Effects of antidepressant medications on body weightDepression is a disorder that may affect patient's weight because of specific factors of the disease, such as changes in appetite and in the level of physical activity, as well as because of the use of antidepressant medications. The objectives of this paper are to analyze studies that discuss the effect of antidepressant medications on the patients' weight. Medline, Lilacs and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies using the words 'antidepressant' and 'weight'. Publications regarding antidepressant drugs commonly used in health services in Brazil and their effects on body weight in depressive patients were selected. The studies indicated that weight changes related to antidepressant therapies are still controversial, influenced by factors such as length and dosage of antidepressant use, limited power of the studies, among others. Thus, more powerful studies focusing on how antidepressant medications affect weight in depressive patients are still needed.
Antidepressant agents; Weight gain; Weight loss; Body weight
