
February 18, 2005
Weight and Weight Loss
Question from India:
Fluoxetine, 20 mg, is an antidepressant that works in obesity due to the affect of serotonin, but it produces mild diabetes. Can sibutramine, an anti-obesity drug, also produce a mild diabetic effect?
Answer:
Sibutramine has been shown to be used in population of patients with type 2 diabetes. With this intervention and successful weight loss, blood sugars have shown significant clinical improvement. I would suggest the benefit of weight loss is stronger than any affect of serotonin on glycemic control. If patients required weight loss, and this medication were indicated, I would not hesitate to use it. However, it should be noted that sibutramine can increase heart rate and blood pressure so these need to be considered before using in specific patients with uncontrolled hypertension and severe cardiac disease.
JTL