United States: A new study which shows some antidepressants can cause further weight gain than others. Lexapro, Paxil, and Cymbalta have a advanced threat of causing weight gain, while people taking Wellbutrin are less likely to gain weight.
Experimenters from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute looked at the weights of over 183,000 grown-ups who started taking these antidepressants. They checked their weights six months, one time, and two times after they began taking the drug.
Study Details
Data from taking Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Wellbutrin (bupropion), Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Effexor (venlafaxine) was compared to Zoloft (sertraline), which is the most found antidepressant in the US.
Findings on Weight Gain
At six months, Lexapro, Paxil and Cymbalta users were 10% to 15% more likely to gain at least 5% of their starting weight than Zoloft consumers.
According to the reports by the New York Post Prozac was not at all associated with a six- month weight change, while Wellbutrin users were 15% less likely to experience a 5% weight gain. Wellbutrin continued to be associated with the least weight gain at the one and two year marks.
The findings were published this week in the Annals of the internal Medicine.
Why Wellbutrin Is Different
The researchers credited the Wellbutrin’s potential to increase the level of the dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain and which really improves the wakefulness and alertness.
This drug is used to treat the depression and seasonal affective disorder and help the people stop smoking and this has been shown to stimulate the central melanocortin system which regulates appetite and energy balance and body weight. The study results come amid growing antidepressant use, especially among the adults and teens.
Growing Use of Antidepressants
On study or thesis found out that about 14% of US adults take an antidepressant. The HPHCI researchers noted that people often stop using the drug if they experience weight gain.
Expert Opinion
“This study provides important real-world evidence regarding the amount of weight gain that should be expected after starting some of the most common antidepressants,” said lead author Joshua Petimar, a Harvard Medical School assistant professor of population medicine.
“Clinicians and patients can use this information, among other factors, to help decide on the right choice for them,” he added.