Big Problem ..not eating

[Panikki]

Hi All,
Have'nt posted for a long while but have been reading your posts.
I hope some-one can give me some advice as i'm desperate! I have'nt been able to eat for 3 weeks now and can only drink small amounts. Needless to say my weight is drastically falling ...prior to these last 3 weeks i had controlled what i ate for 6 months as i seemed to have developed a fear of choking! Had already lost 4 1/2 stones and now things are getting serious as i cant eat at all. When i try to eat the food gets stuck in my throat ..if i manage to get something down then if feels as if it's stuck in my tubes for hours..i feel extremely short of breath and all the usual panic attack symptoms follow. Have been to G.P. and there does'nt seem to be much help available ..just suggestions of eating little and often which they know i cant manage!
Has anyone heard or experienced anything similar and have you any coping strategies to get over this..I dont want to loose weight and i dont want to die of starvation! Please help ..Jodie

J Baker

[Meg]

Hi Jodie ,

Trying to get a handle on this as to whether you delevoped this fear following a real choking episode, whether your lump in your throat is transient or there all the time ie if you wake in the night is it immediately there or does it come with the worry .

Have you had any investigations into it ?

In the meantime you need to be getting as many nutritious calories into you as possible. Your chemist can suggest some all in one high calorie drinks like 'build up' or 'fortisip'.





Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch

[seh1980]

hello there,

Sorry, have never experienced this myself but all I would say is make sure that you buy some nutritional drinks (high calorie with vitamins, fibre, etc). Speak to your chemist about it - I'm sure that he/she will be able to recommend something. Make sure that you do try to consume as much as possible though cos we don't want you getting ill!! Take care.

Sarah :D

[nomorepanic]

Hi Jodie

Are you ok to drink something like soups or blend up some veg to get some nutrition into you.

I am sure if it was serious the doc would have referred you to get the camera down your throat to see if you have a blockage.

If you feel that he should have then go back and inisist they do.

You must eat though cos this will only make the panic worse if you don't.


Nicola

[Panikki]

Thanks for replies,
Docs think it's definately anxiety related and cant be bothered to do tests. I can manage drinks but not too much ..have been having i sachet of complan a day = light meal. Have tried really hard to eat food but it just sticks and makes me panic more . I just hope that i can over-come this ..I appreciate your input tho guys..many thanks luv jodie. P.S. G.P. did suggest i should be admitted to potty hospital but they refused to take me in cos they dont think i'm mad!!

J Baker

[Meg]

Jodie,

Is it there 24/7 in the night as well or are there periods of time without the lump at all ?

Meg

[stimpy]

Thanks to my panic episode I lost 4 stones.
How ever mine was nothing to do with not being able to swallow.
Mine was to do with panicking so constantly that I was either vibrating across the lounge or sleeping with exhaustion.

It was a good job I had extra cake retention or I would have been in serious trouble.

Not being able to eat is dreadful isn't it.

I was going to suggest complan, it is what Steve used to feed me.
And you can get high nutritional drinks from the chemist.
And it is way better than starving to death.
Failing that see if you can have "liquid foods" - foods that you have squished to death.

The best way forward to beat this is gentle but slow exposure to more and more solid food.


Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[:p]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'

[Panikki]

Hi, again
Still struggling have been trying to force small amounts of food (soft ) down my throat but it's a tuff battle. Will ask in chemist today about nutrition drinks some of you mentioned.
Some-one asked if the lump feeling is there 24/7 but this is'nt so much the problem it's like my throat feels constricted when i try to swallow like as if some-ones got their hands round your throat! Yes it's there all the time i've tried eating in the middle of the nite /early hours of the morn it's the same thing! My stomach is screaming to be fed but my throat/mind wont allow it! Today i have recieved a letter from local MHT to say they will see me this wednesday and are appointing a CPN to help me ...so that is a relief as i felt that NHS was failing me big time with this problem. I want to get better but like with all anxiety based
probs the mind has a very strong influence over our behaviour and it's not gonna be easy. Thanks for your support your a great bunch ..luv to you all Jodiexx

J Baker

[nomorepanic]

Jodie

I went to the docs a few weeks back and mentioned the difficulty swallowing thing and the first thing he said was a common symptom of panic/anxiety. I never had problems swallowing, however, when eating food - that went down fine so I guess mine was anxiety.

He did say that if I was having problems eating and swallowing then to go back and he would do further tests (the camera down throat for one) so I am wondering if it is worth you getting that done just to reassure you.

I guess you could leave it till after you see the CPN to see if they can help atall.

Take care ok and do try some of those nutritional drinks to keep your strength up.

Nicola

[Panikki]

Hi Nic,
Thanks for your reply , my Doc wont send me for test but will refer me to get it done privately as i stressed my worry that there could be something wrong rather than it just being anxiety. I'm still cosidering having test although it will probably cost a fortune but it would put my mind at rest. It's more than likely just acute anxiety but it's become such a task to try to eat even small amounts of food even with the aid of diazipam. Do you think i should get the test done or will it be a waste of my money? It's 3 weeks now of no real food :( luv jodiex

J Baker

[nomorepanic]

Jodie

Why won't he do it on the NHS as he seemed to be offering it to be straight away? Does he have any specific reason do you know? Did he offer any help with the not eating?

I wonder how much it will cost?

I wasn't sure I fancied having a camera down my throat so mine went away funnily enough lol.

Are you due to go back and see him again?

Nicola

[stimpy]

I think it is really bad that he is making you go private. [V]

It's been so long since you have eaten solid food, I can't imagine why he isn't the least be concerned!

On the plus side I guess the test will tell you one way or another if there is a reason for it other than anxiety.

Good luck with the mental health team. Ask them for a Starworker ;)

Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[:p]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'

[Panikki]

Hi,
G.P. is convinced it's all down to anxiety thats why he dont want to waste time referring to NHS hospital(i think) also they said it could take up to six weeks ...already i have'nt eaten for 3 whole weeks ..in another six weeks I would probably be feeling pretty ill! (to say the least) thats why i suggested i go private as they see you within a week! At least if i had test done then i'd know 100% that it's an anxiety issue and i'm sure it would make things less stressful (i hope). I have been taking Diazipam everyday now which i'm not keen on but it has'nt helped much!
I'll be seeing G.P. on tuesday so hopefully they will point me in the right direction about having further investigation done. I'm just so confused at the moment ,as if it's all axiety why is my mind body doing this to me? I used to love eating:( I'll keep you posted on my progress , thanks again for your support LUV JODIEx

J Baker

[nomorepanic]

It could be all down to anxiety but they could still try to reassure you some more couldn't they?

I hope it goes well on Tuesday for you - let us know.

Nicola