Sick the next day if I skip meals and snacks

Hey all,

I am new to this board and I initially signed up because I struggle with depression, anxiety and borderline traits. I took the "sanity test" and it showed that I might have problems with food too. I never thought about it that way and I am trying to find out if my overeating is a result of a possible disorder or a physiological problem.


I eat normally and regularly (vegetables, fruit, etc.), but in the hours between I eat lots and lots of potato chips and other snacks. My weight has been stable through the years and I am not fat (yet). My BMI is 24, my blood pressure is low, my cholesterol level is low, my glucose level is normal.


If I skip the snacks, I feel dizzy and I am afraid that I am going to faint. In order to prevent fainting I am tightening my muscles. So the next day I wake up with extreme hunger and an extreme headache from the muscle tension.


Yesterday, I had to go for a blood test and I wasn't allowed to eat in the 12 hours before the test. That was not a problem at all. The problems start after that: headache, muscle ache and being so tired that I slept 12 hours. A couple of weeks ago, I spend the day in the zoo and the restaurants were closed. I had a small breakfast before the visit, ice cream in the zoo and a normal dinner afterwards and snacks in the evening, still I spend the whole next day feeling sick, tired and hungry. And that is when the overeating starts. I am so afraid to get sick again, that I eat too much to prevent that from happening.


I am feeling so desperate because I don't understand my body. I would be very grateful I you could share your thoughts on the issue with me.


Mary Jane

I knew some body who just like you ate a lot,frequently and in between meals.She was by no means overweight.She complained a lot if she skipped a snack,she suffered as if she starved for days if a meal is delayed by 10 minutes she could literally faint.Had no health problems or any thing else.I heard people like her have a condition where the metabolism is on overdrive.What ever you eat gets processed and absorbed very fast.And you are hungry again and crave food frequently,but all that extra food does not lead to extra pounds on your body.I am not a doctor,but have seen a person like this and she was fit and healthy.Her eating was unusual and similar what you have explained.

Hi, Mary Jane, and welcome to Psych Central! As Mending suggested, it might have to do with your metabolism. Are you eating enough at meals, though? It could be "fruits and vegetables, etc." are not enough. How about meat? Or other sources of protein? Carbohydrates? I'm of the opinion we need food in all the categories, but a minimum of some.

Do you take vitamins?

I think it'd be a good idea for you to talk to your doctor about it. But I don't think it sounds like you have any psychological eating disorder. But, of course, I'm not anyone trained on such a matter.

I can get tired and "headachy" when I don't eat, too. Please don't worry. I'd be surprised if anything serious is wrong with you.

Hello Mendingmysoul and Travelinglady,

thank you both for replying! I am going to make an appointment with the doctor and ask him what could be the cause of my problems. It may be a metabolism problem, but my thyroid gland has been examined and it also works as it should. I have a lot of digestive problems too. I am bloated most of the time and someone even asked me if I was pregnant. My stool is often very slimy. On some days it is just slime. (Sorry if this is too much information. )

I have been on a gluten free diet for years, but I am not even sure if I have a gluten intolerance. I was "diagnosed" by a homeopathic therapist. I am afraid of going to the doctor, because "everyone" says most people do not suffer from food allergies and it is all just in their head.

Most of the time I eat healthy food with meat, rice or potatoes. After a meal, I feel full, except for the days after I skipped meals, then I eat everything that is within my reach.

My weight is healthy, but I have gained weight over the years and it is especially on my belly and my hips (problem areas!). I'd feel happier if I would lose a couple of pounds, but because I am so extremely hungry if I eat less, I feel I can't. I also would prefer to be a vegetarian, but under the circumstances, that seems unwise.

Thank you again for replying and reading my concerns, it means a lot to me!

MJ

Taking a physician's advise is always a good idea.Hope you will find a solution to this.All the best.

A quick update: I went to see the doctor today. He gave me an antispasmodic called Trimebutine. I have to take it for a month.

I hope that will help!