Weight loss medication is only indicated in patients with a BMI greater or equal than 30 kg / m2, or in patients weighing more than 27 kg / m2 and in presence of other pathologies associated like type II diabetes or dyslipidemia.
Weight loss meds may be only administrated after infructuous weight loss efforts with dietary measures during the previous two or three months.
The use of these drugs can only be justified as an adjunct to dietary treatment and changes in lifestyle.
In medical weight loss clinics, prescription weight-loss drugs are managed by specialized professionals who perform a deep assessment of the patient before prescribing these drugs.
Drug therapy is used as an adjuvant to enhance the effects of a low-calorie diet and physical exercise. In this way, you may have better control of your eating behavior, and you will not suffer the typical side effects such as irritability, anxiety, and frustration.
It is important to note that it is very frustrating for a person who has tried to lose weight many times and cannot achieve it. For this reason, medication for weight loss is essential, not only to achieve weight goals but as a way to increase your motivation.
Prescription weight loss medicine helps activate fat burning and facilitate weight loss, especially in patients with insulin resistance.
A decrease of 10% to 15% of initial weight helps stabilize metabolic parameters such as blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure. All these changes will motivate you while causing a noticeable improvement in your health, thus reducing your cardiovascular risk.
Here is a list of our most common weight loss meds:
Phentermine is the most common and prescribed weight loss medication on the market and currently accounts for over 50% of prescriptions.
Phentermine is a psychostimulant drug belonging to phenylethylamine class with a similar pharmacology to amphetamine and is used medicinally as an appetite suppressant. Phentermine was approved by the FDA as an appetite suppressant drug in 1959.
Phentermine causes the brain to stimulate the adrenal glands to release norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that indicates a fight or flight response, leading to a hunger reduction.
Phentermine also releases serotonin and dopamine, much lower than the levels of norepinephrine, although at sufficient levels to produce a satiety effect and minimize cravings. Phentermine also works outside the brain, releasing adrenaline, stimulating brain and body, increasing energy levels and concentration.
Qsymia is a combination of the appetite suppressant phentermine (the secure part of the weight loss drug Fen-Phen) and the migraine and anticonvulsant medication, topiramate extended-release. Qsymia can help in weight loss by increasing satiety, making the taste of food less appetizing and increasing calorie expenditure.
One capsule daily in the morning is generally indicated. It should not be taken at night because of the risk of insomnia. According to the medical indication, you may start with Qsymia 3.75 mg / 23 mg daily for 14 days, then increase to 7.5 mg / 46 mg daily. If after 12 weeks it is not reached 3% of weight loss, your doctor may re-evaluate the dose.
Contrave is a combination of bupropion, an antidepressant and anti-tobacco drug, and naltrexone, a drug prescribed to treat alcohol and opiate dependence. Contrave is designed to be taken along with a low-calorie diet and an exercise program and is approved for use by obese and overweight people with a BMI of more than 27. However, Contrave is also specifically designed for people who are overweight or obese who also suffer from a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.
The combination of bupropion and naltrexone targets the central nervous system, affecting food intake. Bupropion inhibits dopamine reuptake and norepinephrine, while also activating neurons in the hypothalamus to result in a loss of appetite and increased energy production, similar to the mechanisms observed with phentermine. The addition of naltrexone to bupropion makes these effects amplified, while the combination of these two drugs also manipulates “reward” processes in the brain, effectively reducing food cravings.
Saxenda has an active substance called liraglutide. The drug is manufactured by Novo Nordisk laboratories. Actually, liraglutide was already approved in Europe for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, although at a lower dose of 1.8 mg compared with 3 of its applications for slimming purposes.
It is indicated for obese adults with a minimum BMI of 30, or, 27 if they have other risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension. In addition, its indication is combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise.
Liraglutide has the effect of decreasing appetite and increasing satiety, which will help you to eat less with less effort. According to a study of 5,800 people, it was shown that significant weight loss was achieved using the drug compared with a placebo, using both in conjunction with diet and exercise.
The attending physician can evaluate the effectiveness after twelve weeks after starting treatment and, if you have not lost at least five percent of weight, you may stop treatment.