Fluoxetine & Weight Loss
Fluoxetine is the generic name for Prozac, a medication commonly used to treat major depression. Doctors also prescribe this medication for bulimia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. Decreased appetite and weight loss may occur as a result of taking fluoxetine, according to the Drugs.com website.
Fluoxetine is the generic name for Prozac, a medication commonly used to treat major depression. Doctors also prescribe this medication for bulimia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. Decreased appetite and weight loss may occur as a result of taking fluoxetine, according to the Drugs.com website.
Effect on Weight
Of study participants who took fluoxetine for major depression during U.S. clinical trials, 11 percent reported loss of appetite and 1.4 percent noted weight loss, according to Drugs.com. Of the subjects who took a placebo, only 2 percent complained of decreased appetite and 0.5 percent reported weight loss. Fluoxetine may result in an average, short-term weight loss of up to just more than 7 pounds in obese patients, according to a study review article published in the December 2003 issue of the "American Family Physician." However, there is no evidence that this weight will stay off -- and the article suggests that a healthy diet combined with physical activity be used as the primary method for achieving weight control and preventing obesity.