Does Spravato cause weight gain? What we know.
Short answer: weight gain doesn’t appear to be a Spravato effect. In the trial data in its prescribing information, weight gain was reported about as often in people taking Spravato as in people taking a placebo, both alongside an oral antidepressant.
About the same as placebo.
Because both groups were also taking an oral antidepressant, the small amount of weight gain in both is more likely to come from the antidepressant, or from life, than from Spravato.1
Many depression medications do change weight.
Several antidepressants, and some of the medications added to them when they stop working, are known for weight gain. If that’s been part of your history, it’s a fair question to ask about anything new.
Spravato works differently, on glutamate rather than serotonin, and it’s given once or twice a week rather than every day.
Not a weight-loss medication either.
Spravato isn’t expected to cause weight loss. If your appetite changes as your mood improves, that can move your weight in either direction, and it’s worth mentioning at your visits.
Ask us about weight, or anything else, before you start.
Call and ask, or leave your number and we’ll call you.
Name, date of birth and insurer. We check your plan and call you back. No commitment.
Check my coverageRegister once, and our team starts your insurance check and reaches out to schedule your evaluation.
Request an evaluationYour whole health, not only your mood.
Your blood pressure is checked at every treatment, and we go over your other medications with you, so you can raise weight with us at any visit.
Very long-term weight effects.
The trial figures cover months, not years. If you notice a steady change in your weight during treatment, tell us so we can look at the whole picture, including your other medications.
What people ask about Spravato and weight.
Does Spravato cause weight gain?
It doesn’t appear to. In trial data in the prescribing information, weight gain was reported in 13.9% of people on Spravato plus an oral antidepressant and 13.3% on placebo plus an oral antidepressant, about the same.
Does Spravato cause weight loss?
It isn’t expected to. Appetite can change as depression lifts, which may move weight either way.
Will I gain weight if I stop my other antidepressant and use Spravato alone?
Spravato can be used on its own for treatment-resistant depression. Whether to change your other medications is a decision we make with you, and weight can be part of that conversation.
Why do people gain weight on antidepressants?
Some antidepressants and add-on medications affect appetite and metabolism. Which ones, and how much, varies, so have your medication history handy for your evaluation.