Psychotropic drugs promoting weight gain: health risks and treatment implications

The use of psychotropic medication is often associated with weight gain. We provide documentation for this effect and review the mechanisms possibly responsible for it in the case of neuroleptic agents, lithium carbonate, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and amitriptyline. We also enumerate the undesirable medical consequences of obesity. Failure to take medication because it promotes weight gain is a serious impediment to successful treatment. Strategies that may promote drug compliance and prevent or reduce weight gain are discussed.