Bulimia nervosa may accompany anorexia, or it may occur by itself. It is estimated to occur in 1.1 to 4.2% of females. Bulimia nervosa can lead to severe tooth decay, intestinal and kidney problems, muscle cramps, heart problems, ruptured stomach or esophagus, and death.
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The edema associated with refeeding during treatment for an eating disorder is not unusual when the person is extremely underweight and also has not been sufficiently hydrated for a long period of time. The person's body has forgotten, in a sense, how to allocate and utilize fluids in a normal manner. The amount of time it takes for the edema to dissipate varies with each situation. While 5 weeks seems like a long time, depending on your condition at the onset of refeeding, it may not actually be that exaggerated. You need to do a minimal amount of walking and keep your legs elevated whenever possible. The use of diuretics for this is not usually recommended due to the body's already fragile condition. You don't want to exchange one problem for another. I would recommend that you give it a few more weeks, and I believe you will see an improvement very soon. It is good that you are under a doctor's care for this!
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Thank you for your reply. I actually have Celiac's disease, and was wasting away. I am 5'11" and was down to 97 pounds. Way, way too thin and yes, I was always dehydrated because I was naseauous all the time. I've been walking every day, just started swimming and doing some light workouts with resistance bands. Other than the swelling, I feel fantastic, better than I have in years. So I guess I shouldn't complain, but boy does it hurt! I look 6 months pregnant most of the time. I am trying so hard to be patient. The biggest frustration is that not one of my three doctors thought of this, and told me to just eat normally:( Hindsight is 20/20 eh? By the way, gluten free, low carb and low sodium is hellish. Do you think low carb diet will help the edema? Thanks so much.