Becoming addicted to laxative pills on a lose weight diet is another form of an eating disorder. It's also very dangerous behaviour.
Guest author Andrea Roe tells us about being addicted to laxative pills on lose weight diets. Her eating disorders were further inflamed by this dangerous behaviour.
I struggled with an eating disorder for six long years and also abused laxatives during this time. I was addicted to laxative pills. For the longest time, I could not even imagine my life without them. I knew they did not help me lose weight, but somehow they were reassuring. Whenever I binged, I felt so ‘full’, ‘stuffed’ and ‘dirty’, and I used laxatives in order to feel ‘clean’, ‘pure’ and ‘empty’ again. I was obsessed with getting food out of my system as quickly as possible. Even though I was bulimic, I never threw up. I used other purging behaviors and laxative abuse was one of them.
I abused my body for many years with binging, fasting, over exercising, lose weight diets and laxative abuse. I don't even want to think about all that I have done to my body. To be honest, I consider myself lucky that I am still alive. Today, I am recovered and healthy. I am thankful for my body and I am grateful that it has not given up on me after so many years of severe abuse. I don’t take laxatives anymore. I am proof that it IS possible to get off of them.
Laxatives do NOT make you lose weight
Laxatives are not a way to control or lose weight. They do not remove food from your body before the calories are absorbed. The belief that laxatives are a way for losing weight is not true. It is simply a myth.
Laxatives remove a lot of water from your body, and this ‘water loss’ is often mistaken for ‘weight loss’. Your body not only loses a lot of water, which causes dehydration, it also loses essential minerals and electrolytes– and the mineral and electrolyte balance of your body gets upset. Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and magnesium are essential for your body. An electrolyte imbalance in the body is harmful and can lead to muscle pain, spasms, fainting spells, irregular heartbeat, and in some cases even death.
Laxatives are physically addictive. Over time your bowels forget how to work on their own.
Laxatives artificially stimulate nerve endings in your large bowel, which is also called the colon. Long term laxative abuse can damage your colon and eventually your colon may fail to function which causes constipation. Laxative abuse can lead to permanent damage of your bowels.
Laxative abuse is harmful for your body.
Being addicted to laxative pills is harmful for your body and, using them, you put your health and also your life in danger.
Laxative abuse not only causes electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, and constipation, it can also cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, colon infection, irritable bowel syndrome, internal organ damage, and even death.
If you have any specific questions, please get in touch with your doctor.
The copyright of the article Addicted to Laxative Pills on Lose Weight Diets in Bulimia is owned by Lori Henry. Permission to republish Addicted to Laxative Pills on Lose Weight Diets in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
This article was very helpful when writing my senior research paper! Thank
you for your time and knowledge.
Aug 26, 2008 2:55 PM
Guest :
I am crying because you have just described me, but after reading both of
your posts it has encouraged me to take that first step. Today is day one
of the rest of my life and I am taking it back, I refuse to be a slave to
food and laxatives,I am terrified that my colon has forgotten how to
function. If anyone is reading this and has just begun laxative use - STOP
NOW! Save yourself a lot of suffering!
Sep 14, 2008 1:25 PM
Guest :
I have spent years of my life dealing with an eating disorder along with
laxative abuse - brought on by the image i see of myself! This article made
me more aware of the damage i am doing to myself and has allowed me to
acknowledge i am not alone in this battle. my friends and family have known
for years about my eating disorder but today after reading this article i
made the first steps in recovering my life back by admitting to myself and
friends/family that i abuse laxatives - i feel almost empowered admitting
this and felt i owed thanks to this article for giving more strength to
fight on with.
Sep 15, 2008 5:41 AM
Lori Henry :
Thank you so much for adding your comments, Guests. This is the reason
that I share what I've learned from having an eating disorder, so that
those who are struggling can find the inspiration to get help. One tiny
and courageous step can often change your whole life!
Sep 15, 2008 7:23 PM
Guest :
i am an 18 year old girl trying to take care of my 15 year old sister, she
recently told me about her laxtive abuse. i am so scared that i wont be
able to help her and that she wont ever get over her weight obcession. but
seeing that many people here have had eating disorders and have actually
made it through them wanting to be healthy gives me hope. thank you.
Sep 20, 2008 12:02 PM
Guest :
Lisa 32 I am currently trying to come off laxatives. I have been
abusing laxatives for 6 years. I am finding it so hard but im getting help
this is the hardest thing ive ever had to do and im scared. Guess what im
trying to say is DONT START TAKING LAXATIVES its not worth the pain trying
to come off them.
Oct 7, 2008 5:49 AM
Guest :
it's so easy to write type that down..but you obviously came to a point
where everything was enough and you got out of that frame of mind and your
mental state changed...not alot of people can do that
Nov 8, 2008 9:09 AM
Guest :
hi my name is ashley i'am both anorexic and bulumic addicted to laxatives
and dieting pills i need alot of help i tried many timesd to get help but
have found nothing but ling waiting liststo seek inpatient traetment for my
illness if u have any suggestions pls forward to me at
chic.kita@hotmail.com thanx take good care of yourself
Nov 26, 2008 10:10 AM
Guest :
Great information...a lot I didn't know...thanks!
Nov 27, 2008 2:16 PM
Guest :
i am a 18 year old girl and for the past 6 years i have suffered from a
eating disorder on and off but this last year i have overcome that
problem.i have gone to 3 different counsellors in the past few years which
i do think will scar me for life and also i have abused laxatives at
times.i had never suffered any health problems over the years.Only last
week i collasped and was told by doctors i had anemia.my blood count had
gone so low i was days from being put into hospital and being hooked to
machines.well i guess is what i am trying to say is that just because you
think your not damaging your body because your having no effects,well i am
afraid your mistaken.i taught i was past everything but it has caught up
with me in the end.I now have to go to doctors every few days for
injections.i am doing my leaving cert this year nd i have no energy to
study because i am so tired due to my anemia.my grades have slipt,i really
have damaged my future to some extent.it was really not worth it.so please
anybody reading this dont develop a eating disorder before its to late
Dec 1, 2008 5:58 PM
Guest :
I am 19 years old and about to be evaluated for my eating disorder. I'm not
exactly sure if I belong in this program. I maintain a normal weight, yet
I'm addicted to laxatives. I was addicted to exercising as well, until i
gave myself a stress fracture and had to go to the hospital after running
five miles and then going to the gym. I'm afraid that without
laxatives my body will never be the same. I used to eat compulsively and
then purge, but now i've moved on to laxatives. I still don't eat normal
and I fast whenever I feel I've eaten too much. I'm just overly afraid of
gaining weight. There is nothing I want more to just be happy with my body.
I'm afraid of gaining weight, but overall I'm afraid that I'm making myself
sick and shortening my life. I try to speed up my metabolism by smoking
cigarettes after every time I eat. I just want this obsession to be over. I
can't control it anymore. I have a problem.
Feb 2, 2009 3:09 PM
Guest :
I am struggling with laxative abuse right now..I am trying to stop, but I
just do not like the way my body looks. I am going to the gym regularly and
eating well (to almost nothing). I was bulimic in my teens (now im mid
20's) but was able to stop when I asked my family for help (kept it a
secret for 1 year). I hate myself for hurting my body..but at the same
time, I feel happy when I use the laxatives. I know, its stupid, and will
do my best to stop. Someone please tell me how you stopped.
Feb 19, 2009 6:15 AM
Guest :
I've been addicted to Dieter's Tea (senna) for nearly 20yrs. I've wanted
to tell my doctor that I can't use the bathroom without it, but it was just
so embarrasing. I've seen ads that products like Activia by Dannon can
help. Has anyone found that to be the case?
Mar 1, 2009 1:12 PM
Guest :
I've recently slowly started to reduce my intake of laxatives and
diet pills and am finding it really hard. As i've been abusing laxatives
for the last 3 years its obviously taken its toll and now ive come to start
reducing the amount i take i find im bloating, feeling fat and am in quite
a lot of pain. I've tried to eat food with a good level of fibre in it but
nothing really seems to be working, does anyone have an tips on how to
combat this??. I've never seen my gp about it and im wondering if i should
go and see her to see if she can help manage the pain and the bloating. I'm
worried about what she'll say and what will actually happen though. My one
current success though is i have progressed from weighing myself daily to
not having weighed myself in almost a week! Good luck to everyone who is
seeking help or caring for friends and relatives in a similar situation. x
Mar 12, 2009 3:37 PM
Guest :
Hi My sister is addicted to laxatives and reading your article rings
so true to me. The only thing is she is still in the denial stage and
thinks nobody knows what she does and always brushes it under the carpet.
I've tried everything I can think of to make her stop. I've done the soft
choice with the hints which have never worked, the sister option of I know
you're hurting yourself and I only have 1 sister and I don't want to lose
you and lastly the arguing. Her shoulders and very rounded and every
day she is in constant pain from this. I think it's her bones weakening
and crumbling. Her liver is inflamed and she takes milk thistle every day.
Where am I going wrong? How can I make her stop??
Apr 20, 2009 8:10 PM
Guest :
I have been abusing laxatives for over ten years ,at the begining i used to
take a lot ,now i take one pill or two every week ,i have so much abdominal
disconfort ,gas ,bloating and like you ,i feel clean when i take a laxative
,i really think i need help ,i dunno what to do ,i am desperate , I am
in a relationship and i haven't told my BF yet ,i'm afraid to be judged
,but he always ask me why my stomach hurts .
Apr 29, 2009 12:46 PM
Guest :
I recently started taking 14-20 laxatives a day after years of being
constipated. I started taking 4 a day as prescribed by my GI dr., then I
figured I would take more to see if that help in my constant battle to lose
weight, and it helped. At least for a while. I am always trying to lose
weight and go on eating binges where I eat lots of junk food, then torture
myself, try and fast for a few days after the binge. Its very frusturating
and consumes me I would love to not worry about it. Unfortuneatley its not
that easy. I go through a bottle of 100 laxatives in a week or less.Any one
have any suggestions for help ?I am affraid to go to the doc about it for a
couple of reasons, the first is I work in health care myselp and I want to
have plastic surgery and feel that eating disorder diagnosis would prevent
me from being able to have surgery/
Aug 27, 2009 6:28 AM
Guest :
I am very over weight and have been looking on the internet how to lose
weight i am now currently on a weight lose plan but is going too slowly. I
really am thinking about laxative use. Now I have read these posts I really
dont know what to do for the best I cant cope anymore with the bullying
because im fat, im depressed i hate myself and i just want to be happy.
Oct 30, 2009 7:37 AM
Guest :
I am and have been using laxatives for the last two years, and deep down i
realise the damage i am causing my body, but i just can't stop. I feel so
relieved when eating pizza, knowing that after im just going to get rid of
it with laxatives anyway, and i don't think i'm ready to give up that
feeling of security.
Dec 13, 2006
