One major side effect of these drugs is weight gain. Antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants , and mood stabilizers are common drugs that have the most potential to increase weight gain. All 12 of the leading antidepressants, including fluoxetine Prozac , sertraline Zoloft , and escitalopram Lexapro , make gaining weight more likely.
Steroids like prednisone may also have similar effects. For some of these medications, nearly 70 percent of users reported weight gain as a side effect. People taking antidepressants are most at risk for weight gain two to three years into treatment. Many people taking steroids report increased fat in the abdomen, face, and neck. Antidepressant-induced weight gain is tied to appetite changes. Armed with that knowledge that gaining weight is a potential side effect, you can make more conscious choices when it comes to meals and exercise.
Avoiding too much sodium in your diet is smart for anyone looking to eat healthier. But patients on steroids or antidepressants might want to consider paying extra close attention.
Reduce these foods that have naturally a ton of sodium. Choose low-calorie foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, eat fiber-rich and slow-to-digest complex carbohydrates, and drink lots of water.
People taking antidepressants should also be aware of hyponatremia, which is low sodium in the blood. This is especially important in the first 28 days of starting antidepressants, as low sodium levels can lead to more severe health problems. Experts do not fully understand why antidepressants lead to weight gain in some people. One theory is that both metabolism and hunger levels may be affected.
Also, depression itself may cause weight gain in some people and weight loss in others. Antidepressants interfere with serotonin , the neurotransmitter that regulates anxiety and mood while also controlling appetite. In particular, these changes may increase cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, pasta, and desserts. When people are depressed, their appetites are affected. In some people, this may make them hungrier while others lose their appetite.
It should also be noted that depression can lead to fatigue and inactivity, and a lack of physical activity can cause weight gain. If a person is experiencing weight gain while taking antidepressants, it may be an indication that the medication is not combatting their depression effectively.
Also known as cyclic antidepressants, TCAs are some of the earliest forms of antidepressant medications. They are not as commonly prescribed as more modern forms of antidepressants, as they can cause more side effects, including weight gain.
Older research suggests that excessive weight gain caused many users to quit TCA treatment. However, cyclic antidepressants can be effective, especially for some people who do not respond to other treatments. MAOIs are another early class of antidepressants and have generally been replaced by newer antidepressant drugs.
Although effective, they tend to cause weight gain and several other adverse reactions. In addition, people who take MAOIs may need to restrict their diets, as these drugs can cause elevated blood pressure levels when taken with some foods and medications. However, MAOIs help relieve depression in some people who do not see improvements with other drugs. Fluoxetine Prozac use may result in an average, short-term weight loss of up to 3. No evidence concerning other SSRIs was found.
Safety concerns have curbed the use of many weight loss medications, notably appetite suppressants. SSRIs, initially approved for the treatment of depression, are being studied now for use in obesity treatment. A systematic review 1 of 11 studies of fluoxetine in the treatment of obesity was weakened by a failure to evaluate the quality of the included articles and by its reliance on effect size as a reported outcome.
The review did use a reasonably comprehensive search strategy and a sound meta-analytic process. In the 11 studies, fluoxetine was used for an average of 28 weeks and resulted in an average weight loss of 3. Another review 2 reported the same information but noted, in 10 to 15 percent of cases, an occurrence of minor side effects e. A systematic review 3 of RCTs and prospective cohort trials looked at existing treatment options for obesity.
A single RCT of fluoxetine was included in the review of eight RCTs of drug therapy in combination with dietary management and appetite suppressants. Fluoxetine had no significant benefit over placebo in bringing about weight loss in the month study. All of the RCTs reported that any weight lost with medication use generally was regained 12 months after discontinuation of therapy.
The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality is preparing a health technology assessment on the topic of pharmacologic therapy for obesity.
Food and Drug Administration for this use. Evaluating SSRIs as weight loss therapy is a good idea, given the extent of obesity in our society. However, as safer weight loss medications are brought to the market, we must resist the temptation to concentrate solely on the numbers on the scale and continue to promote a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise as the primary method of achieving weight control and preventing obesity.
Change in weight was analyzed during the initial 12 weeks of acute treatment and after 14, 26, and 38 weeks. Relationships between weight change and body mass index and between weight change and appetite change were assessed. Results: During the initial 4 weeks of therapy, a mean absolute weight decrease of 0.
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