teeth and minimizing problems

[liriel]

Hi all.
It's a bit hard for me to formulate the questions I want to ask withought giving a brief history to explain so please bear with me.
i will be 26 this month,

Since feb. (when we were told my dad had lung cancer) I have had occasional incidents in which I would be sick after going out for dinner , but it was rare, limited to once a month maximum.
I have been "officially"  bulimic since july, when my dad passed away two weeks after my bf cheated on me after over a year toghether, as I began to be sick  often even when eating at home.

On average I would say I have fits 3 times a week. I'm 1.65m tall, weigh 53 kg (sorry i don't know what that is in feet and pounds) I have lost 5 kilos since july, I still have a pretty healthy weight and I'm quite happy with the way I look but I'm scared of putting the weight back on. I know what i'm doing is bad for me
I don't take laxatives, I only throw up.


I am trying to stop... I already know iIll be sick when I come home from the restaurant on my birthday, however my goal is to quit by the end of september (thus having been bulimic for 3 months)  and I'm coming up with small ways to keep myself away from my bathroom, like teking the pill after dinner so I can't throw up because then I would lose the pill too.

my mother knows but has her own sorrow to deal with,

ok now here are the questions (thanks for listening)

1. I am REALLy concerned about my teeth, I don't want them to rot.
Up till now I have always passed some tissue paper over my teeth between moments to keep the acid off and then brushed my teeth after each session, but have recently read that this makes matters worse! Is this true?
How can I tell if there has been any damage?
What can I do to limit the damage, to keep the enamel safe?
Is there anything I can put on my teeth to strengthen it? any medicine or something?
Is it true that once the enamel is gone it can NEVER be restored?

thank you so much for your time and advice

[faer]

hello
I've bulimic/anorexic for 18 years. This month I'm beginning the $30,000 process of getting veneers/crowns on every tooth. My teeth have literally dissolved from the acid in the vomit. Don't make this mistake. It's not hype or exaggeration when drs or dentists say you'll destroy your teeth. I thought it would never happen, and now I'm trying to find a way to afford the dental work that will prevent me from losing teeth and literally being toothless.

[liriel]

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it

I have now begun using antiacids and the soda (thanks again) plus a mouthwash to help strengthen the enamel.
if anyone was curious yes, it is really bad to brush immediately after as it makes the enamel weaken faster.

Soon I'll see my dentist and ask if there is anything else to do, however
I do not think I will go to a psychologist as I already know I have to stop and am basically killing myself ver very slowly.


I was doing quite well but  my mother has taken (once again) to bringing home stuff like chocolates, cakes, whipped cream,peanut butter and basically loads of stuff that isn't healthy.
She was anorexic when my age, so I think she needs yummy stuff to help her eat sometimes, pity it doesn't help when she drops by with all the tempting, really fattening stuff i don't buy at the supermarket to help me feel happy with what I eat!!! lol
I must say that she also comes by with a nice minestrone or loads of fruit so she does try to help.

I am cutting back (no more than one meal, never two days in a row) and am counting on passing to only dinners out or when with guests as they would wonderr why I'm not eating pizza with them, and then finally just order healthy stuff and stop altoghether. that should do it, I hope.

Also I have reached my "stop weight" i.e the weight under which I refuse to go (113.3 lbs) as i know any lower becomes borderline unhealthy and if I see myself fat on a bad morning but have that weight then I know it's all in my head and so I get on with it.

I'm sorry if I go on like this but I prefer not to burden my friends with this as they would not really undertand and I think maybe my short experience might help others with similar questions,

On that note here is what is my advice (if I say anything stupid I'm sorry, this works for me but might be wrong)

1. for teeth use antiacids, water and soda and mouthwash immediately to stop acid. Brush teeth only after a while, like 30 mins so mouthwash has effect

2. Find a minimum weight. If you go below your minimum (ask doctor to get the right number) do not allow yourself to lose anymore. You need some fat in you to live. No point being pretty but dead.

3. BIG DISCOVERY FOR ME a great way to stop the binge urge for me is honey! i think  it really helps silence the hunger. A teaspoon of acacia and I am no longer pining for food.
It's really healthy, burns in seconds, it doesn't make you get fat as the sugar burns so fast, it's natural,  so it's safe to eat and guikt free!
If you really want to much you can put honey on a ricecake, no fat there, and you get the munchy pleasure of a binge withought the guilt

4 don't let this rule your life,
the more you think about it the more power you give to it.
if you start feeling like having a binge or purging, then go out with friends or just go OUT somewhere where you can't be sick so you can't eat.
If you resist long enough the urge to binge passes, I promise.
Just make yourself busy or stay out of the house or any bathroom.

5. if you're thinking of starting, just don't It's harder to stop than you think.

Ok sorry for the rant, I get a bit talkative lol

[Patricia Pitts, PhD]

Dear Liriel,

I’m sorry to hear about your father’s passing.  His death is understandably creating much sorrow and grief for you and your mother.   Losses can often trigger eating disorders.  Your binge purging behavior is your way of managing your pain.  I encourage you to get some professional help to process your grief and address your bulimia.

The good news for your teeth is that you have not been binge purging for a long period.  The best thing you can do to stop enamel erosion is to cease the binge purging behavior.  If you do binge purge, baking soda in your mouth will help neutralize the acid.  I would ask a dentist about whether enamel can ever be restored.

For more information on bulimia, visit our website.


Dr. Pitts

Patricia Pitts, PhD
The Bella Vita
Los Angeles, California