Gastrointestinal Comorbidities Which Complicate Treatment of Anorexia

For the countless number of men and women who struggle with anorexia, recovery and treatment is a slow process that takes place over months and years.

While anorexia is considered to be a psychiatric illness, there are many biological implications, and consequently, many physical effects that result from the behaviors associated with this disease.

There are many physical consequences that come from the restrictive eating patterns of anorexia, including gastrointestinal complications. For many, these can be the most difficult to overcome, especially during treatment.

Overcoming Gastrointestinal Distress During Treatment

Because of the numerous medical complications that can result from anorexia, it is advisable to work with a treatment team that includes medical professionals. These professionals can help oversee any potential issues that may occur as the body is going through stages of refeeding. Some of the common gastrointestinal ailments include, but are not limited to:

• Bowel obstructions
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Early satiety
• Cramping
• Bloating
• Internal bleeding
• Esophageal varices

These symptoms can be especially prevalent as the body grows accustomed to eating normal amounts of food and nutrition once again. While these experiences can be extremely uncomfortable and painful, working through this stage of treatment is crucial for moving forward and healing the body. When the body goes from physically starving to having regular amounts of food again, the side effects are not pleasant, as systems begin to function properly once more.

Effectively Managing Symptoms

Working with a professional treatment team can be an effective and helpful resource through this especially crucial part of recovery from anorexia. Your physician may be able to prescribe appropriate medications to effectively manage some of the symptoms that you may be experiencing.

Your dietitian will also help you work through your meal plan and ensure that you are feeding your body adequately.

Learning to eat again and feed yourself appropriately, especially after ignoring your body’s cues for so long, will not be an easy process. But getting through this crucial step means working toward healing and finding freedom from your eating disorder.

Some of these gastrointestinal symptoms may be more severe than others, and may take longer than others to completely heal from. Working with your treatment team will help you learn how to most effectively manage these symptoms and have the support you need to continue feeding your body.

Community Discussion – Share Your Thoughts Here!

How have you been able to work through difficult physical complications in your recovery from anorexia?

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating. Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Director of Content and Social Media for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on January 16, 2017
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com