Fluoxetine Anti Depressants & Weight Loss

The medication fluoxetine is approved for treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and certain eating disorders. Commonly known as the brand Prozac, fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. It increases levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, helping to regulate mood and appetite. Fluoxetine use can lead to significant weight loss, reports DailyMed.

Premarketing Trials

In clinical trials evaluating fluoxetine for treating major depressive disorder, 11 percent of participants taking the medication experienced decreased appetite, compared with 2 percent of those taking a placebo, according to DailyMed. A total of 1.4 percent of participants taking fluoxetine lost weight, compared with 0.5 percent of those taking a placebo. DailyMed adds that it's rare for patients to discontinue fluoxetine treatment due to decreased appetite or weight loss.

Weight Loss in Stroke Patients

Research appearing in the American Journal of Psychiatry in March 2000 evaluated the effectiveness of fluoxetine compared with a different type of antidepressant, nortriptyline, in the treatment of depression and recovery after a stroke. A total of 104 patients received an antidepressant or a placebo for 12 weeks. Nortriptyline was more effective than fluoxetine in the treatment of depression and anxiety in these patients, as well as for improving recovery in daily living activity. The group of patients taking fluoxetine experienced an average weight loss of about 15 lbs., or 8 percent of their original body weight. This effect did not occur with nortriptyline.

Weight Loss in Obese Patients

Another study, this one published in the September 2005 issue of Obesity Surgery, investigated the effectiveness of high doses of fluoxetine for weight reduction in obese patients planning to have bariatric surgery. Eighty-four patients received 60 mg of fluoxetine per day, while a group of 15 patients not interested in the medication served as a control. After six months, the men taking fluoxetine had lost weight in a range of about 6 to 8 lbs., and the women in a range of about 9 to 16 lbs. Members of the control group lost about 2 to 4 lbs. The researchers concluded that fluoxetine is effective for weight loss in obese people planning to have bariatric surgery.

Related Side Effects

Up to 17 percent of some study participants experienced loss of appetite while taking fluoxetine, according to eMedTV. Other side effects that could lead to weight loss also were common. Up to 29 percent of participants experienced nausea, up to 18 percent diarrhea and up to 10 percent indigestion.

Considerations

The Weight-Control Information Network explains that although the FDA has not approved fluoxetine for the treatment of obesity, doctors might prescribe it on an off-label basis. Patients taking antidepressants that are known to be effective for weight loss may lose modest amounts of weight for up to six months, but tend to regain weight after that, according to the network.