I always feel hungry!!!

I must admit that after having read some of the other posts on this forum I feel somewhat guilty comlaining about this.

To begin, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer (Stage 1B) mid last year (aged 53 then).  After 9 weeks of chemo, I had a total gastrectomy followed by another 9 weeks of chemo.  I have got through 2 scans & all is clear (so far).

My weight went from a pre-diagnosis level of 82kgs to my current level of 73kgs.  I maintain a healthy lifestyle - regular gym goer & 200-250kms per week on the bike.

I eat reasonably well, although I have to be very careful with sugary or high-carb foods (dumping).  My "problem" is that I never feel "full", unless I gorge myself to the point of feeling sick.  This is really only a problem at night, when I find it difficult to get to sleep because of these hunger pains.

My surgeon & oncologist just say this is "most unusual" - that really helps!

Has anyone else had this experience?  If so, any tips on fixing it (other than sleeping tablets)?

Regards

Alex

alex, I just wanted to let you know i feel your pain. i suffer with appetite issues (mainly high carb, sugar & fat foods) and will frequently binge 2 the point of feeling very uncomfortable. i also have many other carcinoid symtotms and just recently have been having alot of bowel related issues. diareha. gas. crams & bloating and even a few burps that tasted of feces...i know...gross!! i also suffer with symtptoms of pellagra mainly skin issues and sensitivity to light. my endo ordered a 24hr 5hiaa urine but i never bothered with it b/c i just figured it would come back normal just as every other test has...and i am sick of collecting pee and being a pin cushion only to end up thinking i am crazy. anyway, i hope ur cancer stays in remmision and you continue to feel well. are you gaining any weight w/ all those binges? u said u has stomach cancer...are you on these boards because u think it was a carcinoid tumor? feel well, carlie

Oh yeah i forgot to mention i also suffer with pretty bad insomnia and consume a large bulk of my cals at night. its a pain in the ass, esp on school nights when i have to wake at 6am for class and dont get to sleep till 3...ive triedd benadryl, klonopin, and valeriean root , sometimes they work sometimes they dont. you could try valerian root...it is an herb not a drug...but sometimes (for me at least) the hormones or whatever the hack is going on are just too strong and no drug will help...one night i took 3mg of kpin and a beer (in a desperate attempt to get some shut-eye and i still ended up saying up all night....the best advice i cam give is just lay down somewhere comfortable close your eyes think nice thoughts and hope u fall asleep, but as i said sometimes our bodies just wont let us....so read or watch tv...(belive me i know watching tv at 2am sux...unless u want to watch corny infomercials :)) but try to occupy yourself until you get tired enough to try to sleep...i know it sucks...i have always been more of a hypersomniac and this is a big change....and it blows!!! good luck!

Carlie

Thanks for the reply.

It's nice to actually know that someone is having the same issue - my oncologist & my surgeon both made me feel so weird!

I have no cancer symptoms at the moment (how lucky am I!), but I am going through the 6 monthly CT scan routine - feels a bit like being on death row.  My oncologist is "extremely optimistic" but my surgeon almost feels like a vulture waiting for the cancer to return.  He is such a negative person, I think I might just have to disappoint him.  That said he was amazingly thorough with my surgery.

I am trying meditation at the moment & that seems to help a bit (although it feels a bit corny).  If that doesn't solve the problem I'll gove the valerain root a try.

Thanks for your advice & thoughts.

Good luck to you as well.

Alex