What exactly will happen if I go to my GP with a suspected eating disorder?

[Username90210]

I need some help with my eating but I keep putting off calling my GP.

Can anyone give me a bit of advice about what sort of questions I might be asked and what the next steps might be if I do work up the courage to make an appointment?

I've just eaten an entire cheesecake, a swiss roll and two steak pies, then thrown it all up, so I do realise I need help but I'm conflicted.

I didn't manage IKEA - completely ran out of energy - but I did manage a trip round big Tesco and I ate regularly throughout the day, including a normal portion of noodles for dinner (usually noodles are a binge food - still no urge to binge and it has been 3 weeks now).

I'm struggling with having my parents here, but I will try and tolerate them (or at least one of them at a time) for another week, so I have some help with the dog walking while I am still quite weak/tired.

I weighed myself this morning and I am 34kgs, which is 2kgs heavier than I was when I was admitted to hospital. It doesn't feel too bad - I think my crazy brain will be ok as long as the number still starts with a 3 - but I will start to struggle if/when it approaches 40kg. I am going to try and only weigh myself once a week and not let it stop me sticking to the meal plan.

It's my mum's birthday today. I'm going to bake a cake, and hopefully have a small slice for afternoon tea without having a panic attack!

I think it’s really positive that you recognised you didn’t have enough in the tank to cope with Ikea.

How’s today been? Did you bake?

Are you very short OP, as that weight is very, very low. I'm can see why the hosp was reluctant to discharge you.

I'm 157cm, so not super short but certainly not tall.

I baked a cake today (managing not to eat any raw batter - another binge food), then completely lost my mind.

My parents were doing their own thing for most of the day but we'd agreed that they'd be back for tea and cake at 3pm. When they got back just before 3 they wanted to go straight out shopping with me, and I got in a panic about missing afternoon snack time and then potentially having dinner very late. They were not at all understanding (which I kind of get, because this does sound like a complete non-issue to a normal person) and I spent the afternoon in my bedroom to get away from them.

I really can't cope with them here, but I can't convince them to leave. It's very tense this evening.

Try not to be despondent OP. There are bound to be ups and downs on your road to recovery.
Did you manage to have your meals as scheduled?

It feels like you’re expecting an awful lot of yourself so early on- two binge-trigger foods in your first couple of days home. If someone was just starting out training for a marathon, you wouldn’t expect them to go out on days one and two and do two twenty milers…

Be kind to yourself. Make this as easy as possible. And, I know you know this, but your parents are trying. They won’t always get it right, no-one does, but I think the overall picture you’ve painted of them is supoortive?

Hope you can clear the air and get a good night’s rest.

How are things going this week, OP? I hope you are being kind to yourself.
I imagine you are mentally exhausted.

It has been a bit up and down. Monday and Tuesday were ok/good. Back in the office yesterday and lost my mind. I ate nothing until lunch, then had three Tesco meal deals and a pack of biscuits (which I ate in the toilet like a complete weirdo) and threw up, which I have never done at work before.

Gave up on work and walked home at lunchtime, stopping at every supermarket and corner shop on the way to buy and eat chocolate, cakes etc. Threw up some more at home, then had a hot bath and pulled myself together. Ate a normal dinner and had an ok evening.

I feel MUCH better today (despite only sleeping for a total of 2 hours last night) and I am strictly sticking to my meal plan (so far).

The main problem yesterday was that I couldn't get my manager to engage at all. I had so many emails and had missed so many meetings that I was completely overwhelmed, and didn't know where to start. Very stressful. Bumped into my manager and tried to voice my concerns and he said it'd all be fine and my peers would keep me right. I need some more concrete support than that.

I've put a 'back to work' meeting in my manager's calendar for tomorrow (something he probably should have done) and will try and sort things out.

Also meeting with the dietician tomorrow.

Sorry to hear that re the binge and the less than helpful boss. How did your back to work meeting go? You’re doing so well to keep advocating for yourself.

My back to work meeting went really well. My manager actually seemed to listen to me for a change. He has agreed that medical appointments shouldn't come out of my flexitime, said I can cancel some of my Xmas/new year leave if I want to use the time to catch up a bit, but absolutely no pressure, and he's made a referral to occupational health to talk about any reasonable adjustments I might need. The only one I can think of at the moment is working from home when it's really cold, so I don't have to go out and freeze myself waiting for the bus.

Generally feeling pretty positive, although I am currently waiting in A&E with a horrible gash on my head. Got up too quickly and fainted in the kitchen, face first onto a tiled floor. I've had an ecg and they've taken bloods, and they're going to decide whether to stitch me up and send me home or do something else, as yet unspecified, since I was alone when it happened and they don't know whether I had a seizure or how long I was unconscious for - no, and not long, I reckon.

Hope your head doesn't hurt too much. Glad the work stuff is going good. Rooting for you, and at the risk of being very boring, keep going with the meal plan, it's an uphill battle gaining weight but you deserve to feel warm, to not fall over when you stand up, to get on with living your life.

Still waiting to be stitched up, and the head is getting a bit sore - but at least I am in a bed now, and not in the waiting room.

On the plus side, I was so tired and hungry after missing dinner that I've eaten a bag of crisps and a gross but huge vending machine sandwich, and I feel fine about it. I'm not feeling like throwing up, and I'm not worried about what it's doing to my weight.

My poor dad is driving over from the other side of the country to walk my dog tonight. He must be so sick of me and this stupid illness by now!

I got home around 1am with 4 stitches above my eye. Slept ok, got up, walked the dog and then worked from home all morning. Feeling fine, but A&E has just called and asked me to come back in because my potassium levels are dangerously low. Apparently the doctor didn't check my blood results before sending me home yesterday. Such a pain.

Is it possible you could have anorexia binge purge subtype? With that low a BMI I think it's this over bulimia as bulimia is within normal BMI range.

Staying in for 24hrs. Really fed up

Oh I'm sorry OP. You have been (and still are) quite unwell and even though you seem very engaged with getting better, it's going to take a while for your body to recover.
You sound intelligent so you must know the risks of low potassium levels, though it's pretty crappy they didn't check this yesterday - all the toing and froing isn't great.

Have you got stuff to do while they're monitoring you?

I wasn't expecting to stay in so I'm not very well prepared but I did at least grab my headphones and phone charger, so I can listen to podcasts while waiting

Are you back home OP? How are you doing?

I am home and feeling good. I ended up being discharged late on Tuesday. The consultant who said 24hrs went off shift and his replacement said I could go home. I was on a potassium drip for a few hours and now taking oral potassium for a few days. Repeat bloods booked for Monday.

I had an epiphany this week and realised my current treatment plan is not helping me at all. It's just replacing one type of restricted eating with another. Every deviation from the meal plan the dietician has given me triggers a binge because I feel like since I've broken the rules, I might as well give up completely. I'm also being forced to eat things I don't want at times when I'm not hungry (eg, toast and milk at 9pm) which doesn't feel great.

Since Tuesday I've given myself permission to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and so far it's going well. I bought a bunch of stuff from Waitrose last night (typical binging food) but only ate a single serve lasagne and some biscuits, and didn't throw up. The rest of the food is in the fridge, and I will eat it if I feel like it.

I know it's VERY early days, but I think this might work. I want to eat like a normal person, and not be constantly worrying about following a strict plan. So far today I've had porridge, a banana on toast and a mince pie (plus a LOT of tea and coffee). Looking forward to lunch which will probably be a sandwich and some snacky things (crisps and fruit and maybe another mince pie), and if I don't have it at midday exactly, it really doesn't matter.

Going out for a pre-panto dinner tonight with my son and his girlfriend. This was booked months ago and I have been super stressed about it, but I'm looking forward to it now. I won't go crazy, but I'm planning to have a normal main course and I don't anticipate any issues.

Boring update - I'm hoping I will be able to look back on this thread one day as a record of a short period of insanity in my life that I completely recovered from, so it's helpful to share all the boring stuff as well as the more interesting things.

I had such a good day yesterday. Lovely lunch with my son at home, snack in the afternoon and then dinner out. I had a massive hot dog, some fries (would have eaten more but they were way too salty), and shared a fried lasagna fritter. Later on I had a coffee and a very tiny mini mince pie at the panto, and felt almost normal.

Some worries about how big my tummy looked later in the evening (and still today), but I know it was/is just bloating, not fat. I didn't purge and haven't restricted my eating at all today. I do feel sick still, but just because my stomach isn't used to this type of food.

Unfortunately I have picked up a bug, (probably from being in A&E twice in a week) and I have a horrible headache and just want to sleep. Temp is currently 38.5 and rising. I'm planning on making a lentil soup with plenty of veg and lemon juice for dinner and will have it with some toast. Maybe even two slices with spread!

I'm still thinking about food CONSTANTLY but I feel like getting back to normal is possible.

You’re doing so well OP. This thread will inspire other people too.

How has the tricky Xmas period been OP?
I've had an ED over Xmas and I can categorically state that living w/o it is better in so many ways.

It has been very up and down. I've found it difficult to eat regularly without the structure of work, office days etc. I was ok while my son was around, but struggled once he left. But we did have a nice time and I'm pretty confident next Xmas will be a return to normal. Fingers crossed.

I'm much stronger physically. Walked home from work today and still had enough energy to give the dog a decent walk afterwards. I ate a snack right before leaving the office to make up for the increased exercise.

OP, I've just read your entire thread and just want to say a massive well done.
Recovery isn't going to be linear, as you know, especially with things like Christmas in the middle, but you have made such good progress and you are an inspiration. Thank you and keep on keeping on.

Well done OP. I really hope the joy that being able to walk home from work and walking the dog gives you strength to continue as you are doing.

I completely understand how being out of your normal routine can be difficult. I still struggle with that now (at a healthy weight and living life to the full).

The stronger you get both physically and emotionally the better able you will be to handle difficult times which may make your brain want to slip back into unhealthy coping mechanisms.

It sounds like, as horrid as it was, the inpatient stay did enable you to be able to do this.