Drug may help anorexia sufferers: study (not new news, but new study)

[HuckleB]

Drug may help anorexia sufferers: study

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Drug-may-help-anorexia-sufferers-study/2005/05/26/1116950804903.html?oneclick=true

"A drug used by schizophrenia patients may dampen destructive thoughts in women with anorexia nervosa, a pilot study suggests.

Australian researchers compared anorexia patients taking the drug olanzapine with a control group of women on another anti-psychotic medication.

They found the olanzapine reduced anxieties about food, shape and weight by about 54 per cent compared with nine per cent for those on the other drug, chlorpromazine.

Sydney University clinical psychology professor Stephen Touyz an author of the study, said he believed olanzapine was the first drug showing evidence of having a major impact in the treatment of anorexia.

..."

[ret5hd]

1. i dunno...

pot and a room full of burritos, burgers and fries might help too.

(i know i know...don't get all indignant on me)

[HuckleB]

2. I get the joke.

But appetite is not the issue with anorexia. Alas, I would be able to laugh at the joke, but there is at least one physician in Oregon who has prescribed medical marijuana for patients with anorexia. In my mind, that's malpractice.

[ret5hd]

3. hence the "i know i know..." addendum to my post.

but, i guess i knew it wouldn't work.

and as far as the oregon doctor (i know nothing of the case)...
did he prescribe it and then monitor the situation to document any effects or lack thereof, thereby either:
a)giving other doctors knowledge of a further tool in their meager arsenal against this disease
or
b)saving other doctors from wasting their time with a useless treatment?

was it tried as a last resort to a dire situation?

without knowing more, i could hardly agree that this amounted to malpractice.

[HuckleB]

5. He is a general practitioner.

Who should know that his goal (increasing appetite) with prescribing this is not a part of the underlying disease. I know that this practitioner received educational material on the latest knowledge in regard to anorexia prior to the actions that he took. Further, his prescription was the only treatment he presented to the patients in question. Two of whom ended up in the hospital in less than two months time, as their condition deteriorated under his "care."

This is a deadly disease, and experimenting in general practice by someone who clearly knows little about the disease is malpractice. He did not seek consultation. He did not refer to specialists, which would have been the thing to do "as a last resort in a dire situation." He did not utilize even older treatments. What's more, at least one of the patients faced substance abuse as an issue. Add it all up, and I see no question about the poor care offered to these patients.

[Pepperbelly]

10. did it work?

Just curious ...

[HuckleB]

11. No.

The practice doesn't treat the underlying issues. How could it have worked? I've been a part of a team that has treated three of his former patients in the past six months, all of whom ended up in the hospital under his care. Please read the posts above for more information.

[SmokingJacket]

4. Also known as Zyprexa

This could be a great thing.

I wonder, does it mean that anorexia is a kind of psychosis? It certainly felt like it at the time.

[HuckleB]

6. That's one of the underlying thoughts in regard to this treatment.

That the body image distortion and intense thoughts regarding food may be a form of delusional thought processes.

[sam sarrha]

7. 3rd world cultures where Plump is "IN" suffer anorexia when Barbie dolls

are introduced to little girls...

I think they are 'Processed' with evil spirits...

Barbie's were designed after the dimensions of a popular Swedish blow up sex doll...in the 50's ewu!!

[Celebration]

8. using heat as a treatment

I think I might try this first...............


Eat Weight Disord. 2001 Mar;6(1):49-52.


Heat in the treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa.

Gutierrez E, Vazquez R.

Departamento de Psicologia Clinica y Psicobiologia, Facultad de Psicologia, Campus Universitario Sur, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The paper presents the results of heat treatment in three cases of anorexia nervosa (AN), in which marked overactivity and/or strenuous exercising were prominent clinical features. Heat was supplied in three ways: continuous exposure to a warm environment, wearing a thermal waistcoat, and sauna baths in an infrared cabin. The outcomes went far beyond what had been expected, as the disappearance of hyperactivity was followed by progressive recovery.


PMID: 11300546

In Israel, doctors are getting good results with eating disorders using large amounts of myoinositol. I think there are some studies on zinc as well.

[HuckleB]

9. Heat in general is used quite extensively as part of a holistic care.

Most anorexics in acute situations are hypothermic, and so the use of heat makes great practical sense physiologically. And zinc is also a part of holistic care, at this point. Yoga has been shown to be invaluable, as well, among other therapies. Group therapy, for example, shows much promise, while individual therapy shows much less positive results.

However, the use of atypical antipsychotics has been shown to be a valuable piece of the puzzle in a number of studies, and in practice. This is a difficult disease, which needs many pieces of treatment.

[Celebration]

12. Is yoga helpful?

Certain yoga positions can open up the chakras. I wouldn't be surprised but that there are major chakra issues with people with anorexia. At this point this is probably outide the "science" box for posting so I won't go into detail.

[HuckleB]

13. A few preliminary studies indicate that it is.

Here is the most recent:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=24619

Anecdotally, I can say that many of the anorexic patients I work with feel that Yoga is very helpful, especially in the post-acute phase.

[HuckleB]

14. Another interesting study, though the news isn't exactly new:

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/186/6/516

This is just the abstract, as access to the journal itself is expensive, and I can only access it through my affiliation with Oregon Health & Science University.