Can't eat. I have messed up! what to do?

[Cardiaga]

Hi
Looking for some advice and have name changed as this is embarrassing. For reasons that I'd rather not go into, I've not been able to eat anything for a few days, or so I thought. I wasn't too worried as I was drinking water and tea. I looked back on my fitness tracker a couple of days ago and realised it'd actually been three weeks since I ate anything. I realise this is stupid! The thing is I don't have any appetite at all but over the weekend I tried to make myself eat small portions of bland food- some rice, cooked vegetables. It all came straight back up and provoked horrible diarrhoea. I'm sure there's not an underlying problem and it will take weeks to get a Dr appointment. Does anyone have any ideas? I totally get this my own stupid fault.

Has no one else noticed you stopped eating? Like work people or family?

I say this with kindness as obviously something is going on. This isn’t normal behaviour. Please call your GP or 111 now!!! Do you have anyone at home with you?

I get that you feel silly but you’ll be even sillier if you fall unconscious! Time to step up and tackle this.

You ned medical advice ASAP OP and you need to be straight with them about the background, because not eating at all for 3 weeks is not normal and actually dangerous in the toll it will have taken on your body. In the meantime, keep up nourishing liquids eg clear soups in very small, frequent amounts.

ETA you won't have to wait weeks for an appointment for this.

Yes, you need medical attention, don't worry about feeling silly, no one will treat you like that.

Please don't avoid your GP for fear of a wait. They often triage calls now and it's not unusual to be seen same day in my surgery, if you need to (which you clearly do).

You do need medical help urgently.

You do need to eat otherwise you will at some point, collapse. And you could hit your head, or break a bone, in the fall. You also don't want to faint while driving and hurt someone else.

I'm not sure what you could have done to yourself to stop you eating for three weeks, but whatever it is, it needs to be reversed.

Forgetting to eat for THREE WEEKS is a hell of a lot more than 'scatty' you need to speak to a doctor urgently

A very rough rule of thumb in survival situations is that you can last 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food before things start to turn dangerous.

Which is going to make you feel more twattish - phoning 111 for a quick GP appointment, or someone having to phone 999 because you've been discovered unconscious?

Reintroducing food after a prolonged fast is not straightforward- when pets are neglected they are fed very carefully.

Tiny mouthfuls at intervals is what is recommended.

However you should seek medical support in case you suddenly become too unwell to seek assistance.

I know it can take a little bit of time on the phone but I think it's worthwhile you sitting down this evening and calling them for advice. I appreciate you don't want to tell everyone here your reasons for not et but you must be honest and open with medical professionals otherwise you can't get the help you so desperately need.

I hope you're ok. This is really serious, Google refeeding syndrome, if you eat now without medical assistance you are taking huge risks. I spent time being on a feeding ward after digestive surgery being fed into a vein, I couldn't eat and my digestive system was blocked, there are big risks with reintroducing food after 3 weeks. Call 111 tonight please and be honest with them

And it really doesn’t matter what led to the fast, at this stage.

Their interest will be firstly keeping you alive, and then treating the cause if necessary.

were you intending some intermittent fasting, or using weight loss drugs? Just tell them so they can best treat you.

I’d say you need to get yourself to a hospital. They may prescribe you milkshakes, my son was prescribed these to prevent refeeding syndrome after a particularly bad ruptured appendix which meant he hadn’t eaten for nearly 2 weeks.

I agree- the reasons are a bit of a moot point at the moment as you need to deal with the acute issue of getting some form of nutrition into you probably in liquid form to start with.

3 weeks?? Surelt this is a wind up.

Did you accidently inject a massive dose of a GLP-1?

Dioralyte rehydration sachets would help in the short time with sugars and salts balance but as others have said you need medical attention urgently.

How can you not notice you haven't eaten anything for 3 weeks? That in itself is very concerning. You need urgent medical attention, as PPs have said.

Be careful about eating anything without professional advice.

Op, if this is true don't be so bloody stupid - ring your GP and emphasise the urgency, or111, wait as long as you need to, get medical advice.

3 weeks? Really, you didn't feel hungry, light headed, dizzy?

I don’t understand your posts OP. ‘For reasons’ you couldn’t eat, but then you didn’t feel unwell until you tried to eat? So why weren’t you eating if not because you were unwell?

How can you not notice that you haven’t eaten a single meal for 3 weeks - do you go to work, do you live with anyone? Did you never think about getting a takeaway on a Friday, or doing a food shop? Going out for lunch with a friend?

I’m struggling to understand this. If you really haven’t eaten for 3 weeks your body will literally start to shut down soon. I suggest you listen to every single pp and get urgent help.. I had to call 111 recently and they answered pretty fast so that’s no excuse.

This lifestyle is healthy for a cobra but not for a person. OP you should be eating daily, preferably at least two meals a day.

My darling you need to see your GP.

My close friends tell me that they can tell how my MH is from my weight. 5 years ago I was less than 5 stone & a size 4. At the time I was working full time & caring for my parents (who have since both died). Now the situation is totally different. I have put on weight & a healthy 7 stone (I'm 5' tall) & a size 8-10.

Sorry, I think I am causing confusion. I skipped a few days which isn't unusual but I guess I just didn't start again. I don't remember feeling hungry. I did food shops and the prepped for the kids but we don't usually eat together and I can see that I haven't eaten 'my' food. I know this is ridiculous. I haven't been the life and soul of the party but until Friday I just felt a bit tired. I did have the half term cold virus that did the rounds last week (thanks to DS) so maybe that masked it. If you all really think I need to talk to the doc (and that is definitely the sense I'm getting) I will try and get an appointment tomorrow. In the meantime electrolytes, sugar and water?
MissSmiley- ouch! that sounds very painful!

@Cardiaga no, we all understand. We’re just concerned for you as you seem to think this is a minor issue. Please speak to someone, GP or 111 at least.