Introduction
Eating disorders present highly prevalent diseases in modern patients, especially among adolescents and young adults. The most common forms of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Eating disorders are sourced from social and psychological factors; therefore, psychotherapy is prioritized in treating patients with eating disorders over psychopharmacologic treatment.
Discussion
Moreover, the use of medications in treating eating disorders is avoided due to the possible adverse effects medications can cause on a patient’s kidney. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by significant weight loss and restricted amounts of calories patients allow themselves to eat. Thus, the main goal of treatment for patients with AN is to restore healthy nutrition, which cannot be achieved through pharmacological treatment. Therefore, the recommended treatment option for patients with AN is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) which has shown promising results in trials (Grave et al., 2021). Furthermore, depending on the patients’ age, family-based treatment can be recommended for adolescents.
Next, bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by episodes of overeating and purging. Patients with BN face increased risks of dehydration and digestive issues; therefore, the recommended treatment options prioritize the prevention of overeating and purging through regular meals. In this case, antidepressants such as Fluoxetine can be used to provide additional help in nutrition therapy by reducing the number of binge-eating and purging episodes (Grave et al., 2021). Lastly, treatment for binge eating disorder targets the prevention of binge eating episodes to prevent an increase in the risks of diabetes and hypertension (Grave et al., 2021). In addition to CBT, treatment options for BED include interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Conclusion
The use of medications such as lisdexamfetamine is recommended for reducing the number of binge-eating episodes and additional help in weight reduction (Grave et al., 2021). Thus, pharmacological treatment in patients with eating disorders focuses on providing assistance with psychotherapy.
Reference
Grave, R. D., Sartirana, M., Sermattei, S., & Calugi, S. (2021). Treatment of eating disorders in adults versus adolescents: Similarities and differences. Clinical Therapeutics, 43(1), 70-84. Web.