Does ANYBODY Other Than Myself Have A Bout With Anxiety After Eating ? My Heart Always Starts Racing & The Sudden Fear Makes It Worse..[ ? ]

[TriggerPoint]

Sounds NUTS . But Why Would That Be A Trigger Point For Me ? ODD...

[Mavis12]

I’m so glad someone else deals with this! I always thought I was crazy or it was just in my head or something.

So glad I’m not alone lol.

[TriggerPoint in reply to Mavis12]

It's REAL For Sure....

[TriggerPoint]

Thanks...Could Be...But I've Gone Healthy Firm Eating After I Found Out I Had A Fatty Liver...But It's Still Possible.... Found Out One Thing Though. If You Have A Blood Monitor ? Check You Sugar Levels After 2 Hours Of Eating "ANYTHING Deep Fried...WOW !...Eat A Sub At Subway ?... [ a Footlong Too ] Anyway You Like It In Wheat Bread, BUT ! Add All The Veggies To It, Then Read That Two Hours Later... You'd Be SHOCKED !...I Eat What I Want Now Grilled or/ Broiled [ I have some Fried Now & Then But Make Sure You Always Get A Side Salad, Something Green, Make It Your Goal To Eat ALL That Salad Though, Big Difference In That One Too ].... Oh I Did Read That The Food Pulls Blood Almost Immediately To The Digestive System & Can Raise The Heart Rate.... Maybe That's It ? Don't Know, But It's Still A Little Scary When It Happens....

[ChicagoGirl1961]

Maybe eat smaller more frequently meals?

[Hidden]

well it could be blood sugars, or food sensitivity

[Hidden]

Hey Trigger,

Yes!!! It happens most often when I eat something that sets off my acid reflux, is a big meal, and even depending how I'm sitting or laying. I always chalk it up as my body is doing A LOT of processing. Stomach, intestines, and so on. The brain is very much linked up with the stomach chemically speaking. There's even a little area called the enteric nervous system which is akin to the gut's brain. I think somewhere in there, anxiety has a place to play....especially given that the "flight or fight's" counterpart is "rest and digest". When we panic or become anxious, the blood flow to your stomach is redirected to the vital parts of fight or flight (heart, lungs, brain). This can cause bloating, diarrhea, and IBS type symptoms.

There's various things in play like others mention...diabetes/blood sugar, metabolization, and then our own recognition of discomfort. As many mention, small frequent meals paired with snacks may help reduce the discomfort. Water instead of sugary or "bubbly" drinks at meal time can help. If it's a carb heavy meal, you might find cutting out some of those, reduces the work your stomach does and see if it reduces your heart racing. Outside of diet type changes, you can try mindfulness and meditation to reduce your heart's racing and the anxiety that comes along. Put on some headphones, find a good deep breathing exercise guided by a calm voice on YouTube or the many apps found on phones. Perhaps try going for a gentle walk post meal.

I found something that also is of interest...the body releases norepinephrine, a stress hormone and neurotransmitter...if one eats a large meal (I assume a very big meal). The release of this chemical can cause your heart to race. Your heart will always beat a little faster after a meal because the body is doing so much and blood is needed in many of the digestive organs to act, acquire and distribute nutrients, and so on. All in all, this seems normal and more than likely those of us with anxiety are just more conscious of the feeling because the heart races during anxiety.

Anyway, sorry for all the info, but I hope it helps to see it's your body just doing body stuff. If ever in doubt of an illness or this feeling seems to get worse, you might ask your doctor to further explain whether it's normal or maybe run some tests to see if there is an underlying illness. For the sake of mind, I would highly doubt it's something terribly bad and say it's more related to anxiety. I do experience this and know exactly how uncomfortable it is, but it looks like we're just more conscious of it than other people. Take care and hope you're able to enjoy your meals without worry.

[gutierrezk67]

Sometimes this happens. It just depends on what I'm eating. I definitely pay more attention and not eat those foods that cause this. It's not fun and sometimes I don't want to eat because of this.

[Hidden]

No, it is not weird. You may want to research Tyramine and Histamine intolerance. Fermented foods, grilled foods, aged foods all trigger different symptoms in people. I suffer from extreme blood spikes when I eat tyramine, that land me in the ER. It's taken me a while to learn the few foods I actually eat.

You may want to start taking Zyrtec and see if that helps.