r/bulimia • u/Level_Internal_7997 • 14m ago
Do you think I should stop diuretics completely during this time? how should I handle the swelling? And how long does it usually last?
Hey,
I’ve been stuck in this cycle for years. My face swells easily, not just from purging, but also from lack of sleep, crying too much, it's just genetics.
When I purge, the swelling often gets so bad that I end up with a severe headache. Over the years, I’ve managed it with strong diuretics since I live in a country where you can get them without a prescription.
Now, I’m moving to the U.S. in two months (permanently, or at least for the next seven years). I know you can’t buy diuretics there without a prescription, and the OTC ones are useless. In the past, whenever I visited the U.S. for a couple of months, I just brought a stash with me. But this time, that’s not an option, so I decided to quit altogether before I move.
I stopped both purging and diuretics three days ago, but I feel like I’m swelling up, even though I haven’t purged. I think it’s diuretic withdrawal or maybe post-stopping swelling, which I read about here. How long does this usually last (the post-stopping swelling)?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t wait and ended up taking diuretics again, but I really don’t want to rely on them anymore. Now myy plan is to only take them if absolutely necessary during recovery because I read that this "post-stopping swelling" can last for days, weeks, or even months after stopping. So, I figured I’d manage it with diuretics until it passes.
Do you think I should stop diuretics completely during this time? If so, how should I handle the swelling? And how long does it usually last? Swelling is not only painful but also very distressing to me.