Expert: Joanne - 1/12/2009

Question
Hi, I'm 27 year old and I have suffered with eating disorders since someone at school made about my weight at school and its taken me ten years to stop for good, i didn't get help but slowly over the years I have been getting better and now i am recovered. I was anorexic for about 2 years and bulimic for about 8 years. During my bulimic episodes i suffered swollen glands alot of the time they used to go up and down, usually every week, and it would take them about a week to go back to normal, even though i have been recovered about 8 months with NO purging, my glands still do this, and I dont quite understand why. They're not warm or red like they were when i was bulimic but they go up and down much in the same sort of cycle as when i was being sick, i've been to my doctor and he said it was nothing to worry about, but he didnt look as if he knew what he was talking about or if he had ever dealt with someone with an eating disorder, i came across this page and have seen people asking similar questions to mine. And was wondering if there was any truth in it or if this is something that happens alot and is just a matter of persevering? The only thing that is keeping me going is constant motivation and knowing that this WON'T last forever and i am worried i have perhaps done permanant damage to my body?

thanks very much for your help

Jo

Answer
Hey Jo

Congratulations on your recovery!

It usually is just a case of persevering, unless they are red and painful, hot to the touch, etc, but I know that you say that this isn't the case anymore!

They should go back down, and they will just take their time, but 8 months is quite a long time.  You can wait it out and see, but I have heard of people that have swollen glands for ages afterwards and of course it affects the way the look, and therefore the way they feel about themselves.  In these cases, many will speak to ENT specialists to make sure that they don't need antibiotics and just to have it checked out incase there is a bit of a blockage that needs addressing, usually by a simple surgical procedure.

You could wait it out, but if you are really unhappy with it just now, then it may be worth trying to see your doctor again, or a different one, and just saying that you think it has been too long now and would like an ENT specialist just to check that there is nothing that they could be doing for you instead!

All the best

Joanne