--- title: Can fluoxetine help someone with both bulimia and PMDD? | Niyora description: In this one case, yes. A woman's binge and purge behaviors almost completely stopped after switching to fluoxetine, and her pre-menstrual mood and cognitive s url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/feeding-two-birds-with-one-seed-using-fluoxetine-for-pre-menstrual-dysphoric-2024/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can fluoxetine help someone with both bulimia and PMDD? Study, 2024 # Can fluoxetine help someone with both bulimia and PMDD? In this one case, yes. A woman's binge and purge behaviors almost completely stopped after switching to fluoxetine, and her pre-menstrual mood and cognitive symptoms improved, though some mood symptoms continued. Early or limited evidence A 41-year-old woman with bulimia and PMDD ## What they did Doctors treated a 41-year-old woman who had bulimia (repeated binge eating and purging) and PMDD. She was first prescribed sertraline for depression, then switched to fluoxetine at a dose of 60 mg per day. Her symptoms were tracked for two menstrual cycles using a PMDD tracker. ## What they found Purging frequency dramatically reduced and stopped. Although some mood symptoms continued, the specific pre-menstrual mood and cognitive symptoms significantly reduced. ## What it means for you This case suggests fluoxetine may help both bulimia and PMDD symptoms. However, this is only one person's experience, so we cannot know if this would happen for others. 41 age in years 60 fluoxetine dose in mg per day 2 menstrual cycles tracked ## About the study Original title Feeding Two Birds With One Seed: Using Fluoxetine for Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa Authors Poodipedi P, Bains P Journal BJPsych open Year 2024 Study design Study What was tested Fluoxetine 60 mg per day Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.684](https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.684) Original abstract Aims Background This case study describes the use of fluoxetine for reduction of pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and bulimia nervosa symptoms. The case report also describes an increase in binge purge symptoms in the pre-menstrual period, along with other mood and cognitive symptoms. This supports a hormonal basis to the exacerbation of eating disorders. Patient consent was obtained prior to the publication of this report. Methods Case report A 41-year-old lady with significant binge purge behaviours and mood disturbance was referred to our eating disorder service. She met the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa after a thorough assessment, along with a component of mood dysregulation. She was prescribed sertraline for depressive symptoms in primary care. The patient described a worsening of mood symptoms, along with cognitive difficulties before the start of her menstrual cycle. After a medical review, we agreed on tracking these symptoms along with the binge-purge frequency for a period of two cycles. This was done using a PMDD tracker. The tracker reflected a clear diagnosis of PMDD along with an exacerbation of bingeing and purging symptoms before the start of a menstrual cycle. Following this, sertraline was switched to fluoxetine, and titrated up to its maximum dose of 60 mg a day. Results Discussion Following the commencement of fluoxetine, purging frequency dramatically reduced and subsequently stopped. Although mood symptoms still persisted, the specific mood symptoms along with cognitive symptoms in the pre-menstrual period reduced. Conclusion There is some evidence for the use of fluoxetine use for binge purge symptoms in bulimia nervosa. Fluoxetine has also been used either continuously or in the luteal phase for PMDD. This case report reflects the possible correlation between binge-purge symptoms and PMDD symptoms, and the potential use of fluoxetine for dual symptom reduction. PMDD still remains to be a significantly under-diagnosed condition in women. This case report also signifies the importance of exploring PMDD symptoms in eating disorders. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Case-control study, 2020 Do appetite hormones and eating behaviors change differently across the luteal phase in women with PMDD? Non-randomised trial, 2008 Do mood, memory, and food cravings worsen during the luteal phase in women with PMDD? Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Survey study, 2026 Are PMS and PMDD the same condition or are they different? Randomised trial, 2025 Does escitalopram improve attention and reduce impulsivity in women with premenstrual irritability and anger? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗