Author: Alex Thompson

Laxative Abuse: Side Effects and Long-Term Health Risks

Eating smaller, more frequent meals can be beneficial if you’re managing laxative dependency. This method supports a consistent intake of nutrients and encourages steady digestion, potentially reducing your need for laxatives. Gradually increasing your soluble fiber intake may help improve constipation and reduce laxative reliance. Soluble dietary fiber absorbs water and forms a gel-like substance, increasing stool bulk and softness.

Individuals with an eating disorder typically use stimulant laxatives, which stimulate the muscles of the gut to produce a bowel movement. Initially, an individual with an eating disorder might use laxatives to treat constipation or any number of other gastrointestinal complications that are caused by low food intake and dehydration. Using laxatives excessively can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, gas, loose stool, and diarrhea.

If you answer “yes” to some or all of these, you may have an eating disorder and may benefit from seeing a mental health professional. Over time, electrolyte imbalances can negatively affect how well your kidneys and heart work. In some cases, electrolyte loss can be fatal, leading to coma, seizures, and sudden cardiac arrest.

Organ Damage

Laxative abuse can also cause rectal irritation, in part because watery stools overload rectal tissues with fluids. This can lead to an increased risk of infection and bleeding during bowel movements. Laxative abuse is a dangerous disordered eating behavior falsely represented as an appropriate, effective, and harmless weight-loss behavior. If the person is hospitalized, they will receive the appropriate medical treatment for whatever health complications they may be experiencing. For example, if they are dehydrated and have an electrolyte imbalance, then the medical team will rehydrate the patient via intravenous fluids and electrolyte replacement. Or, if they have a colon infection, the team will administer antibiotics to clear up the infection.

Anyone that undergoes a rapid rise in serum sodium is at risk of developing central pontine myelinolysis, including those with eating disorders and those who misuse diuretics. CPM develops when the medical correction of hyponatremia occurs too abruptly, which causes various fluid shifts within the brain. Symptoms typically appear 2 to 3 days after hyponatremia is corrected, and include changes in cognition, dysarthria (trouble speaking), mutism or dysphagia (trouble swallowing). Within 1 to 2 weeks, other symptoms may manifest, including impaired thinking, weakness or paralysis in the arms and legs, stiffness, impaired sensation or loss of coordination. For this reason, people with eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa may misuse laxatives in addition to vomiting and fasting.

1. If constipation lasts for more than three days, a short course of a non-stimulating laxative combined with oral fluids should be used.
2. They can disrupt the natural muscle tone of the colon, leading to a condition known as “lazy” or atonic colon.
3. The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders.
4. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) issued by the APA, BN is characterized by the misuse of laxatives to “purge” after an eating binge.
5. Laxative misuse can lead to severe health consequences, including dehydration, organ damage, and dependence.

Not only are they ineffective in maintaining a healthy weight over the long term, but they can also cause potentially severe health complications. Laxatives can make you feel lighter because they quickly flush out waste and water from the colon. The pounds will return as soon as you drink fluids—which you’ll need to do to stay healthy and hydrated.

After cessation of laxative misuse, a return to normal bowel function generally occurs within several weeks. Some people mistakenly believe that laxatives prevent the absorption of calories from food. In fact, laxatives generally work by stimulating the movement of the large intestine (colon) after calories and nutrients from food have been absorbed by the small intestine. In addition to purging with laxatives, a person with BN may misuse diuretics (“water pills”), exercise excessively, fast regularly, or engage in self-induced vomiting. Other signs of BN include frequent trips to the bathroom or hidden stashes of food in the house. Long-standing use of stimulant laxatives can result in the lower intestine (colon) becoming an inert tube incapable of peristalsis.

The Impact of Food Restriction on the Body

Symptoms of dehydration include muscle weakness, dizziness, thirst, inability to urinate, dark urine, confusion, and dry mouth. Excessive laxative use is a feature of an eating disorder called bulimia nervosa (BN). Treatment for laxative and diuretic misuse are very similar, often involving patient education and addressing psychological dependency. While laxative abuse will not lead to long-term weight loss, it does cause huge changes to the body, namely, the inside of the body.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, up to 10% of young women in the United States have an eating disorder. Learn more about excessive laxative use, including the symptoms, causes, and treatment options. It is important to understand the reality of the impact of laxatives to avoid using them improperly and dangerously.

Laxative abuse can become an addictive behavior and letting go of this behavior is not easy or simple. Probiotic supplements contain beneficial bacteria that support the balance of your gut microbiota. This balance is essential for ensuring proper digestion and good overall gut health. Taking probiotics helps regulate bowel function and restores a healthy digestive system. To alleviate constipation, focus on eating a well-balanced and fiber-rich diet.

Learn more about the results we get at Within

Reversing laxative dependency is a gradual process that requires careful steps to help your digestive system regain its natural function. Continue reading to learn more about laxative misuse, including the consequences and how to find help. Answer some general questions about how you feel about food, your current eating habits, how you feel after you eat, and other indicators of an eating disorder.

This simple practice encourages natural bowel movements by prompting you to pay attention to your body’s signals. On the other hand, eating three full meals can help structure your eating routine and regulate your bowel movements. Having three balanced meals can contribute to steadily releasing nutrients into your bloodstream.

Why People Use Diuretics and Laxatives in Excess

Use of these stimulant laxatives damages one of the nerve layers of the intestine, causing the aperistalsis, which then creates a need for even greater amounts of stimulant laxatives. This condition is believed to resolve over time with discontinuation of the stimulant laxative use. Eating disorder patients constitute the largest group of individuals who misuse laxatives, with up to 75% of those with anorexia and bulimia misusing laxatives and approximately 33% misusing diuretics. The truth is, laxatives do have an impact on the body, but not in the way that diet culture advertisements and messages purport.

What to know about laxative abuse

Aim for about 30 grams of fiber daily, but make changes gradually to give your digestive system ample time to adjust. A comprehensive approach including medical, psychological, and supportive measures is necessary to treat laxative misuse. Over time, the colon may stop reacting to the usual laxative dose, necessitating increasingly larger doses to produce bowel movements. Some issues are potentially life threatening and can profoundly impact a person’s health. Chronic dehydration from excessive laxative use can increase the risk of a urinary tract infection by concentrating chemicals in urine.

Excessive laxative use occurs when someone uses laxatives habitually, frequently, or in higher-than-recommended doses for weight loss or control. The aim of laxative abuse is to stimulate bowel movements so that foods are “purged” from the body before fat and calories can be absorbed. However, a similar approach to treating laxative misuse should be taken regarding the psychological dependency a patient might have with diuretics and their relationship with these medications. Patients should be educated on the difference between water weight and weight from muscle or fat.