even for a while I can start talking to someone and it happens straight away. I find that chewing gum is really bad as well. I always found that one very weird but i suppose it's the same as eating though!!! My GP (who knows nothing about D/A) recons it may be some mild asthma but I think now after my diagnosis of OI and NMS that it is more to do with the D/A. Nothing seems to help it at all though. Do you do anything that helps it??

i haven't found a solution other than not talking when it happens - LOL. It does depend on how I'm feeling (good/bad) whether it acts up right away or after a longer conversation.

I do find a benefit sometimes. I work from home in another state from my home office. When I'm in telephone meetings, the other people can hear it and it just further proves that something is terribly wrong with me. So I feel a bit vindicated (even though they don't question that I'm actually sick - I just like that it gets naturally proven).

I love food...don't have a problem swallowing it. The problem seems to be when it gets to my stomach & then the trouble begins. I get a bad bloating feeling around my ribs with pains and then I get dizzy & lightheaded...if I eat a big dinner I get so dizzy I feel like I'm going to pass out. Half the time I end up with bad indigestion and always keep TUMS on hand. I've been trying to cut my meals down into smaller portions to avoid the symptoms, but sometimes that doesn't even help. Takes the fun out of eating yummy foods. : (

Just wanted to post a solution that is working at our house for now.

One of the ladies from DYNA mentioned how she lets her daughter sit with her legs propped up on a chair or lets her lounge on the couch.

Well, we tried it and it is working! He gets to eat and not get pre-syncopic(?) at the table and there has been no overwhelming nauseous feelings during or afterwards. Soooo, we have moved dining into the living room! Trust me, my rule-driven mind is going crazy, but I am all about what works, not what looks right.

We have cleared off the coffee and end tables, brought in extra pillows, trays and carts. Coasters and napkins now reside there. Only rule I have now is the TV can't be on every night. We even linger longer at "dinner" because if he stays still for at least 1/2 hour after the meal, he can get up and not fall over. Tonight, he only got a little "fuzzy" feeling in his head, but since he was already on the couch, he just slid all the way down until he was completely horizontal.

I don't know if this can help anyone else, but for us, it beats dragging him from the table or the floor.

Take care,

Judi

I started noticing that recently my face gets very hot in the middle or end of dinner. I guess it's what they call flushing!

WantMeBack

I have the same problem with shortness of breath during conversations. It is a terrible feeling isn't it?! It makes it very difficult to carry on a conversation when you have a hard time finding the next breath. It's almost as if I just stepped off of a tredmill. When I am having a particularly bad day this problem also seems to be worse. I can't seem to find an answer for this. If you come up with something please share!!
MollyBees