Low-certainty evidence suggests that off-label fluoxetine may decrease weight compared with placebo .
However , low-certainty evidence suggests an increase in the risk for dizziness , drowsiness , fatigue , insomnia and nausea following fluoxetine treatment
BACKGROUND Fluoxetine is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor indicated for major depression .
It is also thought to affect weight control : this seems to happen through appetite changes result ing in decreased food intake and normalisation of unusual eating behaviours .
However , the benefit-risk ratio of this off-label medication is unclear .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of fluoxetine for overweight or obese adults .
Obesity among outpatients with major depressive disorder.
Studies focusing on the prevalence of obesity in Major Depressive Disorder ( MDD ) , or the impact of excess body fat on the treatment of MDD are lacking . The aim of the present work is to systematic ally study obesity in MDD out patients . A total of 369 MDD out patients enrolled in an 8-wk trial of 20 mg fluoxetine  had height and weight measured at baseline . We then examined : ( 1 ) the prevalence of being overweight or obese , ( 2 ) the relationship between obesity and a number of demographic and clinical variables , and , ( 3 ) the relationship between relative body weight and obesity with clinical response . We found that more than 50 % of patients were overweight [ body mass index ( BMI ) > or = 2 5 kg/m2 ] , while 20 % were obese ( BMI > or = 30 kg/m2 ) . Obese patients presented with worse somatic well-being scores than non-obese MDD patients , but they did not differ with respect to depression severity , anxiety , somatic complaints , hopelessness or hostility . Greater relative body weight , but not obesity , predicted non-response . In conclusion , greater relative body weight was found to place MDD out patients at risk for fluoxetine resistance
Low-certainty evidence suggests that off-label fluoxetine may decrease weight compared with placebo .
However , low-certainty evidence suggests an increase in the risk for dizziness , drowsiness , fatigue , insomnia and nausea following fluoxetine treatment
BACKGROUND Fluoxetine is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor indicated for major depression .
It is also thought to affect weight control : this seems to happen through appetite changes result ing in decreased food intake and normalisation of unusual eating behaviours .
However , the benefit-risk ratio of this off-label medication is unclear .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of fluoxetine for overweight or obese adults .