The effect of desipramine on body weight in depression

Twenty-six patients with major depressive disorder were treated with desipramine for 4 weeks to determine the effect of the drug on body weight. Responders to desipramine showed a weight gain only at Weeks 3 and 4; nonresponders had a nonsignificant loss of weight. The increase in body weight of the responders was independent of dosage, sex, and hospitalization status. These findings suggest that the small increase in body weight that occurs in patients taking desipramine is associated with treatment response. In addition, desipramine may be a valuable treatment alternative for those patients in whom excessive weight gain is undesirable.