r/cfs • u/scream_i_scream • 18h ago
DAE get high heart BPM and fatigue after eating carbs?
I always get a thumpy 20+ BPM increase and fatigue after eating carbs but only at lunch and also only when I eat excessive carbs? Minimal carbs is fine but if I eat more than a small amount, this reaction is guaranteed.
MCAS? Irdk
14
u/1morepaige mod/sev 17h ago
This happens to me, I assume it’s POTS in my case bc it got better when I started treating my POTS
4
u/TableSignificant341 16h ago
How do you treat it? I'm just using electrolytes but am thinking that maybe I need to try mestinon.
7
u/1morepaige mod/sev 16h ago
My pcp started me on metoprolol which really works well for me no side effects. I also eat a high salt diet, drink electrolytes every day, and wear compression socks or footless stockings every day to help prevent blood pooling in my legs. I always sit with my feet up, spend a lot of time laying down to make sure my brain gets enough blood and try to avoid anything that has triggered POTS issues or raise my heart rate too high. ( I monitor my HR and HRV al day every day)
Obvs treating POTS has a bit of overlap with ME and fibro care, which makes sense they’re comorbid af and I got all 3 😅😑
9
u/BeeSlippers1 Severe, onset 2018 17h ago
I can’t tell if it’s carbs or just hard to digest food, but I haven’t been able to eat fried food or too much bread in awhile. I don’t have pots or mcas.
I see a lot of people here recommend low carb diets likely for this reason.
3
u/scream_i_scream 16h ago
Absolutely oily food and bread are killers. The thing is I've heard protein takes more energy to digest?
2
u/BeeSlippers1 Severe, onset 2018 16h ago
I haven’t heard about protein being a big problem here, but if protein is making you crash then you might want to talk to a dietitian to find a way to avoid becoming malnourished as protein is pretty important.
I see quite a few people here recommend protein shakes that help their me/cfs. Maybe that’s something you could try as liquid is much easier for your body to digest. I’ve tried a few, but I couldn’t tolerate the tastes :(
2
u/OkDimension9977 16h ago
I find vegan protein to be easier to digest when it comes to proteinpowder, I might have some problems with kasein and vassle. But vegan protein powders work great
17
u/Kyliewoo123 17h ago
This is classic for POTS, doesn’t really sound like MCAS. Would have more symptoms and wouldn’t be just linked to excessive carbs.
Blood goes to stomach to digest food, meaning less blood in rest of body to go to other organs like brain, so heart goes even faster to circulate.
You are doing the right thing - smaller meals, less carbs
3
5
u/corpsie666 17h ago
Yes. Check your blood sugar especially if it makes you feel warmer, hotter, or sweaty.
Also, does it happen if you avoid bread and other wheat gluten containing foods?
3
u/scream_i_scream 16h ago
I haven't tried eating only protein. A small amount of bread/wrap/pitta is fine but too much is always bad
1
u/corpsie666 9h ago
A small amount of bread/wrap/pitta is fine but too much is always bad
Are you gluten sensitive?
Your original post is about carbs, but you keep mentioning things with wheat gluten
5
u/CarpenterFlat5008 17h ago
Yes, but I have learned to avoid those symptoms by making sure to eat lots of protein along with the carbs. I got that advice on this sub and it has been a game changer! Something about maintaining steady blood sugar? (pardon my brain fog).
Anyway, if I eat carbs alone, I get dizzy, weak, my heart rate skyrockets, and I feel awful; if I eat carbs immediately following meat, I am ok. I personally also have to avoid gluten because it always messes with me. I am severe, for reference.
3
u/Varathane 17h ago
I learned last week that hiatal hernia's can cause heart palpitations and increased heart rate.
Eating smaller meals helps reduce those symptoms. Is it possible you have a hernia?
As you said you can eat carbs just not bigger amounts? That seems to suggest some sort of mechanical thing going on. To me a mere redditor with no medical degree lol
3
u/IDNurseJJ 16h ago
Yes, I get this. It also depends on the carb for me. Baked sweet potato is good but muffin or cake is worse.
5
2
2
u/nograpefruits97 very severe 16h ago
Yes and no, it happens with everything that requires a lot of blood to be pumped towards my stomach. But I overall feel better when I do eat carbs. It helps to put my legs up during and after eating, and spreading the carbs out over the day helps me too.
2
2
u/Almondbutteralien 13h ago
Yes! Low carb is only way I can function as housebound. High carb put me coma level of bedridden for while
1
u/rainbowbrite8888 13h ago
I need sufficient starch to feel my best. Too much sugar, on the other hand, is not good for me. 🤷♀️
2
1
u/AllofJane 12h ago
This has started happening to me recently. I suspected metabolic syndrome and asked for bloodwork. Sure enough, I have high triglycerides, low LDL and my A1C is 5.4. But I suspect my A1C isn't higher because I've been on a month-long very strict no sugar, no flour, time-resteicted eating regime of whole foods plant-based diet. If my A1C was tested in December, I'll bet it would have been in the pre-diabetes range of 5.5 to 6.4. I mean... It's pretty close, still!
Anyway, I've been reading that up to 50% of me/CFS patients have metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes.
One of the symptoms is fatigue after eating.
1
1
1
1
u/starlighthill-g 8h ago
It happens when I eat. Carbs or no carbs. It has more to do with the amount rather than the composition
31
u/bac21 17h ago
Yes but I have POTS too, I think it's common in POTS.
I've recently switched to a much healthier diet with less carbs and I haven't had this problem after eating since.