Like any medication, antidepressants in the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have potential side effects. For some people who take an SSRI such as Prozac (fluoxetine) or Zoloft (sertraline), one of these possible side effects is weight gain.
What is the best drug for anorexia?
No medications are approved to treat anorexia because none has been found to work very well. However, antidepressants or other psychiatric medications can help treat other mental health disorders you may also have, such as depression or anxiety.
Which medication is used most frequently in patients with anorexia nervosa?
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) seem to be favored over the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) because of their side-effect profile, lower chance of overdose, and higher tolerability. Studies have been conducted evaluating tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of anorexia.
What medication can be used to increase appetite in an anorexic patient?
Megestrol acetate Megestrol is a progesterone based medication that doctors can prescribe to boost appetite in people with anorexia, cancer, HIV, or AIDS. It may also treat breast cancer and endometrial cancer. The drug is available in liquid or tablet form.
What is the first line of treatment for anorexia?
(Evidence level Ib; B): Outpatient treatment of first choice for patients with AN should be evidence-based psychotherapy (FBT for children and adolescents; FPT, CBT-E, MANTRA or SSCM for adults), administered by practitioners experienced with eating disorders.
Which antidepressant is best for anorexia?
Anorexia Nervosa Prozac (fluoxetine) is an SRI and has proven to support treatment for people with anorexia and depression.
Is Zoloft good for anorexia?
The SSRI Sertraline (Zoloft) is also helpful in reducing perfectionist tendencies which are also common in those with eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa [5].
Is fluoxetine used for anorexia?
SSRIs such as fluoxetine (Prozac) have not been shown to treat weight loss or prevent relapses in anorexia. Nevertheless, they are sometimes used to treat symptoms of depression or anxiety in people with anorexia. The SSRI fluoxetine is FDA-approved to treat bulimia.
Why are antipsychotics used for anorexia?
Antipsychotics have also been considered in the treatment of individuals with anorexia nervosa, as the distorted body image characteristic of anorexia nervosa can be considered a symptom of psychosis and weight-gain is a known side-effect of this class of medications.
Can anorexia be fully cured?
Many Patients with Anorexia Nervosa Get Better, But Complete Recovery Elusive to Most. Three in four patients with anorexia nervosa – including many with challenging illness – make a partial recovery. But just 21 percent make a full recovery, a milestone that is most likely to signal permanent remission.
What pills increase appetite?
The most commonly prescribed appetite stimulants are megestrol acetate (Megace), oxandrolone (Oxandrin), dronabinol (Marinol), mirtazapine (Remeron), and cyproheptadine (Periactin), each varying in effectiveness and safety.
What Vitamin increases appetite?
Up your nutrient intake Consider supplementing with zinc, vitamin B1 and fish oils, which have all been found to help stimulate appetite.
What stimulates appetite?
Make Mealtime an Enjoyable Social Activity. Cooking and eating a meal with others may help stimulate your appetite more than eating alone. To make foods more pleasant to eat, you can invite friends and family over for meals. If they cannot come over to keep you company, try eating while watching TV.
How much weight anorexics gain weekly?
In most patients with anorexia nervosa an average weekly weight gain of 0.5 to 1 kg in inpatient settings and 0.5 kg in outpatient settings should be an aim of treatment. This requires about 3,500 to 7,000 extra calories a week.
What blood tests are done for anorexia?
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Checks for levels of albumin (a liver protein)
- Measure of electrolytes.
- Kidney function tests.
- Liver function tests.
- Measure of total protein.
- Thyroid function tests.
Does fluoxetine cause anorexia?
Fluoxetine produced a substantial anorexia and metergoline alone had no effect on food intake.
Why can’t anorexics take Wellbutrin?
The use of bupropion is also contraindicated in patients with a current or prior diagnosis of bulimia or anorexia because of a higher reported incidence of seizures in such patients treated with the drug.
Why is olanzapine prescribed for anorexia?
Conclusions: Preliminary evidence supports the use of olanzapine for treatment of anorexia nervosa by demonstrating that olanzapine 2.5-15 mg daily promotes weight gain and has positive effects on associated psychological symptoms.
Is mirtazapine good for anorexia?
Use of SSRIs—primarily fluoxetine and to some extent citalopram, sertraline, or mirtazapine—may aid in relapse prevention and improvement of psychiatric symptomatology in weight-restored anorexic patients.
Is anorexia a side effect of Zoloft?
Summary. Common side effects of Zoloft include: diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, dyspepsia, fatigue, insomnia, loose stools, nausea, tremor, headache, paresthesia, anorexia, decreased libido, delayed ejaculation, diaphoresis, ejaculation failure, and xerostomia.
Can Lexapro cause anorexia?
A person may gain some weight when taking Lexapro. This can happen for different reasons. Lexapro boosts serotonin, which plays a role in controlling weight. The medication may increase appetite directly, or a person may begin to eat more as their depression or anxiety lessens.
Does fluoxetine cause weight loss?
Conclusions: Acute therapy with fluoxetine is associated with modest weight loss. After remission of depressive symptoms, weight gain for patients taking fluoxetine for longer periods is not different from that for patients taking placebo and is most likely related to recovery from depression.
Does Prozac affect appetite?
Appetite and digestion change: The most common side effects of Prozac have to do with gastrointestinal symptoms like loss of appetite, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
What qualifies as an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. They can be very serious conditions affecting physical, psychological and social function.
Does Abilify help with anorexia?
Aripiprazole contributes an increase in body mass index and attenuation in anorexia nervosa (AN) symptoms, leading clinical improvements with lower side-effect profile; but it is not enough to cure comorbid depressive symptoms in AN.