# Anybody have IBS as a result of bulimia/ laxative abuse?



## bellisima2003 (May 2, 2004)

Hi Everyone,I have never posted, although I have read postings a few times-- which is how I discovered magnesium. It seemed to help for a while, but I am back to the incomplete BM, EXTREME trapped gas, bloating, EXTREME burping, spasms, fatigue, headaches etc ... (I have had 2 BE's in the last 10 years and a flexible sigmoidoscopy).I was bulimic as a teenager (from age 15-18 -- I am 32 now). After that, I had extreme constipation (I had to take a quart of prune juice once a week so I could go), bloating, EXTREME fatigue, sleepiness, lethargy. About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, had a complete thyroidectomy, and subsequently put on thyroid hormones --synthroid (T4) & Cytomel (T3). Although previous blood tests had shown "normal" thyroid hormone levels, my suspicions of hypothyroidism were confirmed after being on the replacement hormones. I began have BM everyday and my energy levels were up. There is a book I recently read called "GUT SOLUTIONS" by Watson,M.D. & Smith, M.D. that explains how this can happen. (It just goes to show you that everything the doctors say ISN'T necessarily so!) I also agree that fiber MAKES THINGS WORSE!!Anyway, although I go every day, I definitely have incomplete BM's and am left in so much pain, bloating, spasms. Although I am about a size 4, I bloat to the size of a 6 month pregnancy. (I get so bloated that I can't put pants on b/c they won't zip). It takes me atleast 3 1/2 - 4 hrs. every day to leave the house-- sometimes after about 8 hours of this, I just give up and stay home. I have become a hermit







I am sooooooo frustrated ... My bowels run my life ... I have been a little blue over the last 2 years b/c I can't seem to get a hold of this ...I think there may be a starch connection b/c I went on the Atkins diet about 1 yr. ago and really noticed improvement with the bloating. The problem is that it is VERY difficult to stay on this strict diet.Anyway, back to my question. I blame this, as well as the thyroid problems on bulimia, malnutrition and laxative abuse. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something similiar, especially post-eating disorder.I wish everyone the best. It feels better to know that other people have some of these symptoms and that I am not going crazy -- despite what some the ****#%! GI's that I have seen over the years think.Bella In Pain.


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## Modgy (Apr 15, 2004)

Hi Bella-In-PainI have IBS as a result of bulimia/laxative abuse as well. I have seen on a couple of websites that IBS is a possible consequence of eating disorders/laxative abuse. Makes you feel great when you know you've done it to yourself eh? (sarcasm).I can't offer you much help...my symptoms sound similar to yours and I haven't found anything lastingly effective, but I agree that fiber is not the answer. I am thinking about going on zelnorm or a low dose of one of the more "diarreah" producing of the antideppressants eg. Zoloft. At least the latter option might help me handle things better from an emotional point of view, because this disorder is certainly hell on my mood. Have you thought about this option?


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## bellisima2003 (May 2, 2004)

Hi Modgy!So good to hear from you! Yes, it's really tough emotionally knowing this was self-induced. I have never heard anyone (news, media, talk shows) talk about the AFTER MATH of an eating disorder. I don't wish this on anybody. I learned about bulimia from a friend who was a German model- since the modeling world is plagued with eating disorders, you would think that someone would talk about this, especially so that young girls who don't know any better NEVER resort to such unhealthy weight loss tactics.As far as Zelnorm is concerned, it is worth a try if you have not tried it yet. I was on it for 3 - 4 months last year. It seemed to help for a while, but then stopped working. I have not tried anti-depressants although my doctor did mention that small dosages sometimes help. More and more that is starting to sound like an option to try. My only reservation is that I am afraid that once one gets on these anti-depressants, it is difficult to get off of them. My mother suffers from major depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. She has has been on all the SSRI's out there and after 7 years is now on a cocktail of medications that have major side effects and major withdrawals when dosages are changed.







Of course, she is taking stronger dosages than what would be perscribed for IBS. How long have you had IBS, Modgy?Much love and support,Bella In Pain


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## Modgy (Apr 15, 2004)

Hi again Bella-In-PainI really agree with you that there is not enough publicizing about the possible consequences of eating disorders. I distinctly remember in my teens, after abusing laxatives for sometime and noticing my stomach problems just getting worse and worse, reading in a book that laxative abuse "can cause permanent damage to the bowel". And I remember thinking, WELL, if I had known that, I don't think I would have resorted to such extreme measures to lose weight.Do you ever wonder how many Hollywood people and celebrities are getting IBS? Obviously they wouldn't talk about it if they were, but IBS can be caused by starvation or disordered eating, not just laxative abuse. Minimum, who posts on this board, thinks she got IBS from that...she says she didn't use laxatives but just starved and binged a lot. So I think there a lot of people out there who might be making themselves very sick, possibly for life, with eating disorders.Well, I just hate the whole deal, I'm sick and tired of dealing with it and sometimes just sick and tired of living!! I feel like nobody understands what I'm going through and I can't explain it to them, because there's no point compaining about something that has no solution!! I have to accept my IBS, but its really hard to do that.I have had IBS since I was 15 (when my eating disorder happened) and I'm turning 30 this year. I've heard Zelnorm stops working, but you can combine it with an anti-depressant...so you can go on and off the Z, and when you go back on it, it SHOULD start working again. I don't know, it seems not much helps. Coffee and cigarettes are the only things that hep me, and they are BAD for you!It does feel better to know you aren't alone, so its nice to hear from a fellow IBSer who got it from hassling themselves over their weight!!Let me now if you find anything that helps, and I will do the same for you!Cheers







Modgy


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## bellisima2003 (May 2, 2004)

Hi Modgy,I have to say your post made me tear up. I know your frustration. Lord, if I had known that having a freakin' eating disorder would do this to me ... ####$%####!####$ ??!!!!!!!!!!!If you ever need to be cheared up, or anything else... I am here for you ... And I will let you know of anything that helps.Big HUGE Hug,ClaudiaBella In Pain


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## Cigarello (Jun 17, 2000)

Well,i wouldn't say i had an eating disorder but i definitely had a body distortion problem which means that if i didn't poop enough i felt fat and ugly which led me to abuse laxatives; the constipation came on 20 years ago and could have been managed had i gotten some good advice from docs and not gotten hysterical and startedwith enemas and stimulant laxatives which ruined my colon in a short time; the only thing thatworked was milk of magnesia so i took it every day for 10 years until it made me so sick i had to stop; oh yeah, i reserve special animosity for the doctors that told me to load up on fiber; of course this made it ten times worse. So now i can't go one drop without magnesium supplements.it bugs me to know that i caused alot of my own problems and it is now incurable.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I think we all need to stop beating ourselves up. I am 48 and have lived a life of regret, i.e., not being a perfect wife and mother (although I was damn close!), not eating properly (an eating disorder in NOT your fault)it is a body image distortion, drinking too much, smoking too much, using drugs (25 years ago) that had stuff in it that most definitly affected my bowels. My point is that you've got to FORGIVE yourself and start from today. If Zelnorm worked, give it another try. If you are clinically depressed (it runs in families and your mother is depressed) take antidpressants if they help you feel better and improve the quality of your life. Don't worry about being on them for life. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow much less in 5 or 10 or 15 years! Besides that, we live in a day and age of new medicines where new ones are being developed daily. Many people with IBS mess up their bowels, unwittingly. Some people are so terrified of eating and starting an episode of IBS that they stop eating! Is this anorexia? No, but it can cause the same long term problems. Take it easy on yourself. Your generation has some enormous pressures that even the most stable can't seem to NOT give in to (eating disorders being one affliction). AND, you may have developed IBS with or without the eating disorder, you'll never really know.I hope you start to feel better. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing. Tiss


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## Karen Savage (Dec 16, 2002)

I also agree that eating disorders and IBS can be a result of one another. I am 51 and abused laxatives most of my life. I am not sure what came first IBS or my eating disorder. I remember becoming so bloated when I was in high school for no apparent reason. So I would go all day without eating until I got home and then I discovered laxatives and how flat my stomach would get from using them and I was hooked. You know back then IBS was not talked about like it is today so I really did not know what was wrong with me. After I was married and had kids I did go to a doctor about my bloating and constipation problem,but he was no help at all and had no answers for me. So I continued to abuse laxatives. So for me it is hard to say what came first,IBS or my eating disorder. Today I am taking zelnorm which is not perfect but at least I am not using laxatives. I still get bloated and don't feel quite normal. I don't think I can ever be normal but I do the best i can. So for all you young people out there don't give up there is so much more out there today about IBS try to find a good doctor and don't let this IBS thing get the best of you. Karen


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## bellisima2003 (May 2, 2004)

Hello again,I appreciate everyone posting. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one ... Although, I hate the thought of others feeling what I feel. I have been working very hard on forgiving myself. It was only a year ago that I began to truly believe that the eating disorder 'was not my fault'. I did the best I could with what I had to work with-- with what I knew and what I didn't know, with what I had to cope with. Yes, it is time for FORGIVENESS. Thank you for the reminder, Tiss. We are our own worst critics. That darn perfectionist personality can sometimes do more damage than good. I don't want to be perfect anymore ... I just want to be normal. On those rare days when I am pain free, I can really appreciate how great it is just to be alive-- to be yourself, just TO BE.What a wonderful thing to KNOW. How unfortunate that it often takes adversity and PAIN to appreciate things-- in this case to appreciate LIVING and LIFE.I will not give up. I will not give up! There must be something that helps. There has to be.Thank you for sharing and for your support. You all will be in my thoughts and prayers ...Bella In Pain


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## Daisy Pepita (May 3, 2004)

Bella, try the Zelnorm again.It has stopped working for me now but I did have about 3 years when it was quite effective.It really helped me and,in some ways,for long periods it sort of changed my life.Like you,after the first try with Zelmac,I found it stopped working (sorry,it's Zelnorm in the US ).Then,thanks to this site,I learned that you can get good results by taking a "Zelnorm break" every now and again,when it stops working,then go back on it.Incidentally,on Atkins,didn't you get very constipated?And wasn't that type of diet nutritionally unhealthy in the long run?Thanks for posting your original question - I think a lot of us are in the same boat.Solidarity is a comfort.


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## Modgy (Apr 15, 2004)

Thanks for posting everyone. I feel much less alone!Bella In Pain and Guts for Garters - I too remember finding a bit of relief when I cut carbs out of my diet. Actually, I cheated a bit and still ate some sugar, in form of drinks only, but I still got relief. The main difference in my diet was that I wasn't eating any starches - no bread or potatoes etc. So my conclusion was sort of that it is VOLUME that bothers me...because starchy foods swell in your GI tract. The less that is in my guts, the better I feel. I don't remember being particularly constipated, or any more than usual, but I was only on the diet for about 3-4 weeks. So maybe trying the diet again would be worthwhile. But, I don't think you need to do the Atkins...something like South Beach would be a bit healthier, and you still might get the benefits.


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## GNW12 (Jul 4, 2004)

Cigarello:You mentioned that you listened to doctors who gave you advice that made it 10 times worse. What specifically did you do that made it 10 times worse?


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## Daisy Pepita (May 3, 2004)

Modgy - please,what is the South Beach Diet?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

South Beach Diet is a popular diet right now (the books are on the best seller list so you can get them anywhere)www.southbeachdiet.com has some free areas that describe it pretty well.Basically it limits bad fats (saturated and trans fats) and limits bad carbs (refined starches and sugars...high glycemic index foods).K.PS edited to add the recipies in the main book (blue) and the cookbook (orange) are generally really tasty


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## Daisy Pepita (May 3, 2004)

Many thanks Kmottus.


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## bellisima2003 (May 2, 2004)

Hi Everyone,I just tried cutting starches again for a few days. I was not trying to do Atkins again, but rather try to cut out all starches such as breads, cereals, crackers, starchy vegetables. I was having eggs, grilled chicken, lettuce, a little spinach etc. I agree with Modgy -- I think the less I have in my stomach, the better I feel. I was much less bloated, gassy.A word of warning: If you have fissures or internal hem.'s, be careful. The high protein (?) made me somewhat D (which was great in contrast to C), however, it irritated me and I had to stop. Can you say ouch?!!! (Sorry, unpleasant, but true). So I added some bread and crackers and "hello C, pain, bloating etc."I have actually told my GI in the past about the internal bleeding-- what a surprise, he couldn't really see "anything that could anything about". After insisting, and ALOT of pain & bleeding, he referred me to general surgery. I supposedly saw the "The Guy" for this type of problem. What a surprise?!! He didn't really find "anything major that should be causing me that much pain".Hmm... I must be imagining the blood too. It has been about 9 months. Perhaps, I will try again.Bella In Pain


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## bellisima2003 (May 2, 2004)

Oops, above line should read:"what a surprise, he couldn't really see "anything that he could do anything about".Guts for Garters: Thanks for posting. Perhaps it is time to try Zelnorm again...


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## dlt647 (Jul 30, 2003)

Hi. This was quite an interesting thread. I, too, started with my IBS symptoms after suffering from anorexia/bulimia as a result of a very stressful time in my life. I think it was mostly the anorexia that did it because I would go for days without eating more than a mouthful of food. When I started eating regularly again, it was like my bowels had no idea what to do. After a year of skipping most meals and losing 80 pounds (lost during the first 3 months alone), I suffered so many health problems I never had before. I became very sensitive to dairy (tested positive for allergy) and wheat/gluten products (may be celiac, but never went for test, just tried the diet). There were medications I never had a problem with that I am now allergic to. I have acid reflux from the bulimia (which I still have a problem with on and off). I am now on a diet that consists of no dairy or gluten products. It has made a huge difference. I did go off the diet a week ago and had some gluten products and have now been suffering from abdominal cramping and irregular BM's. What fun. It does bother me a lot that I caused these problems for myself. But it is now done and I have to live with it. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who has been very supportive.


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