Impact of Lamotrigine and Lithium on Weight in Obese and Nonobese Patients With Bipolar I Disorder

• Published in: The American journal of psychiatry Vol. 163; no. 7; pp. 1199 - 1201
• Main Authors: Bowden, Charles L., Calabrese, Joseph R., Ketter, Terence A., Sachs, Gary S., White, Robin L., Thompson, Thomas R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychiatric Association 01.07.2006
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anticonvulsants - adverse effects; Anticonvulsants - pharmacology; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar disorder; Bipolar Disorder - drug therapy; Bipolar Disorder - epidemiology; Bipolar disorders; Body Weight - drug effects; Comorbidity; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Lithium - adverse effects; Lithium - pharmacology; Lithium - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Mood disorders; Neuropharmacology; Obesity; Obesity - chemically induced; Obesity - epidemiology; Patients; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Placebos; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychotropic drugs; Studies; Triazines - adverse effects; Triazines - pharmacology; Triazines - therapeutic use; Weight control; Weight Gain - drug effects; Weight Loss - drug effects; Mood disorder; Obesity; Psychotropic; Nutrition disorder; Lithium; Bipolar disorder; Anticonvulsant; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Mood stabilizer; Triazine derivatives; Nutritional status; Lamotrigine
• ISSN: 0002-953X; 1535-7228
• DOI: 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.7.1199

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.