I’ve just finished watching this story on CTV news.
Apparently, researchers have had some success with a pilot study involving the use of an anti-psychotic drug, olanzapine, in the treatment of anorexia.
The drug reduces the anxiety anorexics have surrounding food and eating, and coupled with intensive therapy, there has been some success.
That the researchers are having any success is quite miraculous. From the article:
The drug has given Drs and therapists an opportunity to help some very sick women.
I’m hopeful that this drug will wind up being widely successful in treating those with this disease.
There’s a lot of work going on in this area. Johnson & Johnson has a drug called Topamax (an anti-epileptic) that’s apparently being used in clinical trials for eating disorders successfully.
I’m not familiar with the pharmacology (nor am I a J&J employee), I just happened to run across the discussion on a work project.
Oh my. I’m glad to hear that contemporary medicine might be able to put a dent in yet another disorder. It must be horrible to have to live with such a distorted self-view.
Is there any possibility that something like this could also help someone with bulimia? Or is there not much in common between the two disorders? Forgive my ignorance on the subject.
Actually, anorexia and bulimia are quite different in pathology.
My understanding is that anti-depressants (such as Prozac) have been fairly successful in treating bulimia. Bulimia and depression being both related and co-morbid in many cases.
What a god send this drug would be. I imagine the only problem would be getting one suffering to take it, as it’s often hard for an anorexic to accept the problem and want to fix it. After enough time, it becomes a part of your identity and who you are, and it becomes extremely hard to let go. As much pain as you may be causing yourself, there’s a part of you that doesn’t want to let go, hence the common occurence of relapse. I’m not guessing, it’s been a part of me for about eight years now, and I’d welcome any drug that would help me battle it.
My understanding is that patients that have been hospitalized canbe given the medication automatically, without consenting - the whole “danger to yourself” clause.
The drug then helps the patient with the fear surounding food and weight, leaving them more open to other treatments - I believe they said it provides a “window of opportunity.”
I hope you get some help for your illness - I know it’s very difficult to deal with.
Anorexia, anorexia…is that the one where you read food labels backwards? No, wait. Dysplasia? No, that’s the one where you can’t find your hips with both hands. Aww, jeets. Lysdexia socks. Prise Dog!
What horrifies me is how young some of the girls are (boys, too I’m sure, but the disease seems to affect girls more often). Ten-year old girls worried about how fat they are. It’s very sad.
I know - one of the girls mentioned in the article was severely anorexic by the time she was 11! Yikes. I went to highschool with a girl that had been hospitalized in Jr. High because of anorexia - that makes her only 12 or 13.
I believe that there would need to be a court order surrounding this—in Massachusetts, a patient can be ‘forced’ to take antipsychotic medications if it is judged that they are not competant to decide on their own to take it—it’s called a Roger’s Monitor here. Still, I think it would be fairly easy to prove incompetance around this one area—a Roger’s monitor does not assume that the patient is incompetant in all areas and therefore in need of guardianship.
Perhaps there are also more like ** gobbles** who would welcome it. Best of luck in your recovery—been there, know how it sucks.
Oh, I just realized that Olanzapine is Zyprexa. This medication causes huge amounts of weight gain in many patients—as a side effect, not from merely reducing food-related anxiety. Surely that would be counter-productive? I mean, it would be a horrible blow to someone who’s entire existence centered around the control of food and body to suddenly gain weight uncontrollably. At least that’s what I believe.
Well lorene - know in crisis situations - eg - a psychotic break due to schizophrenia - Drs medicate first and ask questions later. If you have someone stark-raving-mad at your hospital doorstep usually the first action is to eliminate danger to yourself, your other patients and the patient affected - drugs can do this rather quickly for many patients.
I assume anorexics could be considered in this category - meaning on an outpatient basis a court order would be neccessary to mandiate drug compliance (although the typical drug course for this is about 6 months - 1 year for younger patients), if the patient is hospitalized I think druging is considered a normal part of treatment - no court order is necessary.
Actually lorinda that particular side effect was listed as a positive by many of the Drs involved.
Obviously, many of the girls/women treated are literally at death’s door. 2 or 3 pounds lighter and their hearts would give out. Because the drug reduces the anxiety associated with weight-gain, the extra pounds it puts on the patients are regarded as a positive.
The test patients are reported to have adjusted “well” to side effects, including weight gain. (Not to mention consitipation - however, most anorexics that are hospitalized are so thin they’re already consitipated - no huge change there.)
in reference to the weight gain this drug may cause, I can say, while I may welcome the help the drug would give, I would have a problem accepting that I would be willingly gaining weight (in addition to the recovery weight that would be required). of course, from the way it sounds, the drug does curb the anxiety about gaining weight, so it may all come full circle, and all problems would be solved. but I have repeatedly gone off various medications (used to treat other “issues”) due only to weight gain, regardless whether or not they work.
i do appreciate your kind thoughts in reference to my post. thanks!
