Do Antidepressants Prevent Relapse of Anorexia?

As many as 50% of those with anorexia who have had successful initial treatment and adequate weight restoration relapse within the first year following recovery. This has prompted doctors to look for medication interventions for those recovering from anorexia to prevent relapse.

Because many of these patients also suffer from depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder, both of which respond to antidepressant therapy, these drugs have often been used with the hope that they might also help to prevent relapse of anorexia.

But a recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests otherwise. Participants in the study had all recently been treated for anorexia, with restoration of weight to a minimum body mass index of 19. Half were begun on fluoxetine, an antidepressant commonly used to treat bulimia, and half were started on a placebo (an inactive medication). Over the course of one year's time, there was a similar rate of relapse in anorexia in both groups.

Research authors concluded that antidepressants such as fluoxetine are not likely to be beneficial in preventing relapse in most people with recently treated anorexia. Further research is needed to determine whether antidepressants given at a later time in recovery rather than immediately following initial treatment-might be more successful in preventing relapse.