Medication for binge eating?
 

As I mentioned in another thread, I've been doing a lot of reading on binge eating. It is sometimes filed under "Impulse Control Disorder", which totally makes sense to me. I have some other manifestations of impulse control problems (little habits) and I'm wondering about medication for this.

Has anyone ever taken medication specifically for an eating disorder?

ive heard that antidepresants help

I've wondered this, too. I didn't used to have such a problem with impulse control. I haven't really done any research on it, though, so I'll be interested to hear input from others too.

A while ago my binge eating along with other obsessions led me down the path of bulimia. When it was really bad my psychiatrist decided to put me on Topomax because it had been used to stop binge eating in some cases (not FDA approved for this though). It did suppress my appetite and take away the urge to binge, made me not want to eat AT ALL. However, it made me stupid, I couldn't remember words, I was in a fog. It just wasn't worth it. After about a month the hunger and cravings started coming back.

I have also been on Wellbutrin (they switched me to this in an attempt to focus on both my eating and my depression). Unfortunately for me it didn't affect my hunger or cravings, however, I've known people that have had success.

I have a great psychiatrist who is willing to try almost anything to help me, however, to a certain extent I don't think that a pill can take away our emotion crutches (that's what it is for me anyways, you might be different).

I have also taken phentermine (a Rx weightloss upper) and it suppressed my appetite but gave me headaches and I felt like I was on speed.

The one thing that I've had the most success with was hypnosis. The problem with that is that it costs a lot and once I stopped going regularly I reverted back to my old ways.

Wow, thanks Jill, that was very insightful! Too bad there isn't a magic pill. I could really use one about now!