Passing out ?

Traveler

Traveler

Senior Member
Location
San Diego County
Is it normal for seniors to pass out after eating ? A few hours ago I had a light snack. 1 roast beef sandwich, a banana, a 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza while watching movie. The next thing I was aware of, the movie was half over and I was waking up. I was out like a light for an hour or so. This seems to happen to me quite often. Just curious. :confused:
 

Traveler said:
...I had a light snack. 1 roast beef sandwich, a banana, a 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza while watching movie. The next thing I was aware of, the movie was half over and I was waking up. I was out like a light for an hour or so....
Click to expand...
I like your idea of a "light snack" :laugh:. If you deduct "a few hours" from your post time then that was nighttime so, yes, I've also been known to fall asleep at that time while watching the news if I haven't had a siesta that day because I get up quite early and stay up.
 
Sounds like a carb-induced coma to me!

If you stick with low carb food choices you will have better luck staying awake.

IMO staying awake is not all it's cracked up to be. :playful:
 

No traveler. It is ā€˜notā€™ normal to pass out after eating. Falling asleep is something completely different.
You really need to find yourself another doctor. Yours appears to not be taking your serious symptoms, serious enough.

Please see a different health profession about your condition and get another opinion like Iā€™ve suggested already.

NOTE: Your ā€˜lightā€™ snack is far from light.
Can you elaborate more on your ā€˜passing outā€™ symptoms?
Did you actually pass out or fall asleep?
Theres a HUGE difference.

Since you were watching a movie Iā€™m assuming you woke up someplace comfortable like a lounge chair , bed or couch, as opposed to the floor; meaning you most likely fell asleep and didnā€™t pass out.

Passing out is suddenly losing consciously unexpectedly. Itā€™s happened to me from my blood sugar being far too low.
Quite often you wake up on the floor from passing out. It happened to me twice last year while I was building my greenhouse and I ended up with a black eye.

Blood sugar levels spike after eating carb loaded foods, such as you described, then it crashes and clearly you did also.
You need to learn to plan your meals instead of just eating what sounds good at the time. Eating like you are, you are headed to possibly becoming diabetic. Itā€™s especially, especially important to select better foods considering how your body currently processes foods. PLUS Traveler, what you put into your mouth has a huge impact on your MOODS as well as your energy levels. At your age, eating the foods you are eating, itā€™s VERY normal to FALL ASLEEP shortly afterwards.
 
passing out

Of course you went to sleep after eating that much food!! I sleep about 3-4 hours at a time and then get up and do some accounting work, play games on the computer, etc. I asked my doctor about it and he said it was quite common among seniors. He said years ago it was known as "second sleep" as our ancestors did the same thing in order to get more work done. A light snack for me is half a peanut butter sandwich and a small glass of milk and its usually dinner or lunch. I don't eat heavy meals as I don't like the heavy feeling. You did not pass out, you went to sleep.
 
Last edited:
Traveler said:
Is it normal for seniors to pass out after eating ? A few hours ago I had a light snack. 1 roast beef sandwich, a banana, a 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza while watching movie. The next thing I was aware of, the movie was half over and I was waking up. I was out like a light for an hour or so. This seems to happen to me quite often. Just curious. :confused:
Click to expand...

I would call a banana a light snack. You likely reacted from eating too much at one time, which as I understand it gives a similar response (in terms of becoming sleepy) to eating too many carbs too quickly. I'm basing this on reading Barry Sears' book "Enter The Zone" many years back where he addressed the ratio of carbs, fats, and proteins that we eat as well as the total amount we eat in terms of insulin response.
 
I don't "pass out", but after Supper, when I plop down on the recliner, and turn on the TV, it takes a pretty good show to keep me from taking a 30 minute "nap".
 
Didn't use to be this way, but today, if wife and I have a Bud Light beer, with or without food, at home and sitting in our recliners, there's a very good chance that we will get very sleepy and have to take a nap. Thank God this doesn't happen on our boat or in a sports bar or restaurant.
 
Could be a lot of things. The sugar carb rush being one. Body has to burn sugars right away releasing insulin to do that. Also digestion is one of the biggest blood consuming tasks the body does. If all the blood in going to your stomach that's less for rest. Also depends on activity and fitness level the rest of the day.

And I had to stop going to movies at the end of the day after dinner years ago because I started to fall asleep(they cost too much to take a nap)
 
jaminhealth said:
Could be low blood pressure.... and your "snack", I agree with others. I don't think I've ever passed out and I'm 80 soon.
Click to expand...

I know someone who was pulled of their bp meds after fainting/falling from being weak. Finally a doctor realized their bp medication which had been doubled over the last year conflicted with a dual purpose heart medication also used to lower bp. Their bp has stayed normal to low with therapy & water pills/potassium.

A or one symptom/test for low bp is have the bp taken twice once sitting and another right after standing up. After standing if the bp drops more than a few points there's a chance there could be bp issues. Also poor hydration could lead to low bp as well.

In seniors low bp and over medicated has become an issue along with others.

https://www.newsmax.com/Health/Head...ressure-overtreat-drugs/2015/03/08/id/628906/
 
I guess we all have different ideas of what a light snack is. At 6' 3" and 200 lbs, I need a fair amount of food to keep the old body working.

To the best of my knowledge I don't have a BP problem. I usually register 110/72 at the Dr. office. Every Dr. that I've ever had is tickled pink with those numbers. However, if I get too stressed out my BP will definitely rise.

Now, as to whether I pass out or just fall asleep, I couldn't say. I know I have never woken up on the floor, just in the recliner. The only reason I asked is that I can wake-up/come-to 3 hours later. When I was younger I could lie down and have a 20 minute nap and spontaneously wake up. No longer.
 
Traveler said:
I guess we all have different ideas of what a light snack is. At 6' 3" and 200 lbs, I need a fair amount of food to keep the old body working.

To the best of my knowledge I don't have a BP problem. I usually register 110/72 at the Dr. office. Every Dr. that I've ever had is tickled pink with those numbers. However, if I get too stressed out my BP will definitely rise.

Now, as to whether I pass out or just fall asleep, I couldn't say. I know I have never woken up on the floor, just in the recliner. The only reason I asked is that I can wake-up/come-to 3 hours later. When I was younger I could lie down and have a 20 minute nap and spontaneously wake up. No longer.
Click to expand...

Interesting on the BP, I don't remember mine ever being that low when I started to have it checked in my 40's, it was 130/80 give or take. Is your BP this low with meds? I have a friend who is 5 7 or so and thin and her's runs on the low end and she does get dizzy and sometimes passes out.
 
jaminhealth said:
Interesting on the BP, I don't remember mine ever being that low when I started to have it checked in my 40's, it was 130/80 give or take. Is your BP this low with meds? I have a friend who is 5 7 or so and thin and her's runs on the low end and she does get dizzy and sometimes passes out.
Click to expand...


Not because of meds. Though I do take Brilinta, a blood thinner, following my heart attack.
 
Blood thinner could be lowering BP too. But as you say above, you don't know if you pass out or fall asleep. I would talk to doctor. I don't think either are acceptable. Take care.
 
jaminhealth said:
Interesting on the BP, I don't remember mine ever being that low when I started to have it checked in my 40's, it was 130/80 give or take. Is your BP this low with meds? I have a friend who is 5 7 or so and thin and her's runs on the low end and she does get dizzy and sometimes passes out.
Click to expand...

Iā€™m close to 5ā€™7ā€ , am thin and my blood pressure and heart rate are very low but not dangerously so and while low bp can cause dizziness, the more obvious connection is low blood sugar or hypoglycaemia. Iā€™ve got more of a problem with this especially if I eat too many carbs at once and not much of anything else. The extra glucose in the blood pumps up the heart , mood becomes hyper and agitated and the body crashes. Dizziness is certainly a major symptom.

People predisposed to being hypoglycaemic often really benefit from going on a paleo diet; especially people who enjoy eating meat. It eliminates grains, refined sugars, processed foods and dairy. It takes a bit of getting used to but there are loads of great recipes online for those interested and the food really IS good. Itā€™s very easy to lose weight eating like this so if you are on the thin side you have to be careful you donā€™t lose too much. Energy levels soar.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top