after meals

[CouncillorB]

does anyone experience breathlessness after eating a fairly large meal. I had a chest infection before Christmas and I was treated with 2 different anti biotics and predneslone. I have finished all my meds and appeared to have made a good recovery. However I have noticed that if I eat a large meal my breathing becomes laboured and I have to rest for an hour or so. Tomorrow I am going to small meals at regular intervals to see if that makes any difference. I must admit I have over indulged over the holidays

[Hidden]

The digestive process uses oxygen so if we are a little short of oxygen we can feel the difference when we have eaten. Little and often is the answer, 5 or even 6 small meals/snacks instead of 3 or 4 bigger ones should work better.

[Gordon57]

I take a long time eating, I know that much. At one time I could wolf down a meal and crack on with my work, now I take it steady as I hate taking a mouthful and having to spit it out to be able to breath!

I get a blocked nose a lot, the nasal sprays stop it getting too hard to shift, but I never seem to clear it altogether, so rely on breathing through my mouth - not easy when you are trying to eat.

I often have to stop at 60-70% through a meal and have a breather, not just a couple of breaths, then carry on. My wife keeps asking 'isn't it cold?'

It's not just eating, it's almost everything. Moving around the house, especially if I need to go upstairs, leaves me short of breath. I was doing some printing earlier and the printer ran out of paper, so I had to get a new pack from upstairs. By the time I got back down and had opened the pack I was almost gasping.

A lot of sufferers on here seems to have similar issues.

[Gordon57 in reply to Gordon57]

I forgot to mention that I have Lansoprazole on prescription. I keep forgetting to take that one It does not help my slow eating, but does help with indigestion and heartburn. I note further down that others have Omeprazole for similar reasons and find it helps them. Maybe I should find some way to remind myself to take the capsules daily ?

[Ozzygirl64 in reply to Gordon57]

I put my Lazsoprazole in my tablet tray with all the others so I take them automatically. I hope you find a way to remember to take them xxxxx

[Cait in reply to Ozzygirl64]

Suggest you take yourl lansoprazole about a half hour before you have breakfast with a bit of luck it will set you up for the day.

[Ozzygirl64 in reply to Cait]

I was on them hun of a morning and they stopped working so by evening I was in an awful state, so GP said 'take them in the eveing' and still not working as well as I had hoped, so I need to go back I think xxxxx

[Hidden]

I feel the same after eating a large meal. I also get heartburn and indigestion too!

Smaller meals probably better.

Bev x

[Bigman]

I thought that perhaps having a large meal and being really full up might allow the diafram to push up to the bottom of the lungs reducing capacity

[caroleoctober]

Hello Bev, have you asked your doctor for something for the heartburn, used to suffer a lot and from reflux in the night, now take Omaprazole, just one capsule a day but it has gone completely, can even have a mild curry again with no problems

Carole x

[Hidden]

I agree with Bigman. I questioned this with my specialist as I was struggling after dinner. He said that the stomach when full has to go somewhere and it tends to push up and restrict the lungs.

Marie

[davidbryn]

yes from my experience i am more breathless after food. one thing is i also have barrett's esophagus and that is when the stomach comes up through the diaphragm , so i eat small meals. also i find pastry is the worst food i can have ,that causes breathlessness ,even a cup of coffee or tea causes this. the cold hard fact that if i dont eat i feel brilliant, so eat as little as you need to keep alive and you will live longer, 29 years of experience with COPD.

[rogershome]

Hi, I agree with caroleoctober, Omeprazole does wonders for me. Before I couldn't eat lettuce if it had been in the same fridge as cucumber, now I can eat cucumber like a banana as well as the hottest curry. As far as the breathing goes I do get breathless but I do rush my food, also the sitting position makes a difference. Hope you sort things out & happy new year to everyone.

[moneal]

Hi

A doctor told me to try 'windeeze' or something similar to ease the bloating, it certainly helps and quite quickly.

[maggie44]

I agree with Bigman, it was explained to us at Pulmonaery rehab that a full stomach presses on the diaphram which in turn reduces lung capacity. I try to stop eating well before I have any sense of feeling full. If I don't, I get breathless and cough a lot for the next hour. I aslo take Lansoprozole (twice a day now) and heartburn is no more. I don't have COPD but NSIP and PAH. These however are playing havoc with my breathing, lungs and heart.

Maggie

[Spritz]

I always have that problem too, CouncillorB, so 'grazing' through the day is better for me than one big meal. Hope the advice everyone has given will be helpful for you. Thankfully I don't suffer from the heartburn problem (at least, not so far - touch wood, fingers crossed etc!!)

Jude x

[CouncillorB]

Thanks for the info. After being poorly before Christmas I woke up on Christmas morning feeling great and felt at last I had turned the corner and was well on the way to recovery. I went to my sisters for lunch and after a wonderful meal (at which I ate far too much) I started feeling breathless. We had a family get together on New Years day with a sumptuous buffet after which my daughter commented how breathless I was. My new year resolution is not too overeat but will find grazing throughout the day difficult as it is not my style. As I still work part time and have meetings at various times of the day/evenings I will be aware of the timings and adjust my food intake accordingly Cheers everyone

[Ozzygirl64]

I also find if I eat a large meal as I did over Xmas I find I stryggle to breathe. My nurse also said as the stomach fills it pushes up so I am wondering if this has an effect of squashing the lungs up a bit oo. I normally eat 4 small meals a day and a couple of snacks xxxxx

[puffingkev]

Yes its true folks COPD AND FOOD DO NO GO TOGETHER. THE ADVICE OF A OLD LAD WHO WHO HAS SUFFERED FOR YEARS, STARTED AT THE AGE OF 6 WITH ASHMA AND NOW IN 77 YEAR, UP EARLY LIGHT BREAKFAST, SPREAD YOUR EATING OVER THE DAY, DONT GO IN FOR BIG MEALS,LIKE CHRISTMAS ITS NO DO DIGRACE TO EAT LIGHT, AND EATING OUT ASK FOR A KIDS MEAL THE WAISTLINE STAYS HAPPY. AND YOU WONT REGRET IT LATER THAT NIGHT,THAT APPLIES TO LIQUIDS TOO.WHICH I FIND THE WORST. ENJOY IT ALL.

[WestWalesPaul]

Like puffingkev, I eat snacks all day. Haven't been able to eat a 'full' meal for several years now... it can be soul-destroying having to stop eating a whole plateful of food when you get to the 1/4 way point! If I push myself, I get breathless, pins and needles in hands and feet and usually have to go lie down for an hour or so, utterly exhausted.

Now my wife makes sure there is plenty of cold meat, cheese, salads, pickles, etc, so I always have something to munch on. A slice of gammon and a chunk of blue cheese and crackers is going down nicely right now... albeit slowly!!

Eat what you enjoy and keep on breathing!