[pct-l] Remedies for loss of appetite

[Thomas Jamrog]

Have you ruled out Lyme Disease?  I hiked with a guy for a few weeks  
who had the exact same symptoms and it turned out he had contracted  
Lyme Disease.   After it was treated for several days he was back OK.
Uncle Tom

On Jun 21, 2009, at 7:50 AM, Reinhold Metzger wrote:

> Clint,
> Did you ever consider that perhaps your problem was acute mountain
> sickness ''AMS'' resulting from a lack of acclimatization?
> ''AMS'' can cause any and all the symptoms you described and the fact
> that the symptoms emerged at Wrightwood, at high
> altitude, could point toward ''AMS''.
> Longer acclimatization and or less strenuous activity (less aggressive
> hiking) resulting in lower oxygen demand until acclimatized
> might solve the problem.
> I experienced loss of appetite & stamina on some of my JMT fastpacks  
> due
> to ''AMS''
> I also would suggest you take food that you really like.
> It is strange how you can loose your taste for food you like normally.
> But, I never lost my taste for cheese, BB chips or Snickers bars.
> Some folks frown on that as junk food......Perhaps, but if you can eat
> it it is better for you than normal healthy food that you can't get it
> down or keep it down.
> If you fastpack at high altitude go for what your body craves and if
> that is high in fat and sweets, so what....more calories  and
> faster release.
> Besides, you will burn all the fat anyhow.
> Forget all about a normal, healthy diet.....long distance hikers are  
> not
> normal.
> Normal people do not wander around on wilderness trails for month's  
> at a
> time.....that is not normal.
> Let's face it, we are far from normal and a normal diet may not be  
> right
> for abnormal people under certain circumstances. Especially for those
> really extremely abnormal ones, grazing in the meadows may be a better
> option.
>
> JMT Reinhold
> The grazer
> -----------------------------------------
>
> Clint wrote:
> Hello, I was intending to post this in October when thru-hikers are
> home. But I'm getting antsy to get back on the trail and try another
> segment of the PCT. I'm hoping you can provide some insight and  
> possible
> solutions to the issue. I haven't seen this discussed in the archives;
> there seems to be more talk of this on the whiteblaze.net site. The
> problem that took me off the trail was my stomach and constant  
> hunger. I
> had a complete lose of appetite around Wrightwood (mile 364). Over the
> next two weeks I had to gag/choke my food down in small quantities.  
> The
> last few days I was throwing-up my breakfast. I felt tired/lethargic
> most of the day. I had a few "bonking"/"hitting the wall"/"complete
> energy shutdown" events while hiking where I simply had to sleep an  
> hour
> or so before resuming. It bothered me enough I eventually quit at
> Tehachapi (mile 566). I'll first talk about the suggestions I've
> received already as well as read about regarding loss of appetite. The
> question is whether I'm missing something. Afterwards I'll give more
> gory details as to my decline on the trail. Maybe it will provide
> insight into something I am over-looking.
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>