A study that looked into the effects of using both Xenical and Metformin had good results with patients who were overweight or obese due to the use of anti-depressant medicine. Patients reported weight loss and said that the drugs protected them against weight increases later on.

The research was carried out by a United States research body based in New York and the results were made known at a meeting of the ADAA (Anxiety Disorders Association of America).

People who have mental health problems often take medicines that increase body weight as a side effect and while doctors may be aware of why the weight gain occurs there has been little research into medicines to prevent this weight gain. This weight gain is often cited as a reason why patients using these antipsychotic medicines eventually stop taking them.

In this research program which lasted 3 months participants were chosen who had gained weight to the tune of about 10 pounds directly from using the antidepressants. A placebo group was set up as well as two other groups who received either metformin daily or Xenical daily as well as the antidepressant medicine that they had been taking previously. The placebo group kept on taking their antidepressant medicines also.

The patients using the metformin reported a median weight reduction of 5.4 pounds and the patients using the Xenical reported a median weight reduction 4.9 pounds. Those in the placebo group, who took no weight loss medicines actually reported a weight gain of 15.4 pounds over the period of the study. In all there were eleven patients using the Xenical, eight using the metformin and six in the placebo group.

Two patients were given an antiepileptic drug topiramate and left the research program due to side effects. On top of that two patients receiving Xenical suffered from diarrhea and had to leave the study and one patient taking the metformin left out without explanation.

The study also measured the BMI ratios of all those involved at the start and at the end of the study and the results showed reductions for those using the Xenical and Metformin and increases for those in the placebo group.

Interestingly the body fat percentage rose in all three groups with those taking Xenical reporting the smallest increases. The researchers noted that because of the small number of people involved the results should be evaluated with caution. As for side effects with the medicines, Metformin performed the best with none reporting adverse effects, while Xenical induced diarrhea and the topiramate drug caused acidosis.

While the number of participants was small, the results indicate the benefits of using Xenical and Metformin with antidepressants are significant and therefore futher research and a larger study is likely to give medically useful results.