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 .
Fluoxetine's effect on weight loss in obese subjects.
Forty-five obese subjects with a mean weight of 102.9 kg and a body mass index ( in kg/m2 ) of 37.6 were r and omly assigned to a fluoxetine-diet group ( n = 23 ) or a placebo-diet group ( n = 22 ) for 52 wk . At week 29 , 14 subjects on fluoxetine who completed the study attained their maximum weight loss of 12.4 kg , an amount significantly greater than the maximum weight loss of 4.5 kg for the 16 on placebo who completed the study . The fluoxetine group 's significantly greater mean weight loss continued through week 45 . However , those on fluoxetine  regained a mean of 4.2 kg from their lowest weight ( P less than 0.001 ) whereas the placebo group did not . By the end of the study , each group weighed significantly less than they did at baseline ( fluoxetine : -8.2 kg ; placebo : -4.5 kg ; P less than 0.05 ) although the difference between groups was no longer significant ( P greater than 0.05 ) . Several factors were considered as possible causes for the regain with fluoxetine
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 .