Medication for Binge Eating Disorder
kschwab0203
Posts: 610 Member
My girlfriend recently told me that she was placed on medication for Binge Eating Disorder. I was surprised as I had no clue they had such a medication.
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
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Replies
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I would think she was prescribed something like an anti-anxiety or anti-depressant type drug...unless they are strictly targeting weight.
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Probably Vyvanse. The same medication of prescribed for ADHD. It's a stimulant, not a diet pill. No clue how or if it works.1
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I agree with cmriverside. It probably is just something like that. AFAIK, CBT is the most likely course of treatment.1
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Probably Vyvanse. The same medication of prescribed for ADHD. It's a stimulant, not a diet pill. No clue how or if it works.
Ahhh...now that makes sense. A stimulant would suppress your appetite and make you less likely to binge. Although binge eating is typically an emotional issue unless one is really restricting their calories.0 -
I'd say that pills aren't the solution - though they may form part of a wider therapy. In my own experience binge eating comes from not eating a balanced diet, skipping meals or just not getting hold of good food. I was working away from home doing a very high stress job, so I came home late many evenings and ate a huge frozen meal alone followed by a large bar of chocolate.
The strange thing is, I didn't realise I was doing it! Changing my job solved it for me.0 -
Vegplotter wrote: »I'd say that pills aren't the solution - though they may form part of a wider therapy. In my own experience binge eating comes from not eating a balanced diet, skipping meals or just not getting hold of good food. I was working away from home doing a very high stress job, so I came home late many evenings and ate a huge frozen meal alone followed by a large bar of chocolate.
The strange thing is, I didn't realise I was doing it! Changing my job solved it for me.
That's not Binge Eating Disorder.18 -
Seeing as you say you got addicted to pills in another thread,'it is kind of concerning that you would be looking into them again.3
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kschwab0203 wrote: »My girlfriend recently told me that she was placed on medication for Binge Eating Disorder. I was surprised as I had no clue they had such a medication.
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
Please ask your friend what exactly is the med - we can have a much more informed discussion once we have this information.0 -
Seeing as you say you got addicted to pills in another thread,'it is kind of concerning that you would be looking into them again.
As I said in my original post, I am not a fan of diet pills and was skeptical....since you read the other thread and my position on such medication, you would understand why I would be concerned about my friend taking medication for weight loss. Which is why I was asking for feedback from any one that may have used medication for BED.0 -
kschwab0203 wrote: »Seeing as you say you got addicted to pills in another thread,'it is kind of concerning that you would be looking into them again.
As I said in my original post, I am not a fan of diet pills and was skeptical....since you read the other thread and my position on such medication, you would understand why I would be concerned about my friend taking medication for weight loss. Which is why I was asking for feedback from any one that may have used medication for BED.
Did she ask for your input on this?
I think BED is complicated, and unless you've suffered with it I think leave her to it. You'll never understand it, and her doctor is much better suited to deal with this than we or you are.
We each find our own way to healing - the best thing is just to support her while she searches for answers.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »My girlfriend recently told me that she was placed on medication for Binge Eating Disorder. I was surprised as I had no clue they had such a medication.
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
Please ask your friend what exactly is the med - we can have a much more informed discussion once we have this information.
The name of the medication is Topamax. After googling it a bit ago, it seems it is predominantly used to treat seizures and migraines. Interesting.0 -
kschwab0203 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »My girlfriend recently told me that she was placed on medication for Binge Eating Disorder. I was surprised as I had no clue they had such a medication.
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
Please ask your friend what exactly is the med - we can have a much more informed discussion once we have this information.
The name of the medication is Topamax. After googling it a bit ago, it seems it is predominantly used to treat seizures and migraines. Interesting.
Topamax can kill appetite, which is the wrong reason to take it. If you start taking it you can't just stop taking it, you have to slowly reduce the dosage. There are various side effects to taking it such as vision problems and interactions with birth control. I was on it for migraines. I lost weight rapidly for a few weeks before the negative side effects kicked in. After stopping it my binge eating got worse which made me gain even more weight.
Binge eating is not something you pop a pill for unless it's caused by depression or anxiety.0 -
kschwab0203 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »My girlfriend recently told me that she was placed on medication for Binge Eating Disorder. I was surprised as I had no clue they had such a medication.
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
Please ask your friend what exactly is the med - we can have a much more informed discussion once we have this information.
The name of the medication is Topamax. After googling it a bit ago, it seems it is predominantly used to treat seizures and migraines. Interesting.
Topamax can kill appetite, which is the wrong reason to take it. If you start taking it you can't just stop taking it, you have to slowly reduce the dosage. There are various side effects to taking it such as vision problems and interactions with birth control. I was on it for migraines. I lost weight rapidly for a few weeks before the negative side effects kicked in. After stopping it my binge eating got worse which made me gain even more weight.
Binge eating is not something you pop a pill for unless it's caused by depression or anxiety.
I agree with this.0 -
cmriverside wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »Seeing as you say you got addicted to pills in another thread,'it is kind of concerning that you would be looking into them again.
As I said in my original post, I am not a fan of diet pills and was skeptical....since you read the other thread and my position on such medication, you would understand why I would be concerned about my friend taking medication for weight loss. Which is why I was asking for feedback from any one that may have used medication for BED.
Did she ask for your input on this?
I think BED is complicated, and unless you've suffered with it I think leave her to it. You'll never understand it, and her doctor is much better suited to deal with this than we or you are.
We each find our own way to healing - the best thing is just to support her while she searches for answers.
No, she didn't. And I am not the type of friend that is going to lecture her or tell her she's making a wrong choice if that is what her and her doctor have agreed to do. It was mainly for my own information. I had never heard of this before.1 -
If she didn't ask for your input, then stay out of it. Honestly, if a friend of mine posted on the internet about something I had told them and didn't ask input on, our friendship would be over.kschwab0203 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »Seeing as you say you got addicted to pills in another thread,'it is kind of concerning that you would be looking into them again.
As I said in my original post, I am not a fan of diet pills and was skeptical....since you read the other thread and my position on such medication, you would understand why I would be concerned about my friend taking medication for weight loss. Which is why I was asking for feedback from any one that may have used medication for BED.
Did she ask for your input on this?
I think BED is complicated, and unless you've suffered with it I think leave her to it. You'll never understand it, and her doctor is much better suited to deal with this than we or you are.
We each find our own way to healing - the best thing is just to support her while she searches for answers.
No, she didn't. And I am not the type of friend that is going to lecture her or tell her she's making a wrong choice if that is what her and her doctor have agreed to do. It was mainly for my own information. I had never heard of this before.
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It is also used to treat psychiatric conditions, lots of anti-seizure meds are.1
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Yep. I take valproate for bipolar but it's an anti seizure medication that many people with epilepsy takeVintageFeline wrote: »It is also used to treat psychiatric conditions, lots of anti-seizure meds are.
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Probably an antidepressant most likely wellbutrin or adipex0
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Probably an antidepressant most likely wellbutrin or adipex
The medication is called Vyvanse (lisdexamphetamine)--and it's an amphetamine similar to Adderall. It is taken once a day and lasts about 14 hours. It is the only fda-approved medication on the market for Binge Eating. I took it at 240lbs and it helped me get to the 180's. It helped changed my relationship with food and subdued cravings for the bad stuff--because it pumps dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in your brain (less appetite, brighter mood, more motivation and focus)..it's very expensive, controlled and powerful. I took a chance. Never got addicted either (but it can have abuse potential). Very, very very different from Phentermine and Wellbutrin. This in my opinion is cream of the crop.1 -
Also, the weight loss tends to be faster overall on it...so that could be a concern too0
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drivennightrunner87 wrote: »Probably an antidepressant most likely wellbutrin or adipex
The medication is called Vyvanse (lisdexamphetamine)--and it's an amphetamine similar to Adderall. It is taken once a day and lasts about 14 hours. It is the only fda-approved medication on the market for Binge Eating. I took it at 240lbs and it helped me get to the 180's. It helped changed my relationship with food and subdued cravings for the bad stuff--because it pumps dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in your brain (less appetite, brighter mood, more motivation and focus)..it's very expensive, controlled and powerful. I took a chance. Never got addicted either (but it can have abuse potential). Very, very very different from Phentermine and Wellbutrin. This in my opinion is cream of the crop.
If you are still calling some food bad, then you have not changed your relationship with food.1 -
drivennightrunner87 wrote: »Probably an antidepressant most likely wellbutrin or adipex
The medication is called Vyvanse (lisdexamphetamine)--and it's an amphetamine similar to Adderall. It is taken once a day and lasts about 14 hours. It is the only fda-approved medication on the market for Binge Eating. I took it at 240lbs and it helped me get to the 180's. It helped changed my relationship with food and subdued cravings for the bad stuff--because it pumps dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in your brain (less appetite, brighter mood, more motivation and focus)..it's very expensive, controlled and powerful. I took a chance. Never got addicted either (but it can have abuse potential). Very, very very different from Phentermine and Wellbutrin. This in my opinion is cream of the crop.
If you are still calling some food bad, then you have not changed your relationship with food.
LOL-- first off, i wrote subdued, not ELIMINATED...and right, fast food french fries fried in hydrogenated vegetable oils and loaded with salt/dipped in high fructose corn syrup based sauces are oh-so healthy compared to sweet potatoes or fries cooked in organic extra virgin and seasoned with sea salt...1 -
kschwab0203 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »kschwab0203 wrote: »My girlfriend recently told me that she was placed on medication for Binge Eating Disorder. I was surprised as I had no clue they had such a medication.
I'm a not a fan of diet pills and am a little skeptical of this.
I was just curious if any one here has taken it and what has been your experience with it?
Please ask your friend what exactly is the med - we can have a much more informed discussion once we have this information.
The name of the medication is Topamax. After googling it a bit ago, it seems it is predominantly used to treat seizures and migraines. Interesting.
Some people can't overcome eating disorders with just willpower. I think you should be supportive of your friend and trust that her doctor has put together a good treatment plan for her.
Weight loss and loss of appetite were found to be side effects of Topamax for people who were taking it for seizures and migraines. So, it is often prescribed off-label to treat obesity. Prescribing it for BED makes a lot of sense.
My doctor had me try out Topamax when I was uncontrollably overeating as a side effect of a medication I take. It gave me insomnia, slowed my thinking, and only suppressed my appetite for about a week, so we decided to discontinue. Hopefully your friend has more success.0 -
My daughter takes Vyvanse for ADHD and it absolutely is an amphetamine (speed). Obviously, it has the opposite effect on the ADHD brain than it would on the rest of us. I found this interesting:
WHAT IS VYVANSE?
Vyvanse® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in patients 6 years and above, and for the treatment of moderate to severe Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.) in adults. Vyvanse is not for weight loss. It is not known if Vyvanse is safe and effective for the treatment of obesity.0 -
Here's a better link. Basically, this needs to be studied more.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/276504060 -
I am a male who suffers with Binge Eating Disorder. I had no idea what B.E.D was and for 3 years thought I just was out of control when it came to foods. I could almost describe it as a very powerful urge, that would build up within me, and the longer I fought this urge the worse the binge was that followed. I felt like I was losing my mind for 3 years. I gained a lot of weight, and when I tried to lose the weight in ways that worked for me in the past, nothing helped, I would do good for a bit, then I would get this urge and eventually gave in. I finally sought professional help, and I was diagnosed with B.E.D along this anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD. Which most of those were not a big surprise to me. But the eating disorder was a large shock, but the more I researched it the more it all fit. I was given Vyvanse, which after being on it for almost a year, had really helped me to control my eating. I am far from "cured" as when the medication wears off and I am stressed I still start to feel the urge rising back up, but the binges have been reduced from a multiple times a day thing, to few and far between.
I started a group on here for people with B.E.D as a support system as well.9 -
My daughter takes Vyvanse for ADHD and it absolutely is an amphetamine (speed). Obviously, it has the opposite effect on the ADHD brain than it would on the rest of us. I found this interesting:
WHAT IS VYVANSE?
Vyvanse® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in patients 6 years and above, and for the treatment of moderate to severe Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.) in adults. Vyvanse is not for weight loss. It is not known if Vyvanse is safe and effective for the treatment of obesity.
"Speed" makes it sound like a very abusive, fast-acting dirty street drug in a way tho (vyvanse is delay-released and very slowly releases its contents into the blood after it is activated--this makes it less likely to be abused or even feel "high off of" at an appropriate dose/and much less harsh of a crash ...it's a well-researched/studied med that was recently approved for chronic bingeing issues and i think it really helped me at the time.1 -
@mweckler, thanks for your story. When you feel like you're losing your mind and then somebody finally gives you the answers it's a huge relief. I'm glad you found your answers and are doing better. Best of luck to you going forward.
Thank you, it was a very bad time for me, but since going for help and gaining a better understanding on the topic, it has helped me greatly, from being able to learn what triggers a binge for myself, as well as knowing how to avoid certain things that would cause me to have a binge. The Vyvanse is a great tool in this, and for me it helps my ADHD, as well and my B.E.D. I know medication is not the way to lose weight, but this medication helped as a byproduct, by helping me to cut down on my binge behavior, and by cutting down on binging I was able to lose weight.2
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