Bipolar Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bipolar, including details on bipolar disorder, symptoms, treatment, depression, medication.

Impact of lamotrigine and lithium on weight in obese and nonobese patients with bipolar I disorder.

Bowden CL, Calabrese JR, Ketter TA, Sachs GS, White RL, Thompson TR

Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA. bowdenc@uthscsa.edu

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed weight changes in a large cohort of patients with bipolar disorder who were treated with randomly assigned maintenance monotherapies. METHOD: A post hoc analysis was conducted to assess the effects of lamotrigine, lithium, and placebo administration on body weight in obese and nonobese patients with bipolar disorder from two double-blind, placebo-controlled, 18-month studies. RESULTS: Mean changes in weight among obese patients (N=155) at week 52 were -4.2, +6.1, and -0.6 kg with lamotrigine, lithium, and placebo, respectively (lamotrigine versus lithium and lithium versus placebo). Among nonobese patients (N=399), mean changes in weight (kg) at week 52 were -0.5, +1.1, and +0.7 with lamotrigine, lithium, and placebo, respectively, with no significant differences among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Obese patients with bipolar I disorder lost weight while taking lamotrigine and gained weight while taking lithium.

Published 3 July 2006 in Am J Psychiatry, 163(7): 1199-201.
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