There is some controversy regarding the regulation of leptin by melatonin during the night.
One research group suggested that increased levels of melatonin caused a downregulation of leptin.[10]
However, in 2004, Brazilian researchers found that in the presence of insulin, "melatonin
interacts with insulin and upregulates insulin-stimulated leptin expression", therefore causing a decrease in appetite whilst sleeping.[11]
Posts: 57 | From western Virginia | Registered: Apr 2009
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Perhaps you folks should try eating fewer carbs and more fats and protein at night, so the sugar crash doesn't happen.
Posts: 330 | From Colorado, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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I don't have diabetes, so that isn't it. I am on thyroid meds for an under-active thyroid, but only very low does, because it is only a very mild problem.
I am already eating protein at night- I'm on the yeast-free diet, so I eat very few carbs at all, and most of them are in the morning.
But I really don't know anything about hypoglycemia, so I'll look into it.
I guess I'll just have to have some hard boiled eggs on hand for now!
Thanks for the ideas
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Such a good question! I can't even begin to count how many times I awaken in the middle of the night... eyes barely open... stumble to the kitchen... and HAVE to grab something to eat!
Most mornings, I find I am covered in crumbs or partly eaten remainders of whatever it was that prompted the wee hour raid.
Very odd indeed!
I do know that my thyroid and hormones are whacked with very high cortisol levels and very low insulin. I'm rarely hungry during the day, and can't say that it is a feeling of hunger per say that drives this at night.
It is almost akin to the 'sleep walking and eating' thing that I have read about. Perhaps it is our bodies way of getting calories or nutrients or carbs NOT fulfilled in the daylight hours?
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
Every single person in my family has this. We all have TBI's too.
There was a thread about this awhile back but no one else responded so I thought it was rare. I knew it had to be related to TBI's and not just genetics since both my mom and dad had it.
There is a relatively new disorder called NES (Night Eating Syndrome). It seems to be misunderstood in my view, probably because it is new to the medical community.
Way to put it together Valla - In my non-professional opinion, leptin, melatonin, insulin and possibly serotonin are all involved. ALL of these things can be affected by TBI's.
I've been working on this for years and it's not too bad anymore. I take chromium in the evening and at bedtime. It helps normalzie blood sugar. Eating low carb as was suggested is a good way to help with blood sugar. I take melatonin - slow release. For some odd reason, vitamin K before bed seems to help. I *think* there could be a connection for some people with not being able to convert folic acid to the active form (related to methtylation issues).
I'm looking for ways to normalize leptin since I'm pretty sure that will help. Binding biotoxins should help. Staying away from mold or other things that mess with leptin should help.
Naltrexone made it worse. Die-off from lyme or mold will make it worse because it can affect leptin and insulin.
Still putting it together here but I keep looking for answers.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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WildCondor
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posted
Get your fasting blood sugar tested. Eat small protein meals 6x per day including one before bed. Avoid sugar and simple carbs!
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posted
This is really interesting! I thought something was wrong with me (well, something I could control, anyway!).
I'm not very hungry during the day, but at night, I just want to eat. I'm not really hungry, just feel like I need to eat. I've found that cutting out as much carbs as possible helps enormously, and I do take chromium piccolinate 2x a day, which seems to help, too.
Glad to know I"m not (completely) nuts!
-------------------- dx: MS in 1998 2007 - Lyme suspected 2009 - Positive Lyme, MS worse. Now: Copaxone shots for MS gall bladder out 7/09 Ceftin, Zith, Septra LDN Acyclovir Monolaurin, DHEA, Pregnonelon, Curcumin Posts: 243 | From New Mexico | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I have much more appetite as the day goes on into night myself, which is very different than before I got sick. My appetite went really screwy all around--I had lost 25 pounds at a point (gained some back)
Sometimes during the day, I really struggle to eat, and as the evening comes, I get ravenous. I often wake up in the middle of the night, hungry and shaky--out of my SLEEP.
Some of this was happening early, early on.....when I was still functional.
I read in Dr. Singleton's lyme book that this happens to lyme patients...it's a blood sugar/absorption issue. I don't have the exact quote, but when I got diagnosed and started reading about this (lyme), I read that.
Posts: 322 | From Venice, CA | Registered: Sep 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
In addition to all of the above great suggestions -
If any of you take Ambien, that med can be a cause of night eating as well.
It could be exacerbating the problem.
And, yes - I too had this problem! It seems to have abated, thankfully, with treatment of TBDs.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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bettyg
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posted
cactus; interesting about the ambien; i used to be on that...
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cactus
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posted
I'm sure not everyone who's hungry at night is on Ambien, but just for the sake of info, here's one of many articles on Ambien and night eating:
This can apparently be quite serious - Ambien is an amniesiac (is that a word? it's late for me), and evidently people get up to eat in the middle of the night but remember nothing later.
From personal experience - my mother was an Ambien night eater, and awoke one morning with an enormous bruise spreading from her elbow almost to her shoulder from having fallen in the night (we think).
She has no memory of how it may have happened. However, the trail of crumbs in the kitchen gave us a clue.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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TerryK
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cactus, that's so great that you got rid of it. Can you pinpoint which infection/infections might have been the culprit? Can you give us any clues such as what was being treated when you noticed it was gone?
I noticed LDN (low dose naltrexone) seemed to make it worse. I'm off it now and it's back down to a mild problem.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Terry, I'll try but not sure it will be terribly helpful.
It stopped suddenly - after (during) a major crisis, and has not resumed.
We were treating one of my many babs relapses when I developed pancreatitis, which led to an "addisonian crisis".
My adrenals had been low-functioning, and after the pancreatitis, they simply stopped completely.
But - treating that situation with the adrenals triggered major positive changes all around, and the night eating was one of the symptoms that resolved.
Maybe that will lend you some clues?
I hope it soon resolves for everyone.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
This is a very informative discussion, thanks to each of you for adding input!
I think you could be correct Cactus re: adrenal functioning playing a supporting role here. My issues began around the same time period when my former LLMD told me that 'My adrenals were shot'.
Insomnia has also been a major problem for me for years. I have tried every OTC and most all Rx interventions to no avail. So, perhaps the sleeping aids do add to the night cravings as well?
We know that one of the red flag symptoms for Babesia is a tendency toward anorexia. This certainly holds true with me. I have NO feeling of hunger most of the time and only think about eating when I have to take meds or if my stomach hurts from not eating.
Perhaps because our circadian rhythms are really messed up combined with endocrine issues... our eating patterns are naturally following in suit?
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I think the problem can be related to adrenals and cortisol levels. With my son his cycle is reversed and he has low cortisol in the a.m. and high in the p.m. He gets more hungry as the day goes on and is often very hungry at bedtime.
Posts: 688 | From Florida | Registered: Aug 2001
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
That's interesting blackmon.
I've had my am and pm cortisol tested and it was normal however my sister's was reversed like your son's.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Hmm. I could see this being related to adrenals as well. My issues also started at the same time as symptoms which my LLMD says point to adrenal fatigue.
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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