Teen Eating Disorders - Thread 5

[myrtleWilson]

Welcome everyone,
Our last thread can be found here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eating_disorders/4279530-Teen-Eating-Disorders-Thread-4?watched=1&msgid=111172926#111172926

That we're on thread 5 in about a year is a reflection of the incredible increase in mental health issues, including eating disorders amongst young people over the last couple of years.

With that in mind, we thought we'd try to include some resources that have helped us along the way to date. No one resource will be a panacea but hopefully this list will be a useful starting off point for any newcomers and a reflection for others. It is our first go at sharing a list of resources on a thread so it won't be perfect!

www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

anorexiafamily.com/?v=79cba1185463

www.youtube.com/evamusby

www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7G1P5WQopVMc9qTSP_lgA

www.orri-uk.com

www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/

www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Junior-MARSIPAN-Risk-Assessment-Framework.pdf

People to look up on social media
Hope Virgo
Ro-Recovering
James Downs
Cara Lisette
Adam Fare
BarefootRebel
Ilona Burton

Girlie hope Covid is not too bad for your DD

Betty - great news on a gain!

dark how are you doing?

Thanks Myrtle.

Thanks @myrtleWilson

Thanks for new thread Myrtle

thanks! I hope everyone's morning is going "ok"

Thank you. Can I ask about your experience of olanzapine? DD has been prescribed this as well as the sertraline. She seems quite sleepy at the moment. Is that normal?

Was threatened with the tube last night as holding food in her mouth and not swallowing then dribbling it out but basically awaiting an opportunity to spit. But she did manage the drink.

I don't feel we are making any progress at all sadly but here we are......

@DarkBlueEyes yes we have experience of olanzapine and also experience with it being used in conjunction with an antidepressant.

For our DD it made the really bad moments less crazy, if she had a tantrum over the food it took the height of the tantrum to a lower level if that makes sense.

It didn't help at all with making eating the food easier though I think in large doses it can increase appetite but that is not what the aim was for our DD (though she did need that too). Our DD is on 2.5mg at night.

Though you may not be making big leaps in progress you are at least in a space with professionals are now being forced to take an active part in helping DD recover. Don't even contemplate letting DD come home until you feel she is ready. They do try and push you out.

Shes doing better than some that were with us in hospital on the kids ward. They wouldn't even make eye contact with the nurses or look at the food or drink and just got tube fed every meal...... one had been there a month and got sent into an inpatient specialist facility, the other was still there doing the same when we left. She was two weeks in. So sad to watch.

Fabulous many thanks @myrtleWilson!

Betty Barks a Lot - so pleased your dd now 45kg - she has the same 100% WFH as mine and, as I think I said before, psychiatrist recommends she be back at school part-time at 43kg. I really think you should stick to your guns on this one.

@DarkBlueEyes really sorry things are still tough. DD had Olanzapine and it was horrible. It didn't help with the thoughts but turned her into a humourless zombie. The day after she stopped taking them, I heard her laugh for the first time in months - to the pretty unfunny Mr Peabody & Sherman at that! However, other posters have found them to be magic pills.

DD is currently taking risperidone before meals and has just started low dose of Sertraline. Too early to tell the effects of the latter, but the former is better for her than Olanzapine. We quite often have arguments over meals and then realise that, coincidentally or not, we have forgotten to do her risperidone.

Thanks for the new thread Myrtle

Dd has been more poorly today, high temp and everything aching 😕 ystds pcr was negative but another lft was positive so confusing! Anyway spoke to someone and they advised another pcr test again today so that's what we did.

She's eaten sod all today but I've not pushed it as genuinely think she feels like crap.

Hoping it doesn't set us back though...

Dark Hope the meds help, your dd is in the right place, I hope she turns a corner soon.

Thanks everyone, it does make me wonder if the weight recorded last week (43 ish kg) was incorrect. I did ask the nurse to re weigh dd and she did and insisted it was 43. Anyway we’re please.
@ValleyofthedollymixMyself and my husband think next week would be a good time to try a return to school. She’ll have two weeks in school and then two weeks off for half term. That way we’ll have a couple of weeks to just check on what it does to her weight and her mood.

Morning everyone,

Dark - I agree with girlie - don't measure progress in change of eating habits etc just yet - it will come though. The massive progress you've made is getting yourself heard and supported and don't be afraid to carry on being a squeaky wheel...

Betty I think your DH could be onto something - a taster with a rest in sight.

girlie - how was PCR number 2?

Waves to everyone else!

We're okay - at that very early point in recovery where she has all the anxiety but none of the benefits. But we're reassuring her the seesaw will move the other way and she'll soon get the benefit of less pain, cramping, better sleep, more relaxed, happier.

She gets it rationally but we know rationality isn't always a strong point in our DC! In positive news, she was laughing at a tv programme, she's made a friend in her re-start at school and has today declared a tattoo saying "Bad Bitches follow their meal plans" would help her - so a good Tuesday morning really...

Ha, I love it @myrtleWilson though maybe in t-shirt rather than tattoo form.

We had another 500g weight gain so that's all good - we're still 2kg off where you are @Bettybarkalot123 and she's going into school for Friday morning and hopefully Thursday and Friday next week. In the same situation of two week of school then two weeks of half term so I'm arguing that it's a perfect time to try it out and we can make adjustments if necessary. It sounds as if you're going to be able to swing it. Think you got unlucky with your nurse as she sounds incapable of interpreting nuance.

The ED nurse just doesn’t listen to us. DD is incredibly frustrated as are we!
We’ve had a teams call this morning and the nurse started by saying her system was down and didn’t have her physicals or her weight but thought there had been a small gain.

After I emailed her and asked her to send me the weight which she did, she sent a chart with all DDs records. According to them her weight on Monday was 44.6kg. DD is hysterical as she swears the nurse said to her 45kg, she says the scales went up to 45.2 then slowly dropped and the nurse was heard to confirm 45kg … DH who was with her also confirms this. Our scales gave a weight of 45.1kg just half an hour before she was weighed in clinic.

So she’s currently at 80 or 81% wfh depending on which weight you use.

I honestly feel as though I could scream. It’s as though I’m in dream where I’m trying to run but I’m stuck and can’t move!! I know it’s worse for DD and I know lots of us are struggling but I’m just becoming more and more disheartened with the treatment and support we’re getting.
Sorry to be so negative but I’m at the end of my tether! I feel like we’re up against a break wall.

I feel as though we have to make the decision for her to return to school but I’m terrified it’s the wrong one. Yet my heart tells me it’s right for DD.

Brick wall… sorry I’m on my phone and my typing is terrible!

Hi can I join please? My 15 year old daughter has been diagnosed with an eating disorder this week. In my naivety although I was getting increasingly worried and frustrated with her lack of eating I thought it couldn’t be an ED because she had always had a small appetite, always been small and knows that she is small and dislikes being so thin.

She’s currently at 74% wfh but only 3.5kg under her heaviest ever weight.

We started her initial meal plan yesterday and she’s done really well so far (although I haven’t yet heard from school how she’s done at lunch) but I know she’s really going to struggle once she goes into the weight gain plan because she has never eaten large quantities of food. Also I think having just seen the nurse yesterday who was very firm “you either eat at home and school or you go into hospital and eat there. Eating is non negotiable.” she feels she has permission to eat but I don’t think it will be long before the ED voice becomes the louder voice. And also she gets really bad stomach pains and feels sick after eating which makes it harder…

@Moomarre welcome to the thread. It's a long game so be pleased that she's coping with the initial plan.

Welcome moom - although I'm sorry you've found yourself here am sure you'll find the thread a helpful place to be - no question off limits and there is usually someone around who can offer a listening ear or a helpful hint.

lougle I hope your DD has continued to get better from her cold?

@myrtleWilson if you don't mind I'm going to steal your DD's line and use it in my repertoire, I love it .
@Bettybarkalot123 sorry it's such a tricky time right now. Though keep in mind you can pull her from school at any time, even after a day if it just doesn't go to plan. Sending strength!

Welcome moom sorry to hear your dd is so poorly, is she at school full time? Generally at that wfh kids are on bed/sofa rest... brilliant that you've got off to a good start with the meal plan.

Yay for the weight gain valley

Hope you're okay dark been thinking of you today.

We're okay, dds second pcr test was also negative so no idea what to think! She had another high temp and severe headache this morning, was rocking and in tears with it, have never seen her so bad 😢

She has perked up a bit though this afternoon, managed to get a bit more food in but not as much as usual.

Thank you for the welcome. I’m sorry there are so many going through similar.
Dd ate almost everything yesterday and ate it really quickly. She seemed to take the view of having to do it so getting it over with. But before she went to bed she told me she couldn’t eat like that every day and was also complaining of a sore tongue which was making it hard to swallow. So we’ll see what happens today.

@Girliefriendlikespuppies yes she’s still in school full time. I’m wondering if they told me her wfh wrong? She’s 160cm and was 37.6kg if anyone knows how to work it out? They didn’t even mention her staying off school! She’s also still having periods which seems unusual for such a low wfh.

@Girliefriendlikespuppies I hope your dd feels better soon, sounds like she has a horrible virus. My 5 yo had similar in August, pcr tests were negative but she had all the symptoms of Covid and was really ill for over a week (she also then passed it on to grandparents 😳)

@DarkBlueEyes am I gleaning from this that your dd is in hospital? That must be tough. But at the same time it could be what your dd needs right now.

I hope everyone has a good day today

@Moomarre welcome! I’m sorry you’re here but honestly the support I’ve had has been so valuable. I feel bad that I’m not able to offer any advice to others but I’m fairly new to this too. DD was diagnosed with anorexia at the beginning of July.
She is currently 81% wfh, 45kg and 165 cm tall.. she’s 15 and not in school. Our ED nurse says she must be 85% wfh before she can return and then only part time. This is causing DD a lot of unhappiness as she desperately wants to go back. DH and I are torn with what to do for the best.

@SoTiredNeedHoliday
thats what I’m thinking and DD knows this. Which hopefully will motivate her to eat! I kind of feel like it’s got to be worth a try!

Moon id think at that weight she shouldn't be at school tbh 😕 Lougle can double check the wfh for you. The problem will be that she'll need even more food to cope with the mental and physical demands of school.

If she's getting stomach cramps buscopan might be useful, a sore mouth could be thrush or b12 deficiency so should be checked by a Dr.

@Moomarre virtual support winging its way to you. It is such a terrible bewildering shock when your child is diagnosed. It left me reeling and so full of self-recrimination.

WFH is dependent on age and height. She does seem low weight but the fact that she's having periods is a good sign. DD went back to school at 80% full time and completely unsupervised back in March, which in retrospect was wildly naive. We should have assumed she was skipping her snack and gone in to supervise lunch. One of her friend's mother's later told me her daughter had put on loads of weight, in part due to DD's morning protein bar going her way...

@Valleyofthedollymix

Fabulous many thanks *@myrtleWilson*!

Betty Barks a Lot - so pleased your dd now 45kg - she has the same 100% WFH as mine and, as I think I said before, psychiatrist recommends she be back at school part-time at 43kg. I really think you should stick to your guns on this one.

@DarkBlueEyes really sorry things are still tough. DD had Olanzapine and it was horrible. It didn't help with the thoughts but turned her into a humourless zombie. The day after she stopped taking them, I heard her laugh for the first time in months - to the pretty unfunny Mr Peabody & Sherman at that! However, other posters have found them to be magic pills.

DD is currently taking risperidone before meals and has just started low dose of Sertraline. Too early to tell the effects of the latter, but the former is better for her than Olanzapine. We quite often have arguments over meals and then realise that, coincidentally or not, we have forgotten to do her risperidone.

setraline? Sorry if missed that you already aware But setraline is renowned for causing nausea and reduced appetite

Great news on the weight gain front Betty. But how frustrating for you that the ED nurse is reporting lower. I think your plan to let her go back before the end of half term and then have a break for half term is a good one. That was what happened with DD too back for the May/June half term and it worked well.

Likewise Valley congrats on DD’s weight gain and I hope her day at school tomorrow goes well.

Girlfriend how strange that your DD has all the symptoms but 2 negative tests. How is she feeling today?

@Moomarre hey there 👋, sorry you find yourself here but it is honestly the most suppprtive place full of invaluable advice! Your DD does sound like her weight is too low for school unfortunately. My DD was admitted to hospital at 80% wfh and she was on total bed rest at that point so I’m surprised they are happy for her to continue going to school. You mention your DD struggling when she goes on the weight gain plan. What is she on currently?