Fedupandfat
Member
laxatives before weigh in??
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Medical Complications of Laxative Abuse [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The medical complications of laxative abuse depend on several factors, including the type of laxatives used, the amount used, and how long they have been used. Some of the more common complications of laxative abuse follow.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Constipation. Repeated use of laxatives actually causes constipation. This may lead people to increase the dosage of the amount of laxative, which in turn only worsens the constipation problem.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Dehydration. Laxatives cause fluid loss through the intestines. Dehydration then impairs body functioning. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Electrolyte abnormalities. Many people who abuse laxatives often demonstrate electrolyte imbalances. Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and chloride are important to life functions. With chronic diarrhea, electrolytes are drawn out of the body through the feces. This leads to an electrolyte imbalance in the body. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Edema. As noted before, laxatives cause fluid loss. Dramatic changes or fluctuations in fluid balance confuse the body's self-regulating protective mechanisms by retaining fluid. As a result, prolonged laxative abuse frequently leads to fluid retention or edema. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bleeding. People who abuse laxatives, especially the stimulant-type laxatives, can develop blood in their stools. Chronic blood loss associated with laxative abuse can lead to anemia.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Impaired bowel function. People who abuse stimulant-type laxatives can develop permanent impairment of bowel function.[/FONT]
Why would you even consider it????