Medications For Weight Loss
Weight-loss medicines bring good results in losing weight and improving health, but they more effectively work if used in combination with maintaining a special diet and exercising.
It’s a common knowledge that it’s much better to lose your weight with the help of a diet and physical activities. But there are cases when the medications for weight loss are required, particularly when a person has certain weight-related medical conditions.
One should remember that even if you are taking body weight -loss medicines, exercising and healthy food habits must not be neglected. Besides, weight-loss medications are not intended for everyone who has a problem of an excess weight.
Prescription weight-loss medicines are not indicated for individuals who want to lose a few pounds of their weight. These drugs are intended for those who failed in losing the weight through exercising and diet and who have unfavourable conditions caused by the excess weight.
Generally weight-loss medications are prescribed in the following cases:
-the patient doesn’t have any contraindications to use such drugs
-the patient’s body mass index also known as BMI is more than 30
-the patient has BMI more than 27 and is experiencing medical problems caused by obesity (e.g. diabetes or hypertension).
Prescription medications for body weight-loss should be chosen by the medical professional taking into the consideration other medical conditions of the patient and considering potential adverse effects and drug interactions of these medications with other drugs.
The effectiveness of weight-loss medicines
If medications for weight loss are used in combination with a diet and regular exercising, you may lose 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight within a year. This amount of the lost weight looks likes not great but in fact it significantly improves your health by reducing blood pressure, lipid levels and blood glucose levels and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Note that these drugs are not effective for everyone. Moreover, it’s likely that you are going to gain your weight after discontinue using these drugs.
Widely used weight-loss medications
The majority of the prescription medicines for weight loss approved by the FDA are intended to be used for a short-term treatment that takes less than 12 weeks. The exception is Orlistat (Xenical) medication that is indicated for long-term use. Orlistat medication works by blocking the digestion and absorption of fat in the stomach and intestines. Orlistat in a reduced-strength form comes without a prescription.
Here are the most widely used weight-loss medications and the common side reactions associated with the use of these drugs:
-Diethylpropion medication might increase blood pressure and heart rhythm, cause insomnia and dizziness.
-Phentermine increases blood pressure and heart rhythm, provokes insomnia and dizziness.
Orlistat causes intestinal cramps, meteorism, and some others.
The question of safety
Safety is a very important issue when speaking about weight-loss medicines. For example, such medication as sibutramine also known as Meridia was approved in 1997 as a medication for weight loss but then was forbidden to be sold because of the increased risk of serious heart conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
The same as with Meridia, the FDA is reviewing now the safety of Orlistat medications because of the cases of serious liver injury in patients who used this drug. In spite the fact that the direct impact of Orlistat on the liver injury has not proved yet, doctors advice people who take this drug to watch the symptoms of liver condition carefully. Among such symptoms are weakness, jaundice, fever, and brown urine. Medical specialists accept the possibility liver injury might happen because of the increased weight in patients who are taking Orlistat medication but not from the drug itself.
Before taking weight-loss medications
Before you start using medications for weight-loss you should take into the consideration the potential benefits and risks of such treatment.
Remember that weight-loss medications can bring significant results if used in combination with proper dietary habits and regular exercising which should become a part of your lifestyle. These medications can also be used to maintain your weight. One should understand that when you stop taking these drugs, you might gain the weight again.
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Weight-loss medicines bring good results in losing weight and improving health, but they more effectively work if used in combination with maintaining a special diet and exercising. It’s a common knowledge that it’s much better to lose your weight with the help of a diet and physical activities. But there are cases when the medications for weight loss are required, particularly when a person has certain weight-related medical conditions. One should remember that even if you are taking body weight … Continue reading →
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Weight-loss medicines are indicated for people who suffer from obesity but who failed to lose their weight with the help of diets and exercising. These days there are a number of prescription medications approved by the FDA for obesity treatment. Such medications help to lose the weight for about 5 to 10 percent of their body weight. The main action of weight- loss medicines is suppressing the appetite. The exception is Xenical (Orlistat) medication that belongs to a new class … Continue reading →
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