Originally Posted by cat1234

It has been some time since my last post. I am in a serious hole and not sure how to climb out of it. My neuropathy is steadily worsening again. After a vacation in Florida to visit my parents, they convinced me that a possible cause of my symptoms (numb hands and feet, pain in feet and legs, constantly being cold, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, insomnia, irritability, etc.) could be the result of an eating disorder.

You see, I lost a lot of weight in college after being overweight for a few years. The healthy diet turned into being overly obsessive about being "fat" again. So, for about the past 25 years I have been on a continual restrictive diet and exercise rigorously. In the last few years, I have kept it in the low 90s and high 80s. I am 5'2" and usually weigh between 87 and 92 pounds. For years now people have commented on how excessively thin I am, although some tell me how great I am looking these days which makes me want to lose/maintain despite the concern of those closest to me.

Have any of you ever been diagnosed with some kind of nutritional neuropathy? Keep in mind my blood work has always come back with higher than normal vitamin levels. And there is no evidence of stress on kidneys or liver.

I decided to "self treat" for anorexia and rapidly increased my calories this past week with the goal of gaining 10 lbs and seeing if that helps. I have to tell you so far I feel WORSE. I am so tired and bloated and in pain. Hoping someone out there has had a similar experience before I venture out into the world of eating disorder forums.

Please help!

Originally Posted by Lewie

My nueropathy showed up this last summer when I decided to live healthier. I started eating better, quit eating sugar and stated excersizing like crazy. I was the healthiest I had ever been, so I thought. Then bam I got hit with it and now I am in the worst shape of my life gaining weight like crazy but still eating healthy and unable to excersize. I was able to run 10 miles without stopping and now I can barely make it from one seat ot the next.If eating more is making you feel worse then don't do it.

Originally Posted by Marlene

Some thoughts...

1) what have added to your diet now that you have not been eating regularly? It may take time for your digestion to adjust to the new and increased amount of food.

I have added complex carbs which have been completely avoided for 15/20 years now-things like sweet potatoes and brown rice. Plus my usual dinner was always a big salad and I have been having small salads with some protein and a carb. This is very different from my past habit. I never eat lunch and have been having small meals at midday for the first time-gluten free crackers (also new) and cheese, hummus and carrots, hard boiled eggs. So this variety of foods is all very new to my system. I do not have an appetite at all and have been forcing myself to eat regularly-but I wonder if this is also what is making me more sick???? Which leads me to your next question...

2) Have you considered that you may have a gut issue? Possible yeast overgrowth and that maybe you need to add in a good probiotic and limit sugars at first. The bloating and constipation are a strong indicator of a gut imbalance.
I had a long bout with giardia about two years ago and along with my eating issues, this very well may have caused damage to my digestive system. Sometimes I wonder if the nutrients are even being absorbed. I do take a strong probiotic every morning. It is RAW brand and at 2 pills contains 100 billion of 38 different strains-must be refrigerated. Plus I try to eat a little bit of greek yogurt at night. I take Lizness for constipation which may be aggravating any digestive imbalances but I cannot stand being plugged up all the time!

3) Calorie counting can be very misleading in that not all calories are created equal. You really have to look for nutrient rich food when trying to modify your weight.
Any chance you could give me some tips? I do love fruit so avoiding those kinds of sugars would be very difficult. Other than greek yogurt, I avoid any kind of cow dairy products. I eat a lot of vegetables as I do not eat meat other than seafood and hard boiled eggs. For fats, I consume nuts, almond butter, avocados and goat cheeses. If I want a treat, I will have a few 70% cacao chips mixed with plain greek yogurt and berries. My breakfast is a smoothie made with fruit, plant based protein powder, almond milk and some kind of green (usually kale or spinach).

4) What vitamin levels are coming back higher than normal? And are you taking supplements?

Originally Posted by glenntaj

--in 21 years at the age of 40?

Has that ever been looked into? There are many causes for this, but being very underweight is certainly a leading candidate--and that would mean a lot of hormonal abnormalities that could lead to many kinds of symptoms . . .

Originally Posted by cat1234

Yes, pretty much all of my doctors have said at some point that I was on the thin side and could gain some weight. But nobody seemed overly concerned so I continued on my "merry" dieting way.

Originally Posted by cat1234

The official diagnosis is amenorrhea.

Originally Posted by glenntaj

--in 21 years at the age of 40?

Has that ever been looked into? There are many causes for this, but being very underweight is certainly a leading candidate--and that would mean a lot of hormonal abnormalities that could lead to many kinds of symptoms . . .