Abstract
The efficacy of venlafaxine and fluoxetine in the treatment of atypical anorexia nervosa (AN) was compared in a controlled trial. A consecutive series of 24 atypical anorectic females was assigned to either venlafaxine (75 mg/day) or fluoxetine (40 mg/day) plus cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Eating Disorder Examination (EDE12.0D), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores were compared before and after 6 months of treatment. Venlafaxine and fluoxetine determined an increase of body mass index (BMI) and a significant reduction of EDE12.0D and BDI scores venlafaxine alone reduced STAI scores. It would seem that venlafaxine is as effective as fluoxetine when combined with CBT in the treatment of atypical AN.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bunnel D.W., Shenker I.R., Nussbaum N.T., Jacobson M.S., Cooper P.: Subclinical versus formal eating disorders: Differentiating psychological features. Int. J. Eating Disord., 9, 357–362, 1990.
Herzog D.B., Hopkins J.D., Bums C.D.: A follow-up study of 33 subdiagnostic cating disordered women. Int. J. Eating Disord., 14, 261–267, 1993.
American Psychiatry Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 3th ed., revised. Washington DC., A.P.A. Press, 1987.
American Psychiatry Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., Washington DC., A.P.A. Press, 1994.
Dancyger I.F., Garfinkel P.E.: The relationship of partial syndrome eating disorders to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Psychol. Med., 25, 1019–1025, 1995.
Cotrufo P., Barretta V., Monteleone P., Maj M.: Full-syndrome, partial-syndrome and subclinical eating disorders: an epidemiological study of female students in Southern Italy. Acta Psychiatr. Scand., 98, 112–115, 1998.
Shisslak C.M., Crago M., Yates A.: Typical pattems in atypical anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatics 30, 307–311, 1989.
Mitrany E.: Atypical eating disorders. J. Adolesc. Health, 13, 400–402, 1992.
Walters E.E., Kendler K.S.: Anorexia nervosa and anorexic-like syndromes in a population-based female twin sample. Am. J. Psychiatry, 152, 64–71, 1995.
Walsh B.T., Devlin M.J.: The pharmachological treatment of eating disorders. In: Shaffer D. (Ed.) Psychiatric clinics of North America. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 1992, pp. 149–160.
Wood A.: Pharmacotherapy of bulimia nervosa-experience with fluoxetine. Int. Clin. Psychopharmacol., 8, 295–299, 1993.
Kaye W.H., Weltzin T.E., Hsu G., et al.: Relapse prevention with fluoxetine in anorexia nervosa: a double-blind placebocontrolled study. In: New Research program and abstracts of the 150th annual meeting of the AM Psych. Association, May 21, 1997, San Diego, CA. (abstract no. 405: 178).
Joffe R.T., Marshall A.M., Lee D.K.: A large open-label study of venlafaxine in depressed outpatients by community-based physicians. J. Clin. Psychol., 59, 515–520, 1999.
Ravindran A.V., Charbonneau Y., Zaharia M.D., et al.: Efficacy and tolerability of venlafaxine in the treatment of primary dysthymia. J. Psychiatry Neurosci., 23, 288–292, 1998.
Costa S., Silva J.: Randomized, double-blind comparison of venlafaxine and fluoxetine in outpatients with major depression. J. Clin. Psychol., 59, 352–357, 1998.
Garner D.M., Bemis K.M.: Cognitive therapy for anorexia nervosa. In: Garner D.M., Garfinkel P.E. (Eds.) Handbook of psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. New York, Guilford Press, 1984, pp. 107–146.
Fairburn C.G., Cooper Z.: The eating disorder examination, 12th ed. In: Fairburn C.G., Wilson G.T. (Eds.) Binge eating: Nature, assessment and treatment. New York, Guilford Press, 1993, pp. 317–360.
Mannucci E., Ricca V., Di Bernardo M., Rotella C.M.: Studio del comportamento alimentare con una intervista strutturata: la Eating Disorder Examination. Il Diabete, 8, 127–131, 1996.
Beck A.T., Ward C.H., Mendelson M., Mock J., Erbaugh J.: An inventory for measuring depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 5, 561–571, 1961.
Spielberg C.D., Gorsuch R.L., Lushene R.E.: Manual for the state trait anxiety inventory (self evaluation questionnaire). Palo Alto, CA, Consulting Psychologists Press, 1970.
Garattini S., Bizzi A., Caccia S., et al.: Progress in assessing the role of serotonin in the controi of food intake. Clin. Neuropharmacol. 11 (Suppl. 1), S8–S32, 1988.
Kishchuk N., Gagnon G., Belisle D., Laurendau M.C.: Sociodemographic and psychological correlates of actual and desired weight insufficiency in general population. Int. J. Eating Disord., 12, 73–81, 1992.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ricca, V., Mannucci, E., Paionni, A. et al. Venlafaxine versus fluoxetine in the treatment of atypical anorectic outpatients: A preliminary study. Eat Weight Disord 4, 10–14 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341582
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341582