can bulimia cause rib fracture?

[missnicolecherie]

hi. im eighteen years old and ive been bulimic since march? and i didnt have much problem until about a week ago. i mean, being bulimic itself is bad enough but since last week ive been having a sharp pain around my right chest area? like almost on the side, around the bottom of my right breast and i cant think of anything else that couldve caused it. i was sick for about a month and i was coughing a LOT but i got a lot better about a week ago. that could be it tho.. but ive also been purging a lot lately.. it randomly hurts. especially when i was laying on my stomach, it hurt like a motherrrr every time i tried to move a little. i dont smoke anything but i drink about every 2 weeks. im scared to go to a hospital because im scared that my mom would find out about my bulimia.. i know its really bad and i need to stop and i will. but my question is, could this pain be caused by my bulimia? could it be a rib fracture?(also because i knew a friend who got a rib fracture from coughing a lot when she had bronchitis) thank you!

[jkjess08]

well not eating causes a lack of nutrition to every part of your body...even your bones...without the proper calcium intake they can become brittle...that on top of that you got really sick so its probably a fractured rib...but i agree with skweeny...thats the least of your problems...it might scare you to tell your mom but the sooner the better....the sooner you can get help the better.

[skweeny]

Hi - I'm sorry you're in so much pain. The only treatment for a fractured rib is rest and pain med.s so it doesn't really make a difference if your rib is fractured or not.

Your bigger problem is your binging and purging and your long coughing illness. It sounds like you know that... so when you're ready to get help I hope you will :-) so you can live a long healthy and happy life! I'm happy to share ideas if you want...

For now I would try to get some pain med.s... just go to your family doctor and explain about your long coughing illness and your rib pain.  He/she will probably send you for a chest x-ray and perscribe pain med.s. They won't know that you are bulimic unless you tell them.

Feel better  :-)