~COPD Patients Craving Chocolate?~

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Hi Everybody,

I'm doing homework and I'm really stumped because I have to find out "why" COPD patients crave chocolate. I've looked online and every link that I click on ends up coming to a dead end. If anybody has any information or a website that you came across that would help, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

[BeverlynBama]

it looks like a start to the answer might be found at this site.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080504213554AAwI4hI

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Thanks, but I already saw that link. Although it did explain how it helps, it doesn't really tell "why" they crave it. I appreciate your help.

[delta32]

When people have COPD the act of breathing alone burns alot of calories. People with COPD need about 1000 calories more than the heathy adult. The only thing that i can think of is that the cholocate is a easier an quicker way to get the calories in with out having to chew and eat large amounts of foods.

HTH

Jamie

[leslie :-D]

never heard of this, and i have cared for a lot of copd pts.

however i did notice the pts who were on steroids, r/t an acute exacerbation or prophylactically, had cravings/increased appetites.

leslie

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

chocolate comes from cacao (spelling used by the article i found) beans which comes from the theobroma cacao tree which to me sounded similar to the drug theophylline. (http://www.facts-about-chocolate.com/where-does-chocolate-come-from.html) my pharmacology book says theophylline is found naturally in cocoa. one of the side effects of theophylline is cns stimulation. somewhere i recall that being a problem with many people and almost tatamount to a reason for using a drug--that stimulation effect. cns stimulation is why many people abuse (crave) certain drugs. we often had copders who would want more and more of their respiratory meds and the doctors would outright tell them "no".

the other idea, and this probably goes to the cns stimulation as well, is the there is some caffeine in cacao. copders who smoke probably develop some hypercapnia (increased carbon dioxide in the blood) and become sleepy. they may crave the chocolate not only to help make the cigarette smoke more tolerable (when i smoked i never did like the taste of the smoke) as well as to give them a little boost to help stay more alert and awake. http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvluk9o0e/b.4061173/apps/s/content.asp?ct=5045083

[Jolie, BSN]

I also wonder about the magnesium in chocolate. It acts as a smooth muscle relaxer, and may help with the work of breathing.

[cwigley]

As a chocolate addicted COPD patient I feel that I may be able to give some insight here. Daytonite is correct that Cacao contains theobromine and that acts as a bronchodilator - and that is the answer I give my wife or anyone else who asks .

However the real sad truth is that it simply tastes so darn good :chuckle For a more technical description of this see http://www.webmd.com/content/article/41/1671_52404.htm and us COPDers are sometimes a little weak willed

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

I want to thank you all for your response and input. I was able to bring it to the table today in our theory class. What you all said was correct. Thanks Again!