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Anorexia treatment advice

Posted , 3 users are following.

Ajay1992
Ajay1992

Hey all im 22 and for years ive suffer with anorexia nervosa alongside anxiety ive tried many ways to gain weight but i seem to lose it just as fast so i was wondering what other treatments are there? I was thinking of asking my doctor if i could have a 'NG Tube' fitted through my nose to help me get the kick start i need but im curious if you have to be a specific weight to obtain the treatment as i cant seem to find any information online 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • jmcg2014
    jmcg2014 Ajay1992

    Posted

    You should be under the treatment of a therapist and special dietician if you've been diagnosed with anorexia, a Dr won't do that for you I don't think unless instructed to by a specialist team,even then I don't think you'd have to done as an outpatient
    • Ajay1992
      Ajay1992 jmcg2014

      Posted

      I used to go to therapy and such before but it all stopped still unsure why i was on different medication as well as protein drinks but my doctor refused to give me anymore because my sister took a perscription out for my medication to feed her drug habit about 1-2 years ago and evver since then he still refuses me it even tho she no longer lives with me where as other medication got stopped because i was getting negative side affects he said i would have to get force fed if i lost to much weight when i weighed a '9' on the scale and recently i weighed myself and i weighed a '7' any and all advice is welcome as ive hit the tipping point of not knowing what to do anymore and im tired of peaple judging me of how i look
  • katlouise1989
    katlouise1989 Ajay1992

    Posted

    Hi Ajay

    I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with an eating disorder.

    Weight gain is tough, especially when your compromising the psychological battles which accompany it.

    An NG tube won't help you, in or out of hospital, because when it comes out you'll be back to square one, where you still have to manage the gains, and at this point you will have become reliant on the tube.

    Also, it is extremely painful, and can mess with your internal digestive processes, which is why it is usually used as a last resort.

    I'm sorry to be blunt and bring things back to basics, but weight gain is a straightforward process of ensuring you are putting in more than you are spending.

    If you were a bank you would go into debt if there is no money in the account, so you need to keep putting enough money in to match what you are spending.

    Generally speaking to MAINTAIN weight (and this factors in 1-3kg NORMAL fluctuations over a month) you should be eating 2000-2500 calories per day. This is with normal levels of activity. If you are doing a lot of sport or a highly active job you would increase your levels of calories to reflect this. So this may be one reason why you are losing weight.

    The weight maintenance plan reflects the amount of energy your body needs to exist, so this involves blinking, sleeping, breathing, pumping blood round the body, yawning, walking, processing waste and so on...

    If you are on a weight gaining programme, you need to eating more than it takes to do all of the above, to ensure that you replace some of the lost weight.

    You should be looking to gain roughly 1kg per week, and therefore 3000 calories per day / 21000 calories per week adds up to 1kg in weight gain (although everyone is different).

    The other thing to bear in mind is that eating the right meal plan will affect how you are recovering. If you are not linked with a dietitian I would encourage you to request this through your GP, as I appreciate not all mental health services provide this (ridiculous I know). A dietitian will be able to sit down with you and plan a recovery meal plan which is manageable too. One of the things I did with my dietitian was took small steps, because if you pack it full of high calorie foods (which is often the mistake people make) panic sets in and you go downhill.  

    If you are not under a specialist service then encourage your doctor to monitor your weight and bloods regularly. 

    Hope that helps 

    • Ajay1992
      Ajay1992 katlouise1989

      Posted

      Hi kat thanks for being blunt with me i prefer truth over theory smile as ive read youre reply i should point out things i cannot or are incapable of doing which is exercising because my bone structure is very weak to the point of getting verry dizzy after doing a simple push up sad i rarely sleep due to not getting tired an even wen i sleep its ranges from minuites to sometimes 2 days flat an as for food its confusing when i was diagnosed with anorexia i was shocked because i would eat immense amount of foods but my weight Wouldn't budge but now i eat as little as 1 small meal andi feel full and manage to go days without food of course sometimes ill eat but cant stomach it nomore and what worries me more is the fact i get agonizing pains around my heart area that feels like ive been tazered lol but i also get the pains in my lower left stomach region sometimes its daily sometimes not

       

    • jmcg2014
      jmcg2014 Ajay1992

      Posted

      I think the key point is anorexia isn't really treatable without the right people helping and monitoring you,a Dr cannot legally withhold treatment
    • katlouise1989
      katlouise1989 Ajay1992

      Posted

      Thanks for providing more details Ajay. It must be hard for you to accept that so much is spiralling out of your grasp.

      Sometimes even when we want to resist the illness, we have become so powerless and weak, our bodies need taking care of.

      From your earlier post, it sounds like your doctor is concerned... 

      Your description about your heart is particularly worrying. I would get that checked out. If you don't find you get on very well with your GP, is there another GP you can see at the surgery?

      Have you thought about trying to manage small amounts staggered through the day + some milk? The milk will help with the issues you are describing with your stomach. The staggering of meals through the day (so small amounts, even if it is a smoothie with banana, and some porridge divide into two) will also help stagger the energy and that will help with your sleeping issues.

    • katlouise1989
      katlouise1989 jmcg2014

      Posted

      Jmcg2014 - I don't think the doctor is withholding treatment.

      I think the issue is is that the referral process for mental health is really complex due to funding, but this is a separate issue entirely.

    • Ajay1992
      Ajay1992 katlouise1989

      Posted

      Ive asked the doctor but he put it down to 'growth pains' i find it quite staggering since i stopped growing a long time ago  my mothers asked them for a new doctor bt they wont do it i hate the local doctors i remember my mother once told me (OFF TOPIC) the doctors said to my nan she had hayfever and sadly less than a week later she passed away with cancer even to this day i hold them partly responsible for me growing up not knowing my nan i can honestly say ive run out of options i used to feel fine in my self having anorexia but only recently i could admit needing help 
    • Ajay1992
      Ajay1992 jmcg2014

      Posted

      I thought that to but my doctor is kinda stubborn with medication help
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