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> There's more of it in your gut than in your brain (why do you think people on SSRIs gain weight?) It's true most of it is in our guts, but the weight gain li
by comboy 10y ago
> There's more of it in your gut than in your brain (why do you think people on SSRIs gain weight?)
It's true most of it is in our guts, but the weight gain link seems a bit far fetched. In the gut, serotonin depletion leads to the feel of hunger and high levels of serotonin is where you get a diarrhea. If anything I would expect the opposite [1]
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7312891 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7312891
- blackguardx 10y agoRats are a decent model, but they aren't humans. From googling around, it appears that weight gain is a common side effect in most (all?) anti-depressants. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/antidepressants-and-weight-gain/faq-20058127 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/exp... https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/201007/reversing-antidepressant-weight-gain https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-antidepressant-diet...
- comboy 10y agoI'm not denying the correlation. Just doubting the idea that it is caused by increased levels of serotonin in the gut.
- blackguardx 10y agoYour original comment makes more sense now. I thought you were doubting the SSRI link to weight gain.
- Houshalter 10y agoWhy does the effect need to come from the gut? SSRIs mess with the reward systems in the brain right? Other drugs that do that affect weight. I lost a ton of weight on stimulants because they kill appetite.
- AJRF 10y agoI've seen some sources say in humans around 2% of the study group lost weight, while other studies support 25% of a target group reporting weight gain. Main theory for weight gain is that the higher extra cellular levels of serotonin slow down the metabolism. Fascinating article you've linked though, thanks for sharing!