We all overeat sometimes. But binge eating is a different issue. It’s an eating disorder in which people lose control over their eating, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
In binge eating disorder, you eat lots of food fast. You feel out of control. You might fill up until you’re uncomfortable, eat when you’re not hungry, eat alone out of embarrassment, or feel guilty after a binge eating episode.
“With every patient, treatment really has to be individualized,” says Shirley Jiang, MD, Chief Medical Officer of ReflexMD. “There is a great psychological impact from binge eating, including the shame that comes with it. There are also a lot of detrimental health outcomes with chronic binge eating.”
Binge eating disorder strikes people of all sizes. However, people affected by it are three to six times more likely to have obesity than those without eating disorders, research shows.
If binge eating is a concern, semaglutide can help.
Both obesity and binge eating disorder might contribute to chronic health risks like high blood pressure and diabetes, suggests a study review in the Journal of Eating Disorders. And both of those, in turn, are strong risk factors for heart disease, the number-one killer of women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When binge eating becomes a problem, healthcare professionals can help. Dr. Jiang suggests asking a healthcare provider about two components of binge eating disorder treatment: medications and therapy. Here’s what you need to know about a new medication for binge eating.
Medication for binge eating disorder
For years, two medications have been mainstays of binge eating disorder treatment. The FDA has approved the ADHD drug lisdexamfetamine to treat binge eating disorder. The med can turn down appetite.
However, the FDA warns that because it’s addictive, there’s a high potential for abuse. The most common side effects in people with BED include constipation, dry mouth, insomnia, and anxiety, states the FDA.
Another med used for treatment, this one off-label, is the epilepsy drug topiramate. (“Off-label” is when a doctor prescribes a drug that can help with a disease it wasn’t developed for.)
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One newer option for an off-label treatment of BED is the weight loss drug semaglutide, which might work as well (or better) than the usual binge eating disorder medications, suggests a small study from the University of Oklahoma. When reviewing 48 patients’ medical records, researchers found that people who took the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide reduced their scores on a survey measuring the severity of their binge eating symptoms more than people who took lisdexamfetamine or topiramate.
The researchers say they need larger studies to confirm the results. However, semaglutide might help reduce binge eating by targeting brain regions that regulate satiety and reward pathways, suggests a study review in the Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology.
“I think a GLP-1 agonist is a really interesting possible treatment option down the line for patients with binge eating, because it acts centrally to help reduce food noise,” or thoughts about food, says Dr. Jiang. She adds that more research is also needed to determine whether GLP-1s are okay for people with more than one eating disorder.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help with binge eating, too
Mental health care is another key part of binge eating disorder treatment. “I always encourage my patients with eating disorders to seek out help through either a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist,” says Dr. Jiang. Your health insurance’s provider directory should be able to help you find a therapist with expertise in treating eating disorders.
Therapy may help with impulsivity, emotion regulation, coping skills, and regulating appetite-related hormones, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University say. In a study, they found that women with binge eating disorder who did weekly cognitive behavioral therapy (a form of psychotherapy) for 16 weeks reduced their binge eating. Two-thirds even reported zero binges in the last month of treatment.
Medication and therapy might work even better together. “In binge eating disorder, medication should be paired with behavior modification,” says Cathy Epps, PharmD, Chief Pharmacist of ReflexMD. Medication could help you tamp down your appetite, she says. This gives you time to work with a therapist to understand the root causes behind your disorder and develop new habits.
Dr. Epps adds, “If you come off the medication someday, you’ll have tools and strategies that can help with your eating disorder.”
If you worry about binge eating and think semaglutide might be right for you, talk to your doctor or chat with a ReflexMD Wellness Advisor now.
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