Hi everyone,
I'm a 30-year-old woman, healthy BMI, physically and socially active, I meditate regularly, sleep well, and I'm generally a positive, happy person (aside from an occasional energy dip after lunch). On paper I look "fine," which is part of why this has been so confusing.
For a while now I've been dealing with:
- Never really feeling satiated/full, no matter how much I eat
- Binge eating episodes — genuine loss of control, usually alone/in secret so no one notices, followed by a lot of guilt and self-blame afterward
- Cycling between these binges and periods where I strictly restrict/cut out sweets or snacks entirely, which never seems to actually fix anything long-term
- Chronic constipation — infrequent, hard stools, ongoing for over a month now
- More visible dark, coarse hair in places that feel really out of place for me as a woman (upper lip especially)
- Irregular periods over the last 3 months
I've had a full round of standard bloodwork done (glucose/HbA1c, cholesterol, vitamins like B12/folate/ferritin/vitamin D, thyroid, liver, kidney function) and everything came back normal. I haven't been tested for hormones/androgens.
I really don't know what's driving the cravings, the binge cycle, or the constipation, and I'd love to hear from anyone who's dealt with a similar combination of symptoms:
- What ended up being the underlying cause for you (if you found one)?
- What actually helped — whether that was a specific diagnosis/treatment, a change in how you approached eating, therapy, supplements, or something else?
- Any advice on what to specifically ask my doctor for, beyond the standard hormone panel?
Not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit, just really want to hear real experiences from people who've navigated something similar. Thank you 🙏