Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of reboxetine, a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, in the treatment of obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED). Method: Nine outpatients with BED and obesity received reboxetine 8 mg/day for 12 weeks. The number of days with binge eating episodes per week was considered the primary outcome measure. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), Binge Eating Scale (BES), Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) scores were used as secondary outcome measures. Paired t-test with the last observation carried forward was used to analyze changes from baseline to endpoint. Results: Five patients completed the study and showed a complete remission of BED. The mean binge days per week was significantly reduced from 4.6±1.8 to 0.2±0.6, at the end of the study (p=0.0002). Mean BES scores were decreased from 32.3±6.3 to 9.3±6.8 (p=0.0003). There was also a statistically significant decrease in BMI (from 36.5±4.48 to 35.06±4.49; p=0.01), and in CGI-S (from 5.1±0.9 to 1.4±1.01; p=0.0002). Quality of life, assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF was significantly improved on overall quality of life and general health (p=0.02) and on psychological (p=0.03) domain. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusion: Reboxetine may be an effective and well-tolerated agent in the treatment of BED in obese patients.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ed 4. Washington, DC, APA, 1994.
Spitzer R.L., Devlin M., Walsh B.T., et al.: Binge Eating disorder: a multisite field trial of the diagnostic criteria. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 11, 191–203, 1992.
Mayer L.E.S., Walsh T.: The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in eating disorders. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 59 (suppl 15), 28–34, 1998.
Hudson J.I., McElroy S.L., Raymond NC, Crow S., Keck P.E. Jr., Carter W.P., Mitchell J.E.: Fluvoxamine in the treatment of binge eater disorder: a multicenter, placebo- controlled double-blind trial. Am. J. Psychiatry, 155, 1756–1762, 1998.
McElroy S., Casuto L.S., Nelson E.B., Lake K.A., Soutullo C.A., Keck P.E. Jr., Hudson J.I.: Placebo-controlled trial of sertraline in the treatment of binge eating disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry, 157, 1004–1006, 2000.
Arnold L.M., McElroy S.L., Hudson J.I., Welge J.A., Bennet A.J., Keck Jr. P.E.: A placebo-controlled, randomized trial of fluoxetine in the treatment of binge eating disorder. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 63, 1028–1033, 2002.
Hughes P.L., Wells L.A., Cunningham C.J., Ilstrup D.M.: Treating bulimia with desipramine: a doubleblind, placebo-controlled study. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 43, 182–186, 1986.
MacCann U.D., Agras W.S.: Successful treatment of 2nonpurging bulimia nervosa with desipramine: a double- blind, placebo-controlled study. Am. J. Psychiatry, 147, 1509–1513, 1990.
Malhotra S., King K.H., Welge J.A., Brusman-Lovis L., McElroy S.L.: Venlafaxina treatment of binge eating disorder associated with obesity: a series of 35 patients. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 63, 802–806, 2002.
Appolinário J.C., Godoy-Matos A., Fontenelle L.F., Carraro L., Cabral M., Vieira A., Coutinho W.: An open-label trial of sibutramine in obese patients with binge-eating disorder. J Clin. Psychiatry, 63, 802–806, 2002.
Appolinário J.C., Bacaltchuck J., Sichieri R., Claudino A.M., Godoy-Matos A., Morgan C., Zanella M.T., Coutinho W.: A randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study of sibutramine in the treatment of binge-eating disorder. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 60, 1109–1116, 2003.
Horne R.L., Ferguson J.M., Pope H.G. Jr., Hudson J.I., Lineberry C.G., Ascher J., Cato A.: Treatment of bulimia with bupropion: a multicenter controlled trial. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 49, 262–266, 1988.
Montgomery S.A., Schatzberg A.F.: Reboxetine: a new selective antidepressant for the treatment of depression. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 59 (suppl 14), 3, 1998.
El-Giamal N., de Zwaan M., Bailer U., Schussler P., Strnad A., Kasper S.: Reboxetine in the treatment of bulimia nervosa: a report of seven cases. Int. Clin. Psychopharmacol., 15, 351–356, 2000.
Gormally J., Black S., Daston S., Rardin D.: The assessment of binge eating severity among obese persons. Addict. Behav., 7, 47–55, 1982.
Sheehan D., Lecrubier Y., Sheehan K.H., Amorim P., Janavs J., Weiller E., Hergueta T., Baker R., Dunbar G.C.: The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSMIV and ICD-10. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 59 (suppl 20), 22–33, 1998.
Fleck M.P.A., Louzada S., Xavier M., Chachamovich E., Vieira G., Santos L., Pinzon V.: Application of the portuguese version of the abbreviated instrument of quality of life WHOQOL-bref. Rev. Saúde Pública, 34, 178–183, 2000.
McElroy S.L. Arnold L.M., Shapira N.A., Keck Jr P.E., Rosenthal N.R., Karim M.R., Kamin M., Hudson J.I.: Topiramate in the treatment of binge eating disorder associated with obesity: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am. J. Psychiatry, 160, 255–261, 2003.
Stunkard A., Berkowitz R., Tanrikut C., Reiss E., Young L.: d-Fenfluramine treatment of binge eating disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry, 153, 1455–1459, 1996.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Silveira, R.O., Zanatto, V., Appolinário, J.C. et al. An open trial of reboxetine in obese patients with binge eating disorder. Eat Weight Disord 10, e93–e96 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327498
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327498