Would it be reasonable for me to request to be set up with a feeding tube?
General overview of me: 19 years old, 5'5 (165 cm), female. I have never smoked or vaped. I'm diagnosed with POTS and my blood pressure is typically lower than that of the average person. A couple times a year, I'll pass out without any warning symptoms and may experience a seizure during the period I'm passed out for. I am in Texas. My weight two weeks ago was 84 lbs (38.1 kg). My current weight is 79 lbs (35.8 kg).
Current medications: 60mg of duloxetine every day, 50mg of lisdexamfetamine every day, 50mg of hydroxyzine every night
The issue at hand: I've always had an extremely low BMI throughout my entire life, despite eating normally (at least, what I think is normal. By this, I mean eating whenever I'm hungry and stopping when I'm full). However, once I got braces installed into my mouth about two weeks ago (on July 24th), I've had some pretty painful sores in my mouth caused by the abrasion of the braces. I find chewing to be very painful, and I also had turbos placed on my top molars that make chewing very difficult. I've been sustaining myself on foods that require minimal chewing (yogurt, apple sauce, chicken broth with noodles, chili, etc.), but even then, I still find it quite painful because it still involves movement of my mouth. I'm also a very picky eater (I have autism and ADHD), which of course, doesn't help at all.
In the first week of having braces, I figured that I would eventually go back to eating normally as I learned by way around dealing with the pain. However, I'm still not eating well, and I spend most of my time just allowing myself to be hungry (despite the fact that being hungry greatly exasperates by depression) because I just don't want to deal with the pain. Now, I have very limited energy because I'm not eating enough, and I don't really leave my bed unless it's to go pee, brush my teeth, or find a snack when I get really hungry.
Would setting myself up with a feeding tube be a reasonable option in my situation? If I visited a doctor or hospital and requested something like this, would they even take me seriously? I feel so insane for experiencing these symptoms, because, like… who the hell even thinks about using a feeding tube just because their braces are giving them trouble? Would my current BMI alone be enough grounds to receive this treatment, regardless of what's causing it?
Just to be clear, I'm not going out on a whim by considering a feeding tube setup. The concept of a feeding tube sounds like a sensory nightmare and I'm terrified of the pain that it could cause. I'm only considering it because I'm that tired of feeling like a zombie from my body not getting the nutrients it needs.
Posted Aug 8, 2026, 5:30 PM UTC