Is it possible to lose the ability to vomit spontaneously?

I’ve noticed something lately, but I wasn't quite sure who to ask about it...

A few years back, I struggled with bulimia. It was active for about a year or two, depending on my mood—some stretches were worse than others. It was mostly passive; I kept it under wraps to lose about 10 to 20 pounds and then just maintain it. I managed to keep it hidden enough that it never became a major medical issue or landed me in a hospital. Even now, I still have occasional phases where it resurfaces, though it's much rarer now, usually just happening if I overeat or if I really dislike something I ate.

Anyway, getting to the point, I'm wondering if this has anything to do with a specific period in my life...

When I was younger, I dealt with a lot of stomach bugs, which basically tanked my immune system and made me a magnet for intestinal viruses. Back then, whenever I caught something, I would naturally throw up. This was all before the bulimia started.
But once I began intentionally inducing vomiting, I realized over time that spontaneous vomiting almost became impossible for me.
It's been nearly five years now, and I haven't vomited once from a stomach bug (those symptoms show up differently for me now). What's even stranger is that it doesn't happen from alcohol, either. If I drink, I can keep going as much as I want without ever throwing up. Even when I feel weak or dizzy, I just can't seem to vomit spontaneously. Usually, if I realize I've had too much, I have to force it because I'm worried about how it'll affect me...

So, is there a connection between training myself to vomit intentionally and losing the ability to do it naturally?

Honey, those two things aren't even related—I mean, you can't exactly force yourself to vomit on command, right? Or maybe it just didn't happen spontaneously this time!

But if you want my honest opinion, there are much more serious, much more important things you really ought to be worrying about. I’m telling you this because I struggled with bulimia myself—and just like you, it hadn't spiraled quite far enough to land me in a doctor's office. However, age eventually caught up with me, and it basically killed the God in me—it made sure I'd never do it again by making me stand outside the bathroom door, pretending to shower or do my makeup just to have some privacy while I... well, you know.

That was maybe 9 or 10 years ago now. Looking back, I see it as one of the biggest mistakes of my life, though I am fully aware that my relationship with my mother—who used to hit me, beat me, and belittle me constantly—was the root cause.

To be blunt, I deal with certain stomach issues today that I can only hope aren't linked to all that; I have gastritis, duodenitis, and I'm frequently undergoing endoscopies.

Beyond that, you're looking at real risks like osteoporosis or losing your menstrual cycle entirely...

I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing you—I truly understand where you're coming from—but please, just don't do this to yourself anymore. Try to sit down and have a real heart-to-heart with yourself about why this is happening. Please realize that life doesn't have to be perfect, and you are absolutely not to blame for any perceived flaws! And please, make the decision that if you're doing this just to maintain a certain weight, you'll find other ways to reach your goals—because I promise you, those ways actually exist.

Just so you know where I am now: I'm nearly 27, I weigh about 125 pounds at 5'7", I eat healthy—lots of fruit, veggies, lean protein, whole grains... and I stay active on my stationary bike. But I should clarify—the "look" I have now isn't what I was trying to achieve through bulimia. My body ended up becoming an instrument through which I subconsciously signaled that I simply didn't care anymore—that I could just disappear if I wanted to... mostly because it was so incredibly hard to endure the beatings, the insults, and the total lack of validation from my own mother.

If you ever need a word of support, some encouragement, or just some advice... I'm right here for you.

Warmly,🙂

You misunderstood me—bulimia is behind me now. I don't really purge anymore; at most, it’s an incredibly rare occurrence, which basically makes it a non-issue.

What puzzles me is how often I used to deal with stomach flu back in the day. It felt like I was getting hit by a virus at least twice a year, and of course, that led to spontaneous vomiting. Strangely enough, once my struggles with bulimia began, those random bouts of illness actually seemed to decrease. I used to think it was because I was purging intentionally, but even after that phase passed, I haven't had a single instance of spontaneous vomiting since.

So, for five years now, I haven't thrown up once—not from being sick and not from drinking. Before that period, though, those viruses were a regular part of my life.😕

I don't know, man. Just feels like one of those things where you gotta go with the flow. Sometimes you just gotta sit back and see how the chips fall. kaže:
So, I haven't had a single bout of vomiting—whether from some nasty flu or too many drinks—in five years straight. Before that, though, I was getting hit by those seasonal bugs at least twice a year. It’s wild how much things change. 😕

My old man used to go like fifteen minutes between bouts of puking... totally normal stuff. Honestly, the older you get, the tougher your system becomes. You aren't just catching every little bug going around like some kid does.

As far as booze goes, I’ve never been one to get sick. Honestly, I can go through a few rounds and still feel totally fine. 😁