The symptoms of bulimia and the menstrual cycle

A group of 45 women meeting DSM-III diagnostic criteria for bulimia were followed for a 9-week period to assess a possible relationship between a premenstrual syndrome and exacerbations of binging and other eating problem behaviors. A possible interface with a cyclothymic behavior disorder was also evaluated. The results of the daily recording (with subjects blind to the study hypotheses) identified eight women with a premenstrual pattern, but these changes in mood and physical complaints were unrelated to changes in food consumption. A cyclothymic behavior pattern was found in 10 women (22.2%), with a relatively earlier age of onset of bulimia in this group.