Laxative Abuse
Some individuals suffering from eating disorders like Anorexia, Bulimia or Compulsive Overeating misuse laxatives as a means of purging. These individuals are under the misconception that by using laxatives they can get rid of unwanted calories. Since most of the calories eaten are absorbed by the small intestine right after eating, the method of using laxatives for weight loss is actually ineffective. Many laxatives act by irritating the lining of the intestines, or by directly stimulating nerves. Continual over stimulation of the intestines from laxative abuse can eventually cause the bowels to become unresponsive. The following is one account of an individual who became entrapped in the misuse of laxatives.
"I am 19 years old and I never thought I would or could ever develop an eating disorder, but sure enough I did and am now suffering the consequences. I have always been athletic and very active so my weight was never a problem. This changed when I was sent away to boarding school my junior year of high school and was unable to practice the sports I played (gymnastics, soccer and swimming.) My metabolism slowed down and I began to gain weight and lose the appearance of the lean and toned body I once possessed. For awhile it didn't seem to bother me until the entire thing blew out of proportion and took control of my life. It all started while I was at boarding school and I was having trouble going to the bathroom. At the first sign of constipation the nurses gave me laxatives and I would take them as I needed. Well I soon was drinking the orange flavored laxative fiber drink twice a day to keep me regular until eventually the drink stopped working all together. To make a long story short, from that point on I started taking different types of laxatives and kept upping the dose until the point were the particular type of laxative I was taking at the moment stopped working. Then I would start up on a new laxative and repeat the dance. During all of this, my mind somehow tricked itself into thinking I was losing weight every time I went to the bathroom. I was afraid that if I ever became irregular again and failed to have a bowel movement, I would gain weight. My laxative abuse graduated to where I started taking a stimulant laxative, which was very effective. I was now able to go to the bathroom every day and each time I went, I felt as if I just shed a few pounds. Well, when I left boarding school and came home I took advantage of my new laxative "miracle pills" (as I thought.) I would binge eat and then take multiple laxative pills to "flush out my system" so I wouldn't gain weight. I soon was exceeding three times the recommended dose. I couldn't go to the bathroom without taking the laxative pills. If by chance I couldn't go to the bathroom, I felt as if I gained weight and wouldn't even leave bed for fear that people would see how fat I perceived myself. By this time I had been on the laxative pills for 3 years and the situation had grown into something so completely out of control that it was impossible for me to deal with it. I even dropped two classes because they were in the mornings and I couldn't go to them because I had to take my laxatives the night before, causing me to be on the toilet most of the following morning. Going out at night or the weekends became impossible because of the extreme stomach cramps they caused. I really became scared because these laxative pills had now taken complete control of my life and the way I felt about myself."
The misuse of laxatives can cause significant and severe medical complications. These complications include but are not limited to:
"I am 19 years old and I never thought I would or could ever develop an eating disorder, but sure enough I did and am now suffering the consequences. I have always been athletic and very active so my weight was never a problem. This changed when I was sent away to boarding school my junior year of high school and was unable to practice the sports I played (gymnastics, soccer and swimming.) My metabolism slowed down and I began to gain weight and lose the appearance of the lean and toned body I once possessed. For awhile it didn't seem to bother me until the entire thing blew out of proportion and took control of my life. It all started while I was at boarding school and I was having trouble going to the bathroom. At the first sign of constipation the nurses gave me laxatives and I would take them as I needed. Well I soon was drinking the orange flavored laxative fiber drink twice a day to keep me regular until eventually the drink stopped working all together. To make a long story short, from that point on I started taking different types of laxatives and kept upping the dose until the point were the particular type of laxative I was taking at the moment stopped working. Then I would start up on a new laxative and repeat the dance. During all of this, my mind somehow tricked itself into thinking I was losing weight every time I went to the bathroom. I was afraid that if I ever became irregular again and failed to have a bowel movement, I would gain weight. My laxative abuse graduated to where I started taking a stimulant laxative, which was very effective. I was now able to go to the bathroom every day and each time I went, I felt as if I just shed a few pounds. Well, when I left boarding school and came home I took advantage of my new laxative "miracle pills" (as I thought.) I would binge eat and then take multiple laxative pills to "flush out my system" so I wouldn't gain weight. I soon was exceeding three times the recommended dose. I couldn't go to the bathroom without taking the laxative pills. If by chance I couldn't go to the bathroom, I felt as if I gained weight and wouldn't even leave bed for fear that people would see how fat I perceived myself. By this time I had been on the laxative pills for 3 years and the situation had grown into something so completely out of control that it was impossible for me to deal with it. I even dropped two classes because they were in the mornings and I couldn't go to them because I had to take my laxatives the night before, causing me to be on the toilet most of the following morning. Going out at night or the weekends became impossible because of the extreme stomach cramps they caused. I really became scared because these laxative pills had now taken complete control of my life and the way I felt about myself."
The misuse of laxatives can cause significant and severe medical complications. These complications include but are not limited to:
- Abdominal pain, bloating, and fullness
- Dehydration
- Esophageal perforations and lacerations (Mallory-Weiss Syndrome)
- Electrolyte abnormalities
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ulceration of the bowel
- Malabsorption of nutrients leading to hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia and calcium deficiency
- Fatty infiltration of the liver
- Pancreatitis
- Exacerbation of hemorrhoids
- Esophagitis
- Melanosis coli
- Gastritis
- Gastric ulceration
- Gastric bleeding
- Intestinal injury