Hello, A little about me, i'm a male, 21. i'm underweight however i have asked the doctor whether i have any eating disorders and he has ruled this out. I want to gain weight, not lose it. Everymorning when i wake up, i feel nausous and i can barely eat. When i do eat, my stomach burps and is irritable and doesn't let me eat. Sometimes it takes me hours to eat something Somedays i force myself to eat a banana/1 slice of toast and then go university, come back and then i can eat a small meal However, other days i can barely eat and i feel nausous and i throw up after eating anything. I've went to my GP plenty of times and the hospital. We have ruled out gastritis. I have undertaken: - Endoscopy -Ultrasound -MRI on my mind -Barium swallow test So far, all have revealed nothing wrong with my body. My symtoms get worse when i am stressed due to deadlines and exams, i barely eat when i am stressed. However i'm not that stressed now yet i still cannot eat, i think i associate food with throwing up in the mornings. I'm going for my first Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session on thursday. I hope it helps me Sometimes me not eating like a regular person scares me, because i've lost weight and doctor has asked me to gain some weight, he's also given me lots of medicines. I am taking Citalopram currently to help my stress and to help increase my anxiety. I am also taking propranolol & also anti-sickness medicines & multi-vitamins to help gain energy. The worst part isn't me not eating, it's the fact i am so lethargic and if i wake up at 11am for afternoon class, after trying to eat i'll feel so tired and exhausted i'll need to lay down for a few hours. I try to get enough sleep, atleast 8hours. So i know this isn't the issue. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, i just want to be able to live a normal life like everyone else. Sometimes i feel depressed due to my health issues & i'm only 21! So this worries me for the future and my ability to hold a job. i'm unsure whether this post belongs to the mental health forum or abdominal disorders but i think since the essence of my issues are stomach and nausea related it belongs in the abdominal disorders forum.
Hi sorry that you re going through such a rough time . But after reading your post it your symptoms sounds like anxiety. Your therapy should help you.
Hi, I think you are messing up your hormonal balance. Stress is a big factor. Stress messes up your functions… That you are not eating and not hungry is a sign that grehlin is not stimulated in your body. That is the hormone that shows you that you are hungry. I have had this many times. And it is like a vicious cycle. If you don’t eat you are not getting the right nutrients your body needs. Your body needs lots of water plus carbohydrates, fat and protein (macro-nutrients) and Vitamins & minerals (micro-nutrients) EVERY SINGLE DAY so that all the chemical functions in your body are running smoothly!!
And I have to tell you that I fell for all these stupid diets.. low fat, low carb.. they are all the worse crap and made me so sick. I have hurt my body so much with it. I am now constantly brain fogged, nauseated and close to getting diabetes. My cholesterol is also very bad.
I am on a good track right now though with adding healthy fats to my diet, eating lots of vegetables and walking every day for 1 hour.
Check the DRI’s for your age and also check MyPlate.gov if you want info on a healthy diet.
In regards to your sleep.. your body needs a regular basis.. and the sleep before midnight is unfortunately the best. You should shift your sleep patterns if possible to a little bit earlier and get up earlier…use the morning to take a walk, do some moderate exercise. Change your diet and don’t eat any crap - I always say what comes from this Earth naturally is the best.. everything that humans processed… don’t eat it..
Good luck and you will see there is a direct brain/ gut connection - you won’t have any anxiety as well soon with a healthy diet and exercise.
Are you taking your citalopram exactly the same time every day? If you miss a dose or take them at different times, it can make you feel very nauseas. Otherwise nausea is a common side effect of citalopram anyway. What dose are you on? You can also get nausea as a side effect for propranolol, because it lowers your blood pressure. Are they both used for your anxiety, or do you have any heart problems?
You must try walking ( in a suitable place like garden ) at least for 1 hour ( around 4-5 kms ) everyday. This will help you in 2 ways.:
- It will reduce the anxiety and stress
- It may help you to get hungry.
If possible, try to add up some exercises too. But walking is my first advise. Start with 15 minutes walk in 1st 7 days, then increase it gradually to 1 hour gradually within a month or two.
I’ve had nausea and diarrhoea from anxiety but it has cleared up now due I think to a change of counsellor and relaxation excercises and trying to feel more positive. My appetite is back to normal, in fact I am gaining weight but am not underweight! Hopefully, your CBT will help you. Must be horrible being sick after eating but almost certainly sounds like stress. Anxiety can do this. Good luck with your therapy and your studies.
Hi younus786
You do not mention if you have had any blood work carried out. Due to not taking nutrients into your body you will be low on vitamins and minerals such as vit d, vit b12 also iron low levels will make you extremely tired and nauseous and anxious. Also, your electrolytes will be affected sodium and potassium levels. If you cannot eat solid foods try juicing your fruit and veggies to get some essential nutrients into your body. Start off with small amount and build up so your deprived digestive system can get accustomed to it. The medication you are taking will not have much effect if they are not being absorbed into your system properly via food…you are in a bad way nutritionally . Try the juicing and build it up to solid food. Get your doctor to carry out blood tests for vits especially vit d and vit b12, minerals and iron levels.
Hi mary,
i have done blood tests, 3 in the last year i think and so far they all came out fine, nothing was wrong, i try to eat but i feel very nausous
Hi vish,
my only concern is that how can i exercise when i feel deprived of energy and lethargic daily, i try to walk in my house sometimes, it just makes me more nausous
My citalopram was making me even more tired so i stopped taking it, i’m on 10mg for it
i have no heart problems, both propranolol and citalopram are for my stress however somedays i don’t feel stressed about university at all yet i still cannot eat, i think i associate food with throwing up now - it’s that bad
Thanks for the advice, i am hungry sometimes however i just cannot eat, i feel nauseous.
I’ve always been a slow eater but now i just don’t feel like eating due to nausea and worrying that i will be sick.
2 says ago, i ate dinner and then threw up, it left me more lethargic
i try my best now to eat healthy food and avoid junk food because i cannot handle solid food at the moment
Start with a 5 min exercise and 5 mins walking. But not inside house. It must be outside the house. Inside the house makes no sense.. It’s the outside environment and air that is important. Especially the morning air, at 6’o clock if possible. Same thing after every meal, and at night.
Increase the duration gradually to 10 mins and so on… as per your comfort.
Alright Vish,
i’ll give that a go and see how it feels
It sounds like you may have OCD, in which case CBT is the right thing to do. I hope it helps, but if you don’t think it is working, seek out another therapist. Don’t give up, stick with therapy, even if it gets a bit hard, because you need to get well. I don’t know if taking both propranolol and citalopram is necessarily a good thing, maybe talk to your doctor about cutting one out. The drugs are quite powerful and if you are taking them while not eating much, it can have a big effect on your body.
Have you tried those build up milkshakes? They have all the vitamins and minerals you need and they are about 250 calories. When I used to be anorexic, I was given them to put on a bit of weight when I didn’t want to eat. It isn’t the same as a meal, but if you can’t bear the idea of eating, it is better than nothing.
No i haven’t tried those milkshakes.. what are they called? i would like to research more into them.
How did you get over your inability to eat? did it affect you holding a job?
i may have OCD however it may be only related to eating
i will look to cut out citalopram as i feel i get drained after taking it
Hi younus786
You have to get nutrition into your body if you can’t eat food then drink it!..if you have’nt got a juicer then get good quality smoothies or healthy milkshakes as has been suggested. Start my sipping little amounts then build it up. I think you are stressing a lot about your uni work. Are there any councellors you can speak with or any pastoral care on campus. There is usually help on campus if you need it and i think you do need someone to talk to about your situation. …Also, under the 'Freedom of Information Act" you can request to see your blood results and see if your vit d and vit b12 have been tested as you normally your doctor would have to request these blood tests specifically as they are not carried out in a routine blood count…
I don’t remember what the shakes were called I was really young when I had them, it was back in the 90s. There is one called complan I think though, but there are probably different brand names in different countries. Google build up shakes and see what comes up.
I was anorexic at school and it really affected me. I couldn’t concentrate, I used to faint, get nosebleeds all the time, my periods didn’t start, I couldn’t sleep and when I did I would get horrendous nightmares, I also used to hallucinate. I started to eat again because of other people telling me how dreadful I looked daily, even complete strangers. I wanted to be normal so badly and I asked myself what is the worse thing that could happen if I ate normally? So I would watch other people and how they ate and tried to copy them. If I am honest, I ate and then would starve myself in a cycle for about 10 years. I never had any therapy for it, that is why I yoyo dieted for so long. I have had therapy for OCD and anxiety though and it helped me a lot.
i have spoken to some councellors and booked a meeting for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy on thursday so i hope that helps
I will look into milkshakes and smoothies, it seems like a good idea for sure. i have multi-vitamin tablets - forceval for my vitamin deficiencies and to help add nutrients into my body
Thanks for your reply.. i’ll check out the shakes and look into purchasing them,
I’m sorry for your past, it seems like you went through a tough time but i’m glad therapy has helped you
I’m not anorexic currently, i just want to be able to eat on time and regularly again, being nauseous has ruined my life and it’s affecting me in university badly
one thing i do try to do is sip a little water whenever i can and eat fruits since they give me energy. since i’m in 4th year, i’m extremely worried about my coursework and the future and getting a job.
I am also a very slow eater however and i would like some advice as to how you upped your appetite, did you start by slowing moving from soft foods to solid foods?
did you take any holidays and how did you feel eating then? were you unable to finish your meals at times? because i’m like that daily. I struggle to finish my meals, i struggle to eat properly and somedays like these past few days i cannot get out of bed because i feel that drained and deprived and lethargic. however i am trying to recover and get slowly better and continue to eat and focus my health above my education
Hi younus78
That’s great you are going to counselling!..That will help you alot. Continue with the counselling until you get your eating regime up and running. You can do it with help and encouragement, accept all the help you will be offered. Picture yourself on graduation day, happy that you are eating well again and receiving your uni degree…
Two amazing achievements!!
