Constant hunger getting ridiculous..

[KateShmate]

Wasnt sure where to put this post.. but is health related!
Anyway, for the past week or so, I've just been ridiculously hungry - as in, an hour after a large meal, my stomach is rumbling.
I have a big, healthy and filling breakfast at 7.45am and by 9am my stomach is GROWLING and begging me to fill it. Had dinner at 6.30 - again, healthy and filling and already (7.20pm) my tummy is rumbling - normally I would go from lunchtime until dinner (7ish) but now I come home from school run and have a snack and have dinner with the children because I'm so hungry..
I know it doesn't sound life threatening, but I just don't know why Im so ravenous all the time - could it be something medical related? Often I get those 'days' or 'weeks' when Im a bit more hungrier than normal - but this is absolutely ridiculous!
Just to cross off anything it could be - am definitely not pregnant, have no other health problems, and generally very healthy :)

worms?

pregnant? (I know I know)

erm preparing to hibernate?

Are you eating the same foods as you usually do? Are they slow burning? eg oats in some form, bananas etc? Are you drinking enough? Are you much colder than normal? Are you more active?

Carrots
Eating exactly the same as normal - nothing changed at all; although obviously now eating more than normal (same foods though) as so hungry. Have been eating lots of bananas - healthy and filling... well, not so filling!
Always drink lots - weeing more than normal though (TMI?)
Am generally a cold person, and have been freeeezing the past week - but put that down to weather change.
Probably less active - been really tired.. but I am anaemic so could put it down to that?

Rhino Definitely not pregnant - I have enough children as it is!!
I suppose I could be ready to hibernate..

Have you had your thyroid checked? Feeling cold and tired can be a symptom of thyroid imbalance. My thyroid is unbalanced and it, coupled with the tiredness does make me hungrier.

The idea of worms is alarming and I don't know much about it but I have heard that it can make you hungry. I don't know if that is a myth or not.

Are you under extra stress (all mums experience stress)? That can have as strange influence on our eating habits.

This is how my IBS first manifested itself - the tummy gurgling in particular can be an indicator . At its worse, the only time when I'm not hungry is when I am eating. Keep a note of how it's happening, whether your tummy feels 'sore' inside, and also if you get bloating. And then try and find yourself a GP who believes that IBS is real and that it is effing depressing.

Think the worms thing is a myth FWIW!

Kate it is beginning to look like a visit to your GP is in order some way or another.

Havent had thyroid checked - does it need a blood test?
Have always put my tiredness and coldness down to being anaemic, but maybe not..

I cant bring myself to google 'Worms Symptoms'...

Really not under any extra stress at the moment - my DC's have just come out of a 'naughty phase' and being so good recently that its taken any extra stress away!

I haven't read all of this but maybe something will ring some bells

Just done a quick NHS thyroid search, and I have every single symptom.. but then I am a non-believer of symptom things - if I searched cancer symptoms, you can easily find yourself ticking every box.. so maybe its just coincidence?

TCOB and Carrots - I just hate the thought of going to my DR and saying 'I think I have a thyroid problem/IBS because I've been googling the symptoms ' to my doctor because shes really horrible. If I tell her about the hunger thing, she will say 'Well eat more then.. Goodbye'

Can you change doctors? Or time it for a day she is not there? You shouldn't have to put up with a doctor who won't listen to you.

You don't need to say that you have googled anything. Explain your symptoms in detail - including the ones you might not have mentioned but which may also be relevant - and see what is said. If she doesn't take you on then try to be strong and not leave but request a blood test. She will probably give you one even just to get you out of her hair.

When you get the blood results, ask for the thyroid ones and write them down - even if you doc thinks they are normal. Then come on here and ask as there are literally hundreds of mums on here with thyroid issues (it is having babies which seems to do it)

They will explain reading the results properly as not all doctors do.

What are you eating? You say it's healthy, but what does that mean?

You could be eating too many carbs, causing your blood sugar to rise quickly and then crash equally quickly - making you feel hungry/crave more carbs.

Carrots Yes think I will do that - Im not sure what days she is/isn't in - do you think the Surgery would think it a bit strange if I asked for a doctor other than my GP?
Thanks for the advice Carrots - will try and get an appt as soon as I have a free 5 minutes . Have read on here before to write things down as to not forget them - might even try this as I always get in there and slightly panic and forget everything.. making me look a bit
If/when I have a blood test - will they automatically test thyroid, or will the DR have to ask for that to be checked too?
I have quite a few blood tests for anaemia and my Dr's are a nightmare - you have to ring the pharmacy about 5 days later who basically say 'Yes you're anaemic again - theres a bottle of iron tablets on prescription for you'. People have asked me what my iron count is and everytime I ask the pharmacist she just says that they dont get told, they simply either get a bottle of tablets in or you just haven't got anaemia. Will get back on here and let you know though, thanks :)

BIWI - just a general balanced diet really..
I had triplets 2 years ago and put on quite a bit of weight - looked awful and didnt 'diet' but started eating healthier in general.
Breakfast is just bowl of cereals with blueberries, raisins and banana chopped on top.
By 9am I'm starving, so have another banana and some yoghurt.
11ish hungry again - Yoghurt and one of those harvest bars
Lunchtime - ham, cheese, cucumber and tomatoe wrap, chopped veg (carrot etc), mini sausages, fruit pouch, grapes and nuts. Biscuit.
2pm - starving - more snacky food
4.30/5 dinner time - sausages, mash and lots of veg - yoghurt + fruit for pudding.
6.30 - hungry again - more snacks (cereal bar type thing, banana etc) or maybe leftover dinner
8 - Same snacks as earlier.
Hungry again about 10 but dont want to eat that late.

Sorry for whole food diary!

Your diet looks good although I would personally drop the Harvest Bars as they will be sky high with sugar which will give you a sharp high and then a sharp fall which could be messing with your blood sugars and making you think you are hungry.

I might be tempted to add more protein too. I am a veggie so it is something I am experimenting with and find it makes me feel full for longer - so might be a few more calories but saves me a lot more in the long run.

Dorset cereals might work better than a normal cereal too. Most normal cereals are very high in sugar so create the high/low I was talking about. Dorset cereals still have sugar in them but the oats keep you full.

We currently have porridge with banana, flaked almonds and honey and that seems to work for me - you could give it a try.

I am no dietician though - maybe someone else will know more.

Also can you phone your surgery and ask about your blood results? If not make an appointment and force the issue.

They don't automatically test the thyroid here - my doc has to request the check.

FWIW if I eat a lot of veg it makes me feel full but never lasts. I think the quantity stretches your stomach though and makes you want more. It will go against advice but I cut back on my veg a bit and, as I said, increased my protein and it helped me.

Also reception don't bat an eyelid if you request a specific doctor. You will probably find that they know fine. Ours certainly do!!

That's right...ask for another doctor...dont keep seeing a horrid one. I went to my doc with a self diagnosis and apologised for it and she said "No...not at all...you're making a lot of sense and we'll check for what you suspect." So they dont all dismss you.

Thank you WhoopsyLa - my worry was that I'll go and tell them what I think and they'll just say that Im being silly and theres nothing wrong! But anyway, theres one lovely doctor who Im going to ask to see :)

Carrots Will drop the Harvest bars, my usual cereals are quite low in sugar anyway so I think they should be okay. I think I will do some experimenting with the protein too!
I know what you mean about veg not keeping you full - I find that carrots keep me going longer though - usually have some for lunch with lots of houmous.
No, cant phone the surgery for test results - we dont speak to the pharmacist (like I said earlier..sorry!) we actually just speak to the grumpy receptionist who just says 'Yes, you're anaemic, you need more iron - there is some in the pharmacy so can you come and collect please.'
When I've asked what my iron levels are, receptionist cries 'I'm only a receptionist! Not a bloody phlebotomist!'
Basically, if there is no prescription for iron tablets for me - it means I'm not anaemic - thats the only information we get.

Carrots I know you're not a dietician, but you're the next best thing! Thanks for the advice

You are eating a lot of sugar in your diet though:

"cereals with blueberries, raisins and banana chopped on top.
another banana and some yoghurt.
Yoghurt and one of those harvest bars
tomatoe wrap, fruit pouch, grapes Biscuit.
yoghurt + fruit for pudding.
more snacks (cereal bar type thing, banana etc)"

This is a massive amount of fruit and therefore sugar/carbs. And 2 Harvest bars and biscuit is also a lot of sugar/carbs - don't fall for the marketing that a Harvest bar is healthy!

Can you try substituting a bit more protein for some of your snacks? Instead of a piece of fruit have some cheese, or a bit of ham?

Why not have something like poached egg on wholemeal toast for breakfast instead of the cereal and fruit?

It may not, of course, be a dietary thing at all, but this amount of fruit/sugar/carbs will be sending your blood sugar spiking really quickly, with the subsequent drop.

BIWI
Thanks for the advice - I know its a lot of fruit, I guess I've just got used to eating lots of it!
Will try all of your advice - do occasionally have poached egg if I have time!

The thing that Im so confused about, is that I've been eating the same as this for the past 2 years and its only a week ago when everything has gone strange?! I could understand if I'd just changed my diet, but everything has stayed the same..

P.s, I know that Harvest Bars arent good - but I like to think that its better than eating a chocolate bar! Is my treat of the day!

Thank you for the advice again, will take it all on board :)

I think your diet sounds really high in sugar. That can really mess with your hormones and metabolism. Try having oatmeal with some nuts or nut butter in the morning or an egg or two with wholemeal toast or a protein shake.
Harvest Bars are probably crap. Have some plain nuts instead or a rice cake with nut butter. It might be worth it to google "low sugar meal plan" and see if that helps to prevent the insulin spikes.

Did you breastfeed the triplets? Sometimes that can cause dietary deficiencies that can cause you to feel hungrier. Even a little bit of weight or resistance training can up your metabolism too.

Have they given you a cause for the anaemia?

I only ask as it can be a sign of coeliac disease, as can constant hunger.

I started getting hungry after eating but hadn?t changed anything or if I did, made it healthier by going wholegrain in an effort to be low GI & more filling. All I is was doing was making it worse though! I went through periods of being ravenous before I was diagnosed & could never work out why.

It's about the amount of insulin that your body needs to deal with the sugar - it's really worth having a read of some low carbing books to explain the theory. I am by no means an expert!

If you can, try getting hold of a copy of The Harcombe Diet. Not because you need to know about it for weight loss, but because it talks about how the body deals with sugar.

It may also be worth getting yourself tested for diabetes.

Kate I didn't understand that the pharmacist was at your doctors. We don't have one at ours.

It really doesn't sound to me that someone is taking good care of you. I really hope you can see a pleasant doctor who will listen to you and that you can get the necessary blood tests etc.

I agree that if you have eaten like this for a while then there is no clear reason why your body would suddenly react differently if there was no other factor at play.

I also think that 2 years after you have had your babies, albeit three of them it is odd to continue to dish out iron and not revisit why you still need it.

I really, really think you need to have a decent chat with someone and have a follow up appointment to discuss blood test results, not a grumpy chat with someone vile on the the phone.

Please let us know how you get on.