Eating disorders

[Andy C]

since being back from uni i have been living with my sister again, She is 14 and diabetic (type 1). My parents warned me before i came back that she hasnt been eating at all for about a month and a bit now. She is losing a fair amount of weight.

EDIT: She also burps quite a lot at the moment

Due to being diabetic she has had lots of blood test as they first assumed that it was due to this that she was ill. These all came back negetive so next she went to have an ultrasound (the results come back in about a week). She is also going for a "tube into the stomach" after new year aswell.

The problem that i would people to advise me is that it keeps coming back to eating disorder. Shes a 14 year old girl so wouldnt be uncommon for this sort of thing to occur, shes not fat and is pritty skinny since she has lost a fair but if weight.

Many of the doctors they have seem have said that since she "feels sick" while eating, make her eat till she is sick. They said this will at least give her a bit of energy as some will be asorbed before coming back up. But when we sit at meals and they start with this she starts crying and they give up on this almost stright away. I said that if they went with this approach at least we could rule out it being an eating disorder as would be coming up naturally (obviously they would have to watch it wasnt making herself sick)

So, does this sound like a eating disorder?? anyone every gone though one or lived/know somone with one?? When they tests come back i guess we will know for sure but that is a good few weeks away and she will loose more weight and be iller but then.
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[Whosthedaddy]

[lozzypop1]

Alternatively listen to Whosthedaddy...
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[G]

There was a thing on the news about Forums dedicated to (mostly) young girls who were starving themselves for the sake of their figure.

Could be worth investigating these places to give you an idea of what to look for.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Why does she feel sick? In what way? Is she really sick, or does the food just not reach her stomach?

All the best

Keith
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[Andy C]

[Whosthedaddy]

[Andy C]

[Whosthedaddy]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Difficult to know if there is a real physical problem, or a mind problem. If the first then she could well REALLY not want to eat.

All the best

Keith
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[Andy C]

[Whosthedaddy]

[Trip]

In my experience with Eating Disorders is that they are fine until a few minutes after they finish eating.
You have to distinguish between Bulemia (Binging and Purging) and Anorexia.
Bullemics tend not to loose weight as their bodies go into 'shut down' and dont loose weight and if anything tend to gain a bit.

Also in my experience theres not alot you can do for them. Half the solution is getting to the stage where they can admit they have a problem. If they know that its a problem then its something you can work on, if they think the situation is ok then they wont want to be helped.

Im currently gong through this with my Girlfriend, It can be hard especially when its with someone you love but just make it clear that if they need someone to talk to that your there and most importantly you wont blow the whistle to your parents. She needs someone she can trust.

This is of course if she actually has an eating disorder and she may not as i have no experience with Diabetes in this area.

My mate has type 1 diabetes and he's very thin just remember that help is available to her if need be.
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[stinkwheel]

I'll just tell you about my experience.

I've got a friend who spoke to me recently about having an eating disorder. As in she was worried she has one and has lost two stone in the last couple of months.

Now her exact words to me were "I'm worried I've got anorexia".

Now, that to me immediately says that she doesn't have anorexia (or at least not anorexia nervosa, she is definately anorexic as in she eats almost nothing). The reason being she isn't trying to hide it, in fact, I don't know many people who are happier with their body image. She always wore pretty revealing clothes and had the figure to show them off, she's now started covering up because she doesn't fill the clothes she likes.

After a lot of talking and questions, we came up with a reason. Doctor had her on antidepressants (seratonin re-uptake inhibitors) due to family problems (I swear I'm going to go and throttle her doctor sometime, lazy fucker "Take these pills and go away" type). They tell your brain you're happy and full. Now all we need to do is beat her doctor into either a) Adjusting the meds or b) (my preferrence) Addressing the problem properly and getting her off the meds altogether.

I may have to go and read the riot act at the doctors again soon. Last time I had to do this it was over tonsilitis. They said there was nothing wrong, the ENT speciallist I insisted on them referring her to admitted her to hospital for three days on IV antibiotics.

How is this useful? Well, it doesn't seem they have properly established if this is a physiological problem (as in can't eat/eating is uncomfortable) or a psychological problem (doesn't want to eat).

I DO know that ketones make you feel sick.

[msgander]

poor girl, I spent 5 years being labelled as eating disorder etc, painfully thin and loved food but it made me feel sick at the mere thought of it, oh and YES this developed partionally into a phobia of food as my no. one existing phobia was throwing up!!!

Damn doctors dont know a thing, it was staring them in the face!!!! - blood test results even showed it. THey missed it, FORGOT to tell me!! for 5 YEARS!!

My nausea (very extreme) was caused by a combination of endometriosis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. Not sure if your sister is sexually active, but should be checked out, and also get her doctor to think about the endo route....it is prime suspect in endometreosis, I had NO other symptoms, no pain nothing!
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[msgander]

agree with post above mine! - totally correct!

If she can look in a mirror and say god I am thin! then she is not anorexic! - if she thinks she looks fat then she is.

Anorexic and eating disorders are secretive things and your family would know if she is hiding things from them.....try not treating her like one and trying to say that you understand she is just feeling ill not necessarily an eating disorder.....
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[Mary Jane]

hmmmm... Maybe it's an eating disorder, and maybe it's not.

Just yesterday, every time I ate something, I felt really ill. No other symptoms, no woosiness, no fever, I don't even have a head cold right now. But I felt sick.

Just finished eating lunch today, and I've got some very uncomfortable stomach pain. If I had health insurance, I'd go see a doctor, becuase I know this isn't normal. But between yesterday and today, I'm very put off by the thought of even eating anything.

[map]

Hi,
Yes she may have an eating disorder, as someone else said if she has an issue with eating/food then she has. However its not purely that simple.
Teenage diabetics are notorious for non compliance its not an eating disorder issue but a teenage, we know it all, we can control anything and defiance of others/elders/authority and can come up with all sorts of excuses to pacify/irritate others. Wot i would suggest along side the diary is to:
encourage her to eat what she likes
eat the amount she can manage without being sick, eat often.
encouraging her to eat a few more mouthfuls more at each meal.
eat with her.
ask her what options she has, what she wants to do about it, basically give her some control. If it is an eating disorder then it may be about control.

The Eating Disorder Association has a web site which may be helpful (do a Google).
If they can't find any physical cause then referral to a psychologist will help, it might help anyway, most teenagers with health problems would benefit.
I hope this helps if you need ant more advice please get back to me. I work on an eating disorders unit, but with adults. Having two teenagers at home is enough for my nerves!

Lol.
(map's prettier partner)
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[Racheldawn]

I hope she is getting better now.

She may not be intentionally not eating but genuinely feels sick. She could be depressed, I find when I have a problem in life I feel sick and cant eat. I remember a period when I was the same age, I didnt eat for a while. I talked through what was affecting me and I got better. Most eating problems are pyschological.

[nc30 chick]

Sounds like she has developed a phobia about eating, this happened to me when I was about 13 but I wasnt diabetic. I went through 18 months of not eating hardly anything. Doctors gave me anti-sickness drugs to counteract but it was more of a pshychological thing by then. She has associated food with feeling sick and I would probably suggest she seeks professional help to see if this has to do with something like depression or maybe there is a clinical reason for it which the camera will show. Mine started with illness and cascaded from there. It took councellors and a lot of time and patience before I started to eat again. My weight was dangerously low and I knew it but my brain would not let me eat. Talk to your sister with care and understanding to try to see if she will open up to you.
Good luck.