Binge eating disorder or excessive eating can have some serious side effects. When the binging gets out of control the patient starts to gain a lot of weight. This extra weight affects the body organs and can lessen the quality of the patient’s life. This is why fast and continuous treatment is recommended until the patient is fully cured.
Binge eating disorder is characterized by binging episodes where the patient will eat extra amounts of food without engaging in a purging behavior that is meant to prevent weight gain. Unlike bulimia patients, binge eating disorder patients might be overweight due to consuming large amounts of food over short periods. Learn more by clicking this.
The Proper Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder:
The treatment plan should focus on psychological and behavioral patterns to help identify the triggers of the binging episodes. Group therapy and family counseling can help some patients combat their condition. However, sometimes therapists will prescribe medications to accelerate the process of recovery and prevent the patient from relapsing once the therapy is over.
A binge eating disorder patient usually has a lot of side effects related to the uncontrolled weight gain. Patients usually suffer from high blood sugar, cholesterol, breathing problems, joints pain and heart diseases. In fact, some types of cancer have been linked to obesity. The doctor will pay attention to these conditions first if the patient’s case is critical. However, the treatment of the disorder and its side effects can progress side by side.
What are the Medications Approved to Treat Binge Eating Disorder?
A therapist might prescribe an anti-depressant to help with fighting binging episodes. Most of the time eating disorders are caused by or can cause depression. A good anti-depressant will help the patient cope with the disorder and fight off negative and suicidal thoughts.
A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor controls the chemicals in the brain. These chemicals are usually messed up in patients who suffer from depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. This is why such medications are widely used to treat eating disorders like bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
A central nervous system stimulant is also used to control the chemicals in the brain. These chemicals affect impulsive behavior and this is why these drugs are used to treat children with ADHD. Although a central nervous stimulant has proved to be effective in treating moderate to severe binge eating disorder in adults, it doesn’t help with weight loss or prevent weight gain and its consequences. A nervous system stimulant, however, should only be taken under the supervision of a therapist. It is a drug of abuse and should be avoided if the person has a history of substance or alcohol abuse.
Some stimulants might trigger or worsen symptoms of psychosis. They should be avoided by patients who have suicidal thoughts, suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. They should also be avoided by patients who have heart problems or issues with their blood circulation.
Patients shouldn’t attempt taking any drugs without consulting the doctor first. These medications can cause addiction and should be taken under the supervision of the therapist to prevent complications.
