eating disorders and IBS??
#98104 - 08/13/04 01:32 PM
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carey28
Reged: 07/09/04
Posts: 34
Loc: Boston, MA
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Has there been any studies on the possibility of past eating disorders 'causing' IBS? I used to suffer from an eating disorder in my teens and sometimes wonder if that abuse of my system could have triggered this in my 20's....any one else know anything about the relation if there is any?? just curious  
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Hi Carey,
First off, I just wanted to say Hello since I haven't seen you around on the boards much.. but that isn't saying a lot since I get so behind in reading posts!!, but hello anyway!
As for the question about eating disorders, I can't give you a definite answer but I cab venture a guess... I have read that any trauma to the system (digestive system, I suppose) can trigger IBS.. Some surgeries, giving birth, food poisoning.. stuff like that. If this is true, I think it's totally plausable that an eating disorder could do the same as that would be quite a shock to the system.. Especially since I imagine in a case of anorexia, it is putting your body through so many extremes from the deprivation of nutrients to the body, to then re-introducing regular eating habbits back into the system.
Since nobody knows what exactly causes IBS, I don't think there is a definite answer (yet??) but I've been told that the cause of mine COULD be parasites I had in my stomach when I was younger that went AGES without treatment and it could have just been too traumatic for my digestive system to have recovered.. I think if you stopped eating, or eat so little, your body could definitely not know how to deal with foods anymore.. But that's just a guess!
Good luck!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Quote:
Has there been any studies on the possibility of past eating disorders 'causing' IBS? I used to suffer from an eating disorder in my teens and sometimes wonder if that abuse of my system could have triggered this in my 20's....any one else know anything about the relation if there is any?? just curious
My eating disorder caused my IBS. I don't know about yours, i just know that when I decided to recover and start eating normal, that's when all the symptoms hit. Like my body just couldn't tolerate eating normal anymore. Did you find yours started right during/after your ED? Or was it years later?
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IBS-C
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Hey Carey,
I also definitely think its possible that the two are related and know that for me as well, my stomach problems were triggered from an eating disorder. 
I think Steph was right in saying its like surgery affecting your stomach because its trauma and like she said, its the same when you deprive your body of what it needs. Hope that helped 
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Hi
I have suffered with the eating disorder compulsive overeating and am sure that that is what caused my IBS. My binges are very small now, so much to say that you could call them just overeating but I notice my IBS is at it's worst it's ever been now.
My symptoms began when I was messing with my foods as a teenager, I went from hardly eating anything to overeating, it was then the problems started, I suffered a lot of gas but never knew why. Between the age of 16-21 my binging was at it's worst and has since levelled off, but now I am finding it hard to "be told what to eat" to help my IBS as it goes against what I've learnt to get me well.
I am going to see a dietician friday so I am hoping to gain some help there.
HTH
Niki
xxx
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That is my problem too! and part of the reason I asked the question. For so many years I restricted what I could and could not eat...finally I got better and had a healthy eating habit, excersising and eating right, then I 'got' IBS a few years after that. So I really only had those few years to enjoy a 'normal' life with food. Now that I have IBS I also find it so very hard to go back to that can and can't have food list. I want to rebel and I get angry that I can't eat what I want when I want and its frustrating!! so it is very hard for me to stick to any 'diet'...but I will keep trying because in the end this pain isn't worth it and I know that!!! so here's to a new day and new chance to be pain free!!
thanks to all who posted, I wish I could be on the boards more but I get here when I can  take care all
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I also found this to be true. I believe there is a direct correlation between the two. I think your body can only take so much abuse before it lays down the law. When I was diagnosed with IBS my doctor mentioned that a history of eating disorders and/or depression could be linked to IBS. Lucky us, huh?
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