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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gardenergirl on December 22, 2004, at 0:37:19
Dr. Steinhauer:
First, thanks for agreeing to be our guest expert. It's always helpful.I was wondering if there was anything about Nardil (I have taken between 45 and 60 mg for over a year now for atypical depression) that might lead to binge eating. I know that weight gain is a common side effect, but I never used to binge before I went on Nardil. Now, it's as if I can actually feel the "void" in my brain that would normally tell me to stop eating or portion control. Hyperphagia was never a symptom for me prior to going on Nardil.
Any thoughts or is this just a coincidence with the timing? And any ideas on what can help combat this? I've tried setting a timer to not go back for seconds (or thirds or whatever) until the timer rings. This has worked a bit, but not as much as I would like.
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
gg
Posted by Dr. Beth Steinhauer on December 22, 2004, at 17:20:20
In reply to Steinhauer: Nardil and binge eating, posted by gardenergirl on December 22, 2004, at 0:37:19
Good question! It's certainly true that Nardil often causes weight gain. This class of antidepressants (MAO inhibitors, or MAOIs) has been used much less frequently in recent years, since the advent of SSRIs and other atypical antidepressants. Consequently, I haven't run into binge eating with my own patients, but that may be an artifact of using MAOIs so infrequently.
If the MAOI is working well for your depressive symptoms, I wouldn't want you to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Parnate is another brand of MAOI that may cause less weight gain. Also on the horizon is an MAOI patch, which reportedly caused many fewer side effects in research trials. However, I don't know how soon it will make it to market.
It's possible that, since current MAOIs require dietary restrictions (a diet low in tyramine), many psychiatrists are not using these medicines in patients with eating disorder histories, and that's why there's little data available.
In the meantime, "Overcoming Binge Eating" by Christopher Fairburn is an excellent book that may help you with behavioral strategies. Good luck! ES
Posted by gardenergirl on December 23, 2004, at 7:44:49
In reply to Re: Steinhauer: Nardil and binge eating, posted by Dr. Beth Steinhauer on December 22, 2004, at 17:20:20
This is the end of the thread.
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