Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder marked by cycles of binge eating followed by purging through vomiting, laxatives, or excessive exercise. It affects roughly 1% of people at some point in life, with onset typically in adolescence or early adulthood. Treatment combines therapy, nutritional counseling, and sometimes medication.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing medications that target binge-purge cycles, including drugs originally developed for addiction and seizures. Researchers are also studying brain circuits involved in impulse control and reward, testing various forms of therapy delivery including digital and group approaches, and exploring whether gut-brain signaling plays a role in eating disorder behavior.
Medication for binge-purge cycles
Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for bulimia, but trials are testing other approaches including topiramate and drugs that affect dopamine pathways. Some studies examine whether medications used in addiction treatment might help with the compulsive aspects of bulimia.
Digital therapy delivery
Trials are testing app-based cognitive behavioral therapy and online guided self-help programs. These approaches aim to increase access to evidence-based treatment, particularly in areas where eating disorder specialists are scarce.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on how often binge-purge cycles occur, whether other eating disorders or psychiatric conditions are present, and sometimes on age or duration of illness.
What types of trials are currently open
- Medication trials — Testing antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, and other medications to reduce binge eating and purging frequency. Some compare new drugs to fluoxetine, the standard medication option.
- Therapy trials — Comparing different forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, including individual, group, and digital formats. Some test enhanced CBT that addresses emotion regulation.
- Combination trials — Testing whether medication plus therapy works better than either alone, and identifying which patients benefit most from combined treatment.
- Prevention studies — Testing programs in schools or colleges to prevent eating disorders in at-risk adolescents and young adults.
- Observational studies — Following people with bulimia over time to understand what predicts recovery, relapse, and response to different treatments.
Recently added Bulimia Nervosa trials
E-diary vs Paper Diary in Binge Eating Disorder
The purpose of this study is to examine how binge eating episodes are recorded using two different diary formats: a paper diary and an electronic diary and to see whether both formats collect information in the same way and to understand which of the two formats is easier to use
HALO-TRIAL: High, Medium And LOw Intensity Psychotherapy for Binge Eating Disorder
The HALO trial is designed as a four-armed, assessor-blinded, fidelity-monitored randomized clinical trial. The goal of this randomized controlled study is to investigate the effectiveness of four different psychotherapy programs and to determine which one is most effective in reducing the number of binge-eating episodes in people with the eating disorder Binge Eating Disorder (BED), by directly comparing three intensities of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced against a manualized treatment as usual. Participants will be asked to complete a 21-weeks randomized intervention and participate in follow up assesments.
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