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A Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Patrick L. Hughes, MD; Lloyd A. Wells, PhD, MD; Carol J. Cunningham, MS; Duane M. Ilstrup, MS

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986;43(2):182-186.

Abstract
• A controlled study in patients with bulimia demonstrated a significant benefit from desipramine hydrochloride treatment (91% decrease in binge frequency) in contrast to the results from a placebo (19% increase in frequency). When patients originally taking the placebo crossed over to desipramine therapy, their frequency of binges decreased 84%, so that the overall improvement was 87% fewer binges. Global clinical status improved 3.5 scales, Zung depression scores improved 8.0 points, and a bulimia symptom scale improved 14.7 points. Fifteen (68%) of 22 patients attained complete abstinence from binge eating and purging. The presence or absence of previous episodes of anorexia nervosa did not influence the treatment response. One-month follow-up data indicated persistence of the benefit attained.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology (Drs Hughes and Wells and Ms Cunningham) and the Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology (Mr Ilstrup), Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minn.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication April 21, 1985.

Read in part before the First International Conference on Eating Disorders, New York, April 8, 1984; and the 137th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Los Angeles, May 1984.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (Dr Wells).

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