Olanzapine is sometimes used in addition to therapy in ARFID patients to relieve anxiety and stimulate appetite.

Olanzapine for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Mirtazapine is sometimes prescribed to ARFID patients to stimulate appetite and relieve anxiety about choking, vomiting, or other somatic complications. However, high doses have a risk of increasing anxiety. 

Mirtazapine for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

In combination with therapy, buspirone may relieve anxiety about choking, vomiting, etc. among ARFID patients.

Buspirone for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

When used in conjunction with psychotherapeutic intervention, DCS has been shown to increase the efficacy of concurrent therapy in ARFID patients.

D-cycloserine (DCS) for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Medication is sometimes prescribed in conjunction with other forms of therapeutic intervention to manage anxiety, stimulate appetite, and improve treatment efficacy: 

- Olanzapine
- Mirtazapine
- Buspirone
- D-cycloserine (DCS)

Kalamazoo College

In general, treatments for ARFID can be divided into two major groups: 

- Psychological treatment
- Adjunctive pharmacological treatment

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Treatment

Bourne, L., Bryant-Waugh, R., Cook, J., & Mandy, W. (2020). Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: A systematic scoping review of the current literature. Psychiatry Research, 288, 112961.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Current Literature

Multiple forms of psychological treatment exist for managing ARFID. The most well-researched fall into one of three forms of therapy which are each used to treat different presentations and severity levels of ARFID: 

- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Family-based therapy (FBT)
- Multi-modal approach 

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