Antidepressant treatment of bulimia: preliminary experience and practical recommendations

Bulimia--the syndrome of compulsive binge-eating--often proves refractory to standard therapeutic techniques. However, several recent uncontrolled reports and one placebo-controlled study have suggested that bulimia may often respond to antidepressant medications. The present report amplifies on the existing literature with data from 65 consecutive bulimic patients treated with a variety of antidepressants, and offers practical recommendations for pharmacological treatment of bulimia, derived from experience in our center.