what kind of doctor do you go to for food issues?

[AngieW in Texas]

My 13yo is having more and more issues with food. Even food that she loves is now completely grossing her out.

 

I went through the same thing as a kid (and 13yo was when I suddenly couldn't get near foods that I loved). I absolutely craved milk, but I couldn't even get it near my face without feeling like I was going to vomit because all milk smelled like it was spoiled.

 

She has an even more limited array of foods than I do, so cutting back on the kinds of foods she eats is making her life extremely difficult.

 

This is not a matter of her just being a pain. I went through this too. I would love to tell you that I know how to fix it. All I know is that within about 2 weeks of being at college, foods suddenly didn't make my stomach turn just from looking at them. I had most foods for the first time while I was in college. It was a huge relief to me to be able to actually try foods.

 

What kind of doctor would you go to for this type of food issue? She doesn't need a nutritionist. She knows what kinds of foods are good for her to eat and she's actually having a lot of anxiety about not being able to force herself to eat what she ought to. The last thing I need is to increase her anxiety.

 

Is it some kind of OT that you'd see for this? She has a lot of sensory issues, far more than my Aspies do.

[JenneinCA]

I would try your normal doctor. It sounds to me more like a vitamin deficiency than a food problem. Other than that I don't know.

 

(and this will bump back to the first page, where more people will see it too!)

[JudyJudyJudy]

I would try an allergist first and have her tested for allergies. Another option is to try an elimination diet. For years I felt as though I had ongoing morning sickness, so I was turned off by all kinds of food, too. I found out that I'm allergic to yeast as well as many other things. Some form of yeast or a close relative is in practically everything.

[TracyR]

Hmm, I would start with your pediatrician. Then maybe a GI doctor, and heck maybe a naturopathic doctor (if you can afford to).

[Momof3littles]

If it is sensory, start w/ chatting w/ an OT if you already have an existing relationship with one. They could probably direct you to some resources who could determine if this is truly a sensory thing. It sounds like there could be a strong possibility of that.

 

If she has anxious tendencies or an anxiety dx, could you speak to a psychiatrist about whether the food-related issues are related to that? I would think even if the problem is sensory in origin, having some anxiety would just exacerbate the sensory part all the more.

[CrossFitMama]

I would consider seeing a naturopath - many of them deal with dietary issues.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Hmm, I would start with your pediatrician. Then maybe a GI doctor, and heck maybe a naturopathic doctor (if you can afford to).

This is a good idea, too.

[gingersmom]

Occupational therapists deal with feeding/sensory issues.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Another thought is that this could be a hormonal issue. In looking back, I realize that a lot of my health problems started not very long after I started my period.

[Hunter's Moon]

I've never had that issue to the degree it seems your daughter does and you did, but I know what you mean about milk. I loved milk until I was about 11 or 12. It started smelling sour to me. My dad said he read in a book that as we age, milk starts to smell/taste different because cows don't nurse for that long, just like humans. So, it eventually just changes. My friends didn't understand what I meant until now and they're going to be 18 this month. Idk if that happens with everyone, just a thought on the milk.

 

Idk about the other foods, though.

[kalanamak]

 

This is not a matter of her just being a pain. I went through this too. I would love to tell you that I know how to fix it. All I know is that within about 2 weeks of being at college, foods suddenly didn't make my stomach turn just from looking at them. I had most foods for the first time while I was in college. It was a huge relief to me to be able to actually try foods.

 

 

If it flipped like switch two weeks after "going away" to college, it sounds situational. Have you thought about letting your daughter pick foods at the grocery and learn to prep for herself? Personally, I'd "de-issue" this as much as possible. If she is not underweight or unhealthy, I'd shrug and go on with life. Worrying about anything can turn into a cycle of worry, now worried about worry, now worried about worrying about worry, etc.

[Stacia]

Another thought is that this could be a hormonal issue.

 

:iagree:

[abbeyej]

Among other things, have her tested for strep!

[AngieW in Texas]

She's had bloodwork done and has an appointment at the end of the month with a rheumatologist because she came up ana positive. I think she has something along the lines of hypermobility syndrome because ALL the problems she's experienced over the past 1.5 years are on that list and she is double-jointed with loose joints.

 

http://rideblog.wordpress.com/benign-joint-hypermobility-syndrome/

 

Of the problems mentioned on that page, the only ones she doesn't have are PTSD, liver problems, and irritable bowel syndrome.

 

She is already seeing a counselor weekly for her anxiety. She didn't like the psychiatrist (male), so I'm lining up a female psychiatrist for her.

 

She has seen a cardiologist (because it all started off with horrible chest pains that felt like she was being stabbed in the ribs), an ENT (because it felt like her throat was closing up), and an allergist (tested negative for the 40-item panel they did).

 

The food issues have always been there for her from the time she first started eating solid foods. It was that way for me too.

 

I do think that right now everything is building on everything else. The sleep issues make the anxiety worse and increasing anxiety makes everything else worse. The random severe pain she keeps experiencing isn't helping either. She has maybe 1 or 2 pain-free days each week. The pain isn't there all the time. Most bouts of pain last less than 5 minutes, but they are severe (she generally describes the pain as feeling like she's being stabbed with a knife or bashed with a hammer) and can occur anywhere she has a joint or a muscle (which describes most of the body) and happen at completely random times.

 

Her food issue are ramping up right now because of all the other things that are going on.

 

She has been pouring through cookbooks looking for pictures of food that don't make her stomach turn. She's also gone to the grocery store with me to try to find things that she'd be willing to try.

[Lisa R.]

Just a thought I thought I'd throw this out there...

 

When people feel stressed out, they tend to do one of two things. One, turn to food for comfort and eat too much, or, two, stop eating. I fall into the second category. When I feel stressed, food is very unappealing to me. I have to force myself to eat, and I will eat a lot less than normal.

 

In fact, oftentimes I don't feel stressed, but I notice that I have difficulty eating. Then, I realize that I actually am far more stressed than I realize. In other words, my lack of appetite and distaste for food is a signal to me that I'm stressed and not handling it well.

 

Your dd's issues may not be stress related but have a physical component instead. I've just observed that a distorted view of food (eating too much/eating too little) is often a sign of stress that's not being addressed.