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 .
No specific effect of fluoxetine treatment on fasting glucose, insulin, lipid levels, and blood pressure in healthy men with abdominal obesity.
In this paper we investigated the effect of fluoxetine ( 60 mg/d ) on serum lipids , glucose and insulin concentrations and blood pressure by means of a r and omized , double-blind placebo controlled trial . Thirty-eight overweight ( BMI : 26 - 30 kg/m2 ) , nondiabetic , nonhypertensive men with an abdominal fat distribution ( waist/hip ratio : > 0.97 ) received dietary advice and placebo or fluoxetine  for 12 weeks . The changes in serum parameters and blood pressure in the fluoxetine treated group were not different from the placebo treated group , despite a significantly larger weight loss in the fluoxetine group . In both groups serum total-cholesterol concentrations , serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations and the HDL/LDL ratio were significantly improved after treatment . Reductions in fasting glucose concentration and systolic blood pressure were only significant in the placebo group . A reduction of serum triglycerides and an increase of HDL-cholesterol were found in the fluoxetine treated group . In the total study population the changes in serum lipids seemed to be more strongly related to the change in total body fat or subcutaneous abdominal fat ( assessed by MRI ) compared to the change in visceral fat . The improvement of most of the serum lipids was related to the change in total body fat independent of the mechanism for attaining this fat loss . Our results indicate that fluoxetine treatment has no specific effect beyond that expected for weight loss on serum lipid , glucose and insulin concentrations , and blood pressure in overweight men
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 .