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Effectiveness of fluoxetine therapy in bulimia nervosa regardless of comorbid depression
Author(s) -
Goldstein David J.,
Wilson Michael G.,
Ascroft Richard C.,
AlBanna Mahir
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199901)25:1<19::aid-eat3>3.0.co;2-3
Subject(s) - fluoxetine , bulimia nervosa , binge eating , depression (economics) , psychology , vomiting , placebo , psychiatry , medicine , eating disorders , serotonin , receptor , alternative medicine , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
Objective To evaluate fluoxetine efficacy in the treatment of bulimia nervosa patients with or without comorbid depression. Method Two parallel, multicenter, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled fluoxetine clinical trials were retrospectively analyzed to determine the effect of comorbid depression on bulimia treatment response. Patients were stratified by their 21‐item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD 21 ) scores at baseline and by the presence or absence of historical or current depression. Change from baseline to endpoint in the number of binge eating and vomiting episodes was used to assess efficacy. Results Fluoxetine 60 mg treatment statistically significantly reduced ( p < .05) the median number of binge eating and vomiting episodes. These improvements were independent of baseline HAMD 21 score and of historical or current comorbid depression diagnosis. Discussion Fluoxetine 60 mg was effective in treating bulimia nervosa, regardless of the presence or absence of comorbid depression. Fluoxetine's efficacy in treating bulimia nervosa is not simply a secondary effect of its antidepressant properties. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25:19–27, 1999.