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Original poster

What are the dangers of regular vomiting?

89 replies

beansmum · 29/05/2008 18:44

Just wondering really. I am sick quite often, something which I am not necessarily that bothered about. Should I be bothered? Could it cause any major probalems? Should I have name changed for this?!

OP posts:

Original poster

beansmum · 29/05/2008 23:07

5 times a week? I don't know, it depends. This week I have been sick about 5 times anyway. I always thought I could stop, just never really wanted to.

I REALLY wish I had name changed for this.

OP posts:

pavlovthecat · 29/05/2008 23:09

Maybe you should talk to GP, if your food is not wanting to stay down, and you can just be sick, maybe your stomach is telling you something? If your food is not digesting, get it checked out?

mumdebump · 29/05/2008 23:12

Ok. Am now convinced you need to seek help for eating disorder. That is quite a lot.

Monkeytrousers · 30/05/2008 09:06

Bulimic's are regularly overweight - such is the uselssness of throwing food up.

You are bulimic. You are also self harming, which is what making yourself throw up is. You are also in denial. You have a problem which won't get better until you address it. Go to your doctors. There are actually pills that you can take to help you stop getting the urge to purge this way.

VictorianSqualor · 30/05/2008 09:16

MT is right, it is an eating disorder, you are bulimic, it's how I was when I was(?) bulimic (not that it's something that really changes, even reading this thread makes me think about going and being sick I just don't anymore).
Just because you don't need to put your fingers down your throat doesn't mean it isn't an eating disorder.
It will wreck your teeth btw, I had lovely teeth, now not so lovely partly through being sick and partly through trying to live off diet drinks.

BeachBunni · 30/05/2008 09:55

My sister regularly vomits with migraines - it has ruined her teeth. Can also, as previous posters have said, cause problems in your eosphagus (sp). I have a hiatus hernia and it is awful having a constant burning in the back of your throat and my back teeth are ruined by the acid. There is also an increased risk of throat and mouth cancers as the acid damages cells. It really sounds like you have a problem you need to get help with.

Nemoandthefishes · 30/05/2008 10:01

beans you sound like me
I am very overweight and since getting pg with dd2 have had this thing were there is no reason for me to be sick but I feel nauseas and then end up vomiting. I dont think I would vomit if I left it but all I have to do is caugh and then I am sick. I do suffer anxiety and sometimes think that doing the cough thing is better than sitting all day thinking I am going to be sick I am going to be sick etc.

Blandmum · 30/05/2008 10:08

BB is right, there is an increased risk of cancers of the oesophagus, mouth and throat caused by the repeated damage of the acid.

what comes back will have acid it it. You do sound as if you have an eating disorder and you need to see someone in RL to get help

madamez · 30/05/2008 14:40

OK if you are not bulimic or otherwise disordered in your eating, you still need to go and see the doctor because all this puking is still going to rot your teeth, damage your gullet and strain your heart, and even if it's entirely involuntary it's not healthy and a sign that there is something wrong. I'm not enough of a medical ace to know or speculate what it might be, but the longer you let it go on untreated, the worse it will get, whatever it is.

Original poster

beansmum · 30/05/2008 17:30

nemo - do you eat too much, or do you just feel sick anyway?

I don't really feel sick, not in an icky nauseous way. I just have an uncomfortable full feeling and think I would feel better if I didn't have all that food inside me. And it is no effort at all to bring it back up again, so I do. I am a bit worried about myself now though. I thought I could stop being sick if I wanted to and just eat less. But today I went to the shop all ready to buy a nice salad and some ham for my lunch, a couple of scotch pies jumped into my basket (ok, 4 ) and then I had to eat birthday cake as well (ds's birthday on sunday). I just couldn't stop myself being sick, and actually felt a lot better afterwards, but I know I should stop. What is the next step, other than going to my gp which is definitely not going to happen? She is married to one of the ministers at my church, I'm sure she is very professional and wouldn't say anything to anyone but I wouldn't feel comfortable.

OP posts:

Original poster

beansmum · 30/05/2008 17:31

Acutally, can everyone just ignore this thread. I wish I hadn't started it and may have to change my name now.

OP posts:

mumdebump · 30/05/2008 19:27

I'm sorry that you feel that way. It's obviously not the sort of replies that you wanted to hear, but they are meant with the best of intentions and are trying to help you. I and some of the other posters have been blunt because we know what damage can be done if whatever illness you have goes unchecked.

If you don't want to see your GP, you could always ask to see another (female) doctor or try BEAT helpline 0845 634 1414. www.b-eat.co.uk/Home

Please do seek some proper advice though. The answer isn't always drugs and medication, it could be CBT or NLP or hypnotherapy to help you stop your over-eating.

Again, really sorry if have upset you, but would like to know that you are ok.

WonderingWhy · 30/05/2008 19:43

Sweetheart you can get it deleted if you want to, just click on the exclamation mark next to your OP.

Sorry to hear about what's happening. As a veteran of anorexia I sometimes feel I am slipping back into old habits, and even if it feels like nothing is 'wrong' with me, the fact you don't like the feeling of the food inside you would normally prevent you from eating it all to begin with, if that makes sense - bulimia afaik is all about wanting the comfort or enjoyment of food and then not liking the feeling of being full up.

It's very close to anorexia in some ways - I never believed I was fat but I hated feeling full - I didn't make myself sick as I'm terrified of it, but I did stop eating because of it.

Sorry to go on a bit when you've said ignore but if it's going to be deleted I thought I may as well try to help.

Love to you xx

Janni · 30/05/2008 19:50

Beansmum - please don't feel bad about talking on here. If you are eating so much that you regularly vomit, whether intentionally or not, it really really sounds like an eating disorder and the sooner you access counselling the better. Your weight is irrelevant - people with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes.

Madamez is right in what she says about the consequences of regular vomiting.

I think the Eating Disorders Association is now called BEAT (???)

You could certainly start with a call to them - they are very sympathetic and non-judgemental.

SniffyHock · 30/05/2008 19:52

Beans - I clicked on this thread as I wanted to know the answer to your OP. I have only recently accepted that I am bulimic (after 10 years on and off of 'getting sick')
I was interested though as I have no intention of stopping or speaking to a doctor as I dread to think what my weight would be like if I did stop.

Have often thought about starting a thread on this topic but I really don't want advice to stop. Don't think you are the only one who does this. Like you, I also don't need to put any effort into being sick (and I hate being sick when I'm ill) but I have accepted that it's a compulsion which is stress related.

TheProvincialLady · 30/05/2008 19:56

Beansmum I won't diagnose you with an ED but I will advise you to see your GP this week. It puts an enormous strain on your body being sick this often and I don't want to scare you but you can literally die in the toilet I used to be sick about as often as you and I have a tear in my osophagus that still bleeds, 10 years later, if I am sick from a bug. You definitely need to stop doing this and if you can't just do it then you definitely need urgent help.

And you have NOTHING to be ashamed of by the way

Original poster

beansmum · 30/05/2008 20:40

I don't want to stop.

I don't think I can stop the eating, and if I can't then I need to be able to throw up. Sometimes I manage not to eat for a while, but if I'm honest I would rather eat whatever I want and be sick than have to starve myself. I hate being fat, I have put weight recently and feel like a big blob, it's my birthday soon and I want to go out and not be the fat one. Especially when my gorgeous, thin sister will be there.

OP posts:

Janni · 30/05/2008 21:00

Beansmum - it is not a choice between starving and bingeing/vomiting, truly it isn't. I recovered from a 17 year eating disorder. I was much fatter then than I am now and I eat well, without any worries these days. You are not able to think straight about food because you are using it to deal with your emotions - you are stuffing down your difficult feelings with all the food. Please please believe us that it does not have to be like this, but you really do need help to recover.

MissingMyHeels · 30/05/2008 21:23

I have gastro oesophageal reflux that makes me vomit relatively frequently, if it doesn't get under control soon my oesopaegus will completely wear away from all the acid that passes through and I will need surgery.

Granted I have over production of acid but this could happen to you if you continue, it'll just take a bit longer. Oh and I go to the dentist every three months to prevent my teeth wearing away, I have lost half of my back tooth so far.

Please see your GP.

imaginaryfriend · 30/05/2008 21:32

If I were you I'd see the GP, you might have something like a hiatus hernia which is making you vomit when your tummy is too full.

TheProvincialLady · 30/05/2008 21:37

You say you can't stop the eating - would you like to be able to? Because it is possible. You don't have to do this to yourself, either the over eating or the being sick. Life is so much better when you are in control of what you eat. If you see your GP and tell him/her what is going on, what is the worst thing that can happen? What is the best thing that can happen?

fishie · 30/05/2008 21:40

bm, i think you do want to stop or wouldn't have posted. the freedom of being able to eat smaller meals without feeling the need to go overboard is just wonderful.

there is a reason you are feeling like this, it isn't just the food is it?

Original poster

beansmum · 30/05/2008 21:44

The trouble is I don't know what is a normal amount of food anymore, and once I start eating I can't stop. So it's either no food or lots of food and being sick. And I like food.

Does anyone know what the GP would do? Not that I am going to go, I would have to get a babysitter for ds, and then I would have to explain why I need a babysitter.

OP posts:

Original poster

beansmum · 30/05/2008 21:47

fishie - feeling like what? I feel fine, I'm just slightly worried about what being sick is doing to my body. If it was totally free of side effects I would carry on. I suppose I am feeling a bit blob like at the moment, but doesn't everyone sometimes?

OP posts:

BeachBunni · 30/05/2008 21:48

Beansmum - don't say you wish you hadn't started the thread. Obviously it's something you're worried about and something that you know that isn't right. I don't know what the issue is behind it but people are just trying to give the best advice when they say to seek medical help as throwing up that much isn't right whatever the reason.

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