Problem with going to doctor’s

[2205]

Background:

I have developed quite serious health anxiety in recent years. It started with wanting to be really healthy and then I started to control everything related to food and lifestyle. I also have been treated for an eating disorder because of that. I now eat relatively normal but the need for control remains - I have very strict eating rules and I don’t want any exceptions to my regime. Quite certainly an aspie thing.

Problem:

I’ve been dealing with digestive issues and nutrient deficiencies, so my doctor ordered me to take some supplements and now I also need go get tested for lactose intolerance. The problem is, I can’t take supplements because I’m afraid they’ll mess with my digestion (they do, even if it’s just because of anxiety) and I can’t go do the lactose test because that involves drinking a glass full of lactose which quite definitely will give my major digestive distress. And the idea of being in some hospital waiting room with digestive issues is a huge source of anxiety for me. I think that the main point is that I feel I’m not controlling those situations, the doctor is. And I can’t make myself to obey even if I know rationally that it’s for my own health.

For example I have developed this rule that I won’t leave house in the morning until I haven’t had my coffee, juice and oatmeal. But some blood test need to be taken without eating or drinking anything. That’s major problem for me, especially the coffee part because coffee doesn’t mess with glucose levels, so I can’t understand why is that forbidden. To be honest, I have always “cheated” by drinking coffee in the morning when giving blood and nothing abnormal has ever shown.

When I was a kid, I would just plain refuse that kind of things and no one could make me. But as an adult I feel kind of responsible for my own health (which is a positive thing) so refusing those things make me also feel really bad.


Anyone has something similar? How do you deal with having to give up your rutines and control?

 

[Judge]

That’s major problem for me, especially the coffee part because coffee doesn’t mess with glucose levels, so I can’t understand why is that forbidden.

Did your physician tell you explicitly that coffee doesn't mess with your glucose levels?

Technically glucose itself is low (acidic) on the ph scale. So is coffee and juice. So ingesting them might compound the ph level of glucose and effectively alter your test results.

Though I suppose only your doctor may know for sure whether this is the case with your individual metabolism. Caffeine as well may raise or lower your blood sugar. So I can see how physicians and labs probably don't appreciated patients drinking such things associated with measuring glucose levels.

Small wonder that they only want you to drink water before such tests, whose ph value should be neutral as opposed to things like coffee and juice.

 

[Autistamatic]

I had to give up 25 years of vegetarianism because of health problems despite me eating a very balanced, home cooked diet. I had years of crippling digestive problems that put me on medications and led to many invasive investigations until I was eventually convinced by doctors that my diet was the problem left to address, despite it being one they would not normally recognise as problematic.

It was very hard to accept but by that time I was desperate for relief from my ills, so I reluctantly relented and allowed meat and fish back into my diet. Within weeks the problems had eased and I was feeling much better.

A balanced vegetarian diet such as I followed should be healthy for most people, but it wasn't for me. Letting go of my routines and principles was a terrible emotional wrench but it was that or put up with the unpleasant consequences.

No habit/routine or principle is worth making yourself sick over. As you point out, you are responsible for your own diet and health now, so sticking to a diet that's hurting you is just a complicated form of self harm.

I fixed my diet and gave up smoking around the same time and BOY do I feel the benefit of both!

 

[2205]

Did your physician tell you explicitly that coffee doesn't mess with your glucose levels?

Technically glucose itself is low (acidic) on the ph scale. So is coffee and juice. So ingesting them might compound the ph level of glucose and effectively alter your test results.

Though I suppose only your doctor may know for sure whether this is the case with your individual metabolism. Caffeine as well may raise or lower your blood sugar. So I can see how physicians and labs probably don't appreciated patients drinking such things associated with measuring glucose levels.

Small wonder that they only want you to drink water before such tests, whose ph value should be neutral as opposed to things like coffee and juice.

Thanks for explanation. I didn’t think of the acidity of the coffee and that messing with glucose levels.

Doctors usually don’t explain the “whys”, they only tell what they’ve learned to tell the patients.

 

[2205]

I had to give up 25 years of vegetarianism because of health problems despite me eating a very balanced, home cooked diet. I had years of crippling digestive problems that put me on medications and led to many invasive investigations until I was eventually convinced by doctors that my diet was the problem left to address, despite it being one they would not normally recognise as problematic.
It was very hard to accept but by that time I was desperate for relief from my ills, so I reluctantly relented and allowed meat and fish back into my diet. Within weeks the problems had eased and I was feeling much better.
A balanced vegetarian diet such as I followed should be healthy for most people, but it wasn't for me. Letting go of my routines and principles was a terrible emotional wrench but it was that or put up with the unpleasant consequences.
No habit/routine or principle is worth making yourself sick over. As you point out, you are responsible for your own diet and health now, so sticking to a diet that's hurting you is just a complicated form of self harm.
I fixed my diet and gave up smoking around the same time and BOY do I feel the benefit of both!

Thanks for sharing your experience. It must have been hard to change your diet, but I’m glad that it helped and you’re feeling better.

 

[Progster]

For example I have developed this rule that I won’t leave house in the morning until I haven’t had my coffee, juice and oatmeal. But some blood test need to be taken without eating or drinking anything. That’s major problem for me, especially the coffee part because coffee doesn’t mess with glucose levels, so I can’t understand why is that forbidden. To be honest, I have always “cheated” by drinking coffee in the morning when giving blood and nothing abnormal has ever shown.

Yes, I have always hated having blood tests done for this very reason... it really messes up my routine, and I hate having to get up early in the morning without coffee to so it. I feel tired all day afterwards Not all blood tests require you to abstain from eating and drinking prior to the tests, perhaps you can check with your doctor whether you need to or not. If you are testing for blood sugars and cholesterol, then you shouldn't eat or drink as that will affect the results.

 

[Autistamatic]

Hi again

I last posted at about 5.30am after waking up from a nightmare so forgive me if I was a little incoherent

After reading your post again a couple of times I see parallels with my past experience but there appear to be other aspects too. I never had a question of a control dynamic between myself and my doctor to consider, only my reluctance to making a drastic change in my lifestyle.

As I interpret it now you have three factors vying for control within your dilemma. Your Doctor (who you say you know is right), your "self" (who wants to follow the doctor's advice for your own good) and your anxiety which stops you. To my mind your anxiety is in control right now. I sometimes find it helps to personify my anxiety as a separate entity to picture it's effect on me more clearly.

How do we get YOU back in control and feeling better. How can we negotiate with your anxiety to find an equitable solution? You say your anxiety doesn't want you to take supplements. How would it feel about subtle changes to your diet and routine to return the missing nutrients to your diet without upsetting the apple cart too much? Is it possible for you to phase in small changes, week by week, to build up what is missing without triggering your anxiety into blocking you?

There's plenty of people here with a decent grasp on nutrition and even more cooks. Maybe sharing some of what you are lacking with us may help generate ideas for compromise your anxiety can live with?

 

[Moomin]

I had to go to the doctors today, and that was difficult and all I had was a generic inspection to get diagnosed with strep throat but it still threw me off my route. Although, I think that was mainly do to the time...and then the doctor was late seeing me. So that sucked. I also have a gynecological condition that requires monitoring every year, and that really does result in great anxiety levels because the check is heavily invasive and I have blood tests, and I’m not great at donating my blood for the cause for that.

I don’t know if my anxiety is due to giving up control and it messing up my routine but it certainly doesn’t help.

I get very anxious when I have my yearlycheck up. I know exactly what will happen as a procedure but I’m still anxious. I recently had to go a few months ago with my sibling for their (non related) appointment and I started to panic because I was just in the waiting room of that hospital.

I’m not the best I’m dealing with these types of routine changes. Others, more normal ones, I’ve worked hard on to be come more lax on. I don’t like it if a plan changes or doesn’t happen so i developed my plan A and plan B. If I happen to miss something in my routine, depending on how important it is, I’ll put it in. Surprises are still a work in progress...

I’m sorry that you’re having health issues.

 

[Tom]

I'm miserable without my comfort foods or drinks (ie. Tea & Coffee) and cheated often for fasts. But it really isn't fair to the doctors trying to help to skew the results so its best to try your best to tough it out and look forward to the breakfast you will enjoy afterwards, etc.

It may help to consider your health a team effort with you having to play your part as well as the doctors. Except in exceptional circumstances it is best to follow their instructions to the letter. It will make you feel good perhaps to see them knowing you have done exactly what they asked.

I may skip doing things frequently but never try and miss medical/dental appointments. In the long run it will keep you healthier and hopefully avoid some problems and moderate others.

 

[Pats]

My doctor gets very frustrated with me because I have my own ways of doing things. Some good, some bad, but no one is going to change them. I live almost an hour from my doctor and dealing with stomach issues, which I've read is a very common problem with autism, it's an hour or more before I can leave the house most days. I have to eat with my morning meds or I'm going to feel sick. So I always schedule any appointments for afternoon so I can keep my morning routine. Partly autism and partly physical reason. So the last couple years I've not had any labs because I can't get there early enough and without having eaten something. So my last visit, the doctor said we'd go ahead and do labs and she would just make adjustments, knowing that I had eaten. (Labs were all good.) Glucose just a little higher than usual because I had eaten. Cholesterol fine - and I had eaten a McDonald kids meal on the way because it was a 2:00 appointment. lol
As for tests to say you are lactose intolerant - why? Don't drink milk and see if your situation improves. If it does - then stay away from milk or other lactose products.
Funny, I had a patient who had been in the hospital having tests run because everything she ate went straight through her. Test after test and nothing was showing up. She asked for a night snack and some milk. I asked her if she always drinks milk and she said she drinks it with everything. I told her to stop drinking milk and see if that helped. Wah - lah. She was cured. She had her snack without milk and she did fine. It's not a miracle. lol
Anyhow. And vitamins - try some without the iron - iron can totally mess up your stomach. Maybe some childrens chewables.

 

[Mr Allen]

I actually don't mind going to the Quack, I have to go as a regular thing about 4 times a year anyway to get the results of blood tests I have every 3 months up at the Hospital for my Diabetes.

 

[2205]

Hi again

I last posted at about 5.30am after waking up from a nightmare so forgive me if I was a little incoherent

After reading your post again a couple of times I see parallels with my past experience but there appear to be other aspects too. I never had a question of a control dynamic between myself and my doctor to consider, only my reluctance to making a drastic change in my lifestyle.

As I interpret it now you have three factors vying for control within your dilemma. Your Doctor (who you say you know is right), your "self" (who wants to follow the doctor's advice for your own good) and your anxiety which stops you. To my mind your anxiety is in control right now. I sometimes find it helps to personify my anxiety as a separate entity to picture it's effect on me more clearly.

How do we get YOU back in control and feeling better. How can we negotiate with your anxiety to find an equitable solution? You say your anxiety doesn't want you to take supplements. How would it feel about subtle changes to your diet and routine to return the missing nutrients to your diet without upsetting the apple cart too much? Is it possible for you to phase in small changes, week by week, to build up what is missing without triggering your anxiety into blocking you?

There's plenty of people here with a decent grasp on nutrition and even more cooks. Maybe sharing some of what you are lacking with us may help generate ideas for compromise your anxiety can live with?

Thanks! I like this concept of negotiating with anxiety. I kind of do that but not consciously.

The main problem is iron which I’ve been lacking since teenage years. I do eat meat now but it doesn’t seem to help. Maybe I eat it too little..

 

[Pats]

Thanks! I like this concept of negotiating with anxiety. I kind of do that but not consciously.

The main problem is iron which I’ve been lacking since teenage years. I do eat meat now but it doesn’t seem to help. Maybe I eat it too little..

then I guess the vitamins without iron won't help. green leafy vegetables, like spinach.

 

[Autistamatic]

And for meat - red meat like beef, lamb, pork, venison are ideal. You need to keep up your B12 intake too. The best source of that is yeast extract (aka Marmite or Vegemite) or brewers yeast.
Anaemia can really mess you up so we need to find a way to help you get back on track. It might even help to let your anxiety talk to us directly - but make sure you signal that's what your're doing if you choose to. We can help you negotiate if you get my drift.

 

[Mia]

The main problem is iron which I’ve been lacking since teenage years. I do eat meat now but it doesn’t seem to help. Maybe I eat it too little..

All of my life I had anemia, and it began when I was a teen. Didn't even know it until a doctor checked for something else. It didn't help that I was a vegetarian for a really long time. Began taking iron pills in the hospital after a car accident.

I'm not someone who liked to eat raw leafy greens at all. So after that I ate the most iron rich foods I could find; dried fruits, eggs, fish and seafood (seafood is something I didn't like), enriched grain products like breakfast cereal (can't bear breakfast cereal except for oatmeal) and enriched pasta. Beans, peas, lentils, soybeans. Beef, lamb, pork and veal, chicken and turkey, (none of which I eat with the exception of chicken and turkey) and asparagus and spinach.

Seems like you could tailor your diet a little bit, not too drastically at first. I found it hard to begin eating any kind of animal product. Eventually though, it took away my fatigue, my brittle nails and dry hair and pale skin. To this day I find it quite difficult to even go to doctor's and I have essentially free health care. Don't like their generalized one size fits all manner of doing things. And the lack of choice with doctor's, as in their way or not at all.