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OCD Food Issues


dcmom

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DD, age 9, has been ramping up in pandas symptoms since a cold. We have started dealing with some issues head on, thanks to Meg's Mom. She is also having some food issues which have been around for a while, but are getting worse. Wanted to find out if anyone has dealt with anything like this:

 

DD is very thin to start, and of course I fear anorexia as I know that can come from pandas, so I don't want to deal with this the wrong way. She typically eats fine for breakfast and lunch, and has an afterschool snack. When it comes to dinner, she barely eats. It started with just complaining that she didn't like what I have made (she used to be a robust eater, that liked everything). I have made the realization that she is avoiding eating because she is afraid her stomach will hurt or she will feel sick. Stomach aches and fear of throwing up/getting sick have been one of her main problems. During the last few days she has been resisting eating almost anything for dinner.

 

I am pretty sure she eats enough during the day to sustain her- but certainly not enough daily calories to thrive. I can't see forcing her to eat- I have always resisted battles about food. We have been talking a lot about ocd, and I think she is starting to understand it- but don't know if she will accept it for this issue.

 

Help!

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Hi, I'm sure what we do won't help from tackling the OCD since I've been a poor student on that front so far.... But, my dd7 has food issues and has had trouble with her weight and size. Going gluten free helped the most for her (daily gas, diarrhea, stomach pain, low energy, slow growth and no weight gain all turned around). I can't remember if you do gluten free or not......

 

But, even now she is picky and her pandas takes away her appetite. I give her Ensure (we buy the generic) and also high protein chips and other snacks so at the very least I know she's getting protein and some good calories.

 

I also mix Chia into her oatmeal (when she'll eat it) and I'm always looking for ways to sneak them into her diet. They help make me feel better about the nutrition she may be missing. She also gets a high quality broad spectrum multi vitamin every morning and night.

 

http://www.thechiaseed.com/

 

Susan

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Food issues are so stressful. I rememebr thinking how would he get better if his body doesn't have the nutrition it needs to fight and heal.

 

Right now, don't limit grazing or snacks. Try to keep them healthy, obviously. I think once they limit their food, after awhile the body gets used to it and that "hunger" mechanism starts to go away. When he was at his worst with eating and he ate nothing, then I even let him junk if he wanted. I just wanted that stomach to remember what it felt like to have food in it. Eventually, as he started doing better with food, obviously I didn't keep letting him eat a donut for breakfast.

 

My son didn't tell me why he didn't eat. I think it was multi faceted. I did notice when he started to eat again, it was very food specific. It took a lot to figure out the puzzle, but once I did, we did take baby steps back to normal , healthy eating.

 

I'll post some brainstorming ideas later when I have more time to type.

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I agree- food issues are big stressors. My dd 10 has every symptom of anorexia except throwing up. She avoids food if she can. She thinks everything is "too much". If we have soup and baked potatoes for dinner, she thinks she can only have one or the other - not both. I, too, am up for any suggestions anyone has. We have tried therapy, which fails everytime. SSRI's make her much, much worse. Antibiotics have helped with her mood in general, but we can not seem to crack the food issues. If something does not happen, we will have to send her to an intensive inpatient facility over the summer. It does not help at all, that everywhere you turn in a magazine or on TV they are touting the newest way to loose weight and our culture puts so much weight on being thin. I wish they would stop and think what this is doing to our children!!! Sorry, just venting.

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DD, age 9, has been ramping up in pandas symptoms since a cold. We have started dealing with some issues head on, thanks to Meg's Mom. She is also having some food issues which have been around for a while, but are getting worse. Wanted to find out if anyone has dealt with anything like this:

 

DD is very thin to start, and of course I fear anorexia as I know that can come from pandas, so I don't want to deal with this the wrong way. She typically eats fine for breakfast and lunch, and has an afterschool snack. When it comes to dinner, she barely eats. It started with just complaining that she didn't like what I have made (she used to be a robust eater, that liked everything). I have made the realization that she is avoiding eating because she is afraid her stomach will hurt or she will feel sick. Stomach aches and fear of throwing up/getting sick have been one of her main problems. During the last few days she has been resisting eating almost anything for dinner.

 

I am pretty sure she eats enough during the day to sustain her- but certainly not enough daily calories to thrive. I can't see forcing her to eat- I have always resisted battles about food. We have been talking a lot about ocd, and I think she is starting to understand it- but don't know if she will accept it for this issue.

 

Help!

 

Hi I actually think I can help you

 

I had many issues eating growing up,My stomach hurt all of the time so I would eat only what I knew I could.My mom was very good with it.She would ask me what I wanted the day before ,and since I knew what was comming I could prepare myself.I still tend to do this.Danny wont eat anything with his fingers untill about the age of 12 so I made hm foods he would eat .Everyone would tell me if you only make them one thing they will eat it Well I know thats not true so I would make chicken nuggets everyday He was very thin and then one day around 12 He started eating everything,I meann everything!!!Try asking it will help,dont make foods that hide other foods,sounds funny but I still cant eat foods like devil dogs or jelly doughnuts when something is hidding I wont eat it. I dont eat any chicken or meat just fish The meats bother my stomach,The drs told my mom that I didnt have enzymes to break up the meats .Maybe shes having simular issues.All I know is I understand her and just understand she cant help it ,my mom did and it saved me .

 

Good luck

Melanie

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Has she been through any testing for food allergies or intolerances? Is there a chance that some foods really might be hurting her, like if she is lactose intolerant? Then that would lead her to think any food will hurt her.

 

I would offer her a snack mid day. If you think she may not want anyone see her eat, just make sure things are within reach and let her know she can eat when she wants. If she could somehow get a snack down, her stomach won't be empty at dinner and there won't be any discomfort from that. Also, if you have an empty stomach, your stomach may actually start to hurt from the sudden intake of food.

 

I don't know what her favorites are, but I know I was always apt to get him he faves in hope of filling his belly. But do take caution that if her fave is a fast food burger, the grease might be getting to her and causing pain.

 

What I am trying to say is to make sure there really isn't pain. Don't automatically dismiss it. Once you are sure it really isn't painful, then you can start brainstorming techniques.

 

Okay, I feel a little odd asking this questions, but are her bowel movements okay? Is she constipated or diarrhea.

 

You could ask her in private without anyone else around what foods she think are okay and won't hurt. I say in private so she won't feel self conscious.

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Hi everyone! Thanks for the thoughts! I am calmer, she is eating more today- maybe it is the steroids kicking in.

 

She has always been a robust, varied eater. The pandas has brought about stomach aches (we did some testing to rule out some things) and a fear of throwing up and/or getting sick, and less of an appetite. This is, for her, and ocd issue. She says she doesn't want to eat because she is afraid she will throw up. She never throws up.

 

I appreciate the tips- I have been upping the snacks available. We eat very healthy- but I have become a bit of an ice cream pusher since pandas :)

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When your child refuses to eat under any circumstance I think it sets off the panic button in all parents. Before we discovered pandas we watched my already slim dd slowly begin to refuse eating very much. We tried everything, but to no avail. She could not explain why she did not eat or was not hungry and never complained of pain or stomach issues, and heaven knows we had her tested for every allergy known. As soon as we stumbled onto pandas and began abx and a steroid burst, her appetite dramatically increased, and after her first ivig she ate everything and anything, and no longer appeared to have an aversion to crunchy or smooth and crunchy together, or whatever "thing" was causing the issue. She gain 8 pounds in 6 weeks after her first ivig and is gaining steadily -- in a normal growing way -- each month. She looks healthier, more robust and thriving for the first time in I can't remember when. I still sneak in a tablespoon of olive oil each day with her supps -- it's an easy way to get in 120 calories in one mouthful!

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I met a nice and very intelligent young lady (17 yrs old) about two weeks ago. She and I happened to start discussing about my son's symptoms (tics/OCD). Turns out that she has had tics in the past. She also revealed that when she was around 6 yrs old she wasn't eating so she wasn't gaining weight. It took them a while to find a doctor that figured out what was going on. She doesn't know what it was because she was so young when she was treated. Antibiotics were prescribed and helped. She is cured. There is hope for us all.

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