Expert: Jeanne Rust, PhD - 7/9/2009

Question
Hello my name is Gena i'm 13 years old and for the last two years i have made my self vomit. when I hit the waight of 210 pounds i started to make myself throw up more and more. to the point to were i was vomiting after every meal
can you help me figure out if i am suffring from Bulimia

Answer
Dear Gena,

I'm so sorry to tell you that you are truly bulimic. Being bulimic is not a way to control your weight.  There are many serious medical consequences of bulimia.  Below is a list of medical consequences that can happen to you:

Dental: Increased dental caries (cavities), loss of enamel and dentin, increased sensitivity to heat and cold,  lacerations and contusions of the mouth from the use of objects to induce vomiting, obsessive-compulsive dental behavior.

Pulmonary: Aspiration pneumonia.

Cardiovascular: Heart due to electrolyte disturbance, myocardiopathy due to ipecac.

Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, bloating and fullness, esophageal perforations and lacerations, esophagitis, gastritis, gastric ulceration.  Many bulimics die from an esophageal hemorrage.

Renal: Tubular abnormalities due to electrolyte abnormalities, azotemia due to dehydration.

Orthopedic: Osteoporosis, stress fractures.

Dermatologic: Scars on the knuckles while inducing vomiting.

Fluid and Electrolyte abnormalities Fluid and Electrolyte abnormalities, skeletal muscle weakness, abnormal GI motility, cramps, frequent urination at night due to diuretics, constipation, emotional lability.

Chemistries: Increase in uric acid, uncrease in cholesterol.

Miscellaneous: Swelling of the lymph glands.

Psychological: Isolation and withdrawal from family and friends, striving for an abnormal body weight, fear of gaining weight, talk about feeling fat, depression, binge eating, difficulty eating in front of others, vomiting, overuse of diuretics and or laxatives, overconcern with body shape and weight, frequent strict dieting, compulsive exercising, mood swings, suicidal ideation, dishonest eating behavior, weight determines self esteem, eating for emotional comfort, disturbance of REM sleep patterns, ritualistic eating behavior, substance abuse history, history of addictive relationships, sexual acting out and acting in, spending disorder, shoplifting, preoccupation with physical symptoms, rage addiction.

This is a huge list of things but bulimia is merely a symptom of some underlying issues.  It would be wonderful if you could talk to youor mom, or another adult that is safe for you and see if you can get some treatment and/or therapy!

Bulimia is very dangerous -- Bulimia is the second highest cause of death among adolescents, right behind anorexia.

Warmly,
Jeannie Rust, PhD
www.edrecovery.com
www.mirasol.net