Famous people with eating disorders

Glossy magazines,the right angles, air-brushing and careful lighting sometimes give celebrities the image that they live in a picture-perfect, wrinkle-free, not-an-inch-more world of perfection. The result can wreak havoc on the self-esteem of women of average proportions, who may begin to wonder if there is something seriously wrong with their physical appearances because they do not possess a size zero body, perfectly straight and white teeth, glossy sleek hair and flawless skin. Famous personalities such as Calista Flockhart, Kate Beckingsale, Kelly Clarkson and even Princess Diana have admitted they have has eating disorders before. The fashion industry in particular bears much of the blame for encouraging the notion that 'thin is beautiful.' As supermodel Kate Moss once famously said: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Such obsession with weight can lead to dangerous eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The anorexia suffer consumes just 600 to 800 calories per day (the average recommended calorie intake is 1,800 to 2,000 calories), and extreme cases of complete self-starvation are known. Anorexia, in addition to causing a host of health complications such as heart, kidney, gastro-intestinal and fertility issues, has one of the highest rates of mortality for any psychiatric condition. Bulimia - characterised by binge eating then purging by vomiting, taking laxatives or excessive exercise - can cause cardiac arrest, infertility, dehydration and erode the teeth. Read on to find out which celebrities suffered from eating disorders, and what it did to their bodies.

serotonin issue in PD

I was looking around and trying to find some answers and put 2 and 2 together for myself- also to help make sure that Dr do not keep giving me things that will make me ill- and i began to wonder if problems with Serotonin are caused by Parkinson's or meds like Carbidopa-Levodopa?Why I ask:I have been taking Carbidopa-Levodopa basically since last March- (also take armour thyroid, and thiamine) During all of this- I have had issues with my stomach in tolerating new meds- and a lot of them haven't help much anyway(requip, comtan etc) On top of motor symptoms, this past summer depression and anxiety really increased in a way I have never experienced- so I sought help (counseling and Psychiatrist(was referred there after starting counseling- I see both- counseling once a week and psych as needed depending on med trials etc) well the psychiatrist tried Cymbalta, could not tolerate it and made me feel jittery, then Remeron (OMG I felt wound up and shaky and just freaked out), the he was going to have me start ZOloft- I am glad I did NOT! right before I was to start they had me take zolfran for my stomach issues- it helped but made me again feel wound up and after 4 days I had what I thought was a panic attack but I had a panic attack before and this was nothing like that in some ways- it felt different- for 8 hours my pulse was up near 150 and my BP spiked, i couldnt stop moving, kept holding my breath feeling like I had to yawn over and over, (this started only a few hours after a dose of the zolfran - at the ER the kept saying it was the zolfran, flushed fluids and gave ativan- went home with xanax- My PCP said she also felt it was the zolfran and that the neuro on call should not have given to me for this reason- she did not think it was a panic attack but a reaction to the medication and she documented it as such (based on her knowledge of ME over the last few years before all of this- the ER reports- and my current history etc) the xanax is the only med I have take since all of this that has helped my anxiety(they come on like rushes but just feelings of anxiousness and shaking etc that I cannot control- NOTHING like I went through on the zolfran)- I only had 10 tabs and took them only as needed after the first 2 days- it lasted me like 3 weeks- i can take half of one to reduce the anxiety 'rush' and increase in tremors and it calms it down- My counselor still felt I could benefit from something for the anxiety- even if it were just AS NEEDED- but I am very nervous about trying other meds bcause of these past reactions- then by accident I came across information on Serotonin syndrome- not saying I HAD this- but looking over the symptoms, a LOT of them were spot on to what happened the day I had to goto the ER- and these things happened to a lesser extent with the SSRI, SNRI, and Zolfran and I felt better with Xanax-all fit also to the Serotonin syndrome info- all of those meds can cause it and xanax can help calm it- it may not actually be serotonin syndrome but it made me wonder even more if there was more to my reactions- something pointing to elevated serotonin already that would cause my body to react that way with these meds- I did see some info online about serotonin levels possibly being effected by Levodopa or Parkinson's itself- but most info was very vague.- I am not sure I want to try anymore drugs in tht effect serotonin just incase- but I really wonder if this is part of the whole parkinson's and/or Carbidopa-Levodopa situation or if it could point to something else? The more I know the more informed I can be when they present a new treatment medication or if there were a way to test any of this out or if it is all in theory? Hope this made sense- and sorry if this has been covered elsewhere on the forum and I missed itany information you may be able to provide would be helpful and could point me in the correct direction possibly in understanding it allThank you for your time!
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l
Group: Ask the Doctor Moderators
Posts: 1,865
Joined: 19-January 07
LocationUniversity of Florida
Posted Yesterday, 08:28 AM
Thank you for the question. You certainly have some of the symptoms of serotonin syndrome, but when we see it it is usually mixing medications together (like an antidepressant and a pain med like meperidine). Based on your description it sounds more like adverse events to the actual medication itself-- and also associated anxiety.Some of my patients with PD have very severe anxiety. We often try plain sinemet given frequently in a sufficient dose to help anxiety and avoid wearing off. This helps sometimes, and in severe cases patients may have to take meds every 2 hours. If this doesn't help, then we suspect a generalized or other type of anxiety disorder. In these cases it is very helpful to have a psychiatrist and also regular counseling. Some patients have a lot of medication sensitivity. For nausea we like to add a powerful medicine called domperidone.Anxiety in PD is very difficult to treat and we continue to search for better approaches.
Michael S. Okun, M.D.National Medical Director NPFUF Center for Movement Disorders & NeurorestorationRead More about Dr. Okun at: mdc.mbi.ufl.edu
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my story

19.10東方家庭 報導：黃美慧 攝影：徐慧美 圖說：20111010hhmC031 張金和在網絡上創辦了“帕金森病分享部落格”，引起了廣泛關注，同時也寫了一本抗病自傳- “Hero Teo”。 圖說：20111010hhmC033 儘管患上帕金森，張金和堅持每年出國旅遊，探訪長居國外的兒子和媳婦，與太太攜伴周遊列國，打開視野。 圖說：20111010hhmC023 李雅妹一力擔起照顧丈夫的責任，同時也必須兼顧健康，不讓自己倒下。一路走來，確實不容易。 圖說：20111010hhmC030 由於張金和大量涉獵帕金森症的知識，幾乎成了一名自學成才的帕金森症專家。平日閒來無事，上網寫部落格就是他的愛好。 圖說：20111010hhmC012 張金和被帕金森折磨了6年是很不幸，但他有一位賢惠勤勞、堅強勇敢、富有家庭責任感的好太太李雅妹。 引言： 他的人生並沒有因為晚年與帕金森搏鬥而變得暗淡，反而在逆境中站了起來。 70旬的張金和提倡的是：做個快樂的帕金森老人。 導語： 他的生活變慢了，所有東西也都要放慢速度，慢慢地說話、慢僈地吃東西、慢慢地走路……張金和被帕金森症折磨了好幾年，從中對人生有了另一番的詮釋與透徹。他說，他要活得更快樂。 主文： 憑著一股韌勁，張金和一邊抑制病情的蔓延速度，一邊籌劃起自己的晚年生活。他的家不僅請人裝置了一部私人電梯，還為往後的日子打算，買下了一張“私家”病床。 書櫃擺滿了一大堆來自國內外的治療書籍；住家的每一面牆上，也貼滿了數十張小紙條，時刻提醒自己一些重要的大小事。就連日常的生活作息，張金和也有了周全的安排。 私人健身教練和治療專人會依時上門授課和進行物理治療。儘管手腳不聽使喚，在專人的訓練下，他可以紮起馬步，甚至進行簡單的運動。 每天一、兩個小時，歇一會兒，再繼續運動，一日復一日。說起效果，他也是喜上眉梢，因為上完課後，精神抖擻。經過幾年的堅持鍛煉，他的帕金森症狀得以控制。豁達的他，不斷地以積極且正面的心態，面對晚年逆境。 說起帕金森病因和症狀，張金和頭頭是道，擺起半個醫生的架子。積極樂觀的態度，不得不讓人刮目相看。就連主治醫生也大讚他的毅力，更借助他對抗病魔的故事，勉勵其他病友。 除了學會認識這病症的可怕，這頑強的老人還學會了與他人分享自身的遭遇，激勵同樣患上帕金森的病友。為了不與社會脫節，他開始學起電腦來，在網上創辦了「帕金森病患分享」的論壇，分享對抗帕金森的心得。 他的網站成功引起了社會的廣泛關注。他說：「我希望所設立的網站可協助帕金森病友更加瞭解自己的病因，並知道社會沒有忘記我們。」 「現在，我的生活過得很充實。雖然不能完全像一個正常人那樣生活，但一直都在儘自己的最大努力，目的是協助同樣患上帕金森的朋友，獻上最衷心的祝福與支持。」 如今，只要搜獲新的醫藥資訊或個案，他都會把相關資訊放上論壇。 「除了自己的論壇，我也經常到其他相關的帕金森網站與論壇，與他人分享自身的經驗與見解。」張金和積極地透露。 所以，說張金和是個非常積極知命的老人，一點也不誇張。 副文： 當習慣了快節奏的步伐，突然要慢下來，是需要一段時間的適應。於2005年前，張金和是一名快樂、日子過得悠閒健康的退休老人。 退休生活規律的他，經常保持健康的生活態度，過著悠閒日子。與妻兒一家幾口的日子，亦過得安逸幸福。意想不到的不幸，悄悄地降臨他的晚年生活。 隨著醫生的一紙宣判他患上了帕金森症後，從此改變了他的人生軌跡。 還記得初見張金和，難以相信他是帕金森病患。動作俐落、思路清晰的他，魄力不輸常人。再見到張金和，已是相隔3年後的事。張金和依然是一副樂天知命的老樣子，他的病情明顯加重，難以自持。儘管精神不錯，但行動吃力。 過程中，張金和用標準但是不算清晰的話語，說出了自己患上帕金森的來龍去脈。一直陪伴在旁的太太李雅妹豎起大拇指說：“你看，他能記住這些就很好了！” 張金和的手腳因為帕金森綜合症不停顫抖。當他說要去如廁，李雅妹在旁扶著他進出，稍後，她又扶著丈夫回來，小心翼翼的。“習慣了，這幾年都是這樣。”李雅妹坐著但不閒著，她繼續用小面巾為丈夫抹汗。 有時候，丈夫陰晴不定的脾氣，讓李雅妹深感無奈，但她從沒想過放棄，繼續留守在丈夫身邊。“碰到他心情不好、發脾氣的時候，我都盡量忍讓。畢竟，我知道他根本無法控制突來的情緒。”李雅妹不感委屈，每當丈夫鬧情緒時，她不出聲，待丈夫情緒稍微緩和，她才走開。副文： 當習慣了快節奏的步伐，突然要慢下來，是需要一段時間的適應。於2005年前，張金和是一名快樂、日子過得悠閒健康的退休老人。 退休生活規律的他，經常保持健康的生活態度，過著悠閒日子。與妻兒一家幾口的日子，亦過得安逸幸福。意想不到的不幸，悄悄地降臨他的晚年生活。 隨著醫生的一紙宣判他患上了帕金森症後，從此改變了他的人生軌跡。 還記得初見張金和，難以相信他是帕金森病患。動作俐落、思路清晰的他，魄力不輸常人。再見到張金和，已是相隔3年後的事。張金和依然是一副樂天知命的老樣子，他的病情明顯加重，難以自持。儘管精神不錯，但行動吃力。 過程中，張金和用標準但是不算清晰的話語，說出了自己患上帕金森的來龍去脈。一直陪伴在旁的太太李雅妹豎起大拇指說：“你看，他能記住這些就很好了！” 張金和的手腳因為帕金森綜合症不停顫抖。當他說要去如廁，李雅妹在旁扶著他進出，稍後，她又扶著丈夫回來，小心翼翼的。“習慣了，這幾年都是這樣。”李雅妹坐著但不閒著，她繼續用小面巾為丈夫抹汗。 有時候，丈夫陰晴不定的脾氣，讓李雅妹深感無奈，但她從沒想過放棄，繼續留守在丈夫身邊。“碰到他心情不好、發脾氣的時候，我都盡量忍讓。畢竟，我知道他根本無法控制突來的情緒。”李雅妹不感委屈，每當丈夫鬧情緒時，她不出聲，待丈夫情緒稍微緩和，她才走開。