Eating disorder damage

Question

I have had an eating disorder (anorexia and bulimia) since I was 13. I am 17 now, so i've had one for 4 years.

I have two questions.

My first question is, would the damage (of purging especially) already be irreversible?

My second question- I had an X-ray done a few months ago and they didn't say anything was wrong (it wasn't ED related, it was to do with something else) if the damage was already bad (like weakened bones or damage from purging) then wouldn't they have said something? Would they be able to tell from an X-ray?

Answer 1

I think you'd need a proper medical check up as it would depend on the individual.

Without a doubt you should get help with this, as the sooner you start eating in a healthy way, the better your health will be in the long run.

I wish you the best of luck - you're young enough to turn your life around - don't look back years in the future and wish you'd done it now.

Answer 2

making yourself sick damages the enamel on your teeth because of the acid in your stomach.

and an x-ray (unless it was on your teeth) wouldnt be able to tell.

Answer 3

Some of the damage is irreversible (the enamel on your teeth gets damaged by vomiting). When it comes to laxative abuse, the damage is very individual, as you the digestive system can become partially dependant on laxatives, which in turn can cause ,at worst faecal incontinence (yuck, but it`s true) the effects on bone density is partially revarsable, depending on how bad it is - try taking calci chew, which is a calcium supplement,

To check the damage done to your bones, you`d need a bone density test, as an x ray can`t show enough detail.

It`s also a good idea to have an ECG, if you have`nt already, as the heart is the biggest muscle in the body, and it`s often damaged in all eating disorders.

Also, having regular full blood tests done, including electrolyte levels is important, as electrolytes are often at very low levels when purgeing.

Hope this helps - good luck with recovery :)

Answer 4

As far as I can tell (my only experience being that my wife has suffered from eating disorders for years) you are not going to do a whole lot of irreversible damage to your body by "purging". It can be bad for your teeth though, as the acid attacks the enamel, but that's abut it. Unless you're severely anorexic, bones will draw the nutrients they need from your body... The downside being that they may take them from essential muscles and leave you susceptible to heart attack, for instance.

My wife has been through various things in her time, including being put on so much medication for psychosis that she gained 6 stones in weight, then promptly losing it all in the space of 8 months by obsessive exercise and starvation.

But when she lost all her weight, it tipped her body into a form of M.E. which took away all quality of life for her for years. Eating disorders wreck you, as does the mental trauma that causes them. If you can get psych help any time soon then take it.

The positive thing, in the case of my lass, is she's now a steady and healthy weight because she realises that in order to exercise to the degree that she does, she needs to keep her fuel levels well stocked.  She boxes and does all sorts - and looks magnificent these days.

Answer 5

The X-ray would not be able to tell u have an eating disorder but the nurses/ Doctors would probably realising if u r thin and by certain marks and by your appearance. The damage of purging is not irrevirsible but if you have been doing it since such a young age your ability to have children in the future will be affected and you will not know until you start trying. If you do not have periods now then you probably already have done quite some damage. Not only is Bulimia / Anorexia bad for you on the inside you probably have really dry skin and are moody quite a bit.

I do not know how you feel to have been going through this for so long but I advise you to try and eat Very healthy and just eat some of the things your body needs throughout the week instead of in one day.

Good Luck

Answer 6

The damage is irreversible, but they would have mentioned something like that.

Answer 7

A lot of damage is irreversible. Some can be fixed, but only over time.

Doctors have the tendency to only look for the specific thing you are there for. If they were looking at something else, they may not mention anything about bone damage, and I'm not personally sure if that would show up in X-rays unless there were fractures because of it.

EDs totally suck! I don't purge, because I HATE it, but I completely understand the anorexia. Please continue to try and take care of yourself. You deserve to be happy and healthy.