Eating Disorders

So I'm still working my way through the long and boring HIV chapter, but I also read the chapter on eating disorders as well. Anorexia and bulemia have been in the news enough and it seems that most of what was in Harrison's was stuff I had learned in med school. Thank goodness! Because usually I read about a bunch of stuff that is mostly new to me: usually I know the basic concept and then there's a lot more detail in Harrison's. But just a couple of quick things that I didn learn:

-You can see a transient peripheral edema in both anorexia and bulemia.
-With anorexia it can occur in the absence of hypoalbuminemia and usually happens when the pt starts to regain weight
-In bulemics the edema is usually secondary to persistent fluid and electrolyte depletion that lead to a secondary increase in aldosterone. It is transient usually happens when laxatives and diuretics are stopped.

The reason why this is so interesting to me is that I had a patient coming in with peripheral edema more so in her hands rather than legs of unknown etiology. She did not have CHF; it was not a nephrotic syndrome; there were no liver problems; her protein and albumin were normal levels. Now I wonder if she was bulemic. I think there may have been an endo consult that was placed....