A blinded laxative taper for patients with eating disorders

To evaluate a blinded laxative taper, supervised entirely by pharmacists, in eating disorder patients with laxative dependency.

All subjects received a blinded laxative taper according to a set protocol, in addition to the usual treatment for their eating disorder. No specific treatment was given for laxative dependency other than the pharmacist's supervisions of the blinded taper.

Ten patients were enrolled, of whom seven completed the study. Five of the seven patients (71%) decreased their laxative intake by at least 50%. Of these seven patients, three withdraw completely from laxative use.

A standardized blinded laxative taper shows promise as a treatment option for laxative dependency in patients with eating disorders. The laxative taper may be less costly and more available than inpatient or psychologically based treatment because it can be given on an outpatient basis under the supervision of a pharmacist.