Hello. I feel extremely drowsy like I'm drugged or something after eating certain foods. This includes oatmeal, white bread and candy, and I think to a lesser extent most food. My blood sugar is normal before eating and after, and I've been tested for diabetes multiple times as well as for celiac and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, all negative. What could cause such a reaction?
Feeling drugged / extremely drowsy / sleepy... - Healthy Eating
Feeling drugged / extremely drowsy / sleepy after eating?
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WK1010
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The foods you mentioned are carb heavy-this can make you sleepy after. Sugary foods can also give you a high then a crash.
go asleep very quick.sleep 2 to 4 hours and sleep
hard.mom says im barely breathing. im at my ropes end.HELP.im very tired and more sleepy
in the mornings now,im a dibetic plus several other meds.im so weary. and tired.
Have you ready the book "it starts with food" it explains the reason behind the whole30 diet. I have heard lots of personal testimonies about people with diabetes being able to get off medication following this plan.
Could be sleep apnea and not related to food at all but as a diabetic, you should consider removing all high-carbs from your diet. This would include anything made with white four, anything made of grains such as oats, rice, or corn, and anything made with potatoes. Stick to meats and veggies such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, etc. Maybe consider a ketogenic diet.
Check to see if you have diabetes. I used to get those feelings after eating those foods and it was diabetes, I can't eat white flour.
This is a sign of Insulin resistance.
I used to get this sleepy feeling after a heavy carby meals ... all indian meals are high carby ones.
Got detected as a T2D 2 years back.
If reports are normal then just try an experiment
Have a good amount of proteins & fatty meal & a low carb.
See if u feel the same way..
Hidden
The best way to detect development of IR is to measure fbs and fs Insulin also both tests at 1 & 2 hours pp.
As such low carb is good for everybody.
The symptoms last for about 2 hours. It hits immediately after eating one of these foods, but it slowly disappears on taking naps and drinking water. I only have symptoms the next day if I eat one of these foods before going to sleep.
My day to day diet isn't really very good, and consistst mainly of cheese sandwitches and dinner, as I have had to eliminate several foods due to gastro symptoms.
Cheese is not good for people stomach issues , it creates mucus !!!
Look up the facebook page THE BLOODY DAIRY INDUSTRY. Also look up this video on youtube -->>> Dr. John McDougall Medical Message: The Dairy Industry
Hei, I was search online for the same problem (extreme sleepiness after dinner) and found your answer about low stomach acid very interesting. I also have weak nails, chronic fatigue, extreme dry skin... Do you know how I can confirm whether I have low stomach acid and if confirm how to treat it? I usually fall in sleep in sofa immediately after dinner and sleep as sound as dead pig for a couple of hours and then at midnight become very active and can't sleep until 2 or 3 am and then get up at 9 next morning and feel extremely tired for the day... Have been always like thin unless I do not have to work next day and can sleep until 12 am... but will still feel extremely sleepy after meals... I think this lifestyle is killing me... Advice appreciated!
Low stomach acid can be treated with a digestive enzyme and probiotic
For all who are still reading this please research Alkaline tide.
If I go for a long period of time, like at work all day with little food, I will become almost narcoleptic and have fallen asleep in my bowl of pasta once. Pasta.... that’s the first clue.
Make sure if you go a long time without eating, to lean towards proteins and fats and then hit the carbs if needed. I was so shocked, I was at a professional dinner, and thank Goodness they knew I wasn’t drinking as it would have been more humiliating. The recommendation from a GI doctor who thankfully was at the table, and saw the small nodding off moments before the if crash. He recommended small frequents meals, nuts etc. and a protein with every snack/ meal to keep going without the sudden shift in PH. I have GERD, so low acid is not my problem it is the shifting of ph drastically that causes us to crash.
Hi. I'm sorry I can't site a reputable reference to support what I am about to say...However, contrary to popular belief, having GERD does not rule out having low stomach acid. In many cases it is a symptom of low stomach acid. Taking antacids only makes it worse. Just an fyi.
check your thyroid
What about Sjogrens have you been tested for this? Are your eyes and mouth very dry? I am same way, I will crash around 8-9 pm sleep for little bit then up all night no matter how much I try to sleep, I can't. It's frustrating.
I have sjogrens, and just looked this up about extreme sleepiness after meals. Do you have any tips to overcome? It sucks eating lunch at work and feeling like I can't control of I pass out
I have similar issues. Since ever I get so tired after a meal that I have to lay down for 3-4 hours (when I can‘t I have a brain fog and cannot concentrate at all for an hour or so). It seemed that carbs made me that tired but I tried to eat vegan for breakfast and lunch and since then it‘s better. So I would eat pasta, bread, potatoes, vegetables, oil, coconut cream etc but leave out meat, milk, butter etc and I have no problem to stay awake after.
Do you have any update on your current situation? I’ve been dealing with this for 5 yrs. started in high school. I’m a college Sophomore, but had to drop out twice due to this health condition. I went vegan too and that completely improved my symptoms, but they are still at a debilitating level.
I cut out wheat, barley, and rye and problem solved. Do it for 3 days and see if you feel normal.
This sounds like me.
- very active at midnight
- extremely sleepy after meals
- sleepy for the whole day until midnight
- always want to sleep until 12 or 13 am
Did you find out something?
Look up sjogrens. It sounds a whole lot like it.
in reply to APand
Did you ever find out anything because I'm having these exact symptoms
The Vagus nerve has a lot to do with your problem.
What do you think causes the vagus nerve problems? I've been struggling with this for years. Viral infections and Inflammation ? Yeast /fungal overgrowth ?
I have the same thing you described. When I don’t eat fot longer periods of time, I get better & better. But I can’t do that for long. This is ruining my life. I go on elimination diets and I can’t figure it out. I’ve been to drs. All blood work normal & no diabetes or thyroid.
Might be idiopathic hypersomnolence
It is most likely related to a food intolerance. Mine was related to foods high in carbs and sugar. I finally went to a holistic doctor who diagnosed me with a candida infection which feeds off of sugars. And foods that convert into sugar...such as breads, pasta, potatoes and high sugar fruit. She also found other food intolerances that i was unaware of such as amaranth, broccoli, beef and pork (which candida feeds off of as well).
I'd say do some research on candida as well as how it affects our body/mind. Best of luck!
Yes I get sleepy too but I wouldn’t say it’s related to what I eat because I stay away from carbs and gluten it really makes me tired out
This sounds exactly like Postprandial Hypotension
I started feeling extremely tired and passing out for a few hours after I eat. I found out I'm anemic & malnourished. I don't know the underlying condition that put me on that path in the first place.
If you are eating enough and not dieting, ask your doctor to test you for food intolerances. Something like Coeliac disease can have these symptoms. Also if you are vegetarian or vegan, make sure that you are getting enough B12 etc.
Hi, this is exactly how I felt when I switched from the keto diet to a normal balanced diet. I found out that when I on the keto diet, I was basically starving myself because I wasn't eating enough calories on the diet. When I switched to the normal balanced diet I began getting very tried and my eyes sometimes still get lethargic and have hard time concentrating. it's been 3 weeks. How are you feeling nowadays?
Wow, this is exactly what I think is happening to me. I feel drugged after I eat. I was having keto smoothies for breakfast for a week and now I am worried I am never gonna feel the same. Have you recovered full?
I started having the exact symptoms ure describing since 4 years, I tried to have carb /sugar free diets but the same ,after dinner I crash on the sofa and they cant wake me up and even if its noisy I dont wake up and even of I wanted I cant wakeup, I noticed one thing whenever this happens After I wakeup I get a bowl movement so Im having doubts that my vagus nerve might have something to do with this, the question is how to solve this issue????
Hi I have just come across your post it is a thing called DUMPING it is where you have something sugary and your blood sugar rises really fast and then drops really fast it causes drowsiness, nausea and sweating and can last up to 2 hours (go and have a sleep) in fact it is awful, best cure take note of the sugary things that cause it and stop them, I cannot eat certain mint lollies , real ice cream and I am very cautious on any type of cake. The problem is you do not know it is going to happen until you eat something that causes it....Good Luck
Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
I too feel crappy after eating with headache and all. While taking xifaxan for ibs it went away but returned soon after finishing the meds. GI doctor suspects SIBO so i will be taking the breath test tmrw thank goodness. Hope everyone figures out what's causing it and gets better!
Get checked for G6pd deficiency. An enzyme that helps breakdown carbs and sugar is missing so you are immediately sleepy upon eating these things because your body can't break it down causing hemolysi...so that fatigue could be a number of things. Go read about it at dale Barkers site
I looked it up and it looks like it’s hemolysis not impaired break down of sugar. Can you explain?
I think you’re the only person on the internet who has the same exact symptoms as me. I was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnolence which is great in that it allows me to take Adderall which helps with the sleepiness, but also kinda sucks since no one knows how it works and it doesn’t really explain the role food plays in my sleepiness. Did you ever figure out what’s going on?
I have had this, extremely drugged feeling and nausea after eating a heavy meal. I eat small portions 95% of the time and my pig outs lately are very few now. A few times went out for dinner with Margherita drinks and heavy Mexican meal and by the time I get home I have a major need to get into bed and sleep. Then there is the times and it only happens a few times a year and is horrible. I will get the stomach cramps and nausea at the same time, watery gushing stools, sweating, and feelings of wanting to pass out and throw my clothes off. I have to put my head between my legs so I don’t pass out which I read somewhere. It sometimes happens after days of eating lots of salads especially with pumpkin seeds or a pig out. From the fast blood sugar rise and blood sugar falling after eating the sugar and carbs which explains a lot as to why I just felt like I was going to pass out. Also if I haven’t been having full bowel movements for long periods of time and a certain meal will just set if off.
I also think there is a candida overgrowth and or I’m not absorbing my food like I should be. I will be hungry after eating a meal and have gnawing feeling of hunger at all times and can go on for weeks and then it will stop. During this time I feel nausea with the hunger, weak and tired, fast heart rate, sleeplessness, etc... I’m going to start eating smaller meals with protein and try to lay off so many carbs. Especially drinking Frozen margheritas with dinner is not working out for me lol
My husband has what you’re experiencing Ginger9909 and it turns out he has several food intolerances. He had no idea everything he was eating made him sick. He food sensitivities were, wheat, eggs, corn, dairy, peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds. So even when he ate a salad with he would get sick. Turns out it was the dressing. I highly recommend getting a food allergy test. I bet youre eating foods your body doesn’t tolerate well. It’s so much better knowing which foods to stay away from.
Activity2004Administrator
Are you also on a gluten free diet (along with the okra diet)?
Activity2004Administrator
I will be in touch with you soon. Are you free to talk tonight (it’s 10:15 pm in the USA)?
Activity2004Administrator
I have sent a message to you right now. Please check. It’s okay!😀
Activity2004Administrator
We can talk later tomorrow.
This is all really interesting. I have an interesting one for all of you. I recently had to switch from 4 months of the keto diet to a normal carb-protein-fat balanced diet. During this time, I've started to feel symptoms of; 'heavy eyes, lethargy, sometimes hard to concentrate, even space out.'
I need to mention that during my 4 months of keto, I wasn't eating enough food. It got to the point where my blood sugar got so low in the morning, I felt weak, light headed and even had blurry vision. I went to the Doctor immediately and he said I wasn't not eating enough food and to stick to a balanced diet. He said I should expect symptoms to last 1-2 weeks while I transition to this new diet.
It's been 3 weeks now on a balanced diet and my symptoms have improved significantly but still have some symptoms flair up. I get nervous because it has been 3 weeks and I was hoping to be 100% recovered. Anyone have any experience like this before?
Hi! Yes in fact i was having vegan keto smoothies for a week in the morning only..not intending to do a full keto diet. However, I did not eat much throughout the dayeither. I tried transitioning to a normal balanced diet a few days ago but I started feeling extremely fatigue and drugged after eating, especially carbs. How are you feeling now?..
What did your doctor recommend you as a transitional meal plan? How did you go about eating?
Dear Catrisc, Almost I have the same symptoms and I have been suffering from the last 15days such as Dizziness, loss of appetite, digestive issue, Blurred vision, lightheadedness all day, confusion & difficult to concentrate and tired. Normally, I don't like drug therapy/medicines so I used to avoid going to the hospital but now I went because I'm living alone and away from my family. And doctor simply said that I've stress and acidity and prescribed some tablets which I didn't take.
However somewhat I diagnose the disease by myself as the doctor said its because of acid reflux so I'm taking some herbals and natural treatments. I don't know I'm going in the right way or not but I'm recovering, 50% I got rid of those symptoms but still, lightheadedness, confusion, and blurred vision are there and digestive track not strong enough.
Besides my dear, please let me know your suggestion if you could understand this case.
oatmeal, bread (white bread) and candy are all over processed and high in sugar and carbs so they take alot of energy to digest, especially if you don’t exercise and if you eat large amounts at one time. it’s possible you’re just eating too much or have a slower metabolism. you could always try lowering your intake of stuff high in sugar and carbs and get whole grains instead of white breads (which have practically no nutritional value anyway). a trick I use to make sure I don’t eat to much high carb and sugar loaded foods, is to make each portion no bigger than my closed fist.
For the last 30 years, I have fallen into an unwakeable sleep after lunch for 2-3 hrs. Every day the school would ring mum to come and pick me up.
About 12 years ago, I began working with clients who had been through the AA meeting and what they were describing was me to a T - although I've never had a drink!
I realised that when I ate 'bread' I would go through the same experiences as my clients, uncontrollable periods of sleep, then feeling like I'd come out of anaesthetic, headaches like you wouldn't believe, periods of extreme anger then the cravings hit.
This went for a period of 3-5 days.
Nowdays, I steer clear of gluten and am much better.
Stay away from all shop/restaurant/takeway bread. 99% of it is very poor quality, based on white flour that has been "improved" to try to make up for the nutrition that has been removed.
If oatmeal is a problem go try jumbo oats instead.
If gluten proves to be a problem try gluten free oats.
If you are trying to see whether gluten is an issue then you may need to stay off gluten for 3 months to really sort out your gut. After that you may be able to reintroduce gluten happily and safely.
Whatever stay away from poor breads. Learn to make your own from wholegrain flours. You will end up with more energy and a happier life because of it!
Oh, and learn to eat that beautiful freshly baked bread without any butter or margarine. It really doesn't need it!
I have the same issue, as do two of my children. Check out Fructose Malabsorption. Wikipedia does a good job on defining it. My worsts are honey, agave, maple syrup, whole grains (fructan just as big a problem) sweet potatoes and half the veggies and most fruit out there. And I can stand how oatmeal sits in my stomach.
Hyperglycemia?
I believe I have an allergy to tyramine. It used to present with serious migraines but as I’ve aged I now I feel drugged after eating specific foods. As a vegetarian I first notice it with veggie burgers, Mexican foods, chocolate, cheese, Diet Coke, wine & Chinese food.
Tyramine is a naturally occurring amino acid. It develops when food has aged in some way.
The main things to avoid are anything that has potentially spoiled or pickled, aged, smoked, fermented, or marinated, as well as chocolate, alcoholic beverages, and fermented foods. And then there is all the food it just naturally occurs in.
Aspartame is particularly triggering.
I digress, i now know it occurs with the foods you highlighted and I have the same reaction. My son and mum do too.
I have the same thing. I still get acne and when I was younger I took Accutane and ever since than I haven’t been the same. Foods cause irritation, I feel disoriented, slightly blurry vision, and troubles speaking at times. It’s quite the obstacle to overcome. I’ve done good sensitivity tests and I’m basically sensitive to every food on the planet. There’s potential with candida overgrowth and thyroid problems as I’ve felt my thyroid being sore at times or swollen. Anyone similar to this?
Hi have you found the reason for these symptoms . I have similar problem , I need to drink 2-3 glass of water to get better or back to normal . And this fatigue , lethargic feeling starts with eating some thing . And to feel better I need to drink lots of water and not small quantity.
3/17/19 To WK1010: Hi, you really need to be evaluated by a gastro-enterologist (GI disorders trratments & healthy diet advise) AND an immunologist (food allergies). Your issues wont "go away" or disappear or resolve themselves. They will only get worse as you age. (Im an RN, BS) Wishing you better health.
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