Concerns About Health After Dieting
Greetings, About eight months ago, I embarked on a calorie deficit plan. At that time, as a six-foot male, I weighed approximately 145 pounds, but I have since dropped to around 135 pounds. My diet largely consisted of animal proteins, carbohydrates primarily from fruits, occasional pasta, and high-fiber sourdough. Interestingly, I noticed a significant decrease in my bowel movements during this period. Two months ago, I returned to a more regular eating pattern, but now I'm grappling with a lack of appetite, severe constipation, and bloating. Following my doctor’s advice, I’ve started using laxatives; they have helped somewhat, but my stool is still very thin—almost pencil-like, despite using Clear Lax. Additionally, when I consume sugar now—having nearly eliminated refined sugars during my diet—I experience dizziness, my lips tend to turn blue, and I suffer from a pronounced shortness of breath, along with a rapid heartbeat. This feeling of shortness of breath has become almost a constant companion, leaving me unsure whether it’s stress-related or something else. I am in contact with my healthcare providers about these issues, but I am curious to hear any insights or thoughts from others about what I might be going through or how serious it could be. Thank you for your input.
Answers (1)
9/14/2025, 11:40:38 PM
OpenHealth AI
It sounds like you're experiencing multiple gastrointestinal issues and some concerning symptoms related to your overall health after significant dietary changes. While it's good that you're in touch with your healthcare providers, I can provide some insights into what you might be experiencing and suggest steps to help alleviate your symptoms.
Explanation
Your history of dietary changes and calorie restriction may have impacted your digestive system, leading to issues like constipation, lack of appetite, and alterations in bowel habits. The symptoms of thin stools and the reactions to sugar could indicate underlying digestive stress or dietary imbalances.
The dizziness, blue lips, and shortness of breath you experience, especially after eating sugar, could be signs that your body is reacting to certain foods differently now or that there may be an issue with how your body is processing nutrients. This deserves careful evaluation, as these symptoms could signal cardiovascular or respiratory issues that should not be ignored.
Next Steps
-
Hydration and Fiber Intake: Ensure you are drinking plenty of water and gradually increasing your fiber intake from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains if tolerated. This could help with your constipation and improve bowel regularity.
-
Monitor Symptoms: Keep a detailed diary of your symptoms, noting when they occur and what you've eaten. This will help you and your healthcare providers identify any potential food sensitivities or patterns contributing to your symptoms.
-
Eating Frequency: Try eating smaller, more frequent meals instead of larger ones. This can help with your lack of appetite and could ease the load on your digestive system.
-
Response to Sugar: Since you experience significant symptoms after consuming sugar, consider limiting your intake and observing if your symptoms improve. Discuss these episodes further with your doctor, as they may warrant specific tests or evaluations.
-
Relaxation Techniques: To address your ongoing shortness of breath, practice stress-relief techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or light physical activity, provided you feel capable.
-
Follow Up: Continue following your healthcare provider's advice about using laxatives, but also inform them about the persistent symptoms you’re experiencing. They may need to investigate other causes or provide alternative treatments.
Understanding and addressing these issues can take time, and it's encouraged to remain engaged with your healthcare providers to ensure that you gain a better grasp of what might be affecting your health. Please prioritize any symptoms that worsen or cause significant concern, especially the breathing issues.
Related Questions
Could This Be IBS or Something Else?
Greetings! I’m a 27-year-old male, standing at 172 cm and of European descent, currently using Iqos. My medical troubles began roughly four months ago, around October 5, 2025. Initially, I experienced intense back pain lasting for two days, which I recognized as kidney stone pain. To alleviate this discomfort, I took NSAIDs, predominantly Metamizole-Natrium. Afterward, I visited urgent care, where I was given Diclofenac and Monural, an antibiotic for urinary tract infections. I took one of each at night. **A couple of days later, I started experiencing several troubling symptoms:** - Frequent diarrhea (4-5 times a day, often watery) - Significant gas and belching - Persistent nausea that greeted me each morning, sometimes relieved by eating - A general sense of malaise - A loss of 5 kg (I dropped from 63 kg) because I lacked appetite, especially under stress. These symptoms developed quickly and intensified through October, fluctuating over time. Blood tests showed no abnormalities, with normal CRP levels. Then in November, I underwent a colonoscopy and gastroscopy. - I had three very small erosions, about 1-2 mm, in the terminal ileum, but no signs of inflammation. Histology revealed no pathological issues, all was well. - There was one small erosion in the sigmoid colon, with minor inflammation around it. Histological findings indicated small infiltration in the lamina propria but no chronic signs, leading to a diagnosis suggesting a high likelihood of infection. - The areas were healing, with fibrin present. The rest of my colon appeared healthy. The doctor attributed the ulcers to NSAID-induced damage. I was later diagnosed with LA-A GERD. Due to my anxiety about health, I spent the month consumed by fears of complications such as colon cancer, PC, or Crohn's disease. I finally found some relief and felt symptom-free for the subsequent two weeks. However, in December the troubles resurfaced, though to a lesser degree, with occasional loose stools—2-3 times for a few days— and lingering gas. My anxiety about Crohn's returned, and I mistakenly took Algopyrin Complex, which triggered additional stress. **In December, my primary worries included:** - Loose stools resembling Bristol type 5-6, mainly occurring once each morning - Excessive gas often felt trapped in my rectum - My weight stabilized at 62 kg **I underwent various tests:** - Negative results for Giardia and E. coli - Negative FIT tests - Negative MRI (everything appeared normal) - Negative MRE (all normal) - Calprotectin level measured at 18.7 - I was found to have low levels of B9 and Vitamin D, with B12 at 320 and LDL at 5.9 **Moving into January:** - I only had one bowel movement each morning, sometimes loose, but mostly firm in the past three weeks (Bristol 4), compared to my usual Bristol 2. - After meals, I often felt gas building in my rectum, sometimes getting stuck before eventually releasing. This gas, thankfully, rarely had an odor. - Mornings have been troublesome, as I needed to pass gas 2-4 times, and in bed at night, I felt bloated with gas movements. **What I have observed:** - No signs of blood in my stools - No pain - No nocturnal symptoms affecting my sleep - No extraintestinal symptoms - My weight has stabilized without additional loss after recovering some weight Overall, I feel fine, yet the worry about my condition persists in my mind. Previously, I would have bowel movements twice weekly, with little to no gas. It baffles me that I often wake up feeling this uncomfortable. My primary concern is whether I should be worried about Crohn's disease (which occupies my thoughts constantly) or if my symptoms might stem solely from anxiety. Currently, I'm taking the following medications and supplements: - Itopride (doctor suggested it for motility issues) - L-Glutamine - Curcumin - A B-complex supplement - Ashwagandha - I briefly tried rifaximin for three days, but it did not yield significant changes. - I had also experimented with antacids previously, though they proved ineffective. Thank you for your assistance in advance!
Can Eating More Fiber Alleviate Menstrual Cycle-Related Constipation?
Every month, during the week and a half leading up to my menstrual period, I experience constipation. I'm curious if boosting my fiber consumption might ease this issue. I already ensure that I drink plenty of water throughout the day. I am a woman in my mid-20s.
Seeking Relief from Mild Fecal Impaction: Should I Go to the ER?
At 20 years old, I find myself dealing with a frustrating issue: fecal impaction. It's not something I've faced before, or at least I can’t recall, but I’ve had chronic stomach difficulties throughout my childhood, including constipation from ages four to twelve. Recently, I've been experiencing more digestive challenges after a few years of feeling normal. Currently, I’m under the care of a gastroenterologist, and we’re working on diagnosing the underlying problems. For about five days now, I haven't been able to relieve myself. While I’ve had considerable gas, that’s been the only symptom. Today has been particularly difficult; I’ve spent the last 11 hours in the bathroom grappling with severe discomfort and impaction. Each attempt to relieve the situation is excruciating, to the point where my body is resisting the effort—it’s so painful that I find myself in tears. I imagine this is what birth must feel like. I suspect this intense fear and pain are remnants of my past struggles, as for many years I’ve feared using the bathroom due to the agony it causes. Despite trying various remedies like Miralax mixed with coffee, a bullet suppository, and even a manual approach with gloves, nothing is yielding results. I’m genuinely tempted to head to the emergency room and ask them to put me under so they can help me without the pain. My mother suggests they would likely opt for a liquid suppository treatment like they did during my childhood, which was quite traumatic. I’m torn—it feels like the ER might be my last resort, but I'm concerned they won’t take me seriously since my situation doesn’t seem dire. How foolish would it be to bring up wanting sedation? I desperately want to avoid this pain; it’s becoming increasingly difficult, and I’m fighting back tears from the frustration. Can they truly provide sedation for this type of issue even when it isn’t severe? I worry that my parents might react negatively to my quest for relief and think I’m being dramatic. I’m utterly drained and don’t know where to turn. When there’s no painful push against my body, I can’t even sense the severity of the issue, yet, I am experiencing leakage, leaving me unsure. Would it be unreasonable to pose this question to the doctors in the ER? I apologize if this message is jumbled; I’m also dealing with a migraine, making it hard to focus. For context, my daily medications include phentermine, iron supplements, and vitamin D. I stand at 5’4” and currently weigh 204 pounds as part of my ongoing weight loss journey.
Did My Appendectomy Resolve My Digestive Issues?
I’m a 27-year-old non-binary person who had their appendix surgically removed due to appendicitis early last October. Since that procedure, I’m experiencing something I never thought possible: regular bowel movements. Remarkably, this newfound routine hasn’t faded away, contrary to what my doctors predicted. Historically, I have struggled with constipation throughout my life. As a child, I often felt compelled to mislead healthcare professionals about my bowel habits, claiming I had daily movements out of fear that something was amiss. In reality, I would only have a bowel movement every three to five days. I also live with autism, ADHD, dysthymia, and PTSD. Given my history of burnout, it would be logical to attribute my digestive struggles to stress. However, these issues persisted even during holidays and rarely intensified during particularly stressful times. Most of the medications I tried, including SSRIs and various birth control options, had no impact, except for Ritalin, which occasionally provided some relief when not taken consistently. Prior to the appendectomy, I underwent two surgeries: one for a fractured arm and the other a double procedure to remove my uterus and breasts. Unfortunately, neither operation had any effect on my bowel function. Since my surgery, my dietary, hydration, exercise, and substance use habits have remained unchanged. A bit of additional context: My thyroid hormone levels are normal, although I occasionally have low Vitamin D, for which I take supplements. I receive B12 injections to address low levels since dietary sources aren’t effective for me. Additionally, I deal with a persistent mystery of chronic fatigue that shows no signs of improvement post-surgery. This leads to my question: Could my appendix have been the source of my gastrointestinal issues? Alternatively, did the surgery trigger some other change that resolved my long-standing problem? I’m curious if anyone else has encountered similar experiences. What are the chances that I’ll revert back to my past issues with constipation? Any insights on this would be greatly appreciated, mostly out of interest.
Interpreting My Gastrointestinal Discomfort
A 26-year-old female, weighing 155 pounds, has a background of experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and anxiety. She has been using marijuana for several years and is currently taking venlafaxine at a dosage of 150 mg each day. Residing in the Midwest USA, she identifies as white. On January 20th, she experienced what she initially believed to be a low blood sugar episode. Due to being preoccupied and busy, she had not consumed much food throughout the day. Consequently, she felt lightheaded, nauseated, pale, and was sweating. To alleviate these symptoms, she consumed around 60 to 80 grams of carbohydrates once they began, but it took roughly 2.5 hours for her to start feeling better. The following day, she faced additional discomforts including nausea, heartburn, body aches, trembling with chills and sweats, along with diarrhea. These symptoms persisted for a few days. By January 23rd, she consulted urgent care, where the medical team suspected a stomach virus and advised her to let it run its course. Regrettably, her stomach has not returned to its normal state since that incident. She has been experiencing occasional heartburn and indigestion reminiscent of her previous severe GERD episodes. Additionally, she is suffering from lower abdominal cramps, particularly triggered by consuming items like popcorn or spicy foods, which feels akin to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. During the height of her symptoms on January 20th, she ceased smoking. She partook in smoking a few times between January 24th and 28th, without noticing any changes in her symptoms – positive or negative – and has refrained from smoking since then. It is worth noting that she has not experienced any vomiting or severe abdominal pain typically associated with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). Are her symptoms indicative of CHS? She intends to abstain from smoking yet seeks clarity on the underlying cause of her discomfort. She has read about post-viral IBS and is curious if the suspected stomach virus has reignited her GERD, which had been stable for several years.