Pharmacopsychiatry 1995; 28(2): 35-44
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-979586
Review

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Lithium and Body Weight Gain

T. Baptista1 , 5 , L. Teneud1 , Q. Contreras1 , T. Alastre2 , J. L. Burguera3 , M. de Burguera3 , E. de Baptista4 , S. Weiss5 , L. Hernàndez1
  • 1Laboratory of Behavioral Physiology, Medical School
  • 2Department of Psychiatry
  • 3Laboratory of Molecular Spectroscopy, Chemistry School
  • 4Department of Microbiology, Pharmacy School, Universidad de los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
  • 5NIH, Biological Psychiatry Branch, Bethesda, MD, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
23 April 2007 (online)

Abstract

Weight gain is an undesirable side-effect of long-term lithium administration which notably interferes with treatment compliance. The mechanisms of this weight gain remain unclear, making its management in patents difficult. In this paper, studies describing the features of this weight gain in patients and in rats treated with chronic lithium administration are reviewed. The effects of lithium on body weight differ between patients and rats in a number of ways, including the observation that excessive weight gain is observed in both male and female patients, but only in female rats. Nevertheless, an animal model of lithium-induced weight gain may be able to provide useful insights into some of the specific mechanisms involved, particularly those related to interactions with gonadal steroid function. We discuss the effects of lithium on the endocrine system, neurotransmitters, metabolism, electrolyte regulation, and feeding behavior, which might underlie lithium's effects on body weight. Finally, suggestions for the management of weight gain in the clinical setting are presented. These include, in the long term, dietary control and physical activity and, in the short term, choosing among several drugs that have been tested either in patients or in animal models of obesity. If weight gain still cannot be controlled and treatment compliance is at risk, the mood stabilizers carbamazepine or valproic acid might be substituted for lithium treatment.