This can help prevent a thirst trap. Well, the rumors are true. Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity when dissolved in water. Laxative use — especially when abused — can lead to an electrolyte imbalance. This can get dangerous. One small study of 24 people found that laxatives can cause major changes to urinary sodium and potassium levels.
A larger study of 2, people showed that laxatives increase the overall risk of electrolyte issues. More serious side effects include:. Laxative abuse is when you take laxatives more often than you should in order to lose weight. It can be very dangerous and is also fairly common. A research review showed that laxative abuse occurs in an estimated 4 percent of people. A research review showed that laxative abuse is common in people with an eating disorder ED like anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
A study also suggested that laxative abuse is common in obese and overweight teenagers. But keep in mind, anyone can abuse laxatives.
Laxative abuse can lead to long-term and even life-threatening conditions. These include:. Laxative abuse can cause a huge range of side effects. You might experience multiple symptoms at once. They could be a warning sign that something is off. Laxatives are usually safe when used in the short term.
But some believe long-term use can lead to dependency. What does the science say? Laxative addiction is likely emotional, not physical. But more research is needed. If laxatives are affecting your health or happiness, get help ASAP. Long-term use can lead to dangerous and sometimes irreversible side effects. You have nothing to be ashamed of. There are tons of amazing resources that can help. A good first step is to chat with your doctor.
You can also see a trained mental health professional or try a therapy app. Not ready to see a doctor? The National Institute of Drug Abuse offers a variety of free services. There are also additional resources available online like counseling services, hotlines, and treatment options. Liver damage: This is rare but possible. One study found that laxative use contributed to liver damage in one participant.
Kidney damage: A case report showed that overusing laxatives can lead to kidney failure. GI damage: A study showed that laxative abuse can mess with GI function and damage your pancreas. With their help, I began waging war against the fat. Yes, I had to run to the toilet constantly, necessitating all kinds of fibs to get out of class.
I'm sure my teachers were suspicious, but nobody ever called my parents or mentioned my frequent bathroom breaks to the dean. Instead, as the weeks went by and the pounds slipped off, everyone complimented me. My grades were improving, I was feeling more confident, and boys on the street were starting to notice me. Feeling inspired, I decided to take my mission to a new level—by restricting the food I ate.
I started skipping breakfast; for lunch I'd eat only a cup of bran cereal, topped with the smallest amount of skim milk possible. Dinner wasn't allowed because I couldn't burn off the calories before bed. My new circle of friends also advised me to down laxatives with black coffee—a diuretic that would force excess water out of my body and help make me lean.
Of course, coffee plus laxatives made bathroom visits more necessary than ever. My stomach rumbled all the time, so my pals told me to chew peppermint candies. Chewing on them tricks your stomach into registering the sugar as food, so your muscles stop churning, or so I was told. Over the months, I watched my weight drop on the scale— pounds, then , , I was thrilled. Yet somehow it was never enough. When a couple of girls in my AP English class taught me another trick to keep my body laced with laxatives, I embraced the idea wholeheartedly.
They showed me how to steam open a little blue packet of Equal sweetener and fill it with finely ground laxatives. The thinking was this: I could keep a stash of these Equal packets in my purse and sprinkle the contents on my cereal, coffee, or tea anytime—right in front of my teachers' eyes.
My friends and I thought we were incredibly clever. Yes, we could've just popped a pill in private in a bathroom stall, but this was real subterfuge. Believe it or not, eventually I got myself down to about calories a day.
I'd count the calories in my head in class: grapefruit juice, 32 calories; skim milk, 20 calories; bran cereal, calories. If I started fantasizing about chocolate, I'd dig an Equal out of my pocket and swallow its contents dry.
When the powder kicked in, my stomach muscles would suddenly clench, and I'd feel nauseous, but also relieved. And powerful. And hungry.
Always hungry, as I watched the bran flakes—which my body hadn't had time to digest—dip and swirl and disappear down the toilet. A few months later, I upped the ante yet again: I started sprinting four miles uphill, five times a week. I suspected that my parents knew something was terribly wrong, but we never discussed it. My dad would mention how I was "about a hundred pounds, soaking wet," but that's as far as he went. Maybe he felt like he'd make it worse by confronting me.
Maybe he didn't want to scare me or make me feel attacked. All I knew was that I was winning the war. The fat girl was slowly melting away, like the Wicked Witch of the West. Now, at pounds, I cruised the mall for sexy halter tops, high heels, skinny jeans.
For the first time in my life, I felt hot. To my delight, I heard some of the older girls at school whispering, "What's her secret? My secrets were many.
And they kept growing. A girl in my biology class taught me an excellent exercise: Suck in as deep as you can, flexing your stomach muscles to shrink your waistline as much as possible.
Then push all the air out of your lungs. Count to 10—or until you get dizzy. And then repeat. She said it would tone and define my quickly shrinking stomach muscles. I'd do the exercises four times a day—once in the morning before classes, twice after lunch, and once before bed. Afterward, I'd measure my stomach, cupping one hand around each side of my waist. If my gut stretched beyond the limits of my thumb and forefinger, I'd punish myself. Only half a cup of bran cereal today—no milk.
A born perfectionist and people-pleaser, I was determined to become as skinny and perfect as could be. Away from my mother, who had tenderly raised me on fattening foods like lemon meringue pie, cheese toast, buttered grits, bacon, country-style steak covered in gravy, and cream chipped beef slathered over slices of bread, I no longer felt I had to please her by appreciating the food she had so carefully prepared.
Wider explains. These imbalances can also cause symptoms like abnormal heart rhythms, weakness, confusion and seizures, per the Mayo Clinic. Leavey adds. Bottom line: This is not a weight-loss method you want to try. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
First things first: What are laxatives? Long-term use of laxatives can actually perpetuate your constipation issues. Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. She received a double B. Korin has been published in Read more. Topics laxatives weight weight loss constipation.
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