Do you know the signs of diabulimia? Many thanks for your fab blog too btw xx
You’re welcome, thank you!
Diabulimia is an eating disorder specific to type 1 diabetics and is a way to manipulate the disease so the person in question loses weight but omitting insulin injections. Many of the signs and symptoms of diabulimia are the same as undiagnosed/untreated diabetes.
Failure to give insulin places the body in starvation mode, resulting in breakdown of muscle and fat into ketones and ketoacids, as well as making the body unable to process the sugars that have been consumed, which causes the sugar to be excreted rather than being used for energy or stored as fat.
This results in significant weight loss, but also places the body in extreme danger and the patient at risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (or DKA).
High blood glucose levels (often over 600)
Large amounts of glucose in the urine
Severe ketones and, in DKA, severe ketonemia
These are the medium term symptoms of patients with diabulimia. They are prevalent when diabulimia has not been treated and hence also includes the short term symptoms.
Moderate to severe dehydration
Oedema with fluid replacement
If a person with Type 1 diabetes who has diabulimia suffers from the disease for more than a short time—usually due to alternating phases during which insulin is injected properly, and relapses, during which they have diabulimia—then the following longer-term symptoms can be expected:
Severe neuropathy (nerve damage to hands and feet)
Edema (during blood sugars controlled phases)
When someone develops diabulimia their behavior can change very quickly. For example they may visibly eat more but also start to lose a noticeable amount of weight. They may complain of thirst, drink abnormal amounts and visit the toilet more frequently. You may also notice that they start to “inject in private” (to convince others that they are still taking their insulin).
Other signs of diabulimia include:
Frequent hospitalizations for poor blood sugar control
Complaints of nausea and Stomach Cramps
Delayed Healing from infections/ bruises.
Complaints of Blurred Vision
Avoidance of Diabetes Related Health Appointments
Lack of marks from fingerpicks
Fear of insulin - concern that insulin causes weight gain
Studies have reported that diabetics have as much as twice the chance of developing an eating disorder in their lifetime, and as many as 30% of diabetic in their teens and early adulthood suffer from diabulimia. If you or someone you know has these symptoms or has talked about diabulimia, PLEASE GET HELP. Your weight is not as important as your health and your life.
