Anorexia and Bulimia (ARFID) - Medtick

Anorexia and Bulimia (ARFID)

What is it?

Anorexia

  • An eating disorder condition where one has a fear of putting on weight even though they may be underweight.

Bulimia

  • A condition where one has periods of  eating a lot of food in a very short amount of time (binge eating) and then make themselves sick, use laxatives (medication to help them  to excrete faeces) or do excessive exercise, or a combination of these, to try to stop themselves gaining weight (they are normally of good weight).
Anorexia and/or Bulimia isn’t really about food. It’s an extremely unhealthy and sometimes life-threatening way to try to cope with emotional problems.

Diagnosis test

Cause

  • Unknown
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Bipolar mood disorder
  • Modern Western culture emphasizes thinness:
    • Success and worth are often equated with being thin.
    • Peer pressure may help fuel the desire to be thin.
  • Dieting and starvation
  • Major event : Bereavement, relationships, New home, New Job, New school.
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Emotional and behavioural signs and symptoms may include:
  • Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
  • Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
  • Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
  • Eating only a few certain “safe” foods, usually those low in fat and calories
  • Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing
  • Not wanting to eat in public
  • Lying about how much food has been eaten
  • Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
  • Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
  • Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat
  • Covering up in layers of clothing
  • Flat mood (lack of emotion)
  • Social withdrawal:
    • Irritability
    • Insomnia
    • Reduced interest in sex
  • Testicle cancer
  • Chromosome 13, Partial Monosomy 13q

Medication

  • Antiretroviral drugs i.e. Abacavir
  • Anti-psychotics i.e. Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
  • Acne medication i.e. Isotretinoin
  • Antidepressants i.e. Fluoxetine
  • Levothyroxine
  • Hormonal:
    • Contraceptives tablets
    • Oestrogen supplemnts
    • HRT

Syndromes

Medication (overuse):

Content from Mayo Clinic

Vitamins Herbals and minerals

Symptoms

  • Severely restrict the amount of food they eat?
  • Eat binge and feel less guilty?
  • Loose weight by exercising too much/struggle to put weight on?
  • Weight loss?
  • Balance and dizziness problems?
  • General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
  • Abdominal pain and/or are constant violently vomiting or vomiting longer than two days (one day if a child)?
  • Bad breath?
  • Sore throat longer than seven days or more?
  • Swollen lymph glands and/or reoccurring mouth ulcers?
  • Hair loss and thinning?
  • Lifeless hair?
  • Constipation?
  • Dry skin?
  • Yellowing skin?
  • Feeling cold/ cold skin?
  • Heart palpitations/irregular heartbeats?
  • Low blood pressure?
  • Dehydrated?
  • Swollen ankles?
  • Swollen arms and wrists?
  • Wearing down of teeth/Eroded teeth and calluses on the knuckles from induced vomiting?
  • Loss interest of sex and/or low sex drive?
  • Loss of muscle?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Difficulty sleeping and/or lack of sleep?
  • irritated , anxiety, depressed?
  • Low mood and depression?

Female only:

  • Irregular periods and/or less frequent and/or no period?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

Do not wait, phone for ambulance if have or develop:


This condition can lead to:


Driving Authority


This condition may be associated and/or similar and/or confused with:

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

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  • NHS

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  • Cleveland Clinic

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