Top Antidepressants For Pain And Weight Loss

Top Antidepressants For Pain And Weight Loss

Antidepressants For Pain And Weight Loss


According to the National Center for Health Statistics, antidepressants were categorized as the 3rd most common drug administered in the United States between the year 2005 and 2008. Mainly, antidepressants are used to treat depression and pain. In addition, some antidepressants can interfere with the body weight. For instance, some antidepressants such as tricyclic and amitriptyline lead to weight gain in patients.

On the other hand, some may lead to a decrease in body weight. However, the amount of weight loss is usually small and in most cases temporary. We should, however, bear in mind that our bodies respond to treatment differently, and therefore there is no guarantee that you will lose weight for taking antidepressants. In this article, we will discuss in details some of the most commonly used antidepressants for pain and weight loss.


Antidepressants For Pain And Weight Loss

Below are some of the best antidepressants for weight loss and help relieve pain


Bupropion

Bupropion is the only antidepressants that give you energy and weight loss that is notable. In addition, it provides a great relief to illness, and it’s only associated with fewer side effects. In most cases, bupropion is prescribed to manage and control depression and ADHD symptoms. According to studies, approximately 28% of bupropion patients noted a significant weight loss. This medication is associated with lack of appetite, which may be the main reason for a reduction in weight. The lack of appetite reduces the number of calories consumed therefore contributing to weight loss. Another serious side effect of bupropion is seizures. It's therefore recommended that you only take the correct dosage to avoid severe side effect.


Furthermore, according to studies, bupropion is said to combat depression by increasing the amount of the donating and noradrenaline proteins in the brains. These proteins are involved in the regulation of feelings of fullness, appetite, and eating habits. Weight loss may also be as a result of some minor side effects of bupropion such as nausea and vomiting.


SSRIs

SNRIs also is associated with reduced weight although it's insignificant. In addition, SSRIs are recommended for pain relief. The drugs are also associated with fewer side effects which makes them appropriate for pain relief. Some of the common symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. This side effects in addition to lack of appetite may lead to weight loss to patients. However, only a few of the patients experience weight loss for taking SSRIs. Some of the most popular SSRIs also use to treat pain and weight loss.


Prozac

Prozac is used for pain relief and as well can help shed a few pounds. According to research, Prozac doesn't offer long-term weight loss measures. Patients who were observed in the study started to regain the lost weight after six months of taking Prozac. This means that long-term effects of Prozac might actually lead to weight gain instead of weight loss.


Zoloft

Some patients that used Zoloft experienced weight loss. Zoloft is said to control appetite, and I can, therefore, help heavy eaters to control the amount of food taken. This may lead to weight loss.


Celexa

Calexico is associated with reduced with an appetite which may help lose weight. Studies show that within four weeks, patients of Celexa had lost up to 10 pounds. Other say that they lost about 6-8 pounds within two weeks. This means that Celexa can be used for pain relief and as well as to boost energy, weight loss, and improve eating habits, especially for heavy eaters.


SNRIs

SNRIs are another type of antidepressants that are used for pain relief for chronic illnesses and as well may help reduce body weight. For instance, Cymbalta, a type of SNRIs drug, commonly used to treat fibromyalgia can suppress your appetite making you lose weight. According to research, Cymbalta is said to reduce hunger in about 9% of its patients. However, there is no guarantee that this drug can help you lose weight. In fact, only a few patients experienced a considerable weight loss for three weeks. After that, the amount of weight loss was insignificant, and they noted an increase in appetite.


Effexor

Another type of SNFI can help promote weight loss and as well relieve pain and depression. Effexor is usually associated with side effects such as lack of appetite, nausea, and vomiting which may eventually lead to weight loss. Initially, it causes an insignificant weight loss when taken in small doses, about 1-2 pounds. When treatments increase, it may result in a weight reduction of about 10 pounds. However, large doses of Effexor are not recommended bearing in mind some of its other side effects such as extreme fatigue and drowsiness.


Caution

When taking antidepressants, there is no guarantee that they will help you lose weight even if they can relieve pain. Weight loss is just but a side effect of these drugs and depending on one’s body, one can experience weight loss or gain upon taking antidepressants. In most cases, despite being effective in treating pain, antidepressants tend to lower your metabolic rate.

Therefore, there is always a higher risk of gaining weight rather than losing. Indeed, it's surprising that drugs formulated to treat mental illnesses can actually promote weight loss. Antidepressants discussed above are just bugged some of the most commonly used antidepressants for pain and weight loss. The drugs should not, however, be misused, some of them are associated with severe symptoms.

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad