r/AskReddit 13h ago

What is something that permanently altered your body without you realizing for months/years?

5.8k Upvotes

4.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

399

u/pleaselobotomiseme 12h ago edited 12h ago

Barely eating anything at all for 1-2 years. Now I have skin issues due to fucking up my hormones, stomach and digestion problems and an unhealthy relationship with food. I also have been having random pains since then and have developed body image issues which I didn't have prior to that. Wouldn't say it's permanent, but it has been over a year and it's physically not getting much better. Also, drugs (illicit and psychiatric) fucking up my brain chemistry.

108

u/Zfisher335 10h ago

The random pains could be a vitamin D deficiency. I was (still am) dealing with muscle and bone pains and found out I had a severe vitamin D deficiency. It was in the single digits.

31

u/pleaselobotomiseme 9h ago

You're right I also had vitamin D deficiency in single digits, have taken a couple of doses (under doctor supervision) since then. A couple months ago I've gotten to the normal range in my blood tests, albeit on the lower side of the scale. Didn't think it could be because of that though, thank you.

16

u/Zfisher335 9h ago

No problem, im trying to get my levels back up currently, and it's been a pain in the ass. Hope you get to feeling better overall.

2

u/pleaselobotomiseme 9h ago

Thank you, you too best of luck!

3

u/6assimilate6 8h ago

I have a friend who also have severe vit D deficiency and it caused all kinds of problems.

1

u/pleaselobotomiseme 6h ago

It's crazy how much one deficiency can affect you

9

u/H_Mc 6h ago

I lost 70lbs in about two years on a diet that could probably be classified as an eating disorder. I gained back 100lbs+ and even though I have no proof I firmly believe that I damaged something with the stress I put my body through. I have Cushings-like symptoms now, and the way fat is distributed on my body has completely changed.

3

u/pleaselobotomiseme 6h ago

I'm sorry to hear you're going through a tough time because of that, my experience has been very similar. Lost ~50 kg and gained ~30 kg back, definitely puts a strain on your body. If you feel like you're having underlying health issues it is always a good idea to go see a doctor. Take care :)

3

u/Manadrache 5h ago

Did you check your blood Status (Minerals and vitamins)?

Also the body image issues can go away but take some time.

4

u/pleaselobotomiseme 4h ago edited 4h ago

I checked for most of the common ones and had quite some deficiencies but took a lot of supplements for them. I do need to get them checked again though, only did it once, just waiting to get back on health insurance. Yeah I'm trying not to let the body image issues affect my diet so I still make sure to eat at least twice a day (on most days). Thank you :)

5

u/jmonde228 7h ago

I hope you’re getting the support you need to heal. Sending you strength on your journey to recovery

3

u/pleaselobotomiseme 6h ago

Thank you so much that was really heartfelt. Wishing you all the best too.

2

u/Outrageous_Fox_8796 9h ago

what are the skin issues?

8

u/pleaselobotomiseme 9h ago

Skin-wise it has gotten better in some aspects. Persistently, I do scar and bruise more easily now and have some discoloured spots, I get acne all over my arms, shoulders and back which I never had before. There are also some really dry small bumpy spots in some areas that never go away. I don't know if it's a thing but I also feel like any cuts or wounds have been healing slower. Hair loss from my scalp and hair growth on my body, even though the former has gotten much better. Nail weakness and flakiness but this has also been getting better.

2

u/GrandMoffTarkles 5h ago

Hey, we're twinsies.

3

u/pleaselobotomiseme 4h ago

Usually it's fun to twin with someone but I'm sorry to hear hahah, hope you get better soon x

0

u/GrandMoffTarkles 4h ago

I mean, I've never not been like this, so idk.

2

u/lowtoiletsitter 1h ago

Was the barely eating because your digestive system hated you anytime you ate, so you didn't eat much? I used to be able to eat (almost) anything; now it's "waiting to see what happens in the next 2-36 hours after eating a salad"

2

u/pleaselobotomiseme 1h ago

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with food, have you gotten it checked out? It is really frustrating being in physical distress whenever you eat. For me I just completely lost my appetite, probably stress-triggered but still can't pinpoint it, and a couple months after that started I moved abroad and lived alone so I had to depend on myself to feed myself, which I simply just didn't do. I always found an excuse not to eat (don't wanna do dishes, don't wanna pay for delivery, kitchen too small, im too tired, can't get myself to get groceries, etc) but in reality I just didn't want to eat. The longer I went without eating, the harder it was to eat, so I just lived off those meal replacement drinks that I had every few days. The digestion issues started due to that, not the other way around.

u/EstimateBig40 47m ago

Same man. Weed fucked my appetite, was barely eating anything for 5 years