Maybe you can help me problem-solve this? Food reaction related.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I'm hoping someone here might have some insights into what might be going on.

One of my children has an odd reaction after eating certain foods. She feels tired, hungry and irritable, even though she's only just eaten. Sometimes it seems like a hypoglycaemic situation. Other times it presents more like an anxiety attack, with feelings of heart racing and shortness of breath. Within an hour or so she is pretty much okay again. 

The foods that seem to do this to her: eggs, English muffins, bagels.

To complicate things, she does have a range of anxiety disorders, some related to food, but no currently diagnosed food intolerances.

There are only a few foods she eats that have this reaction, so it's easy enough to just avoid them, but it would be nice to work out what's going on. It's hard to pinpoint if this is metabolic, anxiety-related or a food intolerance, or maybe some combination.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

[Arcadia]

What form of eggs? I do well with half boiled eggs, do okay with scrambled eggs and omelettes, but find hard boiled or three quarter boiled eggs too dry. 

For English muffins and bagels, I have to eat very slowly. I have to eat slow for most carbohydrates anyway. I do get hyperventilated when my sugar levels are crashing. It can look like an anxiety attack.

[HomeAgain]

Sulfites maybe?  I'm not sure if the list includes eggs, but baked goods can be a trigger.

[popmom]

That's puzzling for sure. 

I'll throw this out there as a very long shot--could she have asthma? I had a student in my class once who threw up nearly everyday after lunch. It was her only symptom. It turned out to be caused by asthma. Once she got treated for asthma, she quit throwing up her lunch. I realize this is highly unlikely since your dc only has these reactions to certain foods.

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

 

For English muffins and bagels, I have to eat very slowly. I have to eat slow for most carbohydrates anyway. I do get hyperventilated when my sugar levels are crashing. It can look like an anxiety attack.

That sounds kind of similar. Do you find that your sugar levels crash directly after eating? 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

What form of eggs? I do well with half boiled eggs, do okay with scrambled eggs and omelettes, but find hard boiled or three quarter boiled eggs too dry. 

 

She eats eggs very rarely, because she knows she'll feel bad afterwards, so we don't have a lot of data to go on, but the last couple of times would have been fried eggs.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

Sulfites maybe?  I'm not sure if the list includes eggs, but baked goods can be a trigger.

Thank you for the idea. I'll look into it.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 hour ago, popmom said:

That's puzzling for sure. 

I'll throw this out there as a very long shot--could she have asthma? I had a student in my class once who threw up nearly everyday after lunch. It was her only symptom. It turned out to be caused by asthma. Once she got treated for asthma, she quit throwing up her lunch. I realize this is highly unlikely since your dc only has these reactions to certain foods.

 

Asthma certainly hasn't been on my radar, but I'll keep it in mind. Thank you.

[PeterPan]

4 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

She eats eggs very rarely, because she knows she'll feel bad afterwards, so we don't have a lot of data to go on, but the last couple of times would have been fried eggs.

Seems like you might want to talk to your doc about some testing then. Affecting breathing is pretty serious (as one who has asthma) and a small attack now can mean the potential for larger later. Better to know and have an epipen if that's what it is.

[Arcadia]

11 minutes ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

That sounds kind of similar. Do you find that your sugar levels crash directly after eating? 

I don’t feel a sugar crash after eating but I do feel tired and bloated. Like the energy is all diverted to digesting food. I do have asthma. 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

4 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Seems like you might want to talk to your doc about some testing then. Affecting breathing is pretty serious (as one who has asthma) and a small attack now can mean the potential for larger later. Better to know and have an epipen if that's what it is.

I'll certainly keep the asthma idea in mind, but her reaction after eggs is more hypoglycaemic-ish. She feels tired, hungry, shaky, can't concentrate etc.

She's never had a breathing problem after eating eggs, as far as I can remember, but I'll be on the alert for it, for sure. Thank you.

[Clarita]

I would say discuss with your child's doctor for sure. However, my brother-in-law has crazy food allergies (the main culprit is gluten-intolerance, although he is also highly allergic to tea). A gluten intolerance does present itself as being irritable. So, perhaps you can ask if she can be tested for food allergies. In my brother-in-law's case his food allergies destroyed his intestine enough that he became allergic to other foods as well, so as he healed they could add food back into his diet without issue. 

[Katy]

Check labels.  Do your breads have eggs?

[73349]

@Katyasks a good question. Another to consider: Does she usually have eggs with toast or something? That would make wheat present for all three. Is this happening with pancakes or anything?

I agree with the advice to check in with the doctor.

[mominco]

Op I know someone with similar reaction (esp weakness/feeling like she hasn't eaten a meal at all). I think the person has an intolerance to eggs and avoids them. She notices this when she eats chicken without a carb along with it. She really has no food allergies that have been seen in any food/blood test. She did see my sons allergist at one point. I know she used to react to the flu shot and I think she gets the one without the egg now I think.

Edited July 14, 2021 by mominco
typo

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

Check labels.  Do your breads have eggs?

Good question! I'll check.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

58 minutes ago, Carolina Wren said:

@Katyasks a good question. Another to consider: Does she usually have eggs with toast or something? That would make wheat present for all three. Is this happening with pancakes or anything?

I agree with the advice to check in with the doctor.

Other bread products and wheat products are okay, which is baffling.

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

43 minutes ago, mominco said:

Op I know someone with similar reaction (esp weakness/feeling like she hasn't eaten a meal at all). I think the person has an intolerance to eggs and avoids them. She notices this when she eats chicken without a carb along with it. She really has no food allergies that have been seen in any food/blood test. She did see my sons allergist at one point. I know she used to react to the flu shot and I think she gets the one without the egg now I think.

The bold bit is accurate. 

I'll have to keep a close eye on ingredient labels and see if eggs are our culprit.

She's never had an issue with vaccines, but I have no idea if egg products are in ours or not.

 

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Thank you, everyone, for your replies.

It's all very helpful, and I'll follow up with our doctor.

[bluemongoose]

I have struggled with hypoglycemia. If I was feeling hungry and just ate the bread things, yes I would feel tired and crashy after. Eggs always make me feel awful if my blood sugar is low. However, if I eat a little bit of bread to get started and then eat an egg, especially with healthy fats, then I am usually fine. The carbs get my blood sugar up some and the egg coming in after keeps it stable since it has protein. 

[kbutton]

You might need an allergist who is going to be conversant in not only typical allergies, but in things like mast cell activation types of things. You can certainly start with a regular allergist who can rule in/rule out a "true" allergy, but if it all comes up negative, you'll need better answers. There are even certain receptors that some foods set off that can cause mast cells to degranulate, and you feel yucky. But it's not the same process as an allergy, and it's not life-threatening. I see a research allergist for my intolerances. The goal is to rule out dangerous stuff (including weird stuff like tumors), feel better, and eventually, when appropriate, reintroduce foods to see if they can be tolerated. That last one is optional if the dietary limitations don't cause nutrient deficiencies.