Qsymia: a combination of old dogs with new tricks
We all know too well the negative effects of obesity – diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer to name a few. Unfortunately, effective medical weight loss solutions have eluded doctors – until now! This is part 1 of a 6 part series on obesity.
In 2014, the Vivus corporation released Qsymia a weight loss medication designed for adults with body mass indices of 30 or more and to be used in conjunction with reduced-caloric diets and increased physical activity for chronic weight management.
Actually, it is a combination of two medications that have been around for years – phentermine an amphetamine-like appetite suppressant and topiramate an anticonvulsant.
FDA approved for long-term use, clinical studies support weight loss of 10% or more when used over a year. Not bad! To put this into perspective, many patients were able to reduce and even discontinue blood pressure and diabetic medications in clinical studies.
All these benefits don’t come without side effects, however, which may include: distortion of taste, dizziness, insomnia and constipation.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, Qsymia is contraindicated in pregnancy, as the ingredients are know to cause birth defects. It is also contraindicated in patients with glaucoma, and those with over active thyroid conditions.
Qsymia costs patients $200 to $225 monthly … which is certainly not chump change!
So ask your doctor if Qsymia is right for you and stay tuned for Obesity Part 2 when I discuss Belviq, another new medical treatment for obesity.
For questions or comments, email Dr. Jim at drjim@behealthybehappy.com and in the meantime Power your path to happiness!
Reference: Vivus, Inc. [available at]: https://qsymia.com/