Successful treatment of nonpurging bulimia nervosa with desipramine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. 1990

U D McCann, and W S Agras
Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Calif.

Twenty-three women with nonpurging bulimia underwent a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of desipramine hydrochloride. Repeated standardized rating scales, mood assessments, and self-reports of dietary habits were used to measure changes in binge frequency and cognitive processes associated with food intake. The women who received desipramine reduced their frequency of binge eating by 63%, but women receiving placebo increased their frequency of binge eating by 16%. Twelve weeks after initiating treatment, 60% of the treatment group but only 15% of the placebo group abstained from binge eating. The women who received desipramine showed significantly more dietary restraint and reported significantly less hunger, suggesting that desipramine acts to suppress appetite. These preliminary findings suggest that the therapeutic effects of desipramine established in the treatment of purging bulimia nervosa extend to patients with nonpurging bulimia.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010043 Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care Evaluation procedures that focus on both the outcome or status (OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT) of the patient at the end of an episode of care - presence of symptoms, level of activity, and mortality; and the process (ASSESSMENT, PROCESS) - what is done for the patient diagnostically and therapeutically. Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care),Donabedian Model,Donabedian Triad,Outcome and Process Assessment,Structure Process Outcome Triad,Model, Donabedian,Triad, Donabedian
D010919 Placebos Any dummy medication or treatment. Although placebos originally were medicinal preparations having no specific pharmacological activity against a targeted condition, the concept has been extended to include treatments or procedures, especially those administered to control groups in clinical trials in order to provide baseline measurements for the experimental protocol. Sham Treatment
D002032 Bulimia Eating an excess amount of food in a short period of time, as seen in the disorder of BULIMIA NERVOSA. It is caused by an abnormal craving for food, or insatiable hunger also known as "ox hunger". Binge Eating,Bulimias,Eating, Binge
D003891 Desipramine A tricyclic dibenzazepine compound that potentiates neurotransmission. Desipramine selectively blocks reuptake of norepinephrine from the neural synapse, and also appears to impair serotonin transport. This compound also possesses minor anticholinergic activity, through its affinity to muscarinic receptors. Desmethylimipramine,Apo-Desipramine,Demethylimipramine,Desipramine Hydrochloride,Norpramin,Novo-Desipramine,Nu-Desipramine,PMS-Desipramine,Pertofran,Pertofrane,Pertrofran,Petylyl,Ratio-Desipramine,Apo Desipramine,Hydrochloride, Desipramine,Novo Desipramine,Nu Desipramine,PMS Desipramine,Ratio Desipramine
D004311 Double-Blind Method A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment. Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D004435 Eating The consumption of edible substances. Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006815 Hunger The desire for FOOD generated by a sensation arising from the lack of food in the STOMACH.
D001066 Appetite Natural recurring desire for food. Alterations may be induced by APPETITE DEPRESSANTS or APPETITE STIMULANTS. Appetite Alterations,Alteration, Appetite,Alterations, Appetite,Appetite Alteration,Appetites

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