Antidepressant treatment of bulimia: the relationship between bingeing and depressive symptomatology.
In a retrospective study, 22 patients with bulimia were treated with at least one therapeutic trial of antidepressants. Most patients (77%) were clinically depressed before the drug trial. Bingeing frequency decreased in 59% of all cases, and depression improved in 58% of depressed subjects after a 4-week trial of antidepressants, although only 27% of all patients showed both an antibinge and an antidepressant response. Furthermore, during a 3-month follow-up period, several patients relapsed despite continuing medication. At the end of the follow-up period, 23% of subjects continued to show at least a 50% decrease in their bingeing. These data indicate that medication may have separate and possibly unrelated antibinge and antidepressant effects in this patient population.
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000928:Antidepressive Agents