What Are the Effects of Abusing Ipecac?
In addition to abusing diet pills, some people find unfortunate uses for ipecac, the syrup used to assist people in ridding themselves of something poisonous. Some families keep ipecac on hand just in case a small child ingests something that should not have ingested. EMT and ER personnel also use it for this same reason. It may seem unlikely that someone would make a habit out of using ipecac, but it does happen. If you’ve ever gotten a whiff of ipecac, then you know it does not have a pleasant aroma. Still, someone who is feeling very dismal about their weight, will find a way to get past the smell and the danger of ingesting something like ipecac because they are determined. In their mind, any dangers are not as pressing as avoiding food.
People with eating disorders have found that ipecac will cause them to vomit whatever they have eaten and they abuse ipecac to empty the contents of their stomachs. Purging is bad enough by itself, but employing ipecac to make yourself vomit only complicates matters. But to someone who has an eating disorder, it just seems like a means to an end. Ipecac is only used in emergencies because it is not something the body can withstand after repeated use.
Abusing ipecac can cause: shock, dehydration, heart attack, muscle failure, seizures, hemorrhaging, and death.
If you or someone you know has abused drugs as part of an eating disorder, seek treatment as soon as possible. You will need help in treating both the chemical dependence on the drug, as well as assistance in dealing with the psychological trauma of the eating disorder and the substance abuse.
