Eating disorders include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors that surround weight and food issues. These types of disorders include anorexia, bulima, and binge eating. They affect girls and boys, men and women, and cause serious emotional and physical problems that may be life threatening.
Anorexia nervosa is an illness in which you refuse to maintain a reasonable body weight, defined as at least 85% of the weight expected for your height and age. You have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming overweight, even though you are underweight. You also have disturbances in your perception of your own body weight and deny the seriousness of your own low body weight.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Megestrol
Off-Label Prescription Drug Breakthrough Option: Fluoxetine
People with serious binge eating problems eat an unusually large amount of food and feel that their eating is out of control. You may eat much more quickly than usual; eat unusually large amounts of food; eat alone because you’re embarrassed about your eating; and feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty about your overeating. Binge eating differs from bulimia nervosa in that bulimics purge (vomit or take diuretics or laxatives), fast, or exercise excessively to keep from gaining weight.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: None
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Naltrexone, Sibutramine, Topiramate
Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a disorder with recurrent episodes of binge eating. Binge eating lasts for a longer period of time than normal eating and is characterized by a sense of lack of control over eating. With BN, you also have recurring episodes of inappropriate behaviors to prevent gaining weight, such as self-induced vomiting; inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.
Commonly Prescribed (On-Label) Drugs: Fluoxetine
Off-Label Prescription Drugs Breakthrough Options: Desipramine, Imipramine, Phenelzine, Zoloft
Please enter a search term to begin your search.