Categorization of certain medications by their effects on body weight^[1]

Medication classes	Can cause weight loss	Can cause weight gain
Anticonvulsant medications	Topiramate Zonisamide Lamotrigine	Carbamazepine Gabapentin Pregabalin Valproate Vigabatrin
Antidepressants	Bupropion	Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (eg, phenelzine) Some tricyclic antidepressants (nortriptyline, amitriptyline, doxepin, imipramine) Some SSRIs (paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram) Mirtazapine
Antipsychotics^[2]	Ziprasidone	Thioridazine Olanzapine Risperidone Clozapine Quetiapine Haloperidol Aripiprazole
Diabetes medications	Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (eg, semaglutide, liraglutide) Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (eg, empagliflozin) Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (eg, acarbose) Tirzepatide Pramlintide Metformin	Insulin Sulfonylureas (eg, glipizide) Thiazolidinediones (eg, pioglitazone) Meglitinides (eg, repaglinide)
Glucocorticoids		All agents (eg, prednisone, dexamathasone)
Mood-stabilizing agents		Lithium
Progestins		All agents (eg, medroxyprogesterone)
Stimulants	Methylphenidate Amphetamine Lisdexamfetamine Dextroamphetamine^{[3, 4]}
Others		Cyproheptadine (antihistamine) Terazosin (alpha adrenergic receptor blocker) Propranolol (beta adrenergic receptor blocker)

SSRIs: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

References:

Tsai AG, Wadden TA. In the clinic: Obesity. Ann Intern Med 2013; 159:ITC3-1.
Campforts B, Drukker M, Crins J, et al. Association between antipsychotic medication and clinically relevant weight change: Meta-analysis. BJPsych Open 2023; 9:e18.
Catalá-López F, Hutton B, Núñez-Beltrán A, et al. The pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: A systematic review with network meta-analyses of randomised trials. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180355.
Goldfield GS, Lorello C, Doucet E. Methylphenidate reduces energy intake and dietary fat intake in adults: A mechanism of reduced reinforcing value of food? Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 86:308.

Adapted from: Bray GA, Ryan DH. Medical therapy for the patient with obesity. Circulation 2012; 125:1695.

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Categorization of certain medications by their effects on body weight[1]