Can anyone help on my sons eating problems?

[chill2computer]

Does any one have any advice please?

 

Does any one have any advice my son has an eating problem and if he eats something he enjoys he has to have more until he is sick. I have been teaching him healthy potions to prevent him from being sick. I get very stressed as my son does not except this and will through a tantrum. My son will be sick every time he eats and then tells me his tummy is empty and asks for more. I do not let him and I explain he has been sick and can not eat any thing else as his tummy is not happy.

 

My son has started to bring up his food every time he eats. What can I do to stop this from repeating?

 

Thankyou for any advice or help you can give!

[Flora]

Hi chill.

 

I'm no expert but a few things come to mind. It could be that his brain is slow/or failing to register when he is full. Or it could be psychological. Either way I'd take him to the GP to find out what is going on. My AS son often binges then throws up. I have to try and get him to eat slowly because he doesn't always realise when he is full.

 

Lauren

[Paula]

Ive not heard of this problem.Most of the As kids includeing mine are fussy eaters and like to eat the same things in a certaine way but ive not heard of being sick all the time.Someone will have though.

 

Id get in touch with youre GP you dont want this being sick to become an intrenched habit.

 

Good luck i hope you can get it sorted.Plus there could be something else wrong it needs checking out.

[lisann]

Hi

Not got any advise other then say yep I'd take him for a check up.Char recently satrted to choke on food and this made him gag and eventually made him sick.We took him to the ped's and she told us he has a reflux.This has been dreadfull as he wouldn't eat properly for two weeks and now he still has his days where he says food has sticks in it or lines.This is very worrying for us as parents especially as he doesn't eat a normal balanced diet anyway.

 

hope you get it sorted out soon

love Lisa

[Infojunkie]

I would definately suggest getting medical advice on this. Best to rule out a physical illness first as there is a rare condition (can't remember right now what it is called) which could potentially cause these symptoms.

 

Infojunkie

[phasmid]

I think the condition Infojunkie means is called Prader-Willi Syndrome. People with this condition have no control over their appetite and will eat almost constantly if food is available. I suggest you speak to your gp about this. Have a look on the net for more info - just don't scare yourself silly over it.

 

HTH

[florrie]

I've had that problem especially when a teenager, I'm not sure but now I know I'm asd I think in my case it is a mixture of sensory problems where you can't tellyou are full, it is like the on off switch doesn't work is the best way to describe it, and an addiction to wheat which is addictive for some people and it was always wheat products I would do this with and I still feel like doing it when I eat wheat, i couldn't eat one croissant, i would have to eat 10 and then I would feel sick but you didn't notice at the time. I t is almost like being an alcoholic, the desire is massive. i find by improving my diet and eating for health reason alone helps and cutting out things like wheat and dairy in particular are the most addcitive foods, many people with asd have sensitivities to these foods even if you might not be directly aware of it

Edited April 4, 2006 by florrie

[curra]

My son has a similar problem, although he's very a fussy eater he likes to go on a binge eating the same type of food over and over again whether it's bread or anything. He can't control his appetite and I keep sweets, biscuits etc in a locked cabinet to keep his weight under control. Recently I spoke with the pead about this and he referred him to the nutritionist . We havent had the appointment yet but I hope she can help him have a more balanced diet.

 

Curra

[on the edge]

May not be relevant but my son used to eat huge quantitys of food until I changed his diet. It was always bread/biscuits and sugary foods that he craved. He would eat off the floor and off other peoples plates- he never seemed full (he was still only little (3.0 yrs) when I took out gluten and casein so could not ask him how he felt) But he would freak out if his chosen food was not available as soon as he wanted it. I have since discovered that he was 'addicted' to this type of food, and was getting the fix he needed from it too feel good. He still eats good size portions but is not the same in anyway as he was before. He has never thrown up through this eating though, so may not be the same type of binging, but it was very disconcerting to see him eat so much!!! Does your son binge and throw up on certain foods only?

 

I would recommend a specialist dietician and allergy, deficiency testing etc, if you have no joy from your GP. They can deal with mental as well as physical health problems.

 

Best of luck

 

Peace and lovexxxxx

[yoyo]

it is a mixture of sensory problems where you can't tellyou are full, it is like the on off switch doesn't work is the best way to describe it,

 

I t is almost like being an alcoholic, the desire is massive.

 

I have spent my life battling with a desire to overeat. As a child I was very restricted by my mother, but once I left home the problem became such that it resembled alcoholism. I have discovered AS relatively recently and am most relieved to read of the overeating problems expressed on this site (not pleased that people are suffering though). People just saw me as a freak or one who had no willpower if I described my problem with food. I also find bread, cakes etc so comforting, not to mention chocolate!! It really does feel as though the full switch is not there. Thank you to all who have posted on this issue; it has been most helpful.

[florrie]

yoyo thanks for posting, I'm really sorry for these problems you have had and that you have been treated in such a bad way because of it, unfortunately there seems to be very little understanding of this, but I'm glad you related to some of what I said because I know I can't be the only one, and through my understanding of asd I worked it out and I know professor gillberg is aware of this problem in some people that have been dx with eating disorders but in fact may have an asd if there are conceptualising problems or similarities with if not actually asd

Edited April 16, 2006 by florrie

[florrie]

just repeated the above post by accident so deleted it, but had to write something

Edited April 16, 2006 by florrie

[DaisyProudfoot]

It does sound like a worrying condition I think like the others suggested you need to see your GP.

 

I have the opposite problem with my NT daughter (9) - she doesn't eat much at all. She weighs 4 and a half stone and thinks she's getting fat

 

I've never made food an issue and all the boys eat normally (well AS son eats as normally as can be expected!) but she's really got body issues. I'm going to let it go for a bit longer then I may be off to the GP for her again too.

[bugbug]

I don't know if this will help your sons problem but to get my son to eat more we placed an amount on his plate which steadily increased and when finished he got a treat. Something he really really wanted, however bad it was for him. Maybe you could turn this around the other way and put less on the plate for the treat. EMPTY PLATE TREAT, we call it. I hope you understand. It may be worth giving it a shot. My sons food intake did increase with the incentive but not the variety of food. That stays static. I would mention it to the GP or PEAD also though.

Edited April 18, 2006 by bugbug

[florrie]

daisyproudfoot, I only weighed about 5 stone when Ihad this problem, because I became afraid to eat, and became anorexic, I just think eating probs fullstop in whatever form they present in can be part of asd spectrum, whether it is desire to eat only a few types of food and won't try anything else to allergies to foods as well as sensory issues to food, I've got all of them, mildy, but the compounding effect isn't that mild. I don't think doctors take this stuff seriously unless you present as anorexic

Edited April 19, 2006 by florrie

[mrs phasmid]

have this problem on and off with phas jr. also needing to go to the toilet straight after eating. spoke to our gp and he advised getting a kitchen timer (jr picked it) and then when he had finished what was on his plate he had to set it to 15 mins and if he still felt he needed to eat/use loo then he could. gp said its common with asd not to feel the full feeling properly it can present as needing a bowel movement or even a headache as asd often cannot distinguish where "feeling" is coming from