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Marked symptom reduction in two women with bulimia nervosa treated with the testosterone receptor antagonist flutamide
Author(s) -
Bergman L,
Eriksson E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1996.tb09838.x
Subject(s) - flutamide , bulimia nervosa , antagonist , testosterone (patch) , medicine , psychology , mood , endocrinology , impulsivity , androgen , eating disorders , androgen receptor , hormone , psychiatry , receptor , prostate cancer , cancer
Previous reports indicate that elevated serum levels of androgens in women may contribute to the development of bulimia nervosa and other conditions characterized by impaired impulse control and/or depressed mood. This report describes the effect of treatment with the testosterone antagonist flutamide (250–500 mg daily) in two women with severe bulimia. Both subjects reported a marked improvement with respect to bulimic behaviour within a week after initiation of flutamide treatment; when the drug was withdrawn, both patients relapsed. It is concluded that further investigations of the possible efficacy of androgen antagonism in eating disorders are warranted.