Personality characteristics and medical impact of stimulant laxative abuse in eating disorder patients—a pilot study

Background Stimulant laxative abuse as a purging behavior can be profound in those with eating disorders. However, the psychopathology leading to stimulant laxative abuse is poorly understood. Furthermore, the medical impact of stimulant laxative abuse has not been studied in this population. Methods Six individuals abusing stimulant laxatives underwent a barium enema to assess for evidence of the cathartic colon syndrome and 29 individuals engaging in any purging behaviors completed the Tri-dimensional Personality Questionnaire-Short Form, Sensitivity to Punishment/Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire-Short Form, Beck Depression Inventory, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires. Results Three of the six patients completing the barium enema had the radiographic findings consistent with cathartic colon. Individuals engaging in laxative abuse showed higher Novelty Seeking compared to those engaging in other forms of purging, and those engaging in any form of purging behavior showed greater Sensitivity to Punishment compared to Sensitivity to Reward. There was also the presence of greater Harm Avoidance than Reward Dependence in this population. Conclusion There may be different psychopathology that contributes to the abuse of stimulant laxatives than that associated with other forms of purging. Regardless of the driving factor, further research is warranted to discover best therapeutic interventions given the potential to develop the cathartic colon syndrome with ongoing use of stimulant laxatives. Plain English Summary Cathartic colon is a condition whereby the colon, or lower intestine, is converted into an inert tube incapable of propagating fecal matter. It is thought to develop due to over-use of stimulant laxatives. However, it is unclear if this condition truly exists and whether it contributes to the constipation experienced by individuals with eating disorders who have extensive past histories of abusing laxatives. It is also unclear if laxative abuse presents with different medical complications than other forms of purging. The purpose of this study is to determine whether radiographic evidence of cathartic colon can be found in eating disorder patients abusing stimulant laxatives, whether there are different medical complications with laxative abuse versus other forms of purging, and to examine the psychological composition of individuals who engage in severe laxative abuse. Specifically, the authors investigated the interrelationship between Harm Avoidance and Reward Dependence, with emphasis on gaining a better understanding of Reward Dependence by examining both Sensitivity to Reward and Sensitivity to Punishment in patients who engage in severe laxative abuse. Our findings suggest that stimulant laxative abuse may cause the development of cathartic colon changes and that there may be unique psychopathology that contributes to the abuse of stimulant laxatives. Given the higher Novelty Seeking personality-dimension in those abusing laxatives, it is possible that this purging behavior may be considered addiction-like in nature, which would have distinct treatment implications.

Inconvenient topic: laxative abuse. review and clinical case

Annotation. Laxatives are drugs with different mechanism of action that are used to treat or prevent constipation. Use of laxatives to control body weight is considered a dangerous tendency, especially among young women with eating disorders. Natural or synthetic stimulant purgatives are the most commonly used for weight loss because they are cost-effective, have rapid onset of action, and available in various dosage forms. Excessive use of laxatives results in a gradual efficacy decrease causes specific damage of the gastrointestinal tract, other organs and systems. This condition is known as "laxative abuse". The purpose of this review is to summarize the available scientific data on behavioral characteristics, clinical and diagnostic criteria and tactics of treatment of laxative abuse with a clinical case description. Laxatives abuse should be suspected in case of eating disorders, clinical, laboratory, endoscopic and histological changes in the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment of laxative abuse requires gradual laxatives withdrawal, potassium replacement therapy and mandatory training in the healthy eating principles. The clinical case describes a young woman who tried to stop taking laxatives, but she started to use diuretics due to peripheral swelling. At the time of examination, the daily dose of furosemide was 600 mg (15 tablets a day). Laxative abuse is relatively common among young women and requires monitoring by physicians of various specialties.

Controlling the laxative abuse of anorexia nervosa patients with the Serigaya Methamphetamine Relapse Prevention Program workbook: a case report

Background There is no consensus on effective treatment for laxative abuse in patients with eating disorders. Here, we report the case of a patient with laxative abuse who showed some improvement through an intervention based on the Matrix model. Case presentation A woman diagnosed with anorexia nervosa-binge eating/purging type (AN-BP) steadfastly denied laxative abuse and would not admit to suffering from an eating disorder. This led to low motivation for undergoing conventional psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These were ineffective and followed by repeated cycles of hospitalization and discharge. The patient’s general condition, as depicted by her laboratory and clinical parameters, deteriorated due to the medical complications resulting from laxative abuse. Focusing on laxative abuse, we considered an intervention for drug addiction. Because the patient could maintain a diet diary and acknowledged laxative abuse as a drug addiction, we introduced the Serigaya Methamphetamine Relapse Prevention Program (SMARPP) workbook as a self-administered treatment. The patient meticulously completed the treatment and experienced a gradual improvement in laxative abuse. She has not been re-hospitalized in 4 years, currently performs household chores, and demonstrates improved social function. Conclusions In patients with AN-BP, the SMARPP workbook may be effective in treating laxative abuse.

Gut It Out: Laxative Abuse Mimicking Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis

Background: Distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) can be inherited or acquired. Case Presentation: Here, we describe the case of a 45-year-old female patient with non-anion gap metabolic acidosis, hypokalemia, and alkaline urine. She had a history of rheumatoid arthritis and kidney stones and failed to acidify urine upon the fludrocortisone and furosemide test. Therefore, the diagnosis of dRTA secondary to an autoimmune disease was made. A kidney biopsy was examined for markers of acid-secretory intercalated cells. Surprisingly, no obvious difference in the relative number of acid-secretory intercalated cells or in the distribution of major proteins involved in acid secretion was found. Furthermore, increasing doses of potassium citrate failed to correct the hypokalemia and acidosis. Since these findings were rather atypical for autoimmune dRTA, alternative causes of her hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis were sought. The patient was found to chronically consume laxatives, which can also cause kidney stones and may result in a false-positive urinary acidification test. Conclusion: Chronic laxative abuse may mimic dRTA and should therefore be considered in unexplained hypokalemia with non-anion gap metabolic acidosis.