Common Indicators Of Rumination Syndrome

Unexplained Weight Loss

Some individuals affected by rumination syndrome will experience unexplained weight loss. Several factors can contribute to this manifestation. When a patient regurgitates food back up to the mouth, they then make a conscious choice to re-swallow it or spit it out. An individual who does not frequent social outings or spends most of their time alone is more likely to spit out the regurgitant than they are to swallow it. When the food is not re-swallowed, the nutrients in the food never make it to the patient's small intestine where essential nutrients are absorbed.

Lack of nutrients and a reduction in the number of calories consumed can result in the individual losing a significant amount of weight. In addition, patients who do spend a considerable amount of time around others may develop the habit of food avoidance in fear they may regurgitate in front of others. This avoidance results in less overall calorie intake, and they often burn off more calories than they consume. Rumination syndrome can also cause an individual to become depressed due to an inability to manage the disorder. One manifestation of depression is not eating food regularly.

Nausea

A common symptom in regurgitation syndrome patients is frequent nausea. This type of nausea does not occur during episodes of regurgitation, and it is not the precipitator of such regurgitation. Many factors can explain the relation between frequent nausea and rumination syndrome. Because of the disorder, patients are unable to eat a healthy and regular diet. Often, individuals affected by rumination syndrome will be deficient in one or more essential nutrients. One or more of these deficiencies can result in a speed change of metabolic processes that can cause frequent stomach upset.

For individuals who avoid eating because of rumination syndrome, excessive hunger may also be responsible for numerous episodes of nausea. The lack of regular food digestion and its timing can cause the patient to experience low blood glucose levels frequently. Nausea is a common symptom that occurs with hypoglycemia. This disorder can also trick the digestive system into thinking there are not enough enzymes present to digest food. The digestive system may produce an excessive amount of bile and gastric juices in response to this. Excess bile and stomach juices can result in frequent nausea.