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Chronic imipramine treatment and weight gain
Psychiatry Research
|April 1, 1986
Summary
Imipramine treatment for recurrent depression resulted in minimal weight changes for most patients. Over 16 weeks, 60% experienced less than a 5-pound weight fluctuation, with no correlation to patient demographics or treatment response.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Recurrent depression is a significant mental health challenge requiring effective long-term management.
- Imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, is a common treatment for major depressive disorder.
- Weight change is a known potential side effect of antidepressant medications, impacting patient adherence and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of imipramine on patient weight.
- To quantify weight changes in outpatients with recurrent depression treated with imipramine.
- To explore potential correlations between weight fluctuations and patient characteristics or treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 52 recurrent depressive outpatients received imipramine (200-250 mg/day) combined with psychotherapy.
- Patients were weighed weekly for 16 weeks, starting from a drug-free baseline.
- Data on age, sex, prior weight, and medication response were collected and analyzed for correlations with weight change.
Main Results:
- The majority of patients (60%) experienced weight changes of less than 5 pounds (mean 1.1 pounds) over 16 weeks.
- Significant weight gain (>15 pounds) was observed in only 6% of subjects.
- Weight loss was minimal, with 6% of subjects losing 6-10 pounds.
- No statistically significant correlations were found between weight change and patient age, sex, baseline weight, or treatment response.
Conclusions:
- Imipramine treatment, when combined with psychotherapy, is associated with generally minimal weight changes in patients with recurrent depression.
- The observed weight fluctuations are unlikely to be a major concern for most patients undergoing this treatment regimen.
- Weight change does not appear to be a reliable indicator of treatment efficacy or a factor influenced by patient demographics in this study population.