I don't know why, but I just crave carbs like CRAZY when I'm sick. I've been suffering from a giardia problem (a lovely little parasite I picked up while traveling abroad) off and on for the past month and a half now.... and though I've been working with a doctor since I got home, I'm now suffering from round two with it.
While I was better (the past two weeks), I was more than happy and able to get back onto my diet of heavy fruits and veggies and lean proteins... but sure enough, as soon as I got sick again the thought of eating fruits and veggies makes me sick! The only thing that I seem to want is carbs of any sort! And dairy... though I can't have it, because this particular infection causes me to be lactose intolerant, ironically enough.
Does anyone else crave certain foods when they're sick? Or get sick at the thought of certain foods that you'd normally love to eat?
Yes, pop!! I have been pop free for five and a half months now, but when I'm sick, it's a HUGE craving hurtle I have to get over. There's just nothing like a fizzy pop when I'm sick.
Yes, chicken soup with lots of garlic. I was sick for the past week, and finally made my chicken soup last night...
I absolutely feel you about the giardia-- I had it when I lived overseas and it is just nasty. It mucks up your entire digestive system... my hubby also had it and he was MISERABLE.
On the plus side, if there is one, I was really skinny then. It made me lose weight. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Ubergirl... ahhh! It really, REALLY sucks! I'd like to say that I'm losing weight from it but I really haven't. I might lose a pound or two from the severe dehydration I've gotten off and on from it (ended up in the ER three weeks ago with an IV in my arm because of the dehydration), but I gain it right back from not being able to eat healthy as I normally do so I'm all blown up on carbs and the few things that my stomach seems to want to keep down. (i.e. all unhealthy foods)
Thanks for all the well wishes ladies!
Last edited by starfishkitty; 03-23-2010 at 12:29 PM.
(and I'm another one who needs to have chicken soup when I'm sick. Actually, I need to have it when I'm well too, I cook up a small pot almost every week. If you can tolerate some, it would help with the dehydration, anyway!)
I'm sick too - this is the first day in 5 that I haven't started my morning by throwing up (apparently it's some form of severe intestinal flu going around. Lovely).
This is the first time I remember in quite a while being so sick I have no appetite at all, but my major sick craving is usually cold-sweet (gatorade, popsicles, juice, slurpees), followed by hot-salty (broth mostly).
When I am sick I want Subway and I want it bad!! That's mostly with colds and other mild illnesses. When I have a really upset stomach, I want nothing. With a slightly upset stomach, I want Sprite (usually Sprite Zero) and Toasteds ButterCrisp crackers.
Last week I had a migraine that lasted 3 days. I was able to keep it at bay for the most part and go about my daily business with Ibuprofen. When the Ibuprofen wore off and the ache came back full force, I found myself craving chocolate. It was odd. I don't usually have specific food cravings and never crave chocolate. I am not a chocolate person, it doesn't "do it" for me usually. At one point, my head hurt so bad I had to go home from work. I stopped at a grocery store and bought a bar of dark chocolate from the Organic aisle and a Coke Zero (my fav). I ate half the bar, drank the soda and when I got home took for medicine for the headache.
Because I did 4 things at once to help the headache 1. slept 2. Chocolate 3. Coke Zero 4. took more Ibuprofen...I don't know which one helped or if it was a combination but I did wake up 4 hours later, head ache free. Go figure.
Hope you feel better soon!
Last edited by Michelle98272; 03-23-2010 at 02:56 PM.
Depends on the type of sick I am. Anything with a sore throat, I want ice cream. An upset tummy makes me want carbs, french bread mostly. Most anything else, I just don't want to eat, but drink gallons of tea.
Because I did 4 things at once to help the headache 1. slept 2. Chocolate 3. Coke Zero 4. took more Ibuprofen...I don't know which one helped or if it was a combination but I did wake up 4 hours later, head ache free. Go figure.
Michelle - you may know this and were doing it on purpose, but caffeine helps with migraines, and chocolate and the Coke both have caffeine. You might want to try Excedrin instead of ibuprofen - it's a mix of tylenol, aspirin and caffeine and makes a huge difference for me with migraines (and fwiw, was specifically recommended by my neuologist. I take a pill every day to help prevent them, and I do have an Rx I take if it gets really bad but when I can feel one starting or get my aura, I take Excedrin and most of the time, it keeps it from turning into a full blow migraine)
Anyone else crave something specific when sick?
