I'm not sure where to put this. Sorry if it's in the wrong spot.

Earlier this year I started getting lightheaded, nauseous and feeling very weak to the point I'd think I was going to collapse. It comes and goes. It's not constant. Recently I realized that a lot of the times I had it I had just eaten bread or pizza. (Like this afternoon.) I've never been a really big bread eater. Usually I'd have a rare sandwich, but most of my dough/bread came from various forms of pizza, etc. Is it possible that breads could cause this? That something in the dough could be affecting me?

It's quite possible you have a gluten allergy or bread allergy. The more typical reactions I've heard are intestinal discomforts and rashes, but everyone reacts to allergens differently. The symptoms could also be tied to blood sugar levels, with breads having an effect on those for you.

I think it's important to go to your doctor and mention the symptoms as well as your thought that it may be tied to bread products. Only a doctor can diagnose you for certain. If it is a gluten or wheat allergy then you will know how to treat it by avoiding those foods. But if it's something else it's important to ascertain that too. For example, while you notice the reaction with breads it may be tied to what they do to your blood sugar levels, rather than a gluten/wheat allergy. Or it could be totally unrelated to breads and this was a coincidence.

So I highly recommend you see your doctor about this if you haven't already, and if you already have I'd still go back and mention a potential connection with breads. If you don't have insurance, you may be able to find a free clinic or a clinic that only charges in proportion to what you can afford.

I get this when I eat sugar or too many simple carbs. I used to eat all carbs and sugars all day long with no reaction...this only started after I lost the weight. Went to my doctor, blood tests showed normal. Actually, I have a lower blood sugar level than someone who eats more sugar and carbs. So when they eat that stuff, they don't get the spike I do because their levels are already up. I eat it, I get a large spike, makes me jittery, sick, then it drops and I get really sick...like no energy, foggy, have to go to bed. It kinda makes sense, I guess. i can handle sugar and carbs in small amounts. If I eat a pasta meal, add a piece of bread and top it off with a little dessert...might as well prepare for a very miserable few hours.
Best to go to your doctor and see what's going on.

I started getting very sick at night before my son was even a thought. It always happened after a carb heavy meal, I'd get awful heartburn, terrible stomach pains, and nausea. I couldn't sleep, nothing would help!
Finally, I did a whole30 (no grains, dairy, soy, legumes, or sugar) and I felt like a new person after the 30 days. The stomach issues cleared up in the first 10 days, I lost 25 pounds (I was almost 300 when I started), my skin was clear and I had a ton of energy.

I always say it's worth giving 30 days.

Like KatMarie, I get this when I eat too much sugar and simple carbohydrates. Like when I had mug cake for dinner one night (that was bad). Dizzy, shaky, nauseous, weak, the whole thing. Not fun. It's especially bad if I do something like mug cake for dinner having not eaten much during the day.

I've found that not eating simple carbs / sugar for the main part of my meal helps a LOT. When I do that, I don't get those symptoms at all. Eating whole wheat (when I eat wheat) and making sure I have vegetables and protein with it goes a long way. It's not something that happens often to me (it's been many months now), but it will occasionally happen under the above circumstances.

So it may be your blood sugar. If it concerns you, consider seeing a doctor.

Thank you so much for your thoughts, similar experiences and suggestions!! I feel better knowing it's not just me that's affected.

Atmos - I saw the Dr about it a few months ago. She said it was orthostatic hypotension. I didn't agree with her because that happens when you stand up. It happens to me while sitting still for a while (and not getting up), or while I've been walking for 45 minutes, or standing a while or even laying down. I really don't think that was what it is. The realization it happens after eating breads/dough didn't come until this past week. (Of course just a couple days after my last appt with her. LOL)

I don't get any rashes or intestinal discomfort other than nausea when it's a particularly bad episode. I was recently tested for diabetes because my mom is a diabetic and I insist on getting tested yearly for it. It came back negative again. So I don't think it's blood sugar related, unless I'm misunderstanding that part. I will definitely bring it up to my Dr at the next appt. About four months away or sooner.

KatMarie - I'd lost about 60-65 lbs when it started. I'll have to go back through my food diary and see if sugar and pasta seem to factor into the episodes too.

Izzyboomama - I'm going to look up info on doing that. It's been going on long enough it stresses me out wondering when it will hit next.

LiannaKole - I'll try making the carbs/sugar smaller portions and upping the veggies and see if that helps to make a difference. *crosses fingers*

KatMarie - Yikes! You were right about the sugar. I saw the days I had the worst episodes I'd usually had bread (or pizza), potatoes or potato salad and sugar for desert. My sugar intake has cut down considerably since I started using MFP in October. So the episodes from then on were mostly related to bread and potatoes. It wouldn't have occurred to me that sugar might be a part of it. Thank you for the tip!!