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.Abstract Teaser