does lithium cause hunger
However, one study that looked at hunger in people without bipolar who took lithium found no major impact on hunger. Lithium also causes increased thirst, and another unproven theory is that this thirst leads people to consume high-calorie fluids such as sugary sodas and juices, leading to weight gain.
Researchers at UCLA have determined the brain circuits involved in hunger that are influenced by a hormone called leptin. In previous clinical trials, supplementation of leptin, the signaling molecule produced by fat cells, produced moderate weight loss in some obese patients, purportedly by inhibiting hunger and promoting feelings of being full.