Vomiting after cheat meal

newbies
(Vivian ) #1

So, I have been trying to find an explanation on the web these last few months in regards to why I have been vomiting (rapidly until all food has been cleared from my stomach, episodes last about 15-30 minutes and I feel almost normal afterwards) after all cheat meals, some include alcohol, but not all.

Long story short, I have been on the keto diet consistently since March of this year and tend to have 1-2 cheat meals per month. The vomiting did not start until I would say the last 3-4 months of being on keto. After I have a cheat meal, I become extremely tired and tend to fall asleep for an hour or so, then I’ll wake up and feel as if I am running an intense fever and nauseaous, so I will go to the bathroom and within 5-10 min I usually end up projectile (aka rapid expulsion) vomiting to the point that sometimes I cannot catch my breathe. The entire episode lasts about 15-30 minutes, basically until I have nothing left to puke up and then I’ll feel extremely cold and shaky. Afterwards, I’ll sip on 1-2 cups of water over the course of an hour and feel totally fine shortly thereafter. As stated above, not all of my cheat meals include drinking alcohol… and imo I do not over drink on keto now that I have realized my tolerance level has decreased. If anyone could please give me some insight in what may be causing this or possibly a diagnosis that would be much appreciated.

**Last night, my fiancé and I had thanksgiving with his family and I ended up getting sick shortly after I got home. All I had over the course of 3-4 hours was 2 4oz glasses of wine, 2 cider beers, and your typical holiday fare (turkey, stuffing, salad, green been casserole, bread, and some cheesecake). All the same symptoms followed shortly after we left their home, I immediately went to bed around 8pm and woke around 9pm and began vomiting shortly thereafter. It would be nice to enjoy holidays again without vomiting lol I can forgo cheat meals the rest of the year if need be but sometimes it feels nice to eat like my family and friends do. Thanks for reading my post and for any tips, insight, or feedback you may be able to provide me!

Horrible stomach pains and Diarrhea ( sorry TMI I know)
(Carl Keller) #2

I’ve heard of this happening to some people on keto and not to others. Your body is confused after it gets used to fat for fuel and then you dump in a bunch of carbs. Imagine an engine that takes regular gas and then you convert it to diesel… then you fill it up with regular gas.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

@VWar Do I gather correctly from your post that you enjoy the vomiting? Most people find vomiting so unpleasant that they go out of the way to avoid foods that make them vomit.

(Vivian ) #4

No I do not enjoy it. It’s just become increasingly frustrating that every time I have a cheat meal I get sick. Quite honestly it sends my anxiety through the roof when I have a hard time catching my breathe, so again, no I do not enjoy vomiting. I am trying to resolve this issue or at least gain more insight as to why it is occurring. I obviously did not have this problem before I started keto. I was a pescatarian for several years but ended switching to keto once I developed a shell fish allergy in my late 20s… which is not abnormal.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #5

I cheat big time every two weeks and feel wonderful. Then go back to Keto. I would suggest you see a doctor. Vomiting anytime is not normal.

#6

It’s possible you’ve developed an intolerance to something in your cheat meals. I second @Regina’s advice to see a doctor.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #7

Thank you Safi - you have always been supportive!

(Frank) #8

I’m no doc but that sounds like reactive hypoglycemia to me. I’ve had several episodes myself after a cheat meal and a few or more beers. Panicky, sweaty, nauseous. It really was quite scary.

#9

You give good, practical advice - can’t not support that :smile:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

So then, your reason for cheating, despite knowing what’s going to happen, would be . . . ?

Or to put it another way, the difference between a normal drinker and an alcoholic is this: if a normal drinker finds that alcohol makes him puke, he doesn’t drink alcohol. Whereas if an alcoholic finds that alcohol makes him puke, he thinks to himself, “Great! Now I have room for more!”

(Empress of the Unexpected) #11

And I am so out of here. Sorry, can’t deal with the constant drama.

#12

There will always be spot fires & personality clashes (which I agree are unfortunate) but I think for the most part this forum is pretty good. You’d be missed :worried:

(Frank) #13

Did you catch the double negative there? Can’t not support = can support. I hope that helps.

(Brian) #14

I wondered if it was something specific in a cheat meal, too, maybe something that you’re not able to digest.

(Vivian ) #15

Thank you, I really appreciate your response! I will have to do some research on reactive hypoglycemia. I have a very scientific mindset and like to be able to actually understand the processes of the body and why things occur. Thanks again for your input.

#16

Thank’s for pointing that out - I had thought that @Regina got my meaning but perhaps not :anguished:

(Frank) #17

Those double negatives can be tough. :ok_hand:

(Vivian ) #18

I honestly do not know. Each cheat meal varied and some I would not necessarily consider a “meal.” I should have been more specific, one was technically a large portion sized treat; specifically a large sized cup of ice cream… maybe equivalent to 1 1/2 servings of ice cream. Let’s just say within a matter of 30 minutes I regretted that one, so have not had ice cream since. The most recent was thanksgiving as noted above and I did not overeat in terms of portion size, I had barely a full plate for dinner but did have a decent slice of cheesecake about an hour afterwards. The time before that I had Thai food; specifically fried pork with rice and some kind of sauce with a glass of plum wine. I did not finish the meal, I ate until I felt full and left it at that. So, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint exactly what is causing it if it was an intolerance or allergy. Each meal was different. The only thing I can think of is the amount of carbs or sugar being consumed but imo I’m not eating in excess in terms of gorging on high carb foods or having an entire cheat day instead of a meal.

#19

Yeah - I’m not one of the great communicators. I should be writing political doublespeak.

(less is more, more or less) #20

I am wondering the same thing.