Some people with bulimia may misuse laxatives to purge after episodes of binge eating as a compensatory behavior. Misusing laxatives can negatively affect digestion and health.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person eats more than typically consumed in a meal in a short period (about
Some people with bulimia nervosa may misuse laxatives as a compensatory purging behavior.
Laxatives are intended to treat constipation by stimulating bowel movements or loosening hard stool to help produce a bowel movement.
They are not intended for weight loss or preventing weight gain. They typically only cause the loss of the water needed to produce a bowel movement, along with stool already in the colon. Using laxatives for weight management is not effective and can have negative side effects.
Keep reading to learn more about bulimia and laxative misuse, including why people use laxatives, the possible health complications of bulimia and laxative misuse, and how to get help.
Help is available
If you’re preoccupied with food or your weight, feel guilt about food choices, or engage in restrictive diets, consider reaching out for support. These behaviors may indicate a disordered relationship with food or an eating disorder.
Disordered eating and eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of gender identity, race, age, socioeconomic status, or other identities.
They can be caused by any combination of biological, social, cultural, and environmental factors, not just by exposure to diet culture.
Consider speaking with a healthcare professional or contacting the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, which offers a daytime helpline staffed by licensed therapists and an online search tool for treatment options. For general mental health support at any time, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24 hours a day at 1-800-662-4357 (or 1-800-487-4889 for TTY).
Laxative misuse in bulimia is an example of a compensatory purging behavior. People with bulimia may engage in laxative misuse as compensatory behavior to:
- reduce the guilt they feel about binge eating
- prevent weight gain
- “clear out” the body after a bingeing episode
Over time, misusing laxatives can cause severe constipation. This may make it difficult (or impossible) to have a bowel movement without laxatives. This is known as laxative dependency. People with laxative dependency may need laxatives to have a bowel movement.
Factors that may contribute to bulimia
Bulimia nervosa is a mental health disorder that tends to develop in people with a negative body image, but a negative self-image isn’t the only cause. Other contributing factors can include:
- relationships with others
- anxiety or other mental health conditions
- factors in the environment, such as social media representation or cultural expectations
- self perception
Laxatives are a class of medication that treats constipation by stimulating bowel movements or loosening hard stool to help produce a bowel movement. The different types of laxatives have slightly different effects on the body.
Types of laxatives
- Stimulant laxatives cause the intestines to contract, helping to move stool through the digestive tract and producing a bowel movement.
- Bulk-forming laxatives contain fiber that isn’t digested but absorbs water and swells to form stools.
- Stool softeners increase the amount of water absorbed by stools to make them softer and easier to pass.
- Lubricant laxatives coat the surfaces of stools and the intestines with a lubricant, which helps soften stools and make them easier to pass.
- Osmotic laxatives help the colon retain more water and can make bowel movements happen more frequently.
Laxative misuse in bulimia typically involves stimulant laxatives or stool softeners.
However, it’s important to note that using laxatives does not result in weight loss or prevent the body from digesting food. Instead, it releases water in the body to produce a bowel movement, which may result in temporary, minor changes in weight from water.
Laxatives help expel digested food from the digestive tract, but do not expel recently eaten food. The median transit time of food through the digestive tract is 28 hours, so taking laxatives after an eating episode only helps move along already digested food.
Misusing laxatives can have negative side effects on your digestion and health.
Laxatives are intended for occasional use to help move along a bowel movement. They may cause side effects, including:
- nausea
- dehydration
- electrolyte imbalances
- abdominal pain
- diarrhea
Using them for other uses or using them regularly can have negative side effects, including:
- laxative withdrawal or dependency, in which the bowel doesn’t function as it should and requires laxatives to have a bowel movement
- depleted gut microbiome, or damage to the bacteria in the digestive tract that help support digestion
- an increased risk of dementia later in life
Bulimia with laxative misuse or other forms of compensatory behaviors can also cause complications, including:
- heart problems
- kidney problems
- digestive issues, including constipation
- nutrient deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances
- mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression
Eating disorders, including purging types of bulimia, are serious and require diagnosis and treatment.
This treatment usually involves:
- talk therapy to help address the thought patterns that lead to bulimia nervosa, including anxiety about food
- medical treatment for any side effects or complications
- nutritional counseling from a registered dietitian
- slowly reducing laxative use, if you have laxative dependency and are unable to have a bowel movement without laxatives
If you think you (or someone you know) may have an eating disorder, it’s important to reach out for help from a healthcare professional.
Consider speaking with a healthcare professional or contacting the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, which offers a daytime helpline staffed by licensed therapists and an online search tool for treatment options.
For general mental health support at any time, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24 hours a day at 1-800-662-4357 (or 1-800-487-4889 for TTY).
Some people with bulimia may misuse laxatives as a compensatory purging behavior after an episode of binge eating.
However, laxatives are intended to help produce a bowel movement. They are not an effective method of weight management and misusing them can have negative side effects.
If you think you or someone else may have an eating disorder, it’s important to reach out to a healthcare professional for help.