VOMITING INDUCED BY STRESS

[LJ111]

MY BOYFRIEND HAS JUST CONFESSED THAT HE THROWS UP 2-4 TIMES A WEEK, IN THE MORNINGS, AS PART OF HIS MORNING RITUAL. HE SAYS HE WAKES UP IN THE MORNING VERY DISORIENTED AND VOMITING HELPS CLEARS HIS HEAD. HE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE AND SUFFERS FROM ULCERS, NOSEBLEEDS, TOOTH & ENAMEL DECAY, BLOOD IN HIS VOMIT AND URINE. HE SAYS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS WEIGHT AND IS NOT AN EATING DISORDER BUT FEELS ITS MORE RELATED TO STRESS & ANXIETY & LOW SELF ESTEEM. HE'S BEEN TO DOCTORS & THEY SUSPECTED AN EATING DISORDER.

HE HAS TERRIBLE EATING HABITS, HAS A VERY NORMAL AND HEALTHY EXERCISE ROUTINE...SO I AM DOING RESEARCH AND NOTHING SEEMS TO DESCRIBE HIS SITUATION. HE DOES NOT HAVE INSURANCE SO THERAPY IS UNLIKELY. HOW CAN I HELP HIM AND HIS SITUATION. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?

[Carol A]

Insurance or not, it sounds like your boyfriend needs urgent medical attention! You might try calling around to doctors to gastroenterologists to see if they can offer him a sliding scale of payment.  I suggest you tell them all of the symptoms you've described above.

Carol

[johnasse]

hi, if he has blood in his vomit and urine, he needs to go to doctor PRONTO!!!!! That is not normal..good luck

[Estabel]

Actually my little brother suffered from something just like this. He excersised regularly but threw up almost everyday. Eventually it got so bad that he had to go to a recovery center for people with eating disorders. While he was not really throwing up because of a weight issue the eating disorder clinic seemed to help. My brother would also tell me that he would throw up because it would enable him not to worry about anything, so it seems it is definetly a coping mechanism. I don't want to scare you but my brother's electrolytes were really low when he finally got sent to get treatment and I guess throwing up can cause electrolyte imbalance which is dangerous. I think you should definelty bombard your friend with concern and get help immediately. What he is doind is very dangerous for his health now and in the future. Hope this helps. Best

[leerabbit]

hi.  i have had the same phenomenon, pretty much all my life.  many mornings (more often than not), i vomit during my morning routine, usually when brushing my teeth. usually there is just yellow bile, but the occasional  bit of blood will come up sometimes with it.  i am guessing this is esophogeal erosion...from the acid coming up.  i am a 33yo female.  i've been doing this since my teens.  i feel it is definitely stress related, mainly b/c when it happens more frequently when i am under excess stress.  i do not have an eating disorder.  also, i am a nurse.
i think that since your bf doesn't have insurance, and since he believes it is stress related, he needs to find an alternate stress relieving method.  i've seen many many many doctors in my life.  gastro docs, and psych docs etc for this..  i don't have the tooth decay or the stool in my blood, but i understand completely.
have you considered yoga? maybe as part of his morning routine.  it sounds as though he does not think its a big issue.
i can tell you, i haven't had much luck with the doctors. but if has blood in his stool, he could use a stool sample.  btw-is is dark red or bright red (like fresh blood)?  dark is worse.

[mannie17]

I have been dealing with this since I was in sixth grade and I'm 27 now. I don't have the blood problem though but sometimes I feel i can pass out it gets so bad. Does anyone know what this is? It has gotten to the point that I cringe at the thought of brushing my teeth. I have told my doctors and my shrinks and all they say is for me to meditate and breath. i meditate a lot but it always seems like it is too late or not enough. Sometimes I have to run to the bathroom. Someone, please give me some answers!

[nwill]

I have a counselor friend of mine.  She is in recover from co-dependency and belemia.  She tells me that the belemia was a result of the codependency, stress, and depression.  She suffered through this for years before recovery.  She practices the 12 step program. She is very successful now and is an abuse counselor.  The best advice that i can give is to be there for you boyfriend and listen.  There is probably an underlying problem that is leading to the vomiting.  Maybe something in his past or it could even be somethin happening currently in his life.  I am a recovering alcoholic and addict, and the root of my abuse went so much farther than just the alcohol.  I wish you both the best of luck and if I can help in anyway just give me a shout.

[crazycarla]

Hey I have been doing some research and I have had the same thing for ever now.. I am diabetic.. and my endocrinologist has suggested this to me.  Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, Just google it.. there is lots of info.

[jessiska87]

I just came out about this problem to my boyfriend. I suffer from major anxiety and it seems to me that vomiting is the only way i can control it, even if just for a short time. it definitely is worse if life is a bit stressful, lately iv been throwing up at least twice daily. im only 21years old and i can feel it in my throat that im doing damage to my esophagus and that entire area. I dont believe it an eating disorder either, it has nothing to do with weight, it about having that control over feeling such terrible anxiety.i honestly dont know what to, i know i should get help but i dont think anything can be done for me and therefore am not entirely ready to stop.
im a bit of a mess these days.

[Stopstressing]

I am 50 years old and have had the same problem since I was 17 years old. I am very aware that my vomiting is stressed induced. About 12 years ago I was in a very stressful time in my job and during that time for about an entire year I was throwing up multiple times daily. I had terrible sleeps as I am a problem solver by nature and have tendencies to continue to search my mind for solutions even in my sleep. I grind my teeth heavily at night and get out of bed most mornings entirely exhausted. Puking in the morning as part of the regular routine was common during stressful times for me. When it gets really bad I would also throw up lunch if I ate and the only time I could keep food down is if I smoked weed before supper so I could eat and not puke. I know it is stress related because I went to the doctor and ended up leaving my job on a stress leave at the time. The puking went away very shortly after and I ended up leaving that job. The puking was no longer happening after that unless I am faced with very stressful situations again. Do whatever you have to to reduce stress in your life. No job and no relationship is worth keeping when your body is telling you that these things are literally killing you