Prescribe weight loss drugs, diet pills

Prescribed Weight Loss Drugs

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to pop a pill each night before bed and all the eating and fitness mistakes you have made through out the day / week / month / year are forgiven? How about you take a pill and you wake up in your dream body? Maybe just a pill that while you eat healthy and work out will shed the weight and give you that magazine model look? Or at least let you see the mythical 6 pack?

So what drugs are on the market today and how do they work to help us lose the weight and obtain the figure we have always dreamed of? On average people using FDA approved weight loss drugs will lose 5% to 10% of their original weight. The following are some of the most popular weight loss drugs on the market.

Xenical (generic name is orlistat), helps with weight loss by blocking / preventing the absorption of dietary fat. The action of lipase a enzyme in the intestine is blocked preventing the breakup and absorption of fat. The fat is released in your stool.

Oby-Trim (generic name phentermine), decreases appetite by changing your brains levels of serotonin. Oby-Trim is a nervous system stimulant and is similar to amphetamines. It should be used under close doctor supervision due to the elevation of blood pressure and faster heart rates.

Meridia (generic name sibutramine), alters neurotransmitters in the brain to aid in weight loss. People taking Meridia may lose from 5% to 10% of their starting weight. When Meridia is used to lose weight people have experienced improvement in their blood’s lipids (better cholesterol).

There are a few others but those are currently what we are hearing the most about. Down the road expect to hear about the FDA approving a new drug called Acomplia (rimonabant). Rimonabant is currently in phase 3 development, it works by blocking endogenous cannabinoid binding to neuronal CB1 receptors.

There could be contributing factors to why you’re over weight though if you are eating healthy and working out but seeing few to no results. You could have lower or higher production of your thyroid. If you have Hypothyroidism (under active thyroid gland) you may feel tired, weak, run down, constipation, depression, have brittle nails, sleepiness, memory loss, decreased libido and muscle aches. Hypothyroidism is often treated by prescription of Levoxyl, Synthroid (T4) because it is a more stable form of the thyroid hormone and only requires a once a day dosing. The most active thyroid hormone is actually T3 which can be treated by prescription of Cytomel. The down side to Cytomel is that it is shorter acting and requires multiple doses per day.

Hyperthyroidism (over production by the thyroid gland) you may sweat excessively, intolerance to heat, increased bowel movements, tremors (fine shaking), nervousness, rapid heart rate, fatigue and a decrease in the ability to concentrate. Hyperthyroidism is treaded by taking antithyroid drugs like methimazole and propylthioracil. These drugs accumulate in the thyroid tissue and block production of thyroid hormones.

As with any medication it is always best to have your doctor involved and monitoring your progress and how your body is handling the drug. Frequent blood tests are needed when dealing with your Thyroid to ensure your levels don’t spike up or too far down and cause you more problems than you are trying to cure. Consult with your Doctor to determine what the best course of action and prescription you can take to help you lose weight.

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