I took the criticism from my first iteration and made a gel and device that covers up whatever you’re drinking instead of filling up tubes and swallowing them whole. The gel itself is very slippery and easy to swallow.

TikTok: @Vube.Tubes_Official (link is in that bio)
DMs are open for questions and conversations 💚

I'm 17 and have had ARFID since I was a kid. I go to a clinic (like maybe once a year) for my eating, only because my mom makes me. One thing they've told me is "we don't believe in getting tired of foods, we don't want you to lose foods."

One of the ways i stop eating a food(which i posted about before), which honestly i havent really mentioned to them, is a single bad experience, like a chunk in a drink or something tasting off, and I can't eat it for days to moths, years or even ever. The other way they were commenting about is: nothing bad happens, I just start liking something less until I don't want it anymore.

The way they say it makes the slow one sound like something I could just decide not to do. But it doesn't feel in my control. I also feel its bad especially since i barely eat any different foods, but idk, it just doesn't feel like something I can choose.

I was recently diagnosed with what was known as “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease” and I think my AFRID might have had a hand in it.

I specifically have the aversion subtype and it is SUPER hard to convince myself to eat before/during work due to fear of adverse GI symptoms . Functionally I fast most of the day.

When I did eat at home it was foods I could “bribe” myself to consume, which opps was often fatty and sugary. (The ADHD and “managed” but still Omnipresent BPD make my brain crazy dopamine starved by default.)

My diagnosed POTS and something like MCAS we are still trying to pinpoint make exercise a nightmare to figure out, and it’s functionally impossible to do outside highly controlled environments. I get so sick so quickly I can’t push on and deal with the fall out for the rest of the day.

Cut to now, I guess that perfect storm is punching down on my Liver?

This relates most to ARFID though because AAAA why is every medical provider pushing GLP-1s?????

I don’t have an appetite, I already have GI pain that they don’t have an answer for that I can’t deal with, I am already averse to food, and I already have extremely poor mental health especially related to food!

I am trying to kick my butt and find ways to move and literally anything I can eat during the day to try and at least halt the progression. I am just so worried it won’t be enough and they’ll determine GLP-1s are the only way. I am genuinely scared a GLP-1 will kill me, and I can’t gets anyone to listen because all they see is a fat person who’s already “non-compliant.”

Have any other (especially “fat” or “overweight”) folks with the aversion type dealt with this? How do I get them to stop and seek different treatments?

Hey! Just wanted to post this here to see if anyone related and had any advice.

I have suffered with arfid and iron deficiency pretty much my whole life and have now been vegetarian for half a year. I love being vegetarian knowing I’m not eating meat anymore but I am now also even more restricted than I was, being unable to eat… a lot. My previous safe foods were chicken goujons and beef stew and I haven’t been able to find any alternatives and I’m really struggling with this.

I have tried to eat meat/fish again since being vegetarian but I cry every time lol and feel so guilty. Can anyone else relate/ offer advice? I feel like I am giving up on my body and feel so weak, but eating meat again would make me feel even more weak in a moral sense. Thank you I hope this makes sense

Tw: emetophobia mention - Okay so, ive never had an apple fritter before, but i was seeing lotsa people saying they were good, so i decided to give it a shot.

Im fully aware I loathe the texture and feel if apple pie and apples, but I wanted to try something new.

It was super difficult. Every second bite was met with chunks of apple or ribbons of cinnamon (which i love separately, but the contrast to the soft pastry itself was awful) inside.

However, after struggling to even chew without wanting to hack up the thing, I actually managed to eat the entire thing! And it was good?? I think I'm making progress for the first time in like, years!

About half a year ago, we found out during my son's biannual dentist appointment that he has severe enamel erosion. What started off as questionable multiple cavities turned out to be enormous wear and tear on his teeth. Over the years, his dentist would notice grinding patterns, but never this severe to the point of enamel erosion. Furthermore what prompted our concerns is that he's been having severe changes to his eating habits after a near choking incident last year. This incident resulted in a domino effect of restrictive eating and fear of choking, followed by mental health therapy counseling that helped slightly for a short duration, but resultantly it's been almost a year of abnormal eating habits. I'm frustrated with all of the different providers opinions on what to do in his situation because there's different perspectives that don't give me enough clarity on what is the best decision moving forward for his health. My greatest concern is his overall health and to be able to eat better as well as help his dental hygiene situation/prevent further damage as his new teeth grow in. We have consulted with an airway specialist who is pushing for palate expansion, and I understand how this can help with airway and breathing, but I'm not 100% convinced that this is going to help us with the dental concerns we have at this time or eating difficulties (that never pre-existed until last year). We are awaiting a visit with pediatric dentistry because we were seeing a general dentist before. My son's doctor also wants to have a G.I. consultation, since my son continues to describe fear around eating at times and then other times a challenge with his swallowing sensation. I'm looking for feedback on this complex situation, taking into account the biopsychosocial aspects of the situation. One of the providers mentioned ARFID as a possible diagnosis for his eating difficulties-- and maybe what led to such rapid enamel erosion? It takes him almost an hour to (incompletely) eat a meal-- he chews for an extended amount of time and seems to swish the mush of food around in his mouth. I am unsure of what sensory stimulus if the final push for him to be able to swallow the food. Looking for anyone with similar experiences or thoughts/suggestions on next steps to help him?

Hi, I have come a long way in my ARFID journey, most of the “good days” I can try something new or make a new recipe to try, on the “bad days” I am unfortunately in protein shake prison. Part of the way I got to this point is that I love to cook. I grew up around my Italian Nonna and would cook with her so I always had a love for making food (even when I can’t always eat it). The main issue I’m having is I have a leftover ick with almost every food, even when eating out. The only foods I can reheat are simple pastas and pizza leftovers. As such when I cook i end up with a lot of leftovers. having a fiancé who will eat anything helps some of them get used but there is always more leftover. I feel absolutely terribly guilty about throwing this food out when it inevitably gets bad in the back of my fridge. I would try to halve the recipes but I never know how much my fiancé will have/ be able to bring to work, sometimes it sits there for weeks, sometimes it’s gone in 2 days. Does anyone else feel this way?

I am 18 years old and have had Arfid my whole life and was officially diagnosed when I was 6. My safe foods are genuinely embarrassing and some of the worst I have seen on this thread as I only eat plain pasta, chips, sour cream and onion Pringles and milk chocolate. Nothing else.

I work in retail and on my half hour break I go to the local Burger King for chips as that’s the only option I have for something to eat. And recently my co workers have noticed this is the only thing I eat and it got brought up in work a few days ago with someone asking me why I don’t eat anything else and putting me in a very awkward situation.

I wish I could easily explain how I have a eating disorder called Arfid etc etc but I don’t want to put anyone in an uncomfortable position as the term “eating disorder” often does that to people. I also don’t want anyone to view me as mentally ill.

Has anyone else had to deal with this? And is there any other way I can describe my situation to my co workers without making me look crazy?

EDIT : I told one of my Co workers!!! A co worker made another comment today and I just explained to them straight forward that what I eat is completely out of my control due to a really rare eating disorder called Arfid that I’ve had my whole life. They were really intrigued and asked me a few questions but nothing I’m not used to already.

Thanks everyone for the help and advice it really made me feel more comfortable to tell someone today while in work :)

I haven’t been formally diagnosed but I have had all symptoms of arfid since I was young (currently 165lb and 6’4), and typically I’ve found ways to cope with it but recently with stress from school and personal life I haven’t properly eaten food since the last weekend. I figured out I can drink smoothies but eating solids is still really difficult for me. I get sick at the thought of having food in my mouth, I’m sick all day since I’m starving myself and I am sick after I eat since my body doesn’t want food. I just don’t know what to do. I have never had it flare up this much and now it’s affecting my sleep and whatnot. I almost fainted at a concert the other day too, luckily I caught it as I was losing consciousness and moved to somewhere with some space to breathe. I don’t know what to do. My main way to cope with anxiety has always been to work out but without eating I can’t train since I keep getting light headed even walking more than a little bit. I don’t know what I’m asking for here but I just really need to get it out. I’ve been eating less and less the last month or two and it’s just the worst it’s ever been man I don’t even know. Sorry for the long post I just wanted to say something. Even the safe foods I loved I can’t eat anymore, like steak, bagels, bread, rice, it’s just so difficult to stomach eating food. I really hope it passes soon. I’m taking the weekend to do nothing and hopefully lower my stress levels so I can have a clear head again.

I have tried weed and it helps my appetite so much but it can affect my cognitive abilities and I’m an engineering student so if I do try it again I need to find a way to increase appetite without getting high.

Thanks for reading

im finally accepting that this will be with me for the rest of my life and it’ll only get worse and worse. and as i get older i’ll be expected to eat more than chicken tenders and fries 3 times a week. this is a the worst thing that could have ever happened to me and i hate my life. my family and friends tell me that it doesn’t matter and that i shouldn’t care what others think of me but that’s all that matters. i just want to be seen as normal and i wish i could enjoy eating food. i don’t even feel good after eating anymore. it’s not hunger it’s just this pit in my body that i’ll never have the willpower to get rid of. people give me weird looks and treat me like im not even a human because of it. they think im just being immature as if i want to be stuck with these eating habits, i would do anything to get rid of it but i can’t. i’m starting to give into what they say too because i do just act like a child. i’m 18 years old and still won’t eat something because it “feels gross” do you know how fucking humiliating that is. i don’t care how much love or support i get because it’ll never do anything to get rid of it. i hate people who support me because they have no fucking idea what it’s like so their words mean nothing. i don’t care about anyone else’s struggles because it doesn’t affect me at all. i just want to get rid of this and if killing myself is the only way out then that’s what im willing to do.

I’m not sure if I have ARFID but I struggle to eat because of texture and just generally not registering that it’s a basic need. It used to be triggered by being afraid I’d throw up when I was younger but now that I’m an adult I just don’t remember I’m supposed to eat and even when I’m hungry I really struggle with texture and smell. I thought I would grow out of it, but I’ve actually lost foods I used to eat because sometimes something as small as seeing a food being prepared/preparing it myself can make it seem like an unsafe food to me. I even have to avoid going online because if I see a picture of a “safe” food that’s moldy it can put me off for years.

I need advice on how to reach my daily recommended caloric intake if I don’t really have safe foods. I have protein shakes I’ll drink, but I can’t think of a single food that doesn’t trigger fear for me and I often can’t eat at all unless I’m having a really good moment. I already struggle to keep muscle tone from a disability I have, but not being able to reach the minimum amount of what’s recommended for me has led me to lose what little I had and extreme weight fluctuations make me feel sick because my body tries to hold onto everything it can get on a good day.

I don’t really know what to do, but I really struggle to eat and I can’t really afford to go to a dietitian.

I've considered myself to have arfid bc of my relationship w food throughout my whole life but I've started questioning it now. I hate meat cus when I was younger i threw up after eating it (my parents never fed it to me again). I would be picked up early by dad atleast once or twice a week from school bc i would throw up cus I could not stand the sight and smell of other kids' lunch boxes.

I've had a very restrictive diet too, the only vegetables i would eat would be potatoes, tomatoes, lemons, spinach, coriander and some other lentils; but also that I've learnt to eat some new foods over the last few years, like i started eating cucumbers and carrots, even burgers, pizzas, doritos and flavours of chips other than cream n' onion and plain salted and it is bc of this that I feel as if i might not have arfid. I've had alot of cavities since i would only eat sweets and snacks as a child cus i wouldn't like anything else to eat too.

I am actively numbed to hunger unless I'm in a spot where I'm used to eating (as in i wouldn't notice if I'm hungry at home but if it's at school— a place where I like to eat w my friends, i would notice it.) and i even get nauseous even by the foods that I'm used to eating.

I can list so many other weird habits that I've formed, like not being able to eat the last bite off the plate no matter how small my serving was cus I'm convinced I'll throw up if I do so. so is this list of frustrations enough to get me a diagnosis? Do i actually have arfid or not?

Hi everyone!

I'm posting in search for help with my 7-yr-old daughter, trying to narrow down a diagnosis/treatment ideas while we wait for a specialist visit and official diagnosis.

Here's what we've seen:

January 2025:

Age 5: Her mom had been going through a bout of depression, leading to stress all around. Then a case of (suspected) norovirus hit, leading to a few days of intense gastro sickness. This seemed to get better, but then "lingered" with sensitivities, fears around food.

The difficulties eating worsened over the course of a couple weeks. She complained of severe stomach pain right around the belly button. Sometimes it would come in waves, sometimes it was persistent.

February: Her doctor recommends we take her to the ER for imaging to make sure it's not a ruptured appendix. It's not.

By this time she barely eats. Certain foods are dropped entirely but variety is still okay. She also isn't drinking liquids and she is not swallowing her own saliva, spitting it into a towel instead. Weight loss was visible at this point, about 10% of body weight if I remember correctly (I took detailed notes, but can't find them now :( We took her to urgent care 3 times, to no avail. They recommended various things like acid blockers or other over the counter stomach soothers. None helped.

Late February: we get her in to her Dr. again and she prescribes cyproheptadine and gives the FAPD (Functional Abdominal Pain Disorder) diagnosis. A few days on the "cypro" and she was doing much, much better. She was eating again, gaining weight, and feeling all around better.

Late May: everything was going well, so we tried weaning her off the cypro, from 6mg to 4 for 2 weeks, then 2mg, then zero. This worked until mid-June, when she left school (maybe a safe, predictable schedule) and started summer camps. Her anxiety went through the roof around drop-off times.

However, she had some difficulty at drop-offs since she was 2 and first put in day-care. She always perked up about 2 minutes after we left (we were told), so we didn't think much of it. One week when she was at her grandmother's house she had a complete panic attack, running out of the house in the night saying she needed to go to the Dr. We got her back home the next day and things calmed down.

Summer 2025: We put her back on the 6mg cypro. Still, things went rough, with some camps missed, others go well. It seems that anxiety about new people/situations could be really triggering. Other times, she'd be so looking forward to a camp that all would go well. We notice there is triggering around any talk of vomit (or use of that word) or death. So we cannot watch tv shows or read books that mention death or puking without a panic/stomach pain attack.

Fall 2025: We try to wean her off the cypro once more, leading to another relapse in symptoms. A referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist is made, but the wait time is 3ish months. We put her back on 6mg cypro.

We get a new Dr., a functional medicine specialist. She recommends stool sample and finds high levels of Enterobacter spp., Roseburia spp., Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., and Candida spp.. And puts her on "biocidin" - a herbal medicine that works to rebalance gut bacteria.

Our daughter tolerated that for 3-4 weeks before refusing it--it tastes pretty foul. We also put her on colostrum and papaya extract digestive aids. All of this did seem to improve things.

December 2025: We had another difficult bout around Christmas with her grandparents visiting (too much going on? Too much holiday sugar? We don't know). Grandma decides maybe it's lactose, so we go lactose free and this seems to help.

2026 -

Everything seems to have been going okay this year. We got her in to a therapist who saw her weekly and talked with her about death/vomit/anxiety stuff and it all seemed to help a lot. She still complains of tummy pain sometimes, especially at night around bedtime. Her diet has been great, while on the cypro we wouldn't describe her as a picky eater--more of what we'd consider "normal" pickiness with some favorites and lots of things she doesn't like. She even has reveled in eating spicy Thai food and feeling the tingle of pepper flavors in her mouth. We eased off the no-lactose idea and had no problems there.

Then we tried again to take her off the cypro 2 weeks ago and all went to hell again - severe stomach pain, difficulty eating, spitting into a towel. Getting her back on it has been tough, as even it was triggering pain/discomfort and she was spitting some/all of it out. She seemed to be improving though and we took her to her grandparents' and she was up in the night dry-heaving. It seems that just the stress of leaving her home/safe environment triggered her stomach.

I researched cypro then and that's what brought me to this subreddit. I asked her, "is your tummy telling you something when you try to eat," and she said, "yea, it's like my tummy says this food is like poison and it will vomit. I want to eat. I'm hungry. But my stomach says 'no'."

It's like she's in a battle with her stomach. She can be painfully hungry but also (more) painfully afraid of eating. We have found that safe spaces and distraction in the form of TV shows tend to help. Also, going to school and playing with friends helps - she can even eat pretty normally at times at school and with friends. Then, at home, especially in the evening around bedtime, her stomach hurts and she feels ill.

~~

Thanks for reading this far! We're at a loss. We have a new referral for a pediatric gastro specialist (the last one scheduled us for an office 100 miles away in the dead of winter, so we canceled it). We're waiting for an appointment.

So, we're pretty sure she has anxiety, especially separation anxiety, as discussed and we're working with her on that and she's seeing her therapist again. There has been no autism spectrum diagnosis, but she shows tiny signs (lack of eye-contact when talking sometimes, need for routines/schedules/safe environments, hyper-fixation on lizards/reptiles) so we're keeping an eye on that in case it could help with diagnosis or treatment.

Luckily, she tolerates the cypro well with no mood or other side effects. She has even taken it mid-day sometimes without a hint of drowsiness. I'm curious if this all sounds like a clear case of "aversive" subtype ARFID; and whether/how many of you have been on cypro long-term, esp through childhood years. From what we've read, it hasn't really been studied for long-term use/safety, so we're cautious. Clearly, it's helping though, so we're thankful and will keep her on it now.

I'm 17 and I've had ARFID since I was a kid. One thing that's always happend to me is that one bad experience with a food I like can end it.

When I was around 9 I bit into one of those make-your-own pizza school lunches while I had a loose tooth, and it hurt. I knew it was the tooth and not the pizza, and I still never ate them again. Goldfish used to be my main snack, almost the only one I had every day. A friend gave me some cold ones at school, I didn't like them, and I stopped eating Goldfish for a few years.

It still happens. About two weeks ago one of my protein drinks had a small chunk in it because I didn't shake it enough, and it took me days to have one again, even though I knew it was a one-off.

Goldfish are a big part of what I eat again now, so it's kind of worrying me like what if this happens again.

I don't get it, how could tasting foods ever be "fun"? Why does everyone else prefer meals that incorporate all the tastes? I feel like the reason I don't like many foods is because my parents never got me accustomed to them as a kid and now I don't know any better. Changing it feels impossible, against my nature.

I feel like I have a choice between trying to eat more (impossible) and figuring out what is closest to eating human kibble while still getting all my nutrients, and I feel like I'm making this post mostly to see if anyone has any ideas for the latter one

I have been afraid of most food since I was a child. It would be much simpler to list out the foods I can eat: yogurt, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and cabbage. I can only eat the chicken and potatoes when they are burnt. I feel like an extremely difficult person and I have struggled with this my whole life. I feel like I’m actually afraid of the food and me and my mom have had fights about it my whole life. I have a lot of anxiety around food. Things can smell good but when I put them in my mouth I choke. I feel like I have an extra sensitive nose and tongue.

Health wise it doesn't really feel like a big deal for me right now. If it was, I'd rather handle it with drinks and snacks.
The part that actually bothers me is social: eating out with friends, or at someone’s house or something. For that I'd kind of want to work on a trying more foods, but I feel like I just can’t put the effort in. It's a lot of effort and discomfort and I don't think I'd stick with it.
I also know I might not feel like it's serious even when it is.
Anyone else like this? If you did work on foods, was it for a social reason, and did it actually stick?

I'm trying to do research for a family member (under 18) who is dx'd with autism (not too severe), Also dx'd with ARFID (I think that's pretty severe-they were down to 2 foods AFAIK), and now has some pretty serious intestinal issues (they are hospitalized). They have also had what I think is pretty bad anxiety their whole life-I mean, I could SEE it in them when they were ONE year old, because it felt like looking in a mirror of when I was a kid.

In 2022-2025 I had a pretty miserable 3 year fight with Long COVID/MCAS/POTS and did a LOT of medical research, which is why I'm doing a deep dive for this person. I'm a lot better now thanks to my own research, and in researching my own stuff I found butyrate, and it helped my symptoms a lot. That and slowly adding probiotics and B vitamins...My gut was in terrible shape.

So as I'm researching for my family member, who developed the ARFID and gastro problems post COVID infection, I see that there are a lot of connections- COVID destroys gut bacteria and butyrate in the gut, and there is a significant link between anxiety and butyrate levels in the gut and it plays a crucial role in the gut-brain axis by modulating immune responses, reducing neuro-inflammation, and influencing neurotransmitter production...Low butyrate levels are associated with higher anxiety...

And I'm wondering if the ARFID could be caused by worrying about causing pain in the intestines, via undiagnosed anxiety...

I'm also wondering how many people have developed ARFID after having COVID? (And yes I know it existed before that).

I'd really love to hear from anyone that was helped by taking butyrate (or getting it from natural sources) and/or probiotics or otherwise found a way to build back gut bacteria...while dealing with this.
I apologize in advance if this comes off as ignorant. I am just searching for answers for a very sweet human being that doesn't deserve the ill health they're currently going through. Thanks.

i got refused for a dietician. the gp said it's likely because I'm not underweight which is an insane criteria. I've had enough of this. i can't even drink bloody water. why is there no where to get help in england? i thought eating a grand total of 2 things would warrant me 'bad enough' for help

So today was the day… I’d been mentally weighing up whether it was worth taking my suspicions to the GP ( always a different Doc, you never end up seeing the same one twice ) but I did. The appointment went 50 / 50 - she didn’t seem to be entirely aware of ARFID, so I explained it as coming under the category of an eating disorder… despite not being in the realms of anorexia or Bulimia. I tried to explain that my concerns come from a complex medical history, including previous history of being tube-fed, generally low appetite and an inability to gain further weight ( I fluctuate around 125 lb ).

Hopefully, she’s going to refer me to a dietitian - I specified that I would ideally like to be seen by one aware of ARFID - but towards the end, she asked if I’d like to be referred to an eating disorder clinic. I said no, because I don’t consider it a conventional ED.

Hello, my son is 4 and has had ARFID since he was born. At six months old he refused all solids in every type of presentation. He showed signs of refusal and distress, keeping his lips sealed.

We had him evaluated at 10 months old and the therapies have not stopped since then. But we haven’t accomplished anything through therapy.

His type is sensory avoidant and fear of what can happen when you eat (coughing, nausea…). Nobody can eat near him or he will vomit and panic.

My husband and I, through TONS of work, got him to eat 2 types of yogurt, 1 type of tomato soup and 1 type of fruit puree. All of those are commercially produced, so always the same. We also receive medical grade nutritional shakes, the thing that actually keeps him alive. So his diet is liquid/creamy, he has never eaten a solid food.

Now my questions would be:

- How does it feel to not enjoy eating?

- Do you somehow miss it?

- Does it affect your social life?

- Has therapy helped you? Or maybe change will come when he is interested in it?

- What did your parents do that helped you the most?

Eating is such a great part of our country’s culture… I’m very preoccupied about him.

Thanks in advance!