Do citalopram bulimia treatments work safely and effectively?  How successful is drug therapy in the treatment of eating disorders such as bulimia? 

Before we discuss citalopram bulimia treatments, we must first understand how eating disorders and depression are related.

The link between depression and eating disorders
For many people who are living with an eating disorder, such as bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa, depression is also a part of daily life. Research shows that eating disorders are strongly tied to emotional disorders, including:

• Depression

• Anxiety disorders

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Health care professionals have even discovered that many people with an eating disorder had suffered from depressive symptoms long before they ever exhibited problems with food and eating. After health care professionals and therapists began to see the strong link between these two disabling conditions, they wondered if treating the depressive symptoms might also treat the eating disorder. So far, the answer appears to be yes.

What are citalopram bulimia treatments?
Citalopram, or Celexa, is an anti-depressant medication made by Forest Laboratories. It is in a class of drugs called SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. Simply put, this means that Celexa helps establish and maintain the proper levels of serotonin, a “feel-good” brain chemical. By keeping serotonin levels in check, Celexa can alleviate the sad feelings associated with depression and other mood disorders.

In citalopram treatments for bulimia, citalopram (Celexa) is prescribed to help fight the bulimia by also treating the depression.

Is citalopram bulimia treatment effective?

• Studies show that citalopram is very effective in helping bulimia patients who also suffer from depression. In fact, research has shown that it may be more effective than other types of anti-depressants, including fluoxetine (Prozac).
• Studies have shown that citalopram significantly reduced binge eating in bulimia patients.
• In addition to helping with bulimia, citalopram may also help with other eating disorders, as it helps to improve body image in anorexic patients.

Many doctors believe that the best way to tackle an eating disorder like bulimia is to treat the underlying psychological causes of eating disorders first. So far, citalopram bulimia treatments hold a lot of promise for succeeding with this strategy by relieving symptoms of depression safely and effectively.

How does citalopram bulimia treatment fit into an integrative bulimia treatment strategy?
While citalopram treatments are highly effective, doctors caution against seeing any drug, such as citalopram, as a magic bullet that cures the disorder all by itself.  Drug therapy like citalopram treatment should be just one piece of a multi-faceted approach to combating bulimia and other eating disorders. The most effective use of drug therapy is in combination with some type of psychotherapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy or cognitive analytic therapy.

Other information about citalopram bulimia treatments:

• Relief from depression symptoms usually occurs within 1 to 4 weeks of beginning drug therapy.

• Citalopram reportedly has fewer side effects than other anti-depressants; some side effects are: nausea, dry mouth, insomnia, and drowsiness.

To learn more about bulimia and other eating disorders, please see our home page.