Many people taking antipsychotic medication such as aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa) or risperidone (Risperdal) gain weight as a side effect. For some individuals, gaining weight on such drugs can be dangerous. The risks are especially high for youngsters.
How Well Do Teens Do on Antipsychotic Drugs?
When the new generation of anti-psychotic medications was introduced more than a decade ago, physicians hoped these drugs would be a better way to treat mental illness. They expected that drugs such as Risperdal, Zyprexa, Abilify and Seroquel would be more effective and less risky than older medications like chlorpromazine (Thorazine) or thioridazine (Mellaril).
Past studies showed that these newer drugs may not be significantly more effective in treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or autism spectrum disorders. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that these medications also have serious side effects (JAMA, Oct. 28, 2009).
In particular, they can cause serious weight gain in adolescents. As a result, children may wrestle with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. These metabolic effects are ominous because they can lead to serious cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
Can You Keep Kids from Gaining Weight on Antipsychotics?
A new study suggests that the diabetes drug metformin can counteract weight gain in children and adolescents being treated for autism. Some of the children in the study had developmental disorders rather than autism.
Metformin to Counteract Weight Gain:
The randomized controlled trial included 60 participants. Over the course of four months, metformin reduced body mass index (BMI) significantly more than placebo.
JAMA Psychiatry, online Aug 24, 2016
It is not clear whether every young person taking an antipsychotic medication should also be given metformin. With this study, though, scientists have enough data to run more experiments and confirm the benefits.
