Expert: Reverend Abbott - 8/30/2004

Question
Hi. I have been bulimic for about 10 years, going through phases where I binge/purge, and phases (months at a time) where I eat relatively normal with no bingeing/purging. I didn't notice any symptoms until the past year or so. My glands are sometimes swollen, and my stomach becomes inflamed. One symptom that has me particularly worried is something I can't find information on. In fact, I don't even know if it's related to bulimia. When I am having "normal" eating days, I stick to about 1200 calories a day, and I work out. Most of the time when I binge, I vomit to get rid of it. Some days, however, I eat more than I normally would, but it's throughout the whole day and not as much as I'd eat during a binge (probably about 2500 calories throughout the day). I don't really try to compensate with laxatives or exercise. But here's what happens: My whole body gets very sore. It feels like my skin hurts, and even the smallest amount of pressure (a light touch of a fingertip) is uncomfortable. My whole body feels bloated, and my hands and feet are noticably swollen. I felt the soreness yesterday, and I used a urine strip to test glucose and ketones in the urine (my grandmother had diabetes, so I had wondered if maybe eating more food than usual was causing high blood sugar, which in turn caused the soreness and swelling). There wasn't any glucose in my urine, but the test did show ketones. I don't know what this means, and I don't know if it could be related to bulimia. I hope you can help me, because I'm very scared. I should also add that I was recently tested for diabetes, and I don't have it, so that is not the cause. Also, it only happens when I leave the food in my system, and NOT when I purge. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you so much.


Answer
The bulimia has various forms, not just binge and purge like most people think.  If a bulimic isn't using one form of bulimia, they're likely using another.  Often, they use more than one at once, but not always.
Bulimia doesn't work.  Anyone who has been bulimic or IS, will typically be average or even OVER-weight.  Bulimia will reduce metabolism to a crawl and make normal weight loss nearly impossible.  Bulimia will wear away bones/teeth, whether one purges or not and the number of other things it does that destroys our looks and health are so many that I can't list them all!
A HUGE number of bulimics are found dead in (on or near) a toilet.  What a great legacy huh?  We could be remembered like Amelia Erheart, Sally Ride, Rosa Parks, Clara Barton...for our accomplishments....or, for being dead in a toilet.  Hmmmmmm.  
OK, so next mistake?  Self-diagnosing!  Those test strips are for people who are already diagnosed and using them as a tool to monitor their condition(s).  BEWARE the health stores and 'health clubs' pushing these strips (while also pushing their memberships, products, plans) - it's just another buck in their pockets and they are nothing more than SALESPEOPLE - often with no more than a high school diploma and most certainly NO formal, educational training in nutrition or the health industry.  Don't buy into their pitch - it's all a scam.
ALL of it.
Finally, I am NOT diagnosing you, but will try to guide you when you talk to your doctor (which you WILL do right?).  The symptoms with regard to sensitivity when touched sounds like a condition called "FMS" (Fibromyalgia Syndrome).  Taken with the bulimic tendency, you've probably suffered some sort of abuse (probably physical) early in your life.  

There is a lot more to it than this, but it's a start that your doctor can work with and guide you through.  IF your doctor does NOT take this seriously (some, sadly, do not)...then find another doctor.  If he/she is missing the current information on these conditions, there's probably more they'll miss when they shouldn't!

Until you get to someone who can really give the time and attention you should have, check my site for more about bulimia and about how to eat RIGHT (I'm living proof, after 30 years of bulimia and other disorders/chronic diets)

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