Eating disorder or medical problem?

[notyme]

My 15 year old daughter has been losing a lot of weight lately, 25 pounds in about two months.  She quit eating meat about a year ago and lost a little weight.  She still eats milk and egg products along with legumes and brown rice.  She is very careful about getting enough protein.  She eats lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains.  Her pediatrician had her checked for parasites which came back negative.  He had some blood work done, including thyroid which all came back normal.  She has ADHD but is not on any medication for it.  She has been having problems with anxiety attacks and depression.  Her doctor prescribed 50 mg zoloft for her which seems to help a bit, but she is still losing weight and is having some depression and anxiety.  Her doctor says she has an eating disorder, but I don't think so.  She never weighs her self and thinks she "looks like a freak"  because she is so skinny. Any ideas?

[LisaMarie25]

I know it has been a while since you posted this, but I wanted to post a reply.
I'm almost 25 and have struggled with bulimia off and on for quite a while.

I remember when I was in high school I had lost 20 pounds in a very short amount of time. My mom took me to the doctor and my doctors first question was about if I was restricting or purging. I of course said no.

Hopefully, you guys have found out what is going on. But remember people with eating disorders are very good at hiding it and in a way protecting it. She may be in denial about it if that is the case. But as a parent you cannot afford to disregard this is a possibility. Which I don't think is the case because if you truly did not think it was an eating disorder you wouldn't have posted your question in this forum. So, to me I think you know there is a possibility that the doctor is right.

Hope everything goes well. If she is dealing with an eating disorder get her help early on. Trust me, the longer you wait the harder it becomes to recover.

[OneWordSaysAll]

well, I'm 15 too, to indicate ;)
I've a combination of Anorexia and Boulimia.
The thing is, I never tell my mom what's going on.
I weigh myself 3/4 times a day, she doesn't know, because I'm scared to do it when she's around. Before she knew I had an ED, I tried to convince her that I thought I was skinny, just because I didn't want her involved in my problem. Girls lie to their parents about things. We don't realize what we are doing to them, untill we need them.
I think her doctor could be right (not saying he is, only that it could be).
doctors and teachers are like psychologists, they see things parents can't see. Just because they aren't as close to the children as the parents are.
I think you should talk to her doctor about this, explain your thoughts and concerns. Don't confront your daughter with it right away, because IF she has an ED, she wouldn't tell you right away (most probably).

ask me if you have any questions,
:)

[MelancholyMoo]

I'm no expert but I am 15 and I have anxiety and an eating disorder.  If your daughter is wise it's easy hiding having an eating disorder.  Depression aides the eating disorder (or just makes her feel like not eating).  Her trying hard to get protein also goes into having an eting disorder so she can think straight and isnt dizzy all the time...also cutting out meat. It could be medical and an ED, but I'm betting she has one...al 15 year old girls have an immense pressure on them to lose weight, especially in society today.

[Narble]

Sorry to hear about your daughter's situation. First, bear in mind that an eating disorder is a medical problem. It is also a sneaky problem. People with eating disorders often fool everyone around them, and even themselves, about their problem. The symptoms of an ED like anorexia nervosa do not necessarily include constantly weighing oneself. And some people with EDs will play along with others when it comes to talking about their appearance.

A loss of 25 lbs. in two months is a lot of weight. So the next step would be to have your daughter see an eating disorder specialist if she hasn't already. You may also want to consider an endocrinologist, internist, or other specialist as appropriate.