Why does my body make me defecate right after eating?!

[Jess940]

I've always fluxed between not eating and then eating a lot. The odd thing? I don't gain weight. As a 16 year old girl, the idea of being 95 pounds would freak people out, but my doctor says because of my height it's not a problem (I'm a little shrimp of 4.9").

I used to have an ulcer, which made it very, very hard for me and eating. I would have to eat constantly so I could not be in pain (yes, I also took Prevaid, too). It got to the point where I was eating enough so I didn't even notice my tummy anymore, and I was deemed healthy again.

So I decided to do the 19 day fast for the first time (religious reasons). It hurt, but then I got used to not eating. Some days I would even bother getting up in the morning to eat (it was a 12 hour fast for 19 days) because I was too sleepy.

After the fast, I couldn't get my body to eat. I just ... had a hard time eating. Every time I was hungry, I would shut the feeling down (like I did in the fast). It's now at the point where I can not eat for the entire day, grab literally two bits for dinner and ... LEAVE. I won't do it on purpose, but my stomahc will be so hungry that ... well, it hurts to eat. And then in a couple of days I'll stuff my face and eat a lot so the feeling won't get worse. But it'll never be enough. No matter how much I eat, I'm always hungry.  Actually, lots of people joke around about my "bottomless pit" because of how TINY I am!  

Now I've begun to attempt to eat normally, and, well, this may sounds gross, but five minutes after a meal my body makes me defecate. And I'm still hungry! My weight hasn't changed a BIT (still 95). Now the time between eating and defecating is longer, but it feels as if my body is sabotaging my attempts at not being hungry!

[martinsbride]

I've struggled with eating disorders since I was 14, and what you describe in the last bit is what I go through periodically.  It'll start without warning, and it'll last sometimes a week, sometimes six weeks.  I wasn't losing weight with it, which had my docs confused, but it was happening every time I ate.  They never did figure out what was wrong, and I moved and don't care to start over with all of the tests.  I hope your doctor can figure it out.  Just before I moved my doctor mentioned I might have had Crohn's Disease, but we never got the tests ordered, and once I moved, there wasn't a way to get it done.

[joeylo]

me too. i can't keep anything down for long. then it comes right up again. how will this happening repeatedly effect my teeth? is there anything i can do to prevent this effect? does anyone have any idea why this might be happening to me?

i struggled with anorexia throughout my teens, and in my early 20s i recovered (that makes it sound easy!!! - it WASN'T). but i'm into my 30s now and all of a sudden... well no, i think this has crept up on me over the last year or so, my body seems to think i want to be a bulimic!

the thought of food makes me want to vomit. when i eat, i enjoy it as ever. but all too soon i begin to feel nauseous, and inevitably, it returns to see me again. i've so far managed to convince friends, family, colleagues that i've had a succession of 'tummy bugs'. but that's not it.

i've actually been searching for sites where anorexics and bulimics give each other advice as i'm worried about the effect this will have on my teeth... what else might be affected?

please i know the doctors is the place to go!!!! - i will.

am looking for anecdotal experience to relate to please, besides the docs are pretty **** - so far it's been diagnosed as 'just stress'....
- funny, i don't feel stressed!

[Patricia Pitts, PhD]

Dear Jesse940,

As I’m not a medical doctor, your question is not in my scope of practice.  It does sound like your body has been through a lot.  It would be wise to be checked out by your primary care physician or a gastrointestinal specialist.

For information on eating disorders visit the bella vita website.

Best,

Dr Patricia Pitts
The Bella Vita
Los Angeles, CA