- Making himself throw up,
- Not eating for a certain period,
- Using laxatives or diuretics, that make food move through the system more quickly,
- Exercising to an extreme.
To be diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, a person must have bingeing and purging episodes at least once a week for 3 months.
Bulimia nervosa tends to start in late childhood or early adulthood. People with the disorder can be any age and size, but their self-esteem is closely tied to their body image. They may fear gaining weight, want to lose weight, or feel very unhappy with their bodies.
Causes
I (Dr Qaisar Ahmed) don’t know the exact cause of bulimia nervosa, research suggests it’s a mixture of things, including certain personality traits, emotions, and thinking patterns. People with eating disorders appear to have brain differences that may affect how they understand signals coming from their body. Social and environmental influences, such as the way you were raised and stereotypical beauty standards, also play a role.
Risk Factors
The fact that bulimia nervosa tends to run in families suggests that a person might inherit a risk for the disorder. Other risk factors include:
- Being female,
- Stress, depression and anxiety disorders,
- Substance/drugs addictions,
- Psychological trauma,
- Frequent dieting.
Bulimia Nervosa Symptoms
The main symptoms of bulimia nervosa are episodes of bingeing followed by purging. That can lead to many different health problems for example:
- Dental problems,
- Sore throat,
- Swollen neck and face glands,
- Heartburn, indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea,
- Irregular periods,
- Weakness or exhaustion,
- Dizziness or fainting,
- Feeling cold all the time,
- Insomnia,
- Dry skin as well as dry and brittle nails,
- Depression or mood swings.
Someone with bulimia will typically binge and purge in secret. And unlike someone with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, they may not lose a lot of weight.
The signs for bulimia nervosa include:
- Hoarding or stealing food,
- Food rituals, such as eating only certain foods, chewing more than necessary, or not allowing foods to touch,
- Skipping meals or eating only small portions during meals,
- Bloodshot eyes,
- Scrapes or calluses on their knuckles or backs of their hands (from making themselves throw up),
- Gaining and losing weight often,
- Using the bathroom frequently,
- Excessive exercising,
- Preoccupation with body weight,
- Drinking large amounts of water or calorie-free beverages,
- Often using mints, gum, or mouthwash,
- Habit changes, such as avoiding friends and usual activities.
Bulimia Nervosa Complications
Bulimia can cause serious health problems for example:
Dental issues
When a person throws up a lot, stomach acid can damage the tooth enamel. That can lead to cavities and sensitivity and eventually discolor the teeth. Patient may also have gum loss and infections.
Digestive tract problems
Bulimia can affect all parts of our digestive system. Repeated throwing up increases the size of the glands that make saliva, making our face and jaw appear swollen.
It also causes irritation in our throat, esophagus, stomach and intestines. Patient may have reflux, where stomach acid backs up into esophagus and throat. Overuse of laxative medications can cause constipation.
Dehydration
Loss of fluid from throwing up or other ways of purging can cause imbalances in electrolytes for example calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium etc. Low levels of potassium, sodium magnesium etc can cause potentially life-threatening diseases like Alzheimer disease, delirium, seizures, arthritis, heart or kidney etc problems. Abnormal electrolyte levels and drops in blood sugar levels.
Mental health conditions
It’s not uncommon for people with bulimia nervosa to have other mental health issues, like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol or drug misuse, suicidal behavior and self-harm etc.
Long-term effects of bulimia nervosa
If bulimia nervosa goes on for a long time without treatment, the consequences can be life-threatening, it can lead to: 
- Irregular heartbeat,
- Heart failure,
- Tears or raptures in esophagus or stomach,
- Gastroparesis,
- Kidney failure.
Diagnosis
Ask your patient about his/her eating habits, if he lost or gained weight, and whether he has any physical symptoms.
A doctor should do:
- a complete physical exam,
- blood and urine tests,
- an echocardiogram (EKG) to see if heart problems resulting from bulimia,
- body images like X-ray etc.
Bulimia nervosa is similar in some ways to anorexia nervosa. They both involve a preoccupation with food and a compulsion to be thin. People with anorexia will strictly limit what they eat, to the point of becoming underweight.
Someone with anorexia may have bingeing and purging episodes from time to time. But that isn’t the main feature of the disorder, like it is with bulimia.
Allopathic Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa
To treat bulimia anorexia, an allopathic doctor will consider patient’s physical and psychological needs. Treatment may include counseling and medications. Often, it involves a team of medical, nutritional, and mental health professionals. All they’ll try to help patient restore his/her health and healthy eating patterns.
Medications
The antidepressant fluoxetine and some other antidepressants or types of medicines.
Psychotherapy (talk therapy)
Talk therapy is a key component of allopathic treatment for bulimia. This can take several forms, for example:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
This type of therapy teaches to recognize and change the thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns that lead a person to binge and purge. It also helps patient to develop coping skills.
Family-based treatment (FBT)
Often used in children and teens with bulimia, it helps the family deal with the illness and issues it can cause.
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)
This focuses on problems in patient’s relationships with other people. The way he interacts with others can affect his emotional state and mental health.
Nutritional counseling
The goal is to teach your patient good eating habits, teach him to learn to recognize his body’s signals of hunger and fullness. Doctor will help patent to stabilize his weight and gain a healthier attitude toward food.
Hospitalization
This doesn’t happen often. But with serious cases of bulimia, a patient might be treated in a hospital for a short time. Most eating-disorder programs offer outpatient treatment.
Homeopathic Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa
Homeopathy along with counseling prefer medication too, it will help patient and doctor achieve their 
goals for lifelong and without any stresses. Here are few Homeopathic medicines for bulimia nervosa:
Argentum nit
Binging especially with chocolate, fixed ideas, impulsive behavior, anticipation, overriding impulses for certain foods, chocolate, salty foods, they will eat a whole box of chocolates until they get sick. 
Carcinosin
Obsessive compulsive disorder. Perfectionism, fear of becoming fat, fear of rejection. Etiology: abuse, grief or fears, often related to weight. This homeopathic remedy is helpful for people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Bulimia nervosa. They dread getting extremely fat and give in to their fears that are usually related to weight gain. They suffer from constant sleep deprivation and are compulsive workers.
Abies Canadensis or Pinus canadensis
Canine hunger…eat beyond capacity of digestion, Acidity with tachycardia, Gastritis.
Abrotanum
Irritable. Anxious. Cross mind. Blue rings under eyes. Best medicine for marasmus/weakness especially of lower extremities.
Bloody Hemorrhoids, Rheumatism with hemorrhoids. Undigested stools. Alternate diarrhea and constipation. Ascarides (worms). Umbilical oozing (pus). Indigestion and vomiting with very bad smell. Acne. Furuncles. Wrinkles. Skin purple. Skin flabby. Hair fall. Itching.
Aceticum Acidum
Ascarides (worms). Debility. Irritable. Worried about business etc. Nervous headaches of narcotics users. Stomach cancer. Jaundice. Salvation. Vomiting after any kind of food. Frequent watery stools. Duodenal ulcers. Stomach Cancer. Ascites, Anasarca. Bloody stools. Emaciation. Excessive catamenia (excessive menses). After labor bleeding. Nausea of pregnancy. Itching (due to liver). Furuncle. Pale (anemic). Burning dry skin.
Ammonium Carbonicum
Forgetful. Ill humored. Gloomy during stormy weather. Uncleanliness. Sad, weepy. Unreasonable. Noises and pain in abdomen. Flatulent Hernia. Constipation. Acidity, Great appetite. Weeping Piles, Protruding Piles. Rectal itching. Itching and blisters. Scarlet rash. Miliary rash. Malignant scarlatina. Eruptions. Eczema. Erysipelas. Urine frequent. Involuntary during night. Bladder tenesmus.
In women: Leucorrhea – burning, acidic, watery. Aversion to opposite sex (man). Menses – frequent, profuse, early, copious, clotted, black and colicky.
Causticum
Constipation. Fistula. Fistula dentals. Hemorrhoids. Emaciation (abnormally thin person/muscular atrophy). Hip disease. Myalgia (pain muscles).
Dulcamara
Cholera (dysentery). Diarrhea. Dropsy. Dysentery. Hemorrhage (bleeding). Hemorrhoids. Hay-fever. Crusta lactea (large size of dandruff ion scalp). Hemorrhage (bleeding). Herpes. Measles. Nettle-rash (itchy rash). Pemphigus (blistering of the skin and the inside of the mouth, nose, throat, eyes, and genitals). Emaciation (abnormally thin). Lumbago. Myalgia (muscular weakness). Myelitis.
Guaiacum
Constipation. Diarrhea. Pleurodynia. Stomach affections. Vomiting. Emaciation (abnormally 
thin/weak). Gout. Growing pains. Neuralgia (sever nervous pain). Osteoma Lacia. Amenorrhea. Dysmenorrhea. Membranous Dysmenorrhea. Ovaries inflammation.
Iodium
Appetite disordered. Constipation. Diarrhea. Hemorrhoids. Hiccough. Jaundice. Liver affections. Lymphatic swellings. Dropsy. Vomiting. Worms. Consumption (TB). Debility. Atrophy. Emaciation (abnormally very thin/weak). Joints affections. Mollities ossium (osteopenia).
Kali Bichromicum
Constipation. Duodenum ulcers. Dyspepsia. Gastric ulcer. Glanders. Intestines ulceration. Emaciation (abnormally thin/weak). Gout. Lumbago. Neuralgia. Climacteric flushes/Menopause. Pruritus vulvae or Sycoses.
Kali Iodatum
Liver diseases. Edema. Pancreatitis. Spleen. Bubo. Condylomas. Rupia. Emaciation. Rickets. Pott’s curvature.
Mercurious or Mercsolubus
Diarrhea. Dysentery. Dyspepsia. Jaundice. Liver affections/diseases. Bubo. Ecthyma or Deep impetigo (a skin infection). Eczema. Fissures. Herpes. Offensive body odor/smell. Perspiration/sweat abnormal. Emaciation. Joints affections/diseases. Lumbago/Spinal pan. Mollities ossium (spontaneous fractures – Osteopenia). Rheumatism. Rickets. Leucorrhea even in kids. Ovaries affections/diseases. Para metritis. Pregnancy affections. Balanitis.
Nux Moschata
Dyspepsia. Eructation. Flatulence (rectal gases). Hemorrhage (bleeding). Hiccough. Worms. Bloody perspiration. Chilblains. Freckles. Marasmus. Abortion. Dysmenia. Hemorrhage. Menopause. Menorrhagia. Menses suppressed. Metrorrhagia. Pelvis congestion/Pelvic congestion syndrome is a condition that causes chronic pelvic pain.
Oleum Jecoris Aselli
Alopecia. Amenorrhea. Anemia. Asthma. Bones, affections of. Bright’s disease. Diarrhea. Dwarfishness. Emaciation. Fistula. Goiter. Hair, abnormal growth. Liver, diseases.
Opium
Constipation. Diabetes. Cancer. Catalepsy. Dysmenia. Epilepsy. Marasmus. Uremia. Urine 
suppression/retention of. Uterus, inertia.
Phosphorus
Anemia, acute pernicious. Anus, fissure of. Antrum, disease. Breast, abscess of; fistulae. Cancer. Consumption. Dandruff. Diarrhea. Dropsy. Hysteria. Marasmus. Menorrhagia. Menstruation, symptoms before. Mollities ossium. Morphea. Pregnancy, vomiting. Progressive muscular atrophy. Pruritus ani. Psoriasis. Puerperal convulsions. Purpura. Spine, curvature of. Spleen, enlargement. Sterility. Tuberculosis. Tumors; erectile; polypoid; cancerous.
Phosphoric Acidicum
This homeopathic medicine people suffering from symptoms of eating disorder where people who are miserable with loss of hunger and tend to starve after which they get indifferent to all feelings and foods.
Plumbum Metallicum
Aneurysm. Anhidrosis. Appendicitis. Asthma. Atrophy. Depression. Dysmenorrhea. Dysuria. Emaciation. Epilepsy. Epulis. Eyes inflammation. Hemoptysis. Hemorrhoids. Headache. Hernia, strangulated. Hyperesthesia. Hypopyon. Ichthyosis. Intermittent fever. Intestines obstruction. Liver affections. Proctalgia. Progressive muscular atrophy. Prolapsus ani. Umbilicus abscess. Umbilical hernia. Uric-acidemia. Vagina spasm. Vaginismus.
Arsenicum Album
Some people are extremely cautious about germs and dirt. Their anorexia is combined with the fear of being poisoned. They dread that they will catch certain diseases, so they starve. Ars, short for an arsenic album, is the best homeopathic cure this kind of eating disorder
Tarentula Hispanica
Mania could be religious mania. Underneath you have a fear of being poisoned. Obsessiveness about weight, very restless and hyper energy people, they do everything fast – talk, move.
Thuja occidentalis
Fear of being impure, dirty blood, anxiety about health, obsessed with idea of have to clean themselves out.
Veratrum Album
Religious mania, loquacious, end of world is coming. Punish themselves, fast to appease god. Behind this you see guilt.
Hyoscyamus
Effective Homoeopathic medicine for anorexia eating disorder, in addition to craziness, madness, and the fear of being harmed, could give rise to neurotic desires, excessive worrying about one’s weight, and stressing over getting fat. All these can be treated with Hyos.
Ignatia Amara
The fear of getting to be distinctly fat, loss of control of feelings, and blacking out can all be treated with 
this homeopathic medicine. Bulimia nervosa. People suffering from these conditions are enormously dissatisfied and this is usually related to their weight. Perfectionism, fear of becoming fat, fear of rejection. Hysteria – loss of control of emotions, fainting. Etiology: grief or big disappointment, often related to weight.
Natrum Muriaticum
This is the most frequently used homeopathic cure for bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa (eating disorder). Fear of being rejected, harmed, and being exceptionally reluctant are certain traits of people who require this cure. This can also be the solution for dry lips, dry skin, and loss of appetite, which is caused by compulsive eating and the fear of getting fat. Feels a lot of guilt. Fear of being rejected, hurt easily. Very self-conscious of their weight.
Platina
This homeopathy remedy is useful for people who are obsessed with their appearance and fear getting fat.
Pulsatilla Pratensis
Fear of being abandoned and unloved. Fixed ideas about food, their weight, they gain and lose weight easily, eat and binge to console themselves, binges out of loneliness, or depression, then they get quilt and fear about it and then suppress it. Bulimia nervosa. Feeling of uselessness and depression, this is good medicine. They have a fear of gaining weight, and even if they eat a single biscuit, they fear they have gained weight.
Medorrhinum
Ups and down in the persons energy, very outgoing for 2 or 3 days than wiped out for several days and with that their diets fluctuate from good to binging. Bulimia nervosa also with alcohol and drugs.
Sepia
One of the best homeopathic medicines for eating disorders. People who have anorexia eating disorder, in addition to hormonal issues, queasiness, inability to smell, are usually suitable for this. They are disgusted by most of the foods and their hormones cause a lack of appetite.
Staphysagria
Binging out of quilt, depression. Poor confidence and worthlessness. It is out of self-denial, they don’t deserve that lemon meringue pie, so they suppress their desire for it, then binge on it. Feel upset all the time. Binge eating disorder (bulimia nervosa). They have a deep feeling of uselessness and depression and are even self-destructive.
P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).
For proper consultation and treatment, please visit our clinic.
None of above-mentioned medicine(s) is/are the full/complete treatment but just hints for treatment; every patient has his/her own constitutional medicine.
Dr. Sayyad Qaisar Ahmed (MD {Ukraine}, DHMS), Abdominal Surgeries, Oncological surgeries, Gastroenterologist, Specialist Homeopathic Medicines.
Senior research officer at Dnepropetrovsk state medical academy Ukraine.
Location: Al-Haytham clinic, Umer Farooq Chowk Risalpur Sadder (0923631023, 03119884588), K.P.K, Pakistan.
Find more about Dr Sayed Qaisar Ahmed at:
https://www.youtube.com/Dr Qaisar Ahmed