title: Marked symptom reduction in two women with bulimia nervosa treated with the testosterone receptor antagonist flutamide.
abstract: Previous reports indicate that elevated serum levels of androgens in women may contribute to the development of bulimia nervosa and other conditions characterized by impaired impulse control and/or depressed mood. This report describes the effect of treatment with the testosterone antagonist flutamide (250-500 mg daily) in two women with severe bulimia. Both subjects reported a marked improvement with respect to bulimic behaviour within a week after initiation of flutamide treatment; when the drug was withdrawn, both patients relapsed. It is concluded that further investigations of the possible efficacy of androgen antagonism in eating disorders are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005485:Flutamide / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013739:Testosterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D005485:Flutamide; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D013739:Testosterone