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Battling Eating Disorders, Frequent Lowering Of Potassium Levels, Get Severe Chest Pains On The Right Side. Related?
Hi there, im 24 years old and I been battling with both eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia for 8 and half years and although these past 8 months I ve been rushed into hospital every other week with dangerously low potassium (I usually collapse first and go into some fit where all my muscles are tightening and causing severe pain) but lately I ve started to get real bad pains in my chest with it to but on my right side, do you think its linked? And my potassium usually drops to about 2.1 before I get rushed in, I know this is dangerous but how low do you think my potassium level needs to go before my heart just fails? Im scared but at the same time I need to know. Thank you
Mon, 26 Aug 2013
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
I am a bit confused by the diagnosis stated by you. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia cannot go together. Anorexia means no appetite whereas bulimia means forceful eating and purging. Repeated vomiting can induce low potassium as it is lost with the vomitus. If vomiting is not the cause of low potassium then a thorough clinical and investigative workup is required to know the cause of low potassium level. In the interim you should take plenty of fresh fruit juice and/or banana to increase your potassium level.
I hope I have answered your query to your satisfaction.
Wishing you an early recovery.
Regards,
Rajiv K Khandelwal
http://goo.gl/SuCjl
Thank you for your query.
I am a bit confused by the diagnosis stated by you. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia cannot go together. Anorexia means no appetite whereas bulimia means forceful eating and purging. Repeated vomiting can induce low potassium as it is lost with the vomitus. If vomiting is not the cause of low potassium then a thorough clinical and investigative workup is required to know the cause of low potassium level. In the interim you should take plenty of fresh fruit juice and/or banana to increase your potassium level.
I hope I have answered your query to your satisfaction.
Wishing you an early recovery.
Regards,
Rajiv K Khandelwal
http://goo.gl/SuCjl
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