Bupropion treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults

Article Abstract:

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly thought to occur mainly in childhood, but one-third of ADHD children continue to show signs of the disorder in adulthood. ADHD is characterized by inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity, with associated features such as low self-esteem, temper outbursts, mood swings, and low tolerance for frustration. ADHD adults are treated similarly to ADHD children, with stimulants being the treatment of choice. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which are antidepressant drugs, have been found to be somewhat helpful in treating ADHD adults, but their potential toxicity limits their use. Bupropion is another antidepressant which seems to have its effects via the dopamine neurotransmitter pathway, the same pathway believed to be affected by ADHD and by the stimulant therapy. Bupropion has been shown to be effective in treating ADHD children. To test the efficacy of bupropion in treating ADHD adults, 14 men and five women with diagnosed ADHD were put on this drug. Five patients could not tolerate even the lowest dose of bupropion, mainly because they experienced agitation. The remaining 14 patients who continued the drug showed moderate to dramatic improvement, with a decrease in severity of all their symptoms. Ten of these patients chose to remain on bupropion after the study; the other four had better results on their previous medications. A placebo-controlled, double-blind study should now be done to follow-up on these promising, but preliminary, results, because new drug therapies are needed to treat ADHD. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Demographic aspects, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Dopamine, Bupropion

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Successful treatment of nonpurging bulimia nervosa with desipramine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Article Abstract:

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by regular binge eating which is usually followed by purging, by either self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives. However, there is a subgroup of patients with this disorder who binge, but do not purge. Antidepressant medications such as desipramine have been found to be helpful in those with purging bulimia. This study examined the efficacy of this drug in 23 women with non-purging bulimia. All of the subjects had a history of binging behavior for at least one year, which occurred at least twice a week; all of the women considered themselves overweight and most of them were. For 12 weeks, 10 subjects were given desipramine and 13 subjects were given a placebo. The women had been screened prior to the trial for other mental disorders or medical problems. At follow-up, the number of weekly binge eating episodes was reduced by 63 percent in the women who received desipramine. Binge eating in the group receiving the placebo increased by 16 percent over the same time period. In addition, 60 percent of the drug-treated group, but only 15 percent of the placebo group, were able to refrain from binging completely by the end of the trial. Not only did the women receiving desipramine report fewer binging episodes, they also reported less hunger during the treatment period. Although these results are preliminary, they suggest that non-purging bulimics may benefit from desipramine treatment. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Eating disorders, Bulimia, Desipramine

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A controlled trial of desipramine in 18 men with posttraumatic stress disorder

Article Abstract:

Eighteen male U.S. veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) completed a four-week study comparing the administration of the antidepressant drug desipramine with a pill of no pharmacological value (placebo). Responses were measured using established rating scales for depression, anxiety and event impact. Overall, desipramine only affected some symptoms of depression; there were no changes in anxiety and other PTSD symptoms. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Depression, Mental, Depression (Mood disorder), Post-traumatic stress disorder

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