Edema

Mental Health Eating Disorders & Body Dysmorphia
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Last night, I ate a bit of dinner at my boyfriend's house. Not even a lot at all, but it was mostly carbs. It ripped up my insides, and flipped my stomach inside out (a bit of an exaggeration, but it was bad!). I was cramping before I knew it and asking digging for TUMS in my purse. I've been noticing lately that eating is making my stomach cramp & bloat really bad. When I got in last night, my stomach was so decended, that I stood in my bathroom and took two pictures on my phone. One side few of the bloat, and one frontal view. It looked a massive basketball, I've never seen me that big before. I sent both of them to my boyfriend just to show him how bad it was. This is not any distorted body image either, even he was like "omg, yeah I see what you're saying...".

Today it's not any better. I went to Panera Bread and had a bowl of black bean soup, and whole grain bread...taaa dumm... but... made it even worse :( :(

Does anyone experience extereme discomfort like this? I looked it up online this morning and found this...

"If a person has a pulse rate of 60 or less or her blood pressure is under 100/60, or even 110/70, if her hands are cold, and she has slowed reflexes, these are all pretty good signs that she will retain fluid as she begins to eat more, particularly if she eats more carbohydrates. With increased carbohydrates, the body is forced to produce more insulin, which causes the kidneys to retain salt and water. It also increases the permeability, or "leakiness," of the capillaries. Patients will still have low blood pressure when they sit or stand. The heart pumps harder because it is pushing more fluid out, too."

My pulse is under 60, and my blood pressure is pretty well under those levels. But, I don't understand what any of that has to do with retaining fluids. Yes I'm cold too, but that has to do with Edema.. how?? Does anyone know why this happens? I re-fed in treatment, and had a bit of bloat but nothing to this extent. BUT also, I'm lighter now that I was when I re-fed last time.. so maybe it's just worse now because I'm worse?

Help? Ideas to make it go away?

Get me out of my misery.

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It sounds weird, but drinking water gets rid of bloat

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I have been! Drank so much today. I thought about diuretics, but I just got over a habit of taking them about 4 months ago.. so I don't want to try them again. It's just an excuse to take them.

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Kristin…This is a complex process, but when your body has been starving, and you are dehydrated, your blood pressure and pulse will respond in various ways. When you begin to feed your body again, you may retain fluids for a few reasons, one being that your system has not been operating normally for a while due to lack of food/drink. So it has to adjust, and it may take a little time. You may retain fluids as a way to rehydrate your cells, etc. Your body may need to re-learn how to take care of itself. You may need to be monitored by a doctor during this time of re-feeding…in fact you should be! This will be uncomfortable for a while, but you must continue to eat and drink normally, and trust that your body will normalize. Take care…Jan :heart:

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hey kristiin, i used to have that exteme 'pregnant' bloating too, it's so **** painful and nothing seems to relieve it. i think partly it was IBS for me (which i treated with acidophilus), but the other bit was that my fat intake was basically non-existent. i'm pretty sure that some healthy fats may help you. avocado, a few nuts, a bit of olive oil etc. i know it's scary but i can say from experience (i used to aim for bodybuilding) that those fats don't make you fat, if anything it helps you lose it.
if you can, try it and let me know how you get on.
xx

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i have eaten so much i get that pregnant look too. it sounds like you might binge eat, because i do the same things. try to enjoy all the foods you love, but in less amounts. that way you are eating healthily but still in moderation.
best of luck and we will always be here for you

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Don’t necessarily take this as a cue that you’re bingeing! Restricting will do the same thing to you; once you start getting that little bit of food back into your system, it freaks out. Happens to me all the time… :-/

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This happens to me too whenever I have a "normal" sized meal. ED definitely tells me I'm a fat, worthless pig when my stomach gets that distended- but I know it's only because my body isn't used to normal amounts of food. It can definitely happen even if you're not binging, so don't let ED tell you that!

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This happens to me too... it is an awful feeling I feel like im too fat to wear any of mu shirts... I get cramping pains from almost anything I eat, not quite sure why. I do retain fluid horribly though, so i've really tried to cut out anything salty...

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i thought about this post this morning and remembered: look at all the starving kids in africa with their extended tummies!!!! belly doesn't always mean fat, it can mean severely under nourished. please all, try some healthy fats, as hard as it is but fats and fluids really do help your digestion.
i'm sure we all know that our diets are unhealthy and that we'll have some issues through them, so we gotta take it in small steps (like everything else) and start somewhere. you gotta decide what suits you best and what you can manage: if more regular eating, even if it's just noe piece of something at a time, or trying out new food groups, there is loads of options to begin working on our eating habits.
and this here is the perfect place to share all thefears and experiences that come with it :-)

all have a lovely day!
xxx
maedi

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I don't think kristin binged at all...I don't know all of her eating habits, just what she shares but she does eat from what she says. Granted smaller portions as I'm sure we all do. Carb overload probably did it.

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Everyone, like Gina said.. I didn't binge eat at all. I ate about 1/3 of a bowl of pasta.. not even a full serving size! Then a few sips of hot chocolate.

Madei, I'm not ready to go out of my way to start eating fats, even if they are healthy. Which I know all of those you said, are good for you. I've been stuck on the same foods, and same rut forever. I'm just not there yet, but thank you!

Everyone else, thank you for your input and advice. It does make me feel horrible and like I'm gaining fat. I'm trying to remember it's not, and trying to not focus on it.

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hey kristin,

I have had similar discomfort before. LIke you push yourself to eat something, and then you get wrenching stomach aches. I try to sip some milk either as a meal, or just before a meal to get something good in my system, it really works, but it might take a few trys.

goodluck sweetie! Keep posting

-erin

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Thanks Erin :)

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kristin, please dont listen to that girl who said you binge eat. i think you know deep in your heart it isnt true... you do not at all. i dont think that girl knows your situation. which wasnt right for her to assume but.. you know you dont binge eat. what you ate was way less than a normal amount.

kristin--i can totally relate--i have IBS. the medical condition from HELL that makes you look pregnant all the time! ughhhh! it wrecks havoc on my body image like craazzy. like OMG im fat--no its not me its my bloating. eventually i tell myself it is not my fault i have this condition as it is a medical condition. it is the only symptom though that really doesnt have a cure or help for . sigh. oh well , what can you do. i get embarrassed by this but it isnt my fault. i tell this over and over to myself it isnt my fault. it is a medical condition.right now kristin my bloating is sooo bad----i feel as if my stomach will burst at any given second. like i am going to deliver a child any moment! (i see my doctor tomorrow thankfully.) LOL! yeah i make jokes about it---it is the only way to deal. the body works im myseterious ways and we might not understand it all---but your body works in miraculous yet sometimes unplaesant ways...

what YOU are going through is different though than my issue and WILL heal with time. for sure. it might take a couple months but will happen. after you have starved so much your body is severly hurt by this and does not understand you are giving it food. it takes time to readjust. it will pass. im sure even though you are bloating ---your body is really happy! in a way it is saying thank you. i know it doesnt look like it--but im sure your body appreciate some food --for sure..

keep up the great work and this too will pass...

love
maureen

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Maureen, is your IBS ED related at all? Do they give you any medication for it?

I like your way of looking at it thinking “my body is really happy, it’s saying thank you.” I’m going to try to think that next time I bloat again. Thanks girl <3

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How's the bloat today Kristin? I have massive fuckin bloat..no word of a lie my belly is hanging over my fuckin pants and i didnt eat anything that i normally dont...ugh wtf.

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It was bad yesterday again, but I woke up this morning and it’s gone! I’m not sure why it went away though, so I can’t give you any advise to get rid of yours :frowning: Mine took a few days though, so maybe yours will go away soon. I did read somewhere to drink a ton of water to flush it out. I hope you feel better today!

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hey gina and kristiin, really do hope you're feelin better soon. this bloat is a pain (literally) and it's one more thing that might make you think that not eating is actually better. but don't listen to that, keep trying those healthy foods, bit by bit, your body will adjust to it, i promise.

thinking bout you!

love
maedi

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You’re 100% right Maedi. I’m just not at a place of recovery right now. It just really hard for me to eat, and it’s even harder for me to imagine not coping with my ED.