Eating Is Exhausting!

[RachelCherie]

I find eating completely exhausting! By this I don't mean that after I eat I get tired. And I don't mean that finding or preparing meals is exhausting. What I mean is that the physical act of eating is taxing. I get out of breath, my face turns red, I feel like I'm running a marathon even after just one or two minutes of eating. And it takes me forever to eat even small things it is so physically draining. I have looked to see if other people have this problem but all I can find is people who get tired after eating and that's not what I'm talking about. I'm wondering if anyone else out there gets worn out by the simple act of eating? 

(I was diagnosed with Celiac disease mid-Feb but have not seem to have found much relief from abdominal pain nausea and diarrhea since going gluten free..)

[cyclinglady]

Were you checked for anemia?

Anyway, the learning curve is steep for celiac disease. Most folks on this forum take up to two to three years to feel better. Be sure to read our Newbie 101 section under "Coping". It contains valuable information about cross contamination, etc.

I hope you feel better soon.

[LauraTX]

Getting checked for anemia is a good idea.  Do you have any lung or heart conditions?  I have asthma, can't breathe well through my nose, and one of the first signs I get when my asthma is not in control is I will have to stop eating and gasp for air because I get so out of breath during a meal.  I have to eat slowly and breathe well in between bites.  Then up my medication to get it under control.  I have searched online and not found anything really in the lines of that issue.  Just a manifestation of my asthma that I now know is a sign to get it under wraps.

[celiac sharon]

Actually there a whole slew of nutrients, including iron that could be causing fatigue. Also, like others said, it really takes time to feel well for some, although I STARTED feeling better in about a week. Just not complete relief even now, four years later. What puzzles me, is it sounds like you DONT have fatigue in other aaspects, if I hear you right? Only with the physical act of eating? Looking into respiratory and heart problems as Laura said is a good place to start. But I would still check all your nutrients.

[w8in4dave]

My face used to turn Bright red when I ate, no longer does. I had a Gluten free beer one day and Bam my face turned bright red. You may have other intolerances , I found I had Soy, corn, and also lactose intolerant, I can have some lactose now. and a tinge of corn now. But not much! That causes bathroom issues. Hope you find the answer to your problems.

[RachelCherie]

I started seeing a DO a little over a year ago, originally for chest pain. She ran an EKG and stress test, spirometry etc. No indication of heart or lung problems. She also did extensive blood work (like 10 pages worth of results). Found high cortisol level and thus attributed chest pain to high stress/anxiety. She's run my blood almost every other month since then. None of them have ever shown any signs of anemia. I do have low vitamin D and B and omega 3s. Taking some supplements for that. On my most recent test after a couple weeks of being gluten free my cortisol is down, but my thyroid numbers are up. 

 

I do experience a lot of fatigue in general, just the thing about eating seems more bizarre to me. 
 

When I first started reading I heard most people feel at least somewhat better after a couple weeks and its just disappointing that I don't. It is good to know that I'm not alone and there are others out there who took a while to get there. I just work really hard on this new lifestyle and I'm eager to start seeing the effects.