Q: I am a 37-year-old woman, am 1.65m tall and weigh 50kg. Lately, I have been having shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, weakness (my hands shiver sometimes) and I am unable to concentrate. This is especially so after a heavy meal.
I had seen two doctors when I was in my mid-20s. Both recommended ECGs which turned out all right. The condition subsided after I took Chinese medicine but it comes back every now and then.
Recently, I have been experiencing this daily, especially after drinking coffee, tea and alcohol. I have since stopped drinking coffee, tea and alcohol. I love chocolate and eat anything made of chocolate. Could this have an effect on my condition?
A: From the information given, your symptoms seem to have been occurring for over 10 years. It also appears that food items that have caused you the discomfort contain varying amounts of caffeine. Others who have had a similar experience were allergic to a particular food. In your case, it could possibly be caffeine.
The long history of your condition would have excluded more sinister conditions. You may wish to consider a food allergy test. An evaluation of your thyroid function should also be useful. -Dr Alvin Ng Chee Keong
