Treatment choices are largely based on adverse effects, costs, and other factors. When the patient comes back in six weeks, the patient should be weighed. Fava M, Judge R, Hoog SL, Nilsson ME, Koke SC. Fluoxetine has been associated with weight loss during acute treatment, but no controlled studies of weight change during long-term treatment with fluoxetine or other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been reported. Researchers at King’s College London found that all twelve of the leading antidepressants — including fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro) — increased risk for weight gain for up to six years after starting treatment. About 25% of people gain weight on antidepressants. Epub 2012 Jul 12. 2019 Jan 16;9(1):10. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0351-z. COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. During the peak risk period, the risk of gaining weight jumped to 46 percent higher among those taking antidepressants.  |  “The therapist who prescribes the antidepressant should have a scale in their office and use it. J Clin Psychiatry. NLM The following article explains how the consumption of this drug leads to weight gain. Meanwhile more than 1 in 3 adults in the US has obesity. My 42 year old son took antidepressants for 12 years. During the 10-year follow-up, they recorded any period of weight gain of at least five percent of body weight. The research also raises concerns about the duration of risk that patients are exposed to. Weight gain is a relatively common problem during both acute and long-term treatment with antidepressants, and it is an important contributing factor to noncompliance. Objective: 2000 Nov;61(11):863-7. doi: 10.4088/jcp.v61n1109. Change in weight was analyzed during the initial 12 weeks of acute treatment and after 14, 26, and 38 weeks. Prozac is the brand name product of fluoxetine, an antidepressant that belongs to the class called the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. The weight gain is usually seen with people who have been taking the drugs for six months or more. Weight gain is one of the most common side effects of these medications. “Everybody knows about the risk for diabetes if you’re obese, right? Is Shock Therapy Being Underutilized in Treating Depression? Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. According to statistics, approximately 30% of the entire population of the earth suffers from excess weight. Fluoxetine for adults who are overweight or obese. NIH For every 100 people using antidepressants, 11 people a year gained weight, the study found. Many thanks. That’s roughly the equivalent of a 155-pound individual gaining … Weights were assessed for patients whose depressive symptoms had disappeared with acute fluoxetine treatment. chuck1957 4 Mar 2016. Weight was assessed at each visit. Patients whose illness had remitted after 12 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine, 20 mg/day, were randomly assigned to receive up to 38 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine or placebo. Bupropion was associated with the least amount of weight gain, close to none. Acute therapy with fluoxetine is associated with modest weight loss. Serralde-Zúñiga AE, Gonzalez Garay AG, Rodríguez-Carmona Y, Melendez G. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Fluoxetine versus sertraline and paroxetine in major depressive disorder: changes in weight with long-term treatment. Has anyone had weight gain with Fluoxetine?  |  The comorbidity of obesity and depression has been well established. Nonetheless, people report never feeling satisfied after a meal and continually craving carbohydrates. The effects of brexpiprazole and aripiprazole on body weight as monotherapy in patients with schizophrenia and as adjunctive treatment in patients with major depressive disorder: an analysis of short-term and long-term studies. 2019 Oct 15;10(10):CD011688. Maybe just talking with someone who could reassure him. The release states that “After two years, nonsmokers lost an average of 2.4 pounds on bupropion–compared with gaining an average of 4.6 pounds on fluoxetine (Prozac). Adults with depression are also more likely to be obese than those who don’t have depression. Additionally, the proportion of adults with obesity increased with the severity of depressive symptoms. According to the study, patients using antidepressants were 21 percent more likely to experience weight gain compared with those not taking them. There are a few theories about why weight gain occurs with antidepressant use, but no concrete conclusions. Transl Psychiatry. The researchers noted any weight gain of at least 5 percent. If you’re actively trying to lose weight or maintain it, you may already be in the habit of weighing more often than not. The cohort included patients of all different weight categories — from those with a healthy body mass index to those with obesity at the far end of the spectrum. Weight Gain. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks for fluoxetine to work. Here’s How She’s Coping, The Psychology Behind Conspiracy Theories, Here’s Where COVID-19 Cases Are Rising and Falling. Some people lose weight as part of their depression. For example, research has shown that for approximately 25% of people taking SSRIs, there is a weight gain of at least 10 pounds. In a new study, some experts recommend that electroconvulsive therapy be used more often and earlier to help people with depression. Weight gain while on antidepressants is common but doesn't happen to everyone and some SSRIs are more likely to cause weight gain than others. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! This article will review the literature with regard to the relative risk for weight gain of antidepressants. Relationships between weight change and body mass index and between weight change and appetite change were assessed. 1 Preventing Antidepressants Weight Gain Mirtazapine (Remeron), a noradrenergic antagonist, had the highest risk of weight gain — 50 percent higher — compared with patients not taking antidepressants. On average, most people that gain weight from Prozac and other SSRIs tend to gain 10 lbs. The article presents information on its side effects in women and why sudden withdrawal of Prozac should be avoided…. Though most antidepressants can cause weight gain, bupropion is a medication for depression that can lead to weight loss. Additionally, the likelihood that a patient would move up a weight category — from normal to overweight or from overweight to obese — was 29 percent higher than those not taking drugs. The unadjusted rate ratio was 1.38 (95% confidence interval 1.36 to 1.39, P<0.001). Both Gafoor and Wurtman said that doctors and therapists prescribing antidepressants should track weight change of their patients as part of standard follow-up procedure. “[Patients] take the antidepressants, they start to feel better, and then they start to gain weight. Most antidepressants cause weight gain 1. HHS Goldstein DJ, Rampey AH Jr, Dornseif BE, Levine LR, Potvin JH, Fludzinski LA. After remission of depressive symptoms, weight gain for patients taking fluoxetine for longer periods is not different from that for patients taking placebo and is most likely related to recovery from depression. The researchers also found that despite using a wide variety of antidepressant types, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and tricyclic drugs, no single class was more likely to cause weight gain than another. In clinical studies, weight gain occurred in more than 1 percent of patients taking Prozac. Weight gain is one of the potential side effects of antidepressant use, with some sources estimating that 25 percent of people using antidepressants experience an increase in … Uncertain times are a breeding ground for misinformation. Hey all, I was told that Prozac was the least likely to make you gain weight "and that most people lose weight on prozac" - what they don't tell you is: yes - I did lose 5-8 pounds in the very beginning of taking prozac but the weight came back with a vengance and I gained about 20 stubborn pounds. SNRIs are another type of antidepressants that are used for pain relief for chronic illnesses … Patients at peak risk years after taking the drugs. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. If your own health is not irrelevant to you, then do not take fluoxetine for weight loss without prescribing a doctor. Researchers say brain scans could help pinpoint four subtypes of depression, which could lead to better diagnosis and treatment. “Patients who were normal weight were more likely to transition to overweight and overweight patients were more likely to transition to obesity if they were treated with antidepressants,” co-author Dr. Rafael Gafoor, a primary care and public health researcher at King’s College London, told Healthline. Patients were then randomly assigned to continuation treatment with fluoxetine or placebo. Check out our top picks, plus how to choose the best one for you. It’s probably more helpful to consider individual antidepressants rather than classes when considering the subsequent risk for weight gain,” said Gafoor. Zhao J, Jung YH, Jin Y, Kang S, Jang CG, Lee J. Sci Rep. 2019 May 20;9(1):7566. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44052-2. Experts say that they’re encouraged by the downward trend in COVID-19 cases, but they remain concerned about a new surge. USA.gov. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011688.pub2. Of the participants in the study who received a placebo, only 2 percent reported reduced appetite … He also noted that there can be other reasons for weight gain besides taking an antidepressant. 2001;62 Suppl 22:24-9. Key facts. Common side effects include feeling … Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of fluoxetine for acute treatment of minor depressive disorder. 1.4% of study participants who took Prozac for major depression during U.S. clinical trials reported weight loss and 11 percent reported reduced appetite. All rights reserved. Experts say that for up to 25% of people, most antidepressant medications -- including the popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs like Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft -- can cause a weight gain of 10 pounds or more. Citalopram (Celexa), an SSRI, was associated with roughly 26 percent higher risk, followed by Duloxetine (Cymbalta), also an SSRI, with roughly 24 percent higher risk. Continuing the habit while…. While some people gain weight after starting an antidepressant, the antidepressant isn't always a direct cause. 2012 Nov;21(11):599-610. doi: 10.1007/s00787-012-0305-6. 1993 Mar;1(2):92-8. doi: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1993.tb00597.x. Fluoxetine pharmacogenetics in child and adult populations. Weight increase was not related to initial body mass index but was related to both poor appetite at study entry and to improvement in appetite after recovery. If people with depression are concerned about weight gain, this … The catch-22 of antidepressant therapy is the depression that comes from gaining weight on a drug used to stop the depression. The results of this latest research shouldn’t come as a surprise, she said. Some health experts believe not enough is being done to warn about the relationship between antidepressant use and obesity. 2018 Sep 21;9:176-187. doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.09.008. Prevention and treatment information (HHS). A component in mushrooms showed promise in helping ''reset'' people from depression. Some theories blame the antidepressant’s effect on metabolism or appetite. However, experts say don’t start eating them as a treatment. How do antidepressants affect weight gain? Method: Patients whose illness had remitted after 12 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine, 20 mg/day, were randomly assigned to receive up to 38 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine or placebo. I read one of the side effects can be weight loss, this would be good at the moment.  |  “Antidepressant prescriptions have doubled over the last 10 years. According to recent estimates, 13 percent of Americans currently take antidepressants. If you are taking this drug and notice that you are gaining weight, talk to your doctor so he or she can perform a physical exam to look for possible causes of weight gain. Shopping for a new mattress that fits your needs as a side or stomach sleeper? © 2005-2021 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Change in weight was analyzed during the initial 12 weeks of acute treatment and after 14, 26, and 38 weeks. In this study, the weight gain experienced by people taking citalopram averaged one to two pounds. , , , , , Reviews of fluoxetine for weight loss. J Clin Psychiatry. Online ahead of print. Would you like email updates of new search results? Weight gain is one of the most common side effects of Prozac. 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