Cyproheptadine in anorexia nervosa

In three hospitals 81 female patients satisfying rigorous diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa were randomly allocated to one of four treatment combinations of cyproheptadine and placebo with behavior therapy and no behavior therapy. Cyproheptadine was found to be effective in inducing weight gain in a subgroup of anorexia nervosa patients who had a history of birth delivery complications, had lost 41-52% weight from norm and had a history of prior outpatient treatment failure. This subgroup may represent a more severe form of anorexia nervosa.