Relapse prevention and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication in two adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Clinicians and researchers have long struggled to find effective treatments for people with anorexia nervosa (AN). Although most clinical guidance suggests that selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication is not an effective first-line treatment for AN, in practice, these medicines continue to be frequently prescribed for comorbid diagnoses.

In this case report, two adolescents who were in sustained remission from AN either relapsed or began to decline significantly once their dose of SSRI medication was tapered.

In Case A, despite a very slow and measured taper, this child dropped significant weight in a short amount of time after the medication was discontinued. Fortunately for Case B, symptoms emerged before the taper was complete, and providers could quickly increase the dose of medication early in her struggle with AN thoughts and urges.

A brief review of literature regarding SSRI medication use in AN is presented along with considerations for future research.