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Trouble Eating But Need To Eat

superfob

By superfob
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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superfob Contributor
superfob
Posted

Hi,

Does anyone have a loss of appetite, trouble eating, but at the same time feel like they are starving? I feel like I need to eat a lot of food - and I get bad symptoms when I don't. However, its been extremely hard to eat large meals. I don't have much of an appetite and I get full really easily - like it feels like my stomach is full or digestion is sluggish so I can't eat a lot even though I'm still hungry. I try to force the food down but its difficult.

Also, when I try to eat more food, my heart starts to beat hard, and stays that way for a while sometimes. It also feels like I have acid reflux, particularly when eating more carbs - but if I eat low carb I feel really bad and fatigued.

I'm wondering if it is due to a vitamin deficiency? Maybe B12? As I have symptoms of B12 deficiency and MCV is at top of the normal range. Or something else? Anyways, I feel like my body needs a lot of nutrients but I just can't get myself to eat a lot of food without feeling really uncomfortable. I don't really get any gastrointestinal pain. I also thought it might be due to certain food intolerances? I noticed an increase in symptoms recently as I have been eating a lot of rice.

Thanks

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angel9165 Newbie
angel9165
Posted

Hi,

Does anyone have a loss of appetite, trouble eating, but at the same time feel like they are starving? I feel like I need to eat a lot of food - and I get bad symptoms when I don't. However, its been extremely hard to eat large meals. I don't have much of an appetite and I get full really easily - like it feels like my stomach is full or digestion is sluggish so I can't eat a lot even though I'm still hungry. I try to force the food down but its difficult.

Also, when I try to eat more food, my heart starts to beat hard, and stays that way for a while sometimes. It also feels like I have acid reflux, particularly when eating more carbs - but if I eat low carb I feel really bad and fatigued.

I'm wondering if it is due to a vitamin deficiency? Maybe B12? As I have symptoms of B12 deficiency and MCV is at top of the normal range. Or something else? Anyways, I feel like my body needs a lot of nutrients but I just can't get myself to eat a lot of food without feeling really uncomfortable. I don't really get any gastrointestinal pain. I also thought it might be due to certain food intolerances? I noticed an increase in symptoms recently as I have been eating a lot of rice.

Thanks

I'm new to celiac...just 7 months into it. I was having the same issue so about a month ago I invested in some really nutritional shake mix. Not only did it completely turn my counts around (just had follow up w/ GI doc and blood work) but I feel so much better and not like I'm constantly struggling to get enough. My son, who is not celiac and like most teenagers, doesn't eat right also enjoys them and says he has far more energy. Here's to healthier life w/o the gluten. B)

cap6 Enthusiast
cap6
Posted

I would never eat at a buffet as there is no way to know what went on in the kitchen and too much risk of serving spoons being switched or someone dripping. You can't see it but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I run from those things.

T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

I went through a huge starving phase, but I kind of wanted to eat. But pain and other issues definitely fill me with that 'don't eat' kind of feeling. The quick filling feeling - I know I've heard of some here who have that, but I'm afraid I can't recall what from! Hopefully someone who's experienced this will answer.

Just a couple questions that might be of us.

Have you tried eating smaller meals? Would that help a little making you feel less full?

Have you been tested for H. pylori? That might be an issue that can cause acid reflux, and is more common in celiacs.

If you are eating lots of processed foods, you might want to switch to whole foods and see if that helps, perhaps? It can help in tracking down other intolerances, in any case, if you keep a food journal.

Hmmm, with carbs, do you eat whole grain or refined? If you're eating whole grain and getting this feeling, you might want to check out fructose malabsorption. Whole grains are often a problem with that, often cause gastro issues, but can cause other problems.

Hmm, with the rice...if it's white, there might be an issue with corn. It is used somehow with processing and white rice, if I remember right. Or you could have an issue with the grass family. Do you have any grass allergies normally? If that's the issue, all grains(corn, wheat, rice, teff, sorghum), sugar cane, and bamboo are all in the grass family. Buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa are not, however.

Also, depending on the brand of rice, some can be gluten contaminated. If you are eating Lundberg rice, they are pretty good about the rice contamination, but they grow oats as a cover crop, so if you are an oat sensitive celiac, you may react to their rice and might want to try a different one.

For the increased heart rate, how fast does it go? Can you time it, or is it more of a 'pounding out of my chest' feeling? If it is a measurable speeding up of your heart, that can be a sign of a food allergy. The 'pounding out of my chest' feeling is one I've had with gluten, and a few others here have as well, as I recall.

Hope that you can figure this out! Lots of folks here I bet will be able to help, though, so...fingers crossed!

shauna

superfob Contributor
superfob
Posted
  • Author

Yes, small meals definitely helps. I think I'm going to try to get more liquid calories so I don't feel too full all the time.

I believe I was tested for H. Pylori during my endoscopy and it was negative.

I'm pretty much eating all whole foods right now, nothing processed except for odwalla juice drinks when I don't have time to prepare food.

I do not have a grass allergy. Actually, these past two days I have not been eating rice - replaced all of its with sweet potatoes/yams and I don't really have that reflux feeling. So I guess I am having some trouble digesting rice right now.

Regarding the heart rate - it primarily is pounding, not too much of an increase in speed. Hmm...I'm going to try eating less rice to see if that helps.

Interesting thing....chicken soup makes me sleepy and brain foggy, but not in the same way as when I get a reaction to a food.

Another things I'm looking to is B12 deficiency. I have a lot of the symptoms, and one of them is spose to be poor digestion or lack of appetite. So maybe I just need to replenish my stores.

Thanks Shauna! You always respond so comprehensively to my posts =)

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