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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Drug combination
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Drug combination
by Sonya, Jun 12, 2000 12:00AM
Depression runs on my maternal side of the family, and I have many family members on antidepressants. I have been on a low dose (20 mg) of Prozac for almost a year now and feel 100% better. I realize that I will most likely remain on antidepressants for most of life, given my family history. However, when I first began taking prozac, my psychiatrist also prescribed phentermine (30 mg), stating that recent research had proven the synergistic effect of the 2 drugs in the countering of weight gain. Just prior to the start of my treatment for depression I was enrolled in a medically supervised weight reduction program utilizing phentermine for 3 months followed by 30 days without phentermine. I quit this program since my psychiatrist prescribed both drugs. As a result, I felt great and kept losing weight at a slow, steady pace. However, I have recently relocated and found another psychiatrist who is currently treating me with prozac only. Since I have not taken phentermine with the prozac for 6 months now, I feel tired and have gained all of the weight that I had successfully lost over the past year. The prozac is making me gain at an increasingly alarming rate, and I am very unhappy about it, although I am not depressed! However, gross obesity also runs on both sides of my family, and I have always struggled with my weight since my early teens. I have not approached my current psychiatrist about the combination of the prozac and phentermine, but I have an appointment tomorrow and will ask his opinion. I realize that I can always find another weight loss program that will prescribe the phentermine, but I wondered what my alternatives would be and if the current medical research does indeed support this combination of drugs.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD-JM, Jun 13, 2000 12:00AM
Sonya,
There is no absolute contraindication of using Prozac and phenteramine in combination. Phenteramine is a stimulant used for short-term period as a weight loss medication. It is not indicated for long term use. Medications for weight loss should be used only in combination with exercise and diet modification.
In general weight gain associated with Prozac and the other SSRI's is minimal (5-7#s). Wellbutrin is one of the antidepressants that has no weight gain associated with it and may be an option that you could discuss further with your psychiatrist.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
There is no absolute contraindication of using Prozac and phenteramine in combination. Phenteramine is a stimulant used for short-term period as a weight loss medication. It is not indicated for long term use. Medications for weight loss should be used only in combination with exercise and diet modification.
In general weight gain associated with Prozac and the other SSRI's is minimal (5-7#s). Wellbutrin is one of the antidepressants that has no weight gain associated with it and may be an option that you could discuss further with your psychiatrist.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
