I've got the hippy hippy shakes

[tiny_ham]

Ok. My husband says I’m insane.

Chorus: What’s new?

I think I’m falling apart.

Chorus: What’s new?

Every single time I eat a meal…any meal at all…about five to ten minutes following the meal, I get the shivers.

Bear with me folks:

I’m talking uncontrollable shivers like my teeth are chattering, I’m freezing, my whole body is shaking to the point that it hurts my back. It’s like I’m standing outside in a blizzard, and it’s happened twice already today.

I know they say that your body’s like a furnace…and you fuel it with food. Makes me wonder why I get so cold after eating. I will say that it doesn’t happen SO much in the summer or spring…but in the winter, it’s a killer.

Does anyone in the whole world experience this but me?

and more importantly…

am I dying?

Chorus: :rolleyes:

jarbaby

[Whammo]

probably not dying… but messed up for sure! …seriously… whats wrong with you?

[tiny_ham]

*Originally posted by Whammo *
**probably not dying… but messed up for sure! …seriously… whats wrong with you? **

I once asked my husband if he thought I should see a psychologist because I’m a borderline hypochondriac.

he said, and I quote:

“baby, there’s plenty of stuff wrong with you…but there’s nothing a doctor can do about it.”

he’s a real gem.

jarbaby

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Jeepers. Here it’s just a long dull Monday afternoon, and maybe I’ll do a Google search for Jarbaby, nothin’ better to do. “Shivering eating”. Lo and behold, what pops up but this, on a bulimia website (what came up with the words “shivering” and “eating”):
http://www.axom.com/r9700334/2bedrdat.htm

Concomitant use of SSRIs and dexfenfluramine runs the risk of inducing the serotonin syndrome, which is characterized by mental status change (delirium, hypomania), hypertonus, myoclonus, restlessness, tremor, diaphoresis, shivering, and hyperreflexia.

Okaaayyy… “serotonin syndrome”.
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/serotsynd.htm

Serotonin syndrome is caused by drug induced excess of intrasynaptic 5-hydroxytryptamine.

http://members.aol.com/atracyphd/syndrome.htm

The serotonin syndrome is a hypersotonergic state which is a very dangerous and a potentially fatal side effect of serotonergic enhancing drugs which can have multiple psychiatric and non-psychiatric symptoms.

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/6028/ss.htm

I bring you this article because I have had two inadvertent instances of Serotonin Syndrome. The first time was when I had been on Phen/fen, Lithium, and Elavil when a new psychiatrist added Prozac to the mix. Within a very short time, I was rendered completely housebound, having to crawl up my stairs, afraid to drive because of feeling drunk and dizzy, clumsiness, and with the mental status changes severe enough to for me to completely unable to identify what was wrong with me.

The second time was when I was off all psychotropic (i.e., mood-alternating) drugs and tried 5HTP. Since I had little response at the smaller doses, I increased my doses to the upper end of those recommended. Soon I was having chest pains and increased clumsiness. I was able to identify the problem and weaned off the 5HTP.

The symptoms of the serotonin syndrome are: euphoria, drowsiness, sustained rapid eye movement, overreaction of the reflexes, rapid muscle contraction and relaxation in the ankle causing abnormal movements of the foot, clumsiness, restlessness, feeling drunk and dizzy, muscle contraction and relaxation in the jaw, sweating, intoxication, muscle twitching, rigidity, high body temperature, mental status changes were frequent (including confusion and hypomania - a “happy drunk” state), shivering, diarrhea, loss of consciousness and death. (The Serotonin Syndrome, AM J PSYCHIATRY, June 1991)

So, my first question is, what kind of medications are you currently taking?

If you’re not taking any psychotropic medications, maybe it’s just a naturally occurring “serotonin syndrome”. When you eat, it releases serotonin. All about serotonin.
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0515.html

Start paying more attention to exactly what was in the meal you just ate that gave you the shivers. High carb? Low carb? Different foods can affect people differently.

The carbohydrate - tryptophan - serotonin pathway is simply a hypothesis at this point. Since each of us is unique, in order to get a “desired effect” from food, you would need to experiment eating different foods and observing how your body reacts to each of them. You’ll also need to take into consideration your other lifestyle choices — how much sleep you get, whether or not you exercise regularly, the drugs you take, your stress levels, etc. — when figuring out what affects your moods in what manners.

Also, do you get the shivers after eating a meal after fasting for a while?

Many college students go for long periods of time without eating. This certainly can affect your concentration. Our brains need glucose, and if we deny it through lack of food, our bodies have to work harder to break down stored carbohydrates for glucose that’ll be used to feed our brain and central nervous system. That’s why it’s a good idea to have something to eat about every four hours or so.

And, um, you prolly already thought of this, but did you just eat something cold?

And finally, what came up under “serotonin shiver”. More neat stuff for the hypochondriac to worry about.

Fibromyalgia?
http://members.tripod.com/~ms_stix/fibro.htm

Body temperature fluctuations - hot one minute and cold the next. Perhaps inner “controls” (thermoregulatory system) are out of whack.

Nutrasweet?
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/adverse2.txt

I love the Internet.

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Oops, sorry, I left out a couple of cites.
http://www.cedarville.edu/dept/ed/classes/edsp225/brain/tsld024.htm

Serotonin - regulates body temperature, pain, perception, onset of sleep

http://www.antiaging.com/cyberhealth/CyberHealth_17.htm

AGING, DECREASED ESTROGEN, AND PROLONGED STRESS LEAD TO LOW SEROTONIN.

So, you’ve got low serotonin to begin with, and you eat a high-carb meal, and it throws your body temp regulation system out of whack, and you get the shivers.

[tiny_ham]

Duck Duck…really…why do you insist on being so half assed and lazy about things?

Thanks for all of those links. I don’t take any meds currently…when I was in college i was prone to fasting and unfortunately had a bout with bulimia… ::shaking fist:: CURSE YOU COSMOPOLITAN! I’ve always been a sort of extremist when it comes to dieting…I’ll eat nothing but rice for three days, or go on a juice fast, take colon cleansers… before I got married I would puke every meal up for days…

My abnormal psych professor told me that as long as I gargled with water afterwards, ‘mild bulimia’ wasn’t really a big deal.

I think I’ll send him some of these sources.

btw…I actually noticed the worst shivers this weekend after eating very spicy mexican food…

thanks for your help!

jarbaby

p.s. HEY! I just realized something else. my doctor told me many years ago that I may have low seratonin because I’m so easily affected by the weather…cloudy, dark days level me, and sunny, happy days give me energy! That could be it!