Does Anyone Have Dietary Triggers?

[jangle]

Do you notice any types of food that really sets off your symptoms?

I'm trying to determine if I have food triggers, but then it's hard to tell if it's the type of food that bothers me or the volume of food.

[kalamazoo]

If i stuff myself makes my heart race like crazy. Also fats, peanut butter especially. Nuts, oils, milk cheese, pretty much anything high in fat content or high carbs and sugar.

[Katybug]

I can't eat too much meat of any kind unless I am prepared for an attack. I feels like it's too hard for my body to digest so I can only eat 2-3 oz. of meat at a meal. I will also be set off by coriander/celantro so I have to be very careful these days to check labels as anything that is pre-seasoned often has one of these...it gives me migraines and sets off my POTS. Other things will set just my stomach off but only sometimes (I can actually tell from smelling it if I can eat it that day): bananas, avocado, bell peppers, onion, tarragon, citrus. At least I have a good warning system on these last few.

[Lemons2lemonade]

Carbs: breads and noodles especially, food with too much salt, boxed meals like hamburger helper or macaroni etc.

[Wendy C.]

Like Lemons said, anything with white flour, like breads/pasta or even rice does it. If I have anything more than a medium-sized meal, it happens - so that goes along with your volume theory. I am starting to wonder about meals with too much salt causing it, too, like the soup I had tonight and the one a couple of nights ago. I thought that they'd be good for me, since I am taking salt tablets, but they actually made me feel worse. Since I've only noticed the soup thing this week, I can't be certain yet. I did begin Midodrine one week ago, so perhaps that has something to do with it, since soups didn't bother me previously. Also, this past Fall, I couldn't handle more than a few bites of meat, but that has gone away in the past few weeks, luckily.

One thing that is certain, if I stand up for more than a minute or two after a meal, I will get a killer headache that lasts for 6-10 hours, regardless of what type of food it was.

[Darlene]

artificial sugar, msg's, green tea... anything that stimulates my nervous system

[kalamazoo]

So pretty much everyone here eats lean meat fruits and veggies and organic it would seem? All in small proportions too?

[Lemons2lemonade]

I eat a lot of cheese, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits, and veggies. I especially like the nuts on tired days just grab and eat- I do this with cans of garbanzo and kidney beans too. I also eat lots of red meat. Love the stuff.

[bunny]

Large, heavy meals will hit me every time. About 20 mind after eating a heavy meal and I'm looking for a place to lay down for awhile. While its been ages since I've had one, Ensure Plus hits me the hardest out of anything. There were times I wouldn't be able to make it through an entire can of that stuff before passing out.

So I try to graze on fresh foods, predominantly fruit and veg, rather than large meals. By no means a vegetarian though.

[anaphylaxing]

I'm only eating five foods right now trying to sort out my MCAD triggers. When it gets triggered, my POTS get worse too.

[mwise]

I like the others posted have done process of elimination with triggers and lean toward frequent very small meals-grazing on fresh fruits, vegetables, low fat/fat free cheeses, foods high in protein-boiled eggs, and low fat/fat free foods that I can find. I also watch the amount of carbs that I take in too as it fatigues me. I try to avoid high fat foods because of my Gastroparesis and Gerd. I have to watch nuts because of Diverticullitis. I avoid large meals and stick with lean meats about 1-2 oz-lots of small bites at different intervals. I do alot of yogurt smoothies home made for calories, easy digestion and weight. I avoid Ensure as high fat content and hard to digest. I do believe what you eat and the amount you consume (volume) will make you symptomatic. I also take Prilosec & Domperidone to help with motility and digestion. Good luck as one Dietician said to me, "You need to make finding the right foods and fluids a full time job." Truth be told.

[julieph85]

Carbohydrates give me a horrible catecholamines reaction, but only in the morning. It doesn't matter the quantity. I just can't eat anything with carbs period until 1:00. After that I'm fine. It is crazy

[HopeSprings]

It's hard to tell whether it's a reaction to specific foods or just the act of eating due to diverted blood flow. Eating larger meals makes me dizzy, so I'm thinking it has more to do with blood flow. Although, I've noticed bagels will make more spacey - so maybe heavy duty carbs are a problem too.

[sue1234]

I'd like to know, when food sets everyone "off", does it give you symptoms while still sitting OR makes standing more difficult?

I've noticed everyone said carbs. I hate to sound like a broken record, but glucose/insulin issues?? I know a few of us have downright HIGH insulin, not just high-normal.

Foods that bother me, just sitting: SUGAR!, carbs, hard cheeses and yogurt(severe stomach bloating), citrus, chocolate and nuts(make my heart racy for a few days), meat makes me feel better. Artificial sugar hypes me up. Hot foods make me have brain fog. Too much fiber bloats me.

[GingerA]

Any type of dairy will make my symptoms flair up. Before my DX I thought I was allergic since then I have found the cause is that dairy causes my POTS to flair up. I also don't eat gluten. I can get away with eating a little gluten every now an then but I don't like to risk it.

[HopeSprings]

For me, I'll be in the middle of eating (usually sitting) and a fog just rolls over my brain, I get very spaced out and have more difficulty focusing my eyes.

[Wendy C.]

If I eat white flour products or caffeine, it affects me while still sitting. (pre-syncope symptoms of fogginess, overheating, tachycardia, sweating, etc).

Volume of food affects me while standing, making me weaker and I get those headaches that start in the back of head/neck and travel in a rams' horn shape towards my forehead.

[janiedelite]

Sue1234, your list of trigger foods are also foods that are usually high in amines (histamine, tyramine, etc). My mom is on a low-amine diet because amines trigger her carcinoid syndrome symptoms (diarrhea, abd pain, flushing, etc). She can't tolerate sugary food either for the same reason. I know you've thoroughly investigated neuroendocrine tumors already though!

[brethor9]

carbs, sugar, dairy, gluten....to be honest on some days I am afraid to eat anything for fear of setting off a flare..... I swear sometimes all I have to do is look at my system the wrong way and off it goes ;(

[ramakentesh]

Odd things - some carbs in the morning, wild mushrooms, green tea, tumeric

[we_don't_look_sick]

Volume of food makes me very symptomatic. I have explained to co-workers that I can't eat 'meals' like they do and graze all day. Also, I didn't realize another reason for grazing, it seems to reduce nausea.

I didn't realize nausea was a symptom until I was reading posts on this forum! I have had this since I was 5 and have many 'habits' that were dealing with symptoms.

I will watch this post with great interest! I too have days when I don't want to smell food or even look at it becuase I know it will make me ill.

[RichGotsPots]

Simple carbs, sugar and caffeine.

[martiz]

Basically, I do best on a limited paleo type diet.

Meat: chicken breast - grilled or boiled. beef liver - grilled

Carbs: potatos, little bit of GF Bisquick with jam

Veggies: carrots, tomato, cabbage, onions, broccoli

Fats: less than 10gms per day due to pancreatitis

I try to not eat any processed foods, no gluten, casein, sugar, MSG. I am trying to get off caffeine but it's not working.

[puppylove]

Hmmm I actually eat a lot of carbs and it doesn't bother me at all. Weird. Somedays when I'm super nauseous etc. I will just eat dry white bread. Foods that do bother me- anything with any kind of grease, chocolate ( ), cheese, hamburger meat, and big meals.

[ramakentesh]

Some carbs in the morning triggers it.

id be interested if people felt worse on:

Fava beans (peripheral dopamine)

cheeses (tyramine)

Green tea (caffeine?, peripheral dopamine, nitric oxide)

green vegies (increase Nitrix oxide)

garlic and onions (high sulfides)

The diet may be able to tell you a little about what might be going on in your POTS - above the usual vasodilatory response to carbs.