Anorexia Recovery: how can I reduce my edema?!
Question: Anorexia Recovery: how can I reduce my edema.?
I went on a very restrictive regime of not eating and of exercising excessively for the three last months of July, August and September. I stopped doing that by the start of October, because I realized that I don't want to take it any further-- my life is too important to waste like that. I went to the doctor, am taking vitamins that he described for me and a pill that helps get rid of water in my body, and take medicine for getting rid of gas in the stomach. I had tests done too and all of them said there are no problems in my nutritient levels (even I couldn't believe that). But I have one problem of there being water in the empty space below my stomach and above my female-related organs, which the doctor said is probably because my tissues are weakened and can't absord the water very well. I'll be going back to see the doctor again in a week. My BMI right now is 15.2 or 16.4 or 16.9 (I'm not sure what my weight is. Water retention), and I eat small meals every hour or hour and a half (it's been a week of eating). My bowel movements are normal, no constipation or anything. My problem is with edema (which I've never suffered from before). The doctor told me to elevate my legs, but it doesn't help that much. I want to be able to drink water normally (I used to drink in very large quantities when I restricted and it was alright), but I've noticed that the more I drink, the worse the edema. currently I take small sips throughout the day. I'm thinking maybe it has something to do with the foods I eat.? I'm eating a lot of sugar (sweets and cake and candy), I'll admit that. Is there anything that could be done at all.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Anorexia doesn't just involve obsession with food, but an altered and warped body image. I'm not sure that this might not be the root of your complaint about water retention in the abdominal area. You also mention taking medication for gas problems, and it's quite possible your discomfort is related to that. Taking a diuretic should help you remove excess water, and water itself is it's own best diuretic as long as your kidney function is normal. The trouble isn't usually related to water, but to salts and electrolyte balance within the body. If you are eating a good many preprepared foods, along with those sweets, chances are you are simply eating too much salt. The first thing would be to cut back on that, and continue to drink water and other fluids in normal amounts. It also would be helpful if you did not pay quite so much attention to the physcial changes of your body, as you are still trying to return to a normal state of eating. It is to be expected your body would have to adjust to normal nutrition, and it's just been too short an amount of time to expect it to function as if nothing had ever happened. You've starved it for several months, it stands to reason it will take more than a few weeks for it to adapt to normal eating. I sincerely hope you have also gotten yourself into some sort of counselling group or therapy, as whatever it was that encouraged the problem to begin with still needs attending to. Anorexia is not just as easy to control as simply starting back eating again. It's a stress adaption, and unless you learn some healthier responses, a crisis can quickly put you back in the cycle of it again. It's good to read you are taking control and have made such important firs steps, but now it's time to address the other issues as well. I wish you luck, and may you stay in control.
Edit- Yes, too many simple sugars can certainly aggrivate the problem. As a rule, it's not usually a big contributer, but if you have really developed a sweet tooth and are doing things like adding sugar to your milk- then yes- it wouldn't be helping matters any. I assume you are doing this to try to gain back body weight quickly. That's still not a good idea. Just as you shouldn't try to diet by radically reducing carbohydrates, you should not try to gain by overdoing them either. Remember, the key to all things is moderation. It's not a question of a good or bad food, it's simply some foods to eat more or less of than others. While elevating your legs will help with swelling in the ankles, massaging them upwards will also help redistribute the fluid as well. You will do best in your efforts to regain a normal BMI by doing things like opting for full fat versions of your dairy products, and eating wholegrain foods, rather than going for the sweets and candy. Exercise- in moderation of course- is a good way to help with edema as well. Something like swimming would be a good way to do that and would also help you work off some of the gas as well. Just keep in mind, your body needs to readjust, and you need to be regaining weight from healthy food- not making up for three months of deprivation by diving into the sweeties. Make the word moderation your new mantra, and you should do just fine.Health Question & Answer
Edit- Yes, too many simple sugars can certainly aggrivate the problem. As a rule, it's not usually a big contributer, but if you have really developed a sweet tooth and are doing things like adding sugar to your milk- then yes- it wouldn't be helping matters any. I assume you are doing this to try to gain back body weight quickly. That's still not a good idea. Just as you shouldn't try to diet by radically reducing carbohydrates, you should not try to gain by overdoing them either. Remember, the key to all things is moderation. It's not a question of a good or bad food, it's simply some foods to eat more or less of than others. While elevating your legs will help with swelling in the ankles, massaging them upwards will also help redistribute the fluid as well. You will do best in your efforts to regain a normal BMI by doing things like opting for full fat versions of your dairy products, and eating wholegrain foods, rather than going for the sweets and candy. Exercise- in moderation of course- is a good way to help with edema as well. Something like swimming would be a good way to do that and would also help you work off some of the gas as well. Just keep in mind, your body needs to readjust, and you need to be regaining weight from healthy food- not making up for three months of deprivation by diving into the sweeties. Make the word moderation your new mantra, and you should do just fine.Health Question & Answer