Dr Pitts, does the type of purging create chip mucn cheeks?

You are a welcome source of kindness and support to us struugling with these horrific disorders.  
Thankyou for lending your experties!

I purge by way of tensing my stomach and regurgitating food.  I don't have large cheeks now only sometimes but Im affraid during recovery they will swell up and not go down!  Only  year ago have I been able to switch to this rather than using my toothbrush to purge.  

Please, Im terrified.  I purge 3-4 time day and my eyes used to get swollen and my cheeks but now they are okay since I purge differently.

I am terrified of my recovery!  What should I do!

Love Marlane

[Patricia Pitts, PhD]

Dear Marlane,

Thank you for your kind words.  It’s my pleasure to support you and others struggling with eating disorders.  They are such debilitating disorders.

I find your theory of purging differently ceases swollen glands interesting.  What I have heard causes swollen glands is food getting caught in the ducts or glands being irritated from stomach acids pushing the food back up.  Vomiting differently would not seem to explain such a change.  Perhaps your glands adjusted to the stomach acid and no longer needed to swell.  The body has a way to adjust to even negative changes in a functional way.

Purging 3-4 times per day with or without swollen glands is quick to damage your body.  Purging is never a good thing.  I would encourage you to seek treatment.  Initially seeking treatment can be terrifying.  However, as you learn to let go of the purging and learn effective coping a whole new world will open to you.  It is well worth the journey!  

Visit our website at www.thebellavita.com to learn more about treatment options.  To find eating disorder specialists in your area go to www.edreferral.com or www.somethingfishy.com.

Best,

Dr. Patricia Pitts
The Bella Vita
Los Angeles, CA