Cathartic colon occurs when there is nerve damage to the colon as a result of laxative abuse, defined as using laxatives more than three times weekly for at least one year. It is a complication most associated with the eating disorder that involves binging and purging known as bulimia. Patients with cathartic colon experience a thinness in the colon wall, which causes the colon to poorly function. The website Eating Disorders Online says treatment for cathartic colon is hopeless until laxative use has stopped. Signs and symptoms of cathartic colon mimic those of irritable bowel and inflammatory bowel diseases. While surgery may be necessary to repair the colon, much of the damage and therefore the symptoms may be irreversible.
Abdominal Pain
Symptoms are similar to that of ulcerative colitis, according to an article appearing on the Learning Radiology website. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic abdominal pain, a chief complaint in cathartic colon sufferers. The primary difference between ulcerative colitis and cathartic colon is that with cathartic colon the rectum is spared and there are no polyps or ulcerations in the rectum. To manage pain symptoms, the experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend changes in eating habits, including eating smaller meals, limiting dairy and problem foods that can cause gas, from the diet. Medication prescribed to manage the pain include anti-inflammatory drugs like corticosteroids.
Incomplete Fecal Evaluation
Also similar to those with inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel disease (IBS) people with cathartic colon suffer from a feeling fullness, generated in large part by the sensation that fecal evacuation is incomplete following a bowel movement. Lifestyle changes that include regular exercise, drinking plenty of fluids, and foods that are high in complex carbohydrates like prunes or melons, can help to normalize bowel movements.
Gas and Bloating
Gas and bloating is another chief complaint of those with a cathartic colon. Similar to IBS patients who also experience these symptoms, Harvard Medical School's Health Publications website recommends avoiding foods that trigger gas and bloating. The website points to eliminating food items like beans, pretzels, bananas, dairy products, carbonated beverages, raw fruits and vegetables.
