Night sweats, menstrual issues, related to anorexia?
Hello everyone,
I googled "anorexia forum" and came upon this website. I have a couple of questions for anyone that might be suffering from this disease.
A tiny bit of background info on myself: I'm not sure how I became anorexic, but the pattern probably began six months ago. Since then, I've <lost weight>. I wasn't overweight before this.
I'm just now beginning to feel the repercussions of this nightmare. My energy level is shot, my skin and hair is dry, my eyes are sunken and ringed.
My two questions, now. First, does anyone know whether anorexia can cause night sweats and chills? Five or ten minutes after laying down for sleep, I'm covered from the neck down in a cold sweat and feel horribly cold and ferociously hot all at once. Getting up resolves the issue instantly, but it will return the second I lay back down. Interestingly, daytime napping does not induce the same problem. I now dread bedtime, which kind of sucks, since its the only enjoyable thing I have left (my husband and cats notwithstanding of course). This has been happening for a week now. Is there something I can do to help this? Drink a gallon of gatorade before bed?
Also, I've heard of anorexia knocking out your period altogether, but I seem to have the opposite problem. My period lasts ten to twelve days now and is terribly heavy, and will return again in two weeks. That has been going on for about three months.
On a side note, I'm going to see a doctor for the first time tomorrow to address this anorexia issue, and hopefully my other behavioral issues as well. I do plan on telling him everything, but I still wanted to ask here as well. Thanks in advance.
Last edited by mod-anon; 02-25-2010 at 09:14 PM.
Reason: edited triggering words
Re: Night sweats, menstrual issues, related to anorexia?
Hi,
Yes, I think the night sweats are caused by anorexia. I started to get them at night a couple of days after I started to refeed. I talk about it more here:
During the days (after eating breakfast and lunch) I would get ice cold and my nails would turn purple.
All this caused me to lose weight, I didn't get dehyrated but I felt so tired and I was on bed rest for a couple of months. I tried to check those websites about eating disorder symptoms and night sweats or cold chills weren't on there specifically. It just says temperature sensitivity!
I am sorry but I can't be of much help with the period situation..but I am so glad to hear that you're going to tell the doc! Please keep posting with your progress.
Re: Night sweats, menstrual issues, related to anorexia?
Quote:
Originally Posted by aileb
I tried to check those websites about eating disorder symptoms and night sweats or cold chills weren't on there specifically. It just says temperature sensitivity!
Yeah, I'm kind of surprised as well that it goes unmentioned on major websites; and yeah, it only ever mentions sensitivity to cold (btw...check!)
I've spent my entire day looking this stuff up, read hundreds of stories and even accidentally stumbled upon a PRO-anorexic site (I cried when I went through some of those threads and my heart broke for its 200+ members who are *so proud* to be dying). I'm terrified to end up like so many of us have; I've been through drug addiction and abuse and its enough. Its enough. Its enough. But heh...in some sick, sad way...I don't want to stop. Have to stop. Don't want to. Oh God. I'm tired.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, I will indeed be around here.
Re: Night sweats, menstrual issues, related to anorexia?
Hi Zendora,
Everyone experiences this disease in a different way. There is a huge movement to change the diagnostic criteria for anorexia and bulimia for this exact reason. Not everyone experiencing anorexia loses their period; I for one did not but I met all other criteria. I had an extreme sensitivity to cold and like you was fatigued. Yes night sweats and insomnia are very much a part of anorexia. After years of anorexia and bulimia the body experiences brittle bones and damaged joints, vitamin deficiency and many other repercussions.
I’m really glad that you’re going to talk to your doctor but don’t be surprised if they don’t say that you don’t appear to be anorexic. Even those in the medical field view anorexics as extremely underweight figures. There is much more to anorexia than the extreme. It might be beneficial for you to seek a dietician that has experience with eating disorders.
It sounds to me like this is a relatively new experience for you. I implore you to seek help now before you find yourself in a place where there is no joy. It appears that you find love in your relationship with your husband. If you stay in the vortex of the disease of anorexia you will only find misery and lose the ability to differentiate between the power of the disease and love of life. You must live life! Love yourself and your husband. Lives are lost to this disease. I lost one of the girls I was in treatment with because of the dreadful disease. Live life.
