Getting sick after eating sweets/sugar?

olivejuicekyle

This happens to me as well and did throughout high school mainly if I had Starbucks. I was diagnosed as reactive hypoglycemic so my body works adversely with sugars. Almost instantly after consuming a sugar I will sky rocket and then crash below normal average levels. I wish my brain would get the memo and stop craving it haha! It can be very unpleasant and resemble the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or IBS I spoke with my doctor about it and we are currently working on tests to see if I really have IBS or if it's just a glycemic issue. The GI symptoms became pronounced after my first child so the doctor seems to think instead of IBS it's more of a lactose intolerance mixed with the hypoglycemia (but I'm not so sure). Often I have found what can help is to take two tums it settles my tummy enough to take the nausea away and then munch on some crackers and pound water. Some times our minds get carried away when we don't feel well but that's understandable it means you value and enjoy life so don't be discouraged to speak when you think something's not right. You are your care taker. No one else knows you like you. Bodies are forever changing. I hope this helps. Take it easy.

ggilbert95

I just ate some ice cream, not a lot, and it hurts really bad. It is also like I can feel the sugar rushing in my veins. The thing is, I don't eat the kind of sugar laden sweets most people do. I think I'm just too sensitive to sugar, I think I'll talk to my doctor about it.

akh1981

Have you noticed a pattern with regards to homemade vs. store bought sweets? If it happens primarily from store bought sweets, I wonder if maybe you have a sensitivity/allergy to a preservative or something in therm?

conniedj

I have sensitivity to artificial chemicals(sweetners, colors, flavors), and to sugar beet & HFCS~if they are GMO. The artificial stuff gives me a headache and a stomach ache. The Gmo stuff makes the lymph nodes in my neck and armpits swell....more so with the corn...and a headache. It always feels like a hangover the next day....

While it is possible that someone can have a psychosomatic response to pretty much anything...I am thinking the person that suggested this is "in your mind" is way off base......if you think about what is in store bought frosting: hydrogenated oil, artificial color and flavor, HFCS....emulsifiers, preservatives ( beyond just sugar)....it's not hard to imagine someone's body might have a hard time processing this stuff. The human body was made to process carbohydrates, fats and proteins--not the chemical cocktails that line the shelves of stores today.

LoupGarouTFTs

I just ate some ice cream, not a lot, and it hurts really bad. It is also like I can feel the sugar rushing in my veins. The thing is, I don't eat the kind of sugar laden sweets most people do. I think I'm just too sensitive to sugar, I think I'll talk to my doctor about it.

You might want to check for lactose intolerance, too. Speaking as someone who's lived all her life with either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, I can count on one hand the number of times I was nauseated with the effects of sugar. However, my grandmother was lactose intolerant and it tore her insides up every time she ate ice cream (she could tolerate the little bit of milk or cream in her coffee pretty well). She lived 97 years and never did give up the stuff . . .

Nedra19455

Sugary beverages do this to me -- especially if they are hot, like hot apple cider, hot chocolate, etc. I drink sugar-free soda and it doesn't bother me. I use less chocolate when I make a mocha. When I get a mocha at Starbucks, I ask them to use half the amount of syrup than they normally use. But I can never have a normal, sugary beverage that someone else makes unless I ask for it to be modified. And I only get hot beverages on the coldest of days. Normally I get iced drinks year-round.

One time, I asked a friend with Type 1 diabetes to test my blood sugar when I was in the midst of a "sugar episode." It was totally normal. I have no idea what causes the sick feeling, but I just avoid full-sugar beverages like the plague. I don't have as much of a problem with sugary foods -- perhaps because I ingest them more slowly? It's happened occasionally, but only if the food was insanely sugary. Usually it's just beverages.

OregonRunner5

I get bad nausea if I have too much sugar. I had some icing on a donut today and it made me sick all morning with intense nausea. Normally I avoid donuts, it was just a one-off event. Sometimes I just get brain dead and go back to eating like a normal person.

Food puts me to sleep. So now I have protein shakes and just try and not eat much at all until supper and that has helped me stay awake during the day, otherwise I take a 2-3 hour nap daily. I work from home so that's okay, but if I have to drive in the afternoon it's dangerous because I'm so tired. I'm an insomniac and have been treated for that for years so when I started falling asleep constantly this spring my doctor was really surprised. They're not sure what is wrong with me but maybe reactive blood sugar. I have more testing coming up. I seem to be able to get away with about 200 calories. If I go above that I might drop to sleep. *sigh*

PJulieanne

This is relatable for me. I'm not sure if it's the same but I planned to be tested soon for it. My stomach knots and cramps up followed by nausea after eating most heavy carbs like bread,pasta, certain chocolates and definitely candies like skittles. I as well say Iwont eat the sweets again and fall into them here and there. It's definitely not fun, I'm in the middle of cutting foods to target the exact problems! Thank you for this post.

Missjulesdid

Nope, I never have a problem with sugar. I have done very low carb ketogenic diets in the past for months at a time. When falling off the wagon and eating something sugary, it was blissfully delicious with no adverse reactions whatsoever. Now WHEAT on the other hand is a different story. I gave up wheat because it was aggravating my autoimmune issues, but I never had a problem with how my belly felt after eating wheat. Now that I don't eat wheat on a regular basis anymore, if I do make an exception and have a small piece of wedding cake, I get a horrible bellyache. I've heard tell that it's because if you're not eating wheat your body temporarily stops making the enzymes that properly digest the wheat but I don't know if that's a myth or not.

SmaugHugs

Buttercream frosting always makes me feel like throwing up. I just avoid it now or scrape the stuff off the cupcakes. candies, chocolates and other confections I only seem to be able to tolerate if home made with less sugar or from good quality bakeries. But if I have one bite of something and it turns out to be super sweet, I wind up nursing a stomach ache and drinking lots of water.

karensophia11

I have the same problem...I just had two pieces of Dove chocolates and no more then 15 minutes later I feel light headed and nauseous. Sometimes it's accompanied with stomach pain. I get so tired of feeling sick all the time.

MissJenniLee

I have the same problem. I get such digestive distress in the mornings after having sugar at night. I don't think it's diabetes or just the sugar, but what that sugar is feeding--Candida (a natural occurring bacteria in our bodies). It's considered a BAD bacteria and when it's overgrown can cause all kinds of symptoms (*such as IBS, fatigue, low libido, etc etc etc). Try some probiotics. I'm trying them ASAP because I just figured all of this out.

MissJenniLee

I'm also sick all the time... did you know that refined sugar is actually toxic to us?

SingRunTing

If I overeat on sweets, I get a stomach ache and a headache.

If I eat one serving, I'm fine. I tend to see it if I go back for seconds or eat a too big piece of cake. This rarely happened to me before MFP. I must be eating a lot less sugar than I used to.

stacyjh1979

I was told I am carb sensitive, meaning the refined, simple carbs like sweets, are rapidly digested, lifting your blood sugar quickly but then rapidly "dropping" you back down. )

^^^^this...what this is describing is what is referred to as "dumping" in the gastric bypass world but it can happen to people who have not had the surgery as well. It's just VERY common for those of us who have had it, my surgery was over 9yrs ago and this still happens to me with ice cream being the worst culprit but even a carb heavy meal can bring it on. In addition my heart will race, I'll get sweaty, shaky, dizzy...it sucks! You would think that would deter me huh?!

NatalieLJ

I'm similar in that I have an intolerance to sugar - including fructose (fruit), lactose (dairy), along with a few other foods. But only since hitting 30. Cake with icing is particularly bad, probably because it has a very high sugar content. I also can't have sweetener. I've cut down massively on my sugars in the last 3 weeks as part of the diet I'm following, and have noticed I feel so much better - no stomach pains or bloating and I have more energy. Only problem is that now if I do have any sugar, it hurts.
Anyway, I'd definitely recommend visiting your doctor for food intolerance testing and/or diabetes testing. In the meantime, there are plenty of healthier alternatives to your favourite treats, and maybe swap sugar for Stevia if you really can't bear to go without a bit of added sweetness.

kgeyser

I'm also sick all the time... did you know that refined sugar is actually toxic to us?

No, it's not. If you're sick, see a doctor.

MissJenniLee

LOL at the people calling it a MENTAL ISSUE. Tell that to someone who hasn't been dieting but for a year but been sick for 10+. In fact, I changed my diet because I was sick all the time. I removed all kinds of things that were known to be sensitive... lactose, glucose, red meats, all processed foods, etc etc etc... Sugar has been the only thing I haven't removed as it is very hard.

Just seems like uneducated guesses from people who have never experienced a sugar sensitivity (or what I think is a candida overgrowth)

nhinkelmgt

Sorry for coming in late to this discussion. I was recently diagnosed diabetic and started reading A LOT. I came across this article and it reminded me of one of my coworkers. She seems to know quite a bit about it.

Sugars, sweets, fruits, make her sick. It's happened since she has been a child and has learned to live with it. What is happening is glucose intolerance. It is a lack of enzymes that break down the sugars glucose, sucrose, and fructose. The body is treating it like a poison causing sickness and vomiting. She has Congenital Sucrose/Isomaltase Deficiency. It can also be called Sucrose/Fructose Intolerance. She said some cannot even have lactose, which she is happy she does not have as she likes to drink milk. She is careful what she eats. She can have breads but not raisin or banana bread because of the fruit. She can't have pizza with tomato sauce but can have a white-sauce pizza. There are enzyme supplements that doctors can prescribe but it doesn't work for everyone, she doesn't take them.

I hope this helps someone.

kimama1970

A lot of interesting thoughts, it's good to know I'm not alone, but sorry others have the same issue at the same time. And I agree, the "it's a mental issue" isn't helpful, there's a clear and determinable trigger for this condition.

hrwnketo

I am doubt anyone may see this as it is such an old thread but I have for years and years dealt with stomach pain and nausea after sugar consumption. I always just dealt with it and avoided sugar first thing in the morning and the like to help reduce the symptoms. Then when my daughter, who is now 16 was born, we noticed that she was even worse than me. She could have a small bowl of ice cream or a brownie and she had to run to the bathroom and throw up. She is also a sugar addict and would sneak candy whenever she could as a toddler and she would spend weeks where she would throw up every day. As she has gotten older she is much better and self control and it has gotten better. I always thought it was just us but now I feel like I have a direction to head in and maybe we can finally get some answers. Thank you to everyone who commented and added to this post and especially to the original poster.

yirara

Have you ever considered going to a doctor, also for the sake of your kid? I don't mean an alternative medicine doctor but possibly a gastroenterologist or one dealing with allergies. I'm thinking sugar as reflux trigger, there are allergies to sugar, too many bacteria that thrive on sugar, etc.