Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Laxatives are helpful when used occasionally to alleviate constipation. But excessive laxative use is harmful and often a sign of an eating disorder. (1) It has serious health consequences and can lead to an overdose. Knowing how to recognize the signs of a laxative overdose can prevent potentially fatal consequences.
Laxatives can be used to relieve constipation when natural methods–such as eating enough fiber, drinking enough water, and engaging in physical activity–don’t work. Those who struggle with an eating disorder often abuse laxatives, because they think laxatives will help them lose weight or avoid gaining weight by pushing food through the digestive system quickly before calories are absorbed. But this isn’t true. Laxatives remove food waste, water, and valuable minerals, electrolytes, and indigestible fiber from the colon. (1,2)
Using laxatives excessively is called laxative abuse, which has many dangerous effects on health and can lead to an overdose.
Abusing laxatives has very serious health consequences. (2) The most serious side effects are dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. These, in turn, result in many damaging health complications.
Specific signs and symptoms that occur when each electrolyte is depleted, have been outlined below. Please note that small drops or changes in these electrolytes will not necessarily result in these symptoms.
Laxatives are not supposed to be physiologically or psychologically addicting. But chronic laxative use is often seen as a drug addiction, because people who have eating disorders often resist treatment when bloating occurs and constipation gets worse as a normal part of the treatment and healing process. (6) Because intestines lose muscle and nerve response with repeated laxative use, they dilate and can’t move stool out. As a result, even more laxatives are needed to expel waste. And this laxative abuse can lead to a laxative overdose.
Using too many of any of these laxatives can cause an overdose: (7)
Abdominal cramps and pain, and alternating constipation, diarrhea, and gas are common complications of using too many laxatives over long periods of time. These signs can also indicate an overdose of laxatives, as well as nausea, vomiting, and drop in blood pressure. (7)
An overdose of laxatives can have dire, sometimes even fatal, consequences. When an overdose of laxatives occurs:
The best way to prevent a laxative overdose is to avoid getting constipated and not take laxatives at all. Following these tips to keep your digestive system functioning properly can help:
But this is not so simple when an eating disorder is involved. While there are many reasons someone may overdose on laxatives, one of the most common reasons is because they have an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN).
Eating disorders are very serious, complex mental health disorders that require highly specialized treatment beyond treating a laxative overdose. They do not go away on their own.
So it’s important to get help as soon as possible. While reaching out for help is often the hardest part, it’s the first step toward a full recovery. And it can start with a phone call.
Disclaimer about "overeating": Within Health hesitatingly uses the word "overeating" because it is the term currently associated with this condition in society, however, we believe it inherently overlooks the various psychological aspects of this condition which are often interconnected with internalized diet culture, and a restrictive mindset about food. For the remainder of this piece, we will therefore be putting "overeating" in quotations to recognize that the diagnosis itself pathologizes behavior that is potentially hardwired and adaptive to a restrictive mindset.
Disclaimer about weight loss drugs: Within does not endorse the use of any weight loss drug or behavior and seeks to provide education on the insidious nature of diet culture. We understand the complex nature of disordered eating and eating disorders and strongly encourage anyone engaging in these behaviors to reach out for help as soon as possible. No statement should be taken as healthcare advice. All healthcare decisions should be made with your individual healthcare provider.
