I find that my esophagus won't close however my food comes up very easily without trying at all after I eat, so I have to make sure I don't bend over or eat too much at one time otherwise my stomach starts to reject it. Maybe you should talk to your dad (although be ready for him to be uncomfortable and possibly angered by the subject) and see if you can get him into some kind of treatment program. Best of luck

As i'm sure you know eating disorders in men are very rare. You don't say but i'm guessing your dad is over 35? Since you're aware of the problem & able to come on the net & ask for help so you must be over 15?

My daughter was diagnosed earlier this year with anorexia nervosa it was a totally wrong diagnosis & could have killed her or left her scarred emotionally & physically (with illhealth) for life if we hadn't gotten her to another dr who thought outside the box & looked at her as a whole person & looked at family history which led to a correct diagnosis & she's gradually reagining her health.

I tell you this because I wonder if your father actually has bulimia or whether maybe his problem & therefore the cure lies in another area? Email me if you want to discuss this.

Good luck

Purple you are very misinformed. Eating disorders in men are not rare at all. Rather men feel more inclined to hide their disorder for fear of people ridiculing them since it is perceived to be a "female" disorder.
It sounds like you should let your father know hes not alone and there are many others like him. Maybe he could join a support group. Once again eating disorders in men are not very rare at all.

Darling, you may well be right as men often do hide things or ignore them & so the stats are skewed but without hard facts/research I can only comment on the basis of what I have read & been told by drs etc.

In either case I stand by my suggestion (& in fact, it would be the same if we were talking about a woman) that he may not have bulimia & other causes should at least be considered, it is unlikely to hurt & nay help. Also if he is being a male & not wanting to acknowledge the problem as bulimia, suggesting looking for "what's wrong" might at least get him to the Dr.

How can he not have bulimia? Does some medical condition force him to have the bulimic mind set and cause him to want to vomit his food? I'm slightly puzzled by all of this

Actually darling their are several things/illnesses that can cause both a person to choose to force themselves to vomit &/orhave oesophageal reflux &/or refusal of the throat to swallow food. Some of these are "medical" some are more "psychological" but none the less real. One is throat cancer & even if this man has had bulimia that doesn't rule out other causes for what is now happening. Another cause that I have experienced that has made me force myself to vomit is allergic reactions (including to foods that i'd previously had no problem with at all) or to food induces nausea which can also be the way a food is cooked - here I cite my grandmother who developed this problem in her late 70's with regard to fried foods.

We can debate this till the cows come home & it won't alter the fact that he needs help. But first he needs to be gotten to the dr!! Bulimia, even if that is what he has wrong & is all he has may not be the best tactic to use to get him help, whereas indicating concern about his oesophagus may be less emotionally threatening to him & so get him to the Dr.

The dr can then question, test & hopefully correctly diagnose & treat this man.

Love2hugu2003: I don't know for sure if that is one of the effects, but I had to have my esophagus "stretched" because it was so narrow. I also find it very easy to vomit.

"how can he not have bulimia? Does some medical condition force him to have the bulimic mind set and cause him to want to vomit his food? I'm slightly puzzled by all of this"

darling: good point. Hey, when you stick your finger down your throat to vomit, it sounds just like bulemia to me.

I can also vomit very easily. My stomach now rejects food and I have to make sure I dont bend over after eating lest my food come out all over the floor! And purple yes there are other conditions but one would know the different between not being able to swallow food and willingly not intaking anyfood

I often have to stick my finger down my throat (always have) as it's usually the only way I can "throw up" when I suffer from a reaction (nervous or otherwise eg food poisoning or allergic) to food or when i'm in the midst of a migraine & have to be sick before I can heal.

But I do not have an eating disorder, unless being huge counts!! It's just that my throat won't act in reverse without help, like I have a family member whose anal muscles don't work to empty bowels without aid at the exit point. This is not an eating disorder either, in both cases it's a matter of certain muscles not working properly.

Ive been bulimic for a year and a half...If I dont plan to purge and eat a normal meal, I cant eat too much or I will feel sick and end up puking anyway. The reflex is just oversensetive from all the use, I guess.

I wish that all of u who are suffering from this get better! Ijust want u to all know that it is possible. I have been anorexic and bulimic (mix between the 2) for 3 years and now have been recovering for 3 months! It is possible!@!! Dont give up! And remember .The first step to getting better is not purging, whether u binge or not.. It really is. And u gotta work on your mindset.