Ever think about taking diet pills to help you lose weight? Unlike most over-the-counter diet pills, prescription weight-loss medications have scientific research showing their safety and effectiveness.
A smart first step would be to talk to your doctor about prescription medications for weight loss. Your doctor may want you to take a prescription medication if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, which indicates that you are obese, or a BMI of 27 or higher and have other health problems related to weight. Your BMI measures body fat according to your height and weight.
Some of the health problems related to being over your ideal body weight include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and certain types of cancer.
Taking a prescription medicine under a doctor’s care is an excellent way to manage or prevent these diseases safely, according to Ken Fujioka, MD, director of the Center for Weight Management and of nutrition and metabolic research at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif. “But they need to be combined with exercise and diet, whether that’s counting calories, following a low-fat diet, or being on another type of weight-loss plan,” cautions Dr. Fujioka.
Prescription Diet Pills: The Options
There are different diet pills your doctor might prescribe, depending on the amount of weight you need to lose and the timeframe during which you’ll be counting calories:
Short-term option: Phentermine helps you lose weight by suppressing your appetite. It is a safe medicine for most patients, although it can raise blood pressure and heart rate, so it shouldn’t be prescribed for some. Phentermine is FDA-approved for up to 12 weeks of use in a 12-month period. It has several brand names and generic names, and comes in regular and extended-release forms.
“Used appropriately, phentermine gives an additional 5 percent weight loss above your loss from other activities such as diet and exercise,” says Fujioka. One advantage of phentermine is that it is the least expensive of the prescription weight-loss drugs. It costs about $15 at a discount pharmacy for a 30-day supply.
Don’t be put off by phentermine’s name if you remember the old diet drug known as “Phen-Fen,” which was a combination of phentermine and fenfluramine. Fenfluramine was taken off the market because of its potential association with thickening of the heart valves, according to Fujioka. There was nothing wrong with phentermine, and it has been approved and used for almost 50 years.
Although phentermine is primarily used as a short-term drug, a doctor may decide to prescribe it for longer periods of time if the patient is losing weight, is not experiencing side effects, and has a weight-related condition like diabetes that is improving.
Phentermine is a stimulant medication, so it should not be used in anyone with heart disease or risk factors for stroke.
Prescription Diet Pills: The Newest Option, Orlistat
The prescription drug orlistat (Xenical) is also approved for long-term use in obese patients. It belongs to a class of drugs known as lipase inhibitors and works by blocking the absorption of fat. Orlistat is also available over the counter at half the strength of Xenical and is sold as the drug Alli.
Many people have heard about the gastrointestinal side effects of orlistat. “It is fairly common for patients taking orlistat to have oily stools or leakage,” says Fujioka. “Obviously, this can be unpleasant.” According to FDA, people who take Allli or Xenical have a rare risk of liver failure.
If you’re taking orlistat it is important to also take a multivitamin every day since this drug can block your body from absorbing some vitamins.
Now that you’ve decided to improve your health by counting calories and paying attention to your weight, your next step should be to talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of your individual situation. And don’t forget to include exercise in your weight-loss program. You’ll feel better — and get better results.
source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/prescription-diet-pills-are-they-right-for-you.aspx
source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/prescription-diet-pills-are-they-right-for-you.aspx