Bulimia Eating Disorder by Ray Sahelian, M.D. - Information on Bulimia and Anorexia

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by periods of binge eating. In some cases, the person will compensate for this overeating by forcing vomiting; misusing laxatives, diuretics, or enemas; fasting; or excessive exercising. People with bulimia cannot control their eating and have a paralyzing fear of becoming fat. Bulimia is sometimes associated with anorexia.

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Bulimia Nervosa Treatment
The drug topiramate, usually used as an anti-seizure treatment, can reduce binging and purging in women with bulimia nervosa and improve their quality of life. The results are comparable to those seen with other medications used for bulimia patients, Dr. Marius K. Nickel, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. Topiramate would be most suitable as a short-term treatment, he added. The most important agent is the psychotherapy," he commented. Nickel of the Inntalklinik in Simbach am Inn, Germany, and his colleagues assigned 60 women with bulimia to 10 weeks of either daily topiramate treatment or inactive "placebo" treatment. The women, who were at least 18 years old and had bulimia for at least 1 year, kept weekly diaries of their binging and purging episodes. Eleven patients in the topiramate group showed a greater than 50 percent reduction in their frequency of binging and purging, compared with one patient in the placebo group, according to the team's report in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. On average, patients on the drug lost 3.8 kilograms more than patients on placebo. Patients given topiramate also showed a "much greater" improvement in health-related quality of life than those assigned to the placebo. "The lowered impairment in social and occupational activities...and the significantly improved emotional well-being...indicate essentially improved health and social life," the researchers write. While this study is the largest placebo-controlled investigation to date of topiramate for the treatment of bulimia nervosa, Nickel noted, it's still limited because of its small size and the fact that only moderate cases were included. SOURCE: International Journal of Eating Disorders, December 2005.

Symptom of Bulimia
Bulimia is associated with depression and other psychiatric disorders and shares symptoms with anorexia nervosa, another major eating disorder. Because many individuals with bulimia maintain a normal or above-normal body weight, they are able to keep their condition a secret for years.

Bulimia statistics
About 1 to 4% of females suffer from bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.

Sign of bulimia
Bulimia is a disorder centered around an individual’s obsession with food and weight. This obsession involves eating large quantities of food, feeling guilty about the food consumption, and taking drastic measures to prevent caloric/fat absorption. Measures vary with each individual and include one or all of the following: forced vomiting, abuse of laxatives or diuretics, or excessive exercise. Bulimia help.

Cause of bulimia
One cause of bulimia may be due to dissatisfaction with the shape of one's body and extreme concern with body size and shape. Usually individuals suffering from bulimia have low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness and a fear of becoming fat. Young women with bulimia may find their symptoms diminish after they get married or move in with a partner, but that doesn't mean the eating disorder is cured.

Hair Analysis for Bulimia or Anorexia
Scientists at Brigham Young University have developed a test that may be able to diagnose anorexia and bulimia by analyzing the nitrogen and carbon content of just a few strands of hair. Right now, diagnosis of these disorders relies heavily on the patients' honesty about their eating habits and body image. This is a significant obstacle because women with anorexia or bulimia often deny that they have a problem. For hair to grow, proteins have to be added to the base of the strand, and the composition of these proteins is influenced by diet. So each strand essentially contains a record of dietary intake over time. For their study, Hatch and his colleagues measured the carbon and nitrogen ratios in hair samples from 20 women with anorexia, bulimia or both, and from 23 healthy women. They found that the test was able to identify those with an eating disorder 80 percent of the time. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, November 30, 2006.

Bulimia Nervosa Research

Citalopram versus fluoxetine for the treatment of patients with bulimia nervosa: a single-blind randomized controlled trial.
Adv Ther. 2006 May-Jun;23(3):481-94. Department of Neurosciences Section of Psychiatry-University of Turin S. Giovanni Battista Hospital Turin, Italy.
The most studied and most frequently used pharmacologic treatments in bulimia nervosa are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), in particular, fluoxetine. Less is known about the efficacy of the other SSRIs. To compare fluoxetine with citalopram in the treatment of bulimic patients, 37 bulimic patients were randomized to receive fluoxetine (n=18) or citalopram (n=19). Both groups showed significant improvement in eating psychopathology, angry feelings, and clinical global impression. Patients in the fluoxetine group displayed a greater reduction in introjected anger, whereas those in the citalopram group displayed a greater reduction in depressive feelings. Both treatments showed some effect on outcome measures, but efficacy profiles did not overlap. Citalopram may be useful in depressed patients with bulimia nervosa, whereas fluoxetine is more specific for those with introjected anger and bulimia.

danger of bulimia effects of bulimia

Bulimia questions
Q. Could kava kava or 5-HTP be helpful in bulimia?
   A. I have not seen such research, but these supplements are worth trying under medical supervision. I would suggest not using Kava Kava more than 4 or 5 days a week, and it would be a good idea to take a week off each month.

Q. I developed bulimia / anorexia when i was thirteen. I had never had a period. I slowed my growth to an inch per year. Now I am recovering at age 15. I am still a lot shorter than everyone in my family and still have not gotten a period. If I eat healthy now, what are the chances I will achieve some catch-up growth? Do studies show that tens with ED earlier grow for a longer period of time or do they just stunt their growth permanantly?
   A. We have not studied this area of bulimia anorexia growth disorder and recovery.