Comparative effectiveness of mood stabilizers in the complex therapy of bulimia nervosa

Forty-five patients with bulimia nervosa were treated with the antidepressant fluoxetine and additionally with mood-stabilizers: 25 patients received carbamazepine and 20 patients - lamotrigine. A clinical follow-up and experimental-psychological study was conducted before the therapy, after 30 days and after 1 year. The use of fluoxetine in the combination with mood-stabilizers allowed to achieve the marked and stable improvement of the patient's state. Lamotrigine compared to carbamazepine reduced the depression level and improved cognitive functions. After one year, the better social rehabilitation was seen in the group treated with lamotrigine (64,7%) compared to carbamazepine (34,8%). The preventive therapy with lamotrigine was more effective than that with carbamazepine: 35,2% and 46,1%, of patients respectively, relapsed after the withdrawal of fluoxetine.