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 .
An open-label pilot study of the combination therapy of metformin and fluoxetine for weight reduction
Background : Obesity is a very important risk factor for cardiovascular disease , type 2 diabetes mellitus , hypertension , osteoarthritis , fatty liver , metabolic syndrome and respiratory problems . Many weight-reducing drugs can not be used in obese patients because of numerous complications . Fluoxetine , an antidepressant , and metformin , an antidiabetic drug , reduce weight as their side effect , but the potency of each drug is not always enough . Here , we studied the effects of combination therapy of them for weight reduction in obese women . Material s and methods : This study was design ed as an open , prospect i ve , controlled clinical trial . Obese and overweight patients referred to obesity clinics were first put under a diet and behavior therapy education program before being invited to this study . The patients who accepted drug therapy were put in the case group . Those who did not accept drug therapy were put in the control group . Fluoxetine , 20 mg daily , and metformin , 500 mg three times daily , were prescribed to the participants . Weight and body mass index ( BMI ) changes within case and control groups were analyzed by paired t-tests and between groups by t-testing . Side effects were evaluated by interview and question naire . Subjects : Two hundred and three patients were referred to obesity clinics . Of these , 177 were female with 91 being volunteers for this study . Of this 91 , 66 were in the case group and 25 in the control group . Results : In a 6.68-month period , a 7.89 kg decrease in weight ( 9.32 % ) and a 3.43 U decrease in BMI ( 10.14 % ) were observed in participants of the case group that was statistically significant ( P<0.0001 ) . The participants of the control group were followed for a mean period of 8.12 months . In this period , the participants of the control group showed a 0.48 kg decrease in weight ( 0.52 % ) and a 0.11 U decrease in BMI ( 0.42 % ) . This was not significant . No serious side effects of the drugs were observed in the case group . Conclusion : This open-label pilot study of combination therapy of metformin and fluoxetine gave encouraging weight reduction , and these results suggest the need for a r and omized double-blind clinical trial comparing the two components and the combination to placebo
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 .