H passes out after certain foods

[winkywinkola]

This is ridiculous.

For years he's suffered intense bloating and loud belching after certain foods like bread and pasta. And capers. Once he ate capers in a salad and his nose swelled up so much it split. We've also discovered there are capers in tartare sauce.

So he's had a lot of discomfort. It took a while for him to link his misery to these foods. White potatoes also do it.

Except now it's not just bloating and belching. He's unconscious. I cannot wake him up for at least 30 minutes. And when he does wake, he feels horrendous like he's in a fog after a violent attack or something.

He had tartare sauce with fish and chips at the zoo with ds3 last week and knew that he simply had to get home asap in order that his body could go into lockdown and he could get into his deep sleep.

He loves corn. We didn't think there was s problem with corn. He had some on Friday and the belching started. Then today he had three roast potatoes. I told him not to. And he's stretched out on the sofa, in an emergency sleep as he calls it. It's deep and he can't be woken until at least thirty minutes into it.

I'm so worried. He's agreed to go to the doctor again. Previously they've just dismissed him as being allergic but haven't tested him for what exactly.

It seems to me that we are slowly discovering he is allergic to more and more foods and his reaction is extreme in that he feels the need to conk out.

He's also constantly tired. He will happily sleep twelve hours a night and then nap in the afternoon.

How can we make sure the GP doesn't dismiss this health issue? He's been dismissed a lot.

[winkywinkola]

Could he be coeliac?

[LapinR0se]

Is he overweight?

[winkywinkola]

Not really. I mean he could shed half a stone but nothing to worry about.

[HopelesslydevotedtoGu]

For a start, why doesn't he stop eating the offending foods....

It doesn't sound like an allergy - allergy is a particular reaction caused by a specific part of your immune system - rash, swelling of lips, tongue, airways, etc

Is it definitely after these particular foods? Or is it that he has these symptoms a lot and it is a coincidence that it is after these foods? As he continues to eat them, it seems that he isn't that concerned by the foods?

In honesty, if he does have an intolerance to capers and potatoes and they make him feel bloated, I suspect he will just be advised to just avoid them

How does he sleep at night? Snoring? Waking up a lot? Is he overweight?

Any other symptoms related to digestion eg diarrhoea, weight changes?

[PerspicaciaTick]

Could he be diabetic?

[winkywinkola]

So he does avoid these foods most of the time.

We didn't know tartar sauce has capers in it!

He is stupid with the potatoes.

But we are discovering more foods are affecting him. Discovering by default. I made a salad the other night. It started again. The belching. We will have to ascertain which elements of the salad upset his system.

He snores a bit. Nothing major.

So allergic reactions mean a specific part of the body is affected? I didn't know that.

[winkywinkola]

No diarrhoea. Often constipated. Not overweight particularly. Snores a bit.

[Imnotaslimjim]

If it was coeliac, potatoes wouldn't affect it. Though being glutened when coeliac can cause you to become extremely sleepy so the reaction does sound similar. Could he be sensitive to carbohydrates (though I'm not sure how the capers fit in)

[lljkk]

Is he taking it seriously? He doesn't need to see a GP if he won't do what GP or a nutritionist advises. Since he knows potatoes cause the problem but still eats them, so would he do an elimination diet to experiment? That's what a nutritionist would advise (elimination strategy). You can look up how to do that now, on the Internet.

[rhuhbarb4]

This may sound strange but has he ever been tested for epilepsy there is some types of epilepsy where certain foods trigger a type of seizure he could be having a form of focal seizures.

[DozyDorissimo]

sounds more like diabetes to me.
He is sleepy a lot- can be a sign.
He's eating carbs and feeling unwell afterwards- unconscious! Maybe his body cannot cope with the glucose these foods break down into to, as in diabetes.

he needs to see a dr soon. He could suffer serious long term damage if it's left untreated.

[Seaweed42]

Is he woozy if he doesn't sleep? Like is he pale and slurry his words, trying to work out is it his blood pressure dropping. Or is it similar to when someone else eats a massive Christmas dinner and then falls asleep straight after, as all the blood supply rushes to their stomach and makes them intensely sleepy.

[Brownhair123]

Some frozen roast potatoes have a crispy coating which can contain gluten.

[DoItTooJulia]

Why doesn't he seem worried about it? Or is he? Because I think someone who was worried would seek help and avoid the triggers like the plague.

I hope he gets to his GP and takes this seriously, because if he doesn't you'll be the one left with the stress and worry. And after all, it might be something simple and easily sorted if he sees the right doctor and follows through.

[AfroPuffs]

Sounds like hypotension to me. He must see a doctor immediately for full bloods and investigation... as one day he might not be able to wake up. He needs to get a grip and realise the seriousness

[DozyDorissimo]

Hypotension = low blood pressure, yes?
The symptoms of that aren't falling asleep after eating certain foods, they are dizziness when standing up quickly, fainting easily etc.

True allergies are allergic reactions and usually mean problems with breathing, swelling of tongue, throat etc.

OP- does this happen at work? What if he ate something when he was driving? Would he go to sleep at the wheel?

It all sounds odd. Are you telling us the whole story?

[DozyDorissimo]

Potatoes belong to the same family as tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. They contain a substance called solanine.

Here [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanine]] some people can be very allergic to it.

[DozyDorissimo]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanine

[NanTheWiser]

Another one thinking diabetes...

[winkywinkola]

Yes. It has happened at work in the early days when he'd have sandwiches at a meeting.

He won't just fall unconscious at the wheel. He drove twenty minutes to get home after the zoo visit, knowing he had to get home quickly. But then he will have to go to bed or lie down on the floor and sink into this sleep.

He has trouble breathing too when he has a reaction. In fact he has trouble breathing at night. As a child he was diagnosed with rhinitis. He says it's got worse as an adult.

He's not really overweight.. Has a bit of a belly but that's more a middle aged spread.

So he's going to make an appointment at a doctor near his work rather than our local G.P. I think my harping on has finally alarmed him.

[Chipperton]

OP I'm a coeliac, I was diagnosed recently and I was quite ill before hand. Unlike some people, I never had diarrhoea, I was always constipated (sorry tmi) and I had terrible breathing/sinus issues. Whilst I didn't fall asleep after meals, I was exhausted almost all of the time and could easily sleep for England - yet still wake up tired.

I immediately began a gluten free diet and whilst I noticed an improvement, it was not enough to just give up gluten. I am also extremely sensitive to all grains (barley, corn, rice etc.) and most nightshades (potatoes, tomatos and bell peppers). I went on a hunt for information about this and found out about the link between diet and autoimmune diseases - I also read about 'gluten cross reactivity' which helped me understand why I was still reacting like a coeliac even though I'd given up wheat!

Although you might be thinking that your DH has one condition which is causing all of these worrying symptoms, it is possible that he may have several condition which are triggering a variety of symptoms.

For example:

Bloating, belching and constipation is almost certainly a good intolerance and grains/dairy/nightshades could be a culprit.

Falling asleep after meals could be diabetes, but with the breathing issues it could also be obstructive sleep apnoea which causes people to become extremely tired and lethargic during the day and can be very dangerous. Particularly for people who drive.

I think he needs to see a GP urgently and ask for full bloods (including fasting bloods). You should push for allergy testing too - although a lot of doctors are reluctant to refer for coeliac testing at the moment.

Good luck! He can't carry on like this

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

Following with interest. I do the sleep thing. I wouldn't say I was 'unconscious' but I sometimes need to sleep. I've had to pull over the car for power naps or stick the kids in front of the telly so I can rest. My son is also under dietician care as we try to find out what causes his diarrhoea. We identified red pepper as a definite culprit yesterday so I've been googling solanine like mad after this thread. Thank you.

[winkywinkola]

What are fasting bloods?

[Chipperton]

It's a blood test following a period without food.

[DozyDorissimo]

Fasting bloods- this is when you don't eat from maybe 8pm before your blood test at 8am the next day.

How can he see a dr near his work? Unless it's a walk in centre you need to be registered with a GP.

As others have said there could be all sorts of reasons from allergy to coeliac, to diabetes to sleep apneoia. All of them are potentially fatal and progressive so ignoring them is stupid.