info please???? (possibly triggering...)

Okay, so I'm gonna ask even though this forum seems close to dead half the time and the views to replies ratio is rather depressing...but perhaps that's because more people read than post/reply. Or because few suffer from eating disorders on this site, but something makes me doubt the latter. anyways on to the true intent of my post....

This is posed mostly at restrictive type anorexics I suppose but to anyone else to whom it might apply as well. A day without eating makes one tired. A couple of days lead to dizziness, irritibility, fainting, etc. What about, say, a week? or two? Do the above stated symptoms simply intensify? Does the body entirely shut down? How difficult is it to function in a "normal" manner?

I am not a doctor. This is what I have learned in medic school and from my own personal health problems. I am sure somebody else could explain it better or use more accurate terms…this is what I remember.

After awhile there is a drop in hormones such as estrogen and thyroid hormones. This causes amenorrhea, infertility, bone loss…Abnormalities such as bradycardia, blood flow reduction, decreased B/P, loss of heart muscle, rises in cholesterol develop… Heart problems are probably the most common cause of death. Imbalances of minerals such as potassium and calcium can lead to an electrolyte imbalance that causes an irregular heartbeat that can be lethal.

Basically, not eating=Death

I am not sure, but I think depression is likely to increase as well as the risk of suicide and there are links to memory/thinking issues.

Again, I am not a doctor. This is what I have learned in medic school and from my own personal health problems.

If you are considering starving yourself, please seek medical assistance. This is a serious and life threatening issue.

Hi lil_bit,

I agree. There might not be as much support in this forum as others because of the few number of people maybe. I don't come often myself, but feel free to pm me anytime!! We care! hugs.

I think this question has been posed in some manner before...my answer stays the same...

A time that should not be messed with...

Depress me's post probably gives you a pretty good idea...

Basically, not eating=Death

Why do you want to know?

Are you thinking about test this?

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Direction said:
I think this question has been posed in some manner before...my answer stays the same...

A time that should not be messed with...

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I remember that question, but mine was posed more toward the effects and feelings during that extended time period and not so much as to the time period itself.

True, not eating does lead to death in so many ways with so many cases. But there are some who have gone years with rarely eating, with going multiple weeks without a thing and yet they are still alive...for that too I am curious as to how they are still living..?

I am but curious as to the body's reaction to such a thing. If people can go on living in such a manner then the body doesn't shut down completely...but surely living doesn't maintain the same aspects as it would without that lack of food.

To me it's a conundrum I suppose, I'm sorry if my curiosity in any way offended anyone...

I have been thinking about this post for the better part of the day…I really hope you are not planning on starving yourself. It is dangerous. If you have a therapist—please talk with them about your thoughts/plans. This is a serious health issue and I worry about it…

Hi lil bit,

I agree with the others here. Starving is a serious matter and can lead to severe complications and possible death. It’s not something that should be tested. And DePressMe gave perfect examples of what could happen. I am not a doctor either but from my own personal struggle with anorexia, I will just flat out say that my body was seriously shutting down without me even realizing it. If not for the ER and many treatments I wouldn’t be here. The body is not meant to function off of starvation just as a vehicle cannot run without gas. Even though you see others living off of very little food it does not mean that they are healthy and functioning. When your body has nothing to work with it begins to rely on what you have left meaning your tissues, muscles, organs, etc. And because people’s bodies are different it’s impossible to determine how prolonged starvation would affect you. A girl I met was starving herself the same “exact” way I was... but she died. Please, please, please seek professional help if you are finding yourself falling into these thoughts. Sorry if I sound paranoid but like the others here, your question spooked me and I’m genuinely coming from a place of care and concern. Just keep talking... there are people listening and who care about your well being.

Be kind to yourself. ~ Bee

I've heard you get dizzy, tired, sometimes have chest pains of feel shaky, your thinking processes and all of that stuff start to slow down. People usually get dehydrated because they don't drink enough water. Depression is a symptom of starvation.. you basically feel ****** the whole time.

lil bit there are no people that do well not eating. I don't know where you heard that or why you think it is true but I urge you to find concrete examples of what you are believing. It never feels good and never "helps" one.

I am not sure why you are asking the same question over... even though you answered why, I don't understand.

I am NOT a doctor..

So for me, my personal body, it would depend on how much body fat that I have on me at the time.
The littler the body fat the faster the shut down process.

dehyration sets in fast for me, a very uncomfortable awful feeling of "not being in my 'right'" mind. dry heaves, as the fat drops of me, I lose my heart muscle resulting in permenant damage - ie shortness of breath, not being able to keep up PERMENANTLY, constipation - ie no bowel movements, urinity infections - including kidneys - it hurts to pee... and if you can cause you haven't got anything to pee so it leads to bateria growth, loss of fingernails and toenails - oh yeah fun -
stange thinking - electrolytes out of wacky.. so is your thinking...

a strange tiredness prevailing your entire body... emcomplising everything..

a giving of even wanting to do anything..

your friendships your family... they can't stand what it is you are doing to yourself and they HATE it... they LOVE you and they want you to LOVE you.

shutting down of system organs - kidneys, liver heart... going into the hospital
infections - white cell counts grow as infection sets in

having people talk about you like you don't exist..
except - how are we going to keep her systems going..

well I am Not a doctor... I am a person... I am a blunt person... I do not understand the mechanics of all that goes on in the body...

I have been 19 and have wondered if I would ever ever see
20...

So if you or anyone else wants to be offended by this post - have it deleted by all means.

If you want to do this to your body.... well know the outcome well is OH so much fun..
freewill

When I first posted this it was in fact mere curiosity. In truth, after that point I have not been eating. I've never gone this far before, over three days now. I know it doesn't sound like much compared to what most people do but..meh. I don't know. I've been drinking a lot of water/gatorade type stuff and staying hydrated. Maybe my mind is warped here or something but...so long as there are fat tissues to run off of...starvation won't proceed to the next "step" of taking from muscle tissue...so it's not that bad to just get rid of the fat tissues that serve no purpose but hate anyways....??? maybe???
god i don't know.

oh, and I don't have a therapist nor do I have hope of gaining one, so help via that avenue isn't going to happen.

I think you said it "Maybe my mind is ____ or something..."

You are treading into dangerous area...you need to at least go see a regular doc and see what damage you are doing...

Curiosity ... I frankly don't buy it...you wanted to know how long you could go before damage begins...point blank...your letting the lies win...

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Direction said:
Curiosity ... I frankly don't buy it...you wanted to know how long you could go before damage begins...point blank...your letting the lies win...

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perhaps I'm misinterpreting this statement...but regardless I'm going to say that I am not putting anything false down in this forum. That would be beyond pointless....When I first posted this I had been talking to a friend who had gone some time without eating, at the time I was curious as to how she did it. I had never gone entirely without food, only restricted amounts. I wanted to get an idea of what she had gone through. A few days later though I guess I just thought about it too much. It enmeshed itself with everything else I had been thinking and I just...stopped eating.

Today I ate something, it was pure sugar so that wasn't exactly a good choice on my part, but at least it's something.

I'm sorry for my response...I am to the top of my agitation and with that comes lack of control and compassion...sorry if I have offended...

I understand...

it is very hard to function at all not just the tiredness but the mental exhaustion and confusion that comes with such starvation.
the damage is does to your organs too is devastating its a very dangerous thing to do to yourself
please dont go down tbhat road x

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I've done that. I was two hundred ten pounds. I quit taking me mental health medicine (which caused a large part of the gained weight in and of itself) Then I started to hydrate using blender drinks that were nutritional many times a day. I got back to one hundred fifty pounds in a full year. I still had to go to a heart specialist. He said that it damaged my heart but not severely.

I can understand why some of us totally restrict. It has to do with words others gave us. It has to do with being sexually molested or just date raped.

Maybe a nurtritioist will let you win the thing in both ways. You can stay skinny and stay alive and be really healthy. Just let her guiding be taken and followed. Make sure she is reputable. The money spent will save you. You can have both if you seriously try to say "I want to stay well!"

lil bit,

Not eating for long periods is something I have gone through several times in the last 13 years......the first time was when I was on Prozac.....for some reason, it took my appitite away & I just didn't eat....food made me feel sick so I wouldn't eat. I have to admit that at that time, I was also extremely suicidal, so that didn't help the situation either since I didn't care what happened to me.

I really wasn't paying attention to my weight either at the time, so I didn't notice that my weight was so low.....but I was dizzy & had nausea all the time...didn't know if it was the meds or what since I wasn't paying attention to my weight. I was always thin anyway, so until I lost a huge amount, it wasn't that noticed & even my pdoc didn't notice anything until my husband said something to him about my weighing only 82 lbs. He immediately got me into an ED treatment center. No one paid much attention to the health aspect of my condition, but in the treatment center, they were always monitoring your health besides your weight, so guess nothing was horribly out of line.

The problem with the treatment center was that they focused on body image, thinking that all anorixic's had a body image problem.....but I didn't fit into that mold.....so it seemed that most of their therapy wasn't of any help.

My weight went up a little while I was in treatment & they forced you to eat everything at every meal otherwise they made you drink a can of sustical. It wasn't a very plesant time & I wasn't very cooperative since I really didn't want to be there anyway.

After I got out, they didn't change my meds, so the source of my not feeling well didn't go away. My weight stayed pretty stable at the low weight & I could eat a few bites of only certain mild foods that I could tolerate. The dizzyness got so bad at times that I would pass out but I still tried to ride my horse & work on my dressage showing.....but I would end up passing out & then my GP would end up putting me in the hospital & putting in a central line with the TPN that was IV nutrition. I would be in the hospital about a week & then out & it would be an endless cycle almost every month for about a year until my meds got changed.

Somehow after awhile, it just seemed to go away & my weight stabalized out at a point where I could function without passing out or getting sick when I ate something.

The central line experiences weren't plesant at all....it was a risk everytime they put in in & one time, the DR actually knicked my lung, puncturing it. Fluid filled my chest & had to have a chest tube put in......wrapped my legs it those stockings to keep blood clots from forming.....all because I wasn't eating.

My last bout without eating was just 2 years ago when my Mother was dying of cancer. This time is was stress that was making me feel nausea & when I feel that way, I just can't force myself to eat. I was feeling dizy, & there were so many horrible things happening around me, that I couldn't understand (elderly abuse to my mother by the home care person who was supposed to be an RN & then she stole my Mothers ID & alot of other things all in 5 days......LONG STORY though). My pdoc was trying to tell me that it was my lack of eating that was the problem & wouldn't listen to everything that was happening around me. Stress is one of the worst causes of my not eating for days & weeks. It was a combination of exhaustion & lack of eating, but a new GP I had just started going to, stuck me into the hospital & put in a central line. I guess my body has been strong enough that I haven't had any permanent physical problems from everything I have put it through......but the possibility was there & anyone else might have ended up much worse off than I have.

They wanted me to be treated for anorexia again, but they realized that I was suffering from some PTSD after the trauma I went through with my Mothers situation....& even after I got out of the hospital (after my Mother also died)...I could only eat a few bites of anything & then would go another day before I could eat again. I have nausea meds to take when I feel sick.....when my stress goes up high.....& that helps.

No matter what the cause of the anorexia, it is not safe for the body to go without food.....the dizzyness, the nausea, the lack of focus in the mind.....let alone all the physical damage it can do to the muscles (& the heart is a muscle).

One never knows how their body will react.....so this is all the personal experience info I can provide.....bottom line....it isn't healthy to go without food & it can end your life,
Debbie

Hey! We're out there I promise. I have been dealing with my ED all by myself for 10 years now. Besides the couple times I was in the hospital and forced to, I never really talk about it. I don't think that there is a lack of ED patients, I think we just have too much pride is all. But please talk if you feel the need to, it is so important! My silence has kept me in this endless battle and I am ready to open my mouth now. So lets do it!