N-acetylcysteine in bulimia nervosa--open-label trial.

The objective of this 12-week open-label flexible-dose study was to preliminarily assess the effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in bulimia nervosa (BN). The primary outcome was binge-purge episode frequency. Eight individuals with BN by DSM-IV criteria received NAC, but only two completed the study. NAC was not associated with significant reductions in frequency of binge-purge episodes or measures of clinical severity, eating, or mood pathology. In this trial, NAC was ineffective in BN and was associated with a high discontinuation rate.