From Starvation to Neurological Crisis: A Case of Wernicke's Encephalopathy Triggered by Laxative Abuse.

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neuropsychiatric disorder resulting from thiamine deficiency, most commonly associated with chronic alcohol use, but it can also arise from rare nonalcoholic etiologies such as anorexia nervosa. This report describes a case of WE in a 56-year-old female patient with anorexia nervosa and chronic laxative misuse, presenting with altered mental status, disorientation, visual disturbances, and ataxia. Clinical evaluation revealed severe malnutrition (BMI 15.