What are the Warning Signs of Diabulimia?

Are you a diabetic and dependant on insulin injections? Then, you would certainly know the importance of insulin. With an aim to lose weight, many diabetics try skipping insulin. Do you know this practice could have serious outcomes on your health? Diabulimia, is a specific medical term that has been formed for this eating disorder.

What is diabulimia?

The word diabulimia has been formed by combining the words diabetes and bulimia. It is defined as an eating disorder, wherein type 1 diabetics skip taking insulin to bring about weight loss.

Even though it is not yet officially regarded as a medical condition, diabulimia can result in various complications among diabetics. According to experts, as many as one-third of the young female diabetics could be suffering from various diseases due to this condition. However, it is also seen to be occurring in a significant number of young men too.

Diabulimia is a quite dangerous eating disorder, here’s why:

As you now know in Diabulimia, people deliberately inject less than the required amount of insulin to lose body weight. Contrary to type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes has no connection with lifestyle or diet. The ones who are affected need to get insulin as they are not able to produce enough insulin to meet their daily requirements.

While depriving your body of insulin, you are making way for problems like permanent kidney failure, liver failure, fertility issues, heart diseases and even premature death. As a result of restricting insulin inside the body, you will have a very high blood sugar level. The worst thing is that the warning signs may go unnoticed until it is too late. So, you must know a few common signs and take the required measures on time.

Common warning signs of diabulimia include:

• Unexplained weight loss

• Improper growth pattern in adolescents

• Recurrent spans of diabetic ketoacidosis along with extreme thirst

• Extreme hunger and frequent urge to urinate

• Poor blood glucose control, particularly if it was pretty well in the past

• Higher than normal hemoglobin A1c levels

• Microvascular disease that is affecting the eyes, heart, and kidneys

• Peripheral neuropathy resulting in weakness and numbness in hands and feet

• Disorder in eating

• Depression, deterioration of performance and social withdrawal

Diabetics need to understand that manipulating insulin can be fatal. So, if you notice any of these signs seek medical help and let your doctor guide you in the best way possible.