OK first off, I am very sorry, It must be hard when its someone you know and love who may hae it.

Secondly, there are loads of different symptoms that indicate bulimia
but there are traits that all bulimics (well everyone with e/d's have).

Ive been bulimic for nearly 9 years now and my parents still dont know so if she really wants to she could hide it as long as she decides she wants to.

Secrecy: Its easier said than done because the longer she stays without help the better she'll get at hiding it.

Check the toilets: sometimes remnants remains after purging.

Cheeks: they get puffy from purging.

Tiredness: Always tired purging takes a lot out of u.

Eating at night: (this is a big one) many bulimics binge at night when everyones sleeping to keep it secret and then purge it. Some bulimics dont normally eat in the day or eat in very little and thats why eating at night is easier.

Weighing: Constant weighting and measuring body maybe in secret. I weight everyday about 5 times, after anything I eat in mornings at night ect, the scales decide how my day will go.

Isolation: Keeping away from people, staying alone because letting people in means the possibility of them stopping us.

Lack of money: I can spend 100-150 a week on junk food, almost ALL of my money goes to junk food that ends up in the toilet.

There are LOADS more but these are the ones that pop into my mind. Please keep an eye out for these.

Hope it helps. X

It does very much. She's been losing weight lately and if it is bullemia it may be because she's probably self conscious about her body because of her bf. Think you so much for the information.

First of all i am so sorry, i know it must be hard admitting that someone you care about may have an eating disorder.

first off there are a few different ways that bulimic's purge.
*Forcing oneself to vomit
*Excessive exercise
*Use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills)


There are many symptoms that may suggest someone is suffering from bulimia.

*Broken blood vessels in the eyes (from the strain of vomiting)
*Dry mouth
*Pouch-like look to the corners of the mouth due to swollen salivary glands
*Rashes and pimples
*Small cuts and calluses across the tops of the finger joints from forcing oneself to vomit
*going to the bathroom frequently after meals
*over exercising to the point of extreme exhaustion
*discolored teeth


Hope i have helped a bit. Again i am so sorry you are dealing with this.

I remember I found laxitives quite awhile back and she was the first one I thought of because my mom doesn't use them to my knowledge. Thank you, your information was extremely helpful. I'll keep an eye out for these.

What does the small swollen pouch like look like? Their swollen salivia glands? Can someone link me a picture, thank you.

It's kind of hard to notice. When I stopped throwing up, my treatment team flipped because it looked like I had lost so much weight in my face. The tops of the apples of my cheeks were swollen; I've heard it referred to as a moon face.

Oh cavities. My cousin is bulimic, in it nearly twenty years now. She's had a lot of teeth problems because of it. I was lucky enough not to develop any though my braces suffered as did my gums.

http://www.your-bulimia-recovery.com/bulimia-physical-effects.html

Cheeks can look a bit like chipmunks or like your face is full of food, yaknow just swollen really.

But yeah cavities is a big one. Ive been bulimic for nearly 9 years now and I have had so many cavities and thin teeth ect

Perhaps shes not then......cause im the one who gets the cavities and she has yet to have one lol Unless she uses laxitives or water pills or something. I don't know. Maybe i'm just too worried about her.

Yeah well u would have to be bulimic for a long time and purge a lot for you to start getting a lot of cavities so just because she doesn't have them doesn't mean she isn't bulimic.

Just keep your eyes open and ears to the ground hun.
X

For the extra sneaky 30 year bulimia:

running water in the bathroom (to hide sounds of purging)
check in closet for bags of vomit (this is for when the bathroom is under too much surveillance) check in trash container, check in trunk of car
sores at corners of mouth, cracking, scabbing over... (lack of Vitamin A and C)
thinning brittle hair
hands circling waist, "measuring" without realizing she's measuring
hand circling arm, measuring..
if she's gained a little weight and no longer runs to bathroom immediately after eating, she may just be waiting you out, and purging later. She's absorbing more of the calories that way, which can be very frustrating, but we will go to great lengths to throw people off our trail when we want to purge..
offering to clear the table after dinner
offering to cook
offering to buy groceries
rim of toilet will show signs
vomit splash on bathroom wall
toilet paper in the bowl after it's been flushed several times. this is to cover anything that still floats, or sometimes oil will float on the water in the bowl..
staying up later than everyone else
getting up earlier than everyone else

Some of these things sound pretty wild, don't they? Running and hiding and pushing people away for decades will make you do some crazy things... I'm in recovery now, 3 years free of binge/purge behaviors. I've watched each of my teenage daughters like a hawk. coming up to the same age I was when I got sick (14-15ish), you know I was at that bathroom door with my ear pressed to it! One of my daughters did start to experiment with throwing up for a short time. She doesn't know I know about it. I was on the case. Luckily, she figured it out before it took hold of her.

If you suspect your sister, there's probably reason to do so. I say err on the side of safety now... find out. Denial is what allowed my disease to flourish for 30 years. My parents found out when I was 17 years old, but no one did a thing about it, they just let me lie my way out of it, and continue to self-destruct, because it was easier than trying to fight this incredibly complex unfathomable thing...

My mother suspects it aswell but sometimes she's not always the most understanding person at first and like I said earlier, every time we bring it up, she gets very self defensive about it. I wish she would talk to me like the sister I am becaus once I move, she won't have anybody as accessible and it makes me mad sometimes that she would choose a family friend over her actual friend to open up to when we've never wronged her.