You’ll still need to focus on diet and exercise while taking these drugs, and they’re not for everyone. The key to sustainable weight loss is reducing your caloric intake and increasing your physical activity. For some people, this may also require taking medication prescribed by a doctor. It is important to note that even with medication, diet and exercise are still essential components of weight loss.
Even if you are taking these drugs, you will still need to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly. They are not suitable for everyone.
Doctors usually prescribe medication for weight loss if your BMI is 30 or higher, or if your BMI is at least 27 and you have a condition that may be related to your weight, like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
The FDA approved semaglutide for the treatment of obesity in 2021. Some other common drugs used for weight loss, which have been around for longer, include liraglutide, naltrexone-bupropion, orlistat, phentermine, and phentermine-topiramate.
Before getting a weight loss drug prescription, it is important to tell your doctor about your medical history, including any allergies or other conditions you have. Additionally, let them know about any medicines or supplements you take, even if they are herbal or natural. Finally, tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to get pregnant soon.
Prescription weight-loss drugs
If you're an adult with serious health problems related to your weight, and you've tried diet and exercise but haven't been able to lose enough weight, you may be able to get a prescription for a weight-loss drug.
Although weight-loss drugs can be effective, you should not use them as a replacement for diet and exercise.
Who is a candidate for weight-loss drugs?
Your doctor may consider a weight-loss drug for you if you haven't been able to lose weight through diet and exercise and you meet one of the following:
- Your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30.
- Your BMI is greater than 27 and you have a serious medical problem related to obesity, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Your doctor will consider your history and health challenges before deciding if a prescription weight-loss drug is right for you. They will discuss the pros and cons of the medication with you to help you make an informed decision.
Weight-loss drugs are not always the best option and should not be used in certain situations such as if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
How well do weight-loss drugs work?
Weight-loss drugs that are prescribed by a doctor and intended for long-term use can help a person lose weight when compared to taking a placebo. If someone combines taking the weight-loss medication with making lifestyle changes, they will see greater weight loss results than if they only made lifestyle changes.
A weight loss of 3% to 7% above what is achievable with lifestyle changes alone is possible over the course of a year. This may not seem like much, however a sustained weight loss of between 5% and 10% can have significant health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, blood sugar and triglyceride levels.
What you should know about weight-loss drugs
Side effects that are common and mild, such as nausea, constipation, or diarrhea, may lessen over time. However, there is also a rare chance of experiencing serious side effects. Because of this, it is important that you have a discussion with your doctor about all of your treatment options.
Some weight-loss drugs can be expensive, and insurance companies might not cover the cost. You should check with your insurance company to see if they will cover the cost of the weight-loss drug.
Though weight-loss medications often help people shed pounds at first, it's common for users to gain some of the weight back after they stop taking the drugs. However, making changes to unhealthy lifestyle habits may help limit this weight gain.
How long does drug therapy last?
The amount of time you will spend taking a weight-loss drug depends on its efficacy. If you are seeing positive results and you have not experienced any serious side-effects, your doctor may recommend that you continue taking the medication indefinitely.
If you haven't lost at least 5% of your body weight after three to six months on the full dose of a drug, your doctor will probably change your treatment. This may include switching you to a different weight-loss drug.
What drugs are approved for weight loss?
Four weight-loss drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for long-term use:
- Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave)
- Liraglutide (Saxenda)
- Orlistat (Xenical)
- Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia)
Most weight-loss drugs function by either lessening appetite or creating a sense of fullness. There is one drug, however, that works differently. Orlistat works by preventing the body from absorbing fat.
Bupropion-naltrexone
This drug is a combination of bupropion and naltrexone. Naltrexone is used to treat alcohol and opioid dependence, while bupropion is an antidepressant and quit-smoking aid. As with all antidepressants, bupropion-naltrexone comes with a warning about the risk of suicide. This drug can also raise blood pressure, so monitoring is necessary at the start of treatment. Common side effects include nausea, headache and constipation.
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Liraglutide is a drug that is used to manage diabetes. It is given by injection, and unlike other weight-loss drugs, it can cause nausea. Vomiting may limit its use.
That makes you eat less and lose weight. Liraglutide is a higher dose of the type 2 diabetes drug Victoza. It causes the brain to believe that the stomach is full, leading to less eating and weight loss.
Approved for long-term use? Yes.
The potential side effects of liraglutide include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and low blood pressure. However, more serious side effects have been documented in studies, such as raised heart rate, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney problems, and suicidal thoughts. Additionally, liraglutide has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in animals, though it is not currently known if it has the same effect on humans.
If you don't see a significant weight loss after taking Liraglutide for 16 weeks, your doctor may decide to discontinue the medication, as it is unlikely to be effective for you, according to the FDA.
Naltrexone HCl and bupropion (Contrave)
Contrave is a drug that is a combination of two other drugs that are both approved by the FDA. One of these drugs, naltrexone, is used to treat alcohol and opioid dependence. The other drug, bupropion, is used to treat depression, seasonal affective disorder, and help people stop smoking.
Approved for long-term use? Yes.
Possible side effects of taking Contrave include nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia, and dry mouth. Contrave comes with a warning that taking it may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Additionally, serious neuropsychiatric issues have been reported in patients taking bupropion, the drug contained in Contrave. Contrave may also cause seizures and so must not be taken by patients with seizure disorders. Another potential effect of taking Contrave is an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
If you do not lose at least 5% of your weight after 12 weeks of taking Contrave, your doctor will most likely tell you to stop taking it. This is because it is not likely to work for you, according to the FDA.
You can get orlistat in a reduced-strength form without a prescription (Alli), but it can cause some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects like gas and loose stools. You need to follow a low-fat diet when taking this medicine. Some rare cases of serious liver injury have been reported with orlistat, but it's not clear if there's a cause-and-effect relationship.
The undigested fat is then eliminated in your stool This medication works by blocking your body from absorbing a third of the fat you eat. The undigested fat is eliminated in your stool.
There are two different versions of the drug Orlistat, Xenical and Alli. Xenical is the prescription version and Alli is the over-the-counter version. Alli contains half the amount of the active ingredient, Orlistat, as Xenical.
Approved for long-term use? Yes. Common side effects of the medication include abdominal cramping, passing gas, oily stool leakage, increased bowel movements, and loss of bowel control.
The side effects are usually not severe and go away after a little while. But they could get worse if you eat foods that are high in fat.
There have been a handful of reports of people suffering from liver damage after taking orlistat, but it's not certain that the drug was the cause.
Before taking orlistat, you should be on a low-fat diet where less than 30% of your daily calories come from fat.
Additionally, take a multivitamin at least 2 hours prior to or after consuming orlistat as the drug temporarily decreases your body's ability to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Orlistat is the only anti-obesity drug that is approved for use in the United States. All other prescription weight-loss drugs act on the brain to suppress the person's appetite, including the following drugs.
A combination of phentermine (a weight-loss drug) and topiramate (an anticonvulsant) is available. However, phentermine may be abused because it acts like an amphetamine and can cause potential side effects such as an increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, constipation, and nervousness. Topiramate also increases the risk of birth defects.
The drug Phentermine is commonly used for weight loss, and is one of four similar drugs that are approved to be used for a short amount of time for this purpose (no more than 12 weeks). The other drugs in this category are not prescribed as often.
How it works: Curbs your appetite.
Your doctor may prescribe this medication under the brand names Adipex or Suprenza.
This medication is not approved for long-term use. It is approved for short-term use only.
Side effects of Adderall can be serious. Some examples of serious side effects are an increase in blood pressure, heart palpitations, restlessness, dizziness, tremor, insomnia, shortness of breath, chest pain, and difficulty doing activities that were previously easy. Some less serious side effects of Adderall are dry mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting.
There is a chance that people may become dependent on this drug like other appetite suppressants.
Do not take this medication close to bedtime as it may make it difficult to fall asleep.
If you have diabetes and take insulin, you should tell your doctor before you start taking phentermine. This is because you may need to adjust the dose of insulin you take.
You should avoid taking phentermine if you have any of the following conditions: a history of heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, or uncontrolled high blood pressure. You also shouldn't take it if you have glaucoma, hyperthyroidism, or a history of drug abuse, or if you are pregnant or nursing.
In addition to the information provided, it is also important to know that phentermine is an amphetamine. This drug is classified as a controlled substance due to the potential for addiction or abuse, meaning that a special type of prescription is required.
How it works: Curbs your appetite.
The drug Qsymia is a combination of phentermine and topiramate. Topiramate is a drug used for seizures and migraines that also causes weight loss by making you feel fuller, making foods taste less appealing, and burning more calories.
A: Qsymia is approved for long-term use, as it has lower amounts of phentermine and topiramate than when either of these drugs are given alone.
The most common side effects of this medication are tingling hands and feet, dizziness, altered sense of taste, insomnia, constipation, and dry mouth.
The possible serious side effects of the medication include birth defects such as cleft lip or cleft palate, an increased heart rate, suicidal thoughts or actions, and eye problems which could lead to permanent vision loss if not treated.
Ingredients in Qsymia can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. If you are a woman who could become pregnant or are pregnant, you should not take Qsymia. You should get a pregnancy test before taking Qsymia, and should use birth control and get monthly pregnancy tests while on the drug. If you become pregnant while taking Qsymia, stop taking Qsymia immediately, and tell your healthcare provider right away.
You shouldn't take Qsymia if you have certain conditions, such as glaucoma, hyperthyroidism, heart disease, or stroke. Be sure to get regular checks of your heart when starting the drug or increasing the dose.
You may need to discontinue use or increase your dose if you don't lose at least 3% of your weight after 12 weeks.
. Semaglutide works by imitating an intestinal hormone that lowers your appetite and makes you feel full.
In some countries, semaglutide is also approved for treatment of diabetes and obesity under the brand name Eperzan. Semaglutide was approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes and prescribed under the names Ozempic and Rybelsus. It is also approved, under the brand name Eperzan, for treatment of diabetes and obesity in some countries.
Approved for long-term use? Yes.
Mit side effects include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, and heartburn.
These side effects are generally mild and temporary.
If you experience kidney problems or blurred vision, stop taking Semaglutide and call your doctor right away. Semaglutide has also been linked with pancreatitis, so if you experience severe abdominal pain or vomiting, seek medical help immediately.
The indications are that you would need to take semaglutide for life in order to manage your weight. If you stop taking semaglutide, you are likely to regain most of the weight you lost.
In addition to taking the medication, you should also eat a low-calorie diet and exercise regularly.
Orlistat (Xenical)
Phentermine
Phentermine and topiramate (Qsymia)
Semaglutide (Wegovy)
