Weird frightening symptoms after eating

If you have read my posts on this forum then you will know I suffer from depression severe anxiety, panic disorder and TMS. Anyway, I’ve noticed that sometimes after a I’ve eaten I experience uncomfortable frightening symptoms.

I made myself two tuna and mayonnaise rolls for my lunch and just after I had ate them I started feeling the dreaded fast heartbeat that radiates to my back and neck and feeling on edge, nauseous, heightened anxiety and a feeling I was going to have a panic attack. This feeling lasted about 20 minutes then it went away. I was wondering if this could be TMS or what I was eating that gave me the reaction. Strange thing is this only happens with some foods I have eaten and I have experienced this for a few years now.

 

Try cutting the carbs. Drastically. That's what I did and it helped a lot. No bread, pasta, rice (only brown, rarely eaten), no sugar etc. Try this a week and see how it goes.

 

The same thing happens to me when I eat marshmallows. Not always, but sometimes. Why marshmellows? Who knows? Why do I keep eating them?! Who knows?!!! I don't even like them that much!

 

This is a really interesting thread to me because it sounds like a physical symptom (increased heart rate) is bringing on your anxiety, and not the other way around. I've been around someone with the same symptom and resulting anxiety from food related (digestive?) issue. I'll tell you their solution. It was to cut out nearly all foods, even caffeine. Going to a very bland diet. Once cured...slowly re-introduce foods until you find the culprit. So cut out those tuna sandwiches and marshmellows and see if it stops. I know this advice goes counter to the TMS theory (which might say, eat lots of those foods and show your brain who's boss!!!).

 

I totally agree. When you are in a constant fight/flight state, the physiological effects of certain types of food can be quite dramatic. Sugars and caffeine are high on that list, so cut down on them like Sofa said. Once you feel more relaxed, slowly reintroduce them and you'll notice that the effect will be way less dramatic (if consumed in moderation of course).

 

Oh no, those are two of my favourite things! And yet I know it's true. (I resist this because I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, and now you're telling me I can't even have my deliciously fizzy can of ice cold Coke anymore?! Noooooo...)

 

It is only temporary plus cutting down doesn't mean that you can't have any at all

 

I say refer to the TMS doctor basics recommended in all the books written by actual providers...get checked for obvious medical causes like a food allergy because not everything is TMS and just deciding it is without rudimentary exams seems dangerous to me...then if nothing shows call it TMS and try to work on it. Don't go seeking weird edge cases "sensitivities" and the like if you don't have any clear issue. That way only lies madness.

 

Of course I always agree on people getting checked out just to be safe. That said, I do recall you having a pretty deep history of anxiety, and that absolutely stimulates the body in major ways.

It's certainly possible that your body is overstimulated and unable to handle things it once did without an issue. That's what happened to me with salty foods, alcohol, vaping, cigarettes, etc. I once spent a few days with limbs that were on fire and then several days vomiting after smoking four cigarettes one weekend. Horrid. My neurologist said that my overactive sympathetic nervous system was responding to everything like it was a serious threat, but that nothing was actually wrong with me. I didn't believe him at first, but he turned out to be 100% correct.

I now enjoy everything I listed above once again, except for the cigarettes (because I'm just over them, not because I physically can't tolerate them).

You don't necessarily have to give everything up simply because that worked for some other people. I didn't. I stopped drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes because I was convinced they gave me neuropathy (before I realized that the symptoms were indeed all stress). However, I kept vaping even as my muscles would twitch and my feet would sting because I knew there was no way in hell IT would damage my nerves. As I emotionally calmed down, so did my body and its response to the triggers. I was initially hesitant to reintroduce alcohol and vaping non-medicinal oil back into my life, and I had a few symptoms when I first did (sweating, dermatographia, minor burning in my feet), but they're gone now.

One of my older posts straight up said everyone should give everything up as soon as it triggers some sort of physical response. I disagree now. Ultimately, cutting down or giving up is an individual thing - it may help some, it may not be required for others. It varies based on the person and how severe the reaction is for them (I wouldn't tell my younger self to keep smoking cigarettes even though it made me puke like crazy). We're all unique. Either way, the most important thing is relaxing your mind and getting back to living your life. For people like me, this is why the body starts responding badly to triggers in the first place, and that's what I needed to focus on.

Also, Artmuzz, when you discuss suffering from TMS, it's important to not get too caught up in that. I'm going to copy what I've written elsewhere in my post:

 

I have to agree with Had on this one. Getting checked for all known allergies is surprisingly easy. Afterwards the patient no longer needs to guess. It's a fairly simple procedure as well!

 

Thanks for the replies. As I have said it only happens with certain foods like tuna mayonnaise on white rolls, salami and chorizo sausage or if I’m overeating. I have started going on a diet because I am overweight and I hope this might fix the heartbeat/heightened anxiety symptoms I feel after eating.

I was diagnosed with silent reflux a few years ago due to anxiety after complaining about my throat feeling tight and lump in the throat feeling. The ENT doctor stuck a camera down my throat but found nothing sinister which made her come to the conclusion I have silent reflux which a I know is caused by anxiety and emotional stress.

I read dorados quote about TMS and it is very interesting indeed.

 

To be clear....this isn't a medical condition. It's a normal physiological experience every human being has at some point due to stress...I'm having it right now as stress is so high. You don't have a disease called "silent reflux"...you have a body that does what it does like all living people. This is the sort of thing TMS docs talk about and when a doctor finds nothing but diagnoses you anyway, "comes to a conclusion" and creates an illness for you...you can bet the bank it's TMS when that happens. If you have some defect/tumor/measurable metabolic problem then that's a different story...and allergies can be real so need to be checked for...but that's the stuff proper examination finds which is why we should have them.

 

Yeah very true that’s why I mentioned that my tight through and feeling I have lump in throat is actually caused by anxiety and emotional stress.

It’s amazing the amount of doctors who diagnose a medical condition when a lot of the time it’s caused my negative emotions and that’s all it is negative emotions mimicking the symptoms.

 

Hi, I am a 17 year old with tms (diagnosed cfs) but I have had a really hard time with food lately. It started with me always being hungry. However, it then went to being lightheaded and a headache and a big flare up after eating no matter what. I am also still hungry. Do you think this could be tms ?

 

Probably still TMS. Do you drink anything with caffeine. Go easy on the carbs too. Brain fog sometimes flares up with food but not always. And just work on your feelings and lifestyle and make time for something fun. Like for me finals are coming up and I have a lot of material to catch up on, so that's triggering some things.

 

Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I think carbs could have a play in it as well because my diet is very very bad. I have a small business for snow plowing and the first storm is tonight and I am anxious about people not liking their driveways. That def plays a role. Thanks again.

Sam

 

Yeah just eat stuff that's fulfilling, balancing, warming, and grounding. With the right fuel for your mind and body, you're going to do great! Stay safe out there

 

It sure can be. How are you managing anger, depression, stress, etc.?

 

Not very well at all. I journal about anger but I am chronically stressed. It’s mostly health anxiety. I recovered before this but then two months later other symptoms showed up. I think it might by a dysautonomia because I feel hunger often and after I eat I feel light headed the same when I workout. I have been trying to calm down my nervous system but I am not doing very well with it so far lol. I don’t get much depression other than like two hour episodes so that’s not really a big one for me. Have you ever experienced chronic or excessive hunger or autonomic dysfunction?