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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is Traces Of Blood In Vomit With Bulimic Tendencies Concerning?

I was wondering if someone could help determine the severity of my condition. I have bulimic tendencies every couple of days, but recently I ve started to notice a drops of blood when I throw up. It s not to the point where it is large amounts of blood, just a couple of tiny drops. I realize that the best way to remedy this is to stop and I am working on that, I promise, but for now, how concerned should I be? The suggestions from online recommend seeing a medical professional, but there is such a small amount, I don t think that anything is seriously wrong, but if anyone had input into where I should go from here, it would be greatly appreciated.
posted on Thu, 13 Mar 2014
Twitter Mon, 17 Aug 2015 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 18 Aug 2015 Last reviewed on
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Psychiatrist,  's  Response
Thanks for your question.

I agree with the online resource you reference - you really should seek medical help by visiting your nearest emergency room for an evaluation. The amount of blood you describe is usually caused by Mallory-Weiss tears, which are small rips in the lining of your esophagus. While they typically heal over themselves, they can progress to full esophageal rupture, something called Boerhaave syndrome, which is extremely dangerous and can be fatal.

While it is possible that given the amount of blood you are seeing nothing at all will happen, in reality if you are purging enough to cause tears in the lining of your esophagus, your bulimia has become a problem outside of your ability to control, placing you at real risk of serious medical complications. You should seek help as soon as possible to address this problem and protect your health.

I hope this helps.

Dr. Sheppe
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Is Traces Of Blood In Vomit With Bulimic Tendencies Concerning?

Thanks for your question. I agree with the online resource you reference - you really should seek medical help by visiting your nearest emergency room for an evaluation. The amount of blood you describe is usually caused by Mallory-Weiss tears, which are small rips in the lining of your esophagus. While they typically heal over themselves, they can progress to full esophageal rupture, something called Boerhaave syndrome, which is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. While it is possible that given the amount of blood you are seeing nothing at all will happen, in reality if you are purging enough to cause tears in the lining of your esophagus, your bulimia has become a problem outside of your ability to control, placing you at real risk of serious medical complications. You should seek help as soon as possible to address this problem and protect your health. I hope this helps. Dr. Sheppe