Posts filed under 'Diet Pills'
Meridia, also known in Europe and other countries as Reductil, was approved by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration in 1997 as a drug to treat obesity. The drug should be taken once a day, and with a full glass of water. The recommended starting dosage is 10 mg per day. While everyone has different results while using the drug, a minimum of four pounds should be lost in the first month when taken while also following a weight loss plan containing a healthy diet and exercise. If 4 pounds are not lost, you should consult your doctor about changing your dosage.
The active ingredient in Meridia, sibutramine, does not suppress appetite, but does decrease the time it takes you to develop a sense of fullness you feel after eating. Feeling this satiety sooner will cause you to eat less. When coupled with a low calorie diet, many people have had success while taking this drug. It should be taken exactly as directed, and is only suggested for short term use. Meridia is only recommended for people who have a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher, with the exception to those who have a BMI of 27 or higher along with other risk factors such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Meridia should not be taken by certain people, including those with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, irregular heart beats, or severe kidney or liver disease. It should also not be prescribed to those already taking any weight loss medications that affect the brain. If you have had a heart attack, stroke, or have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, it is advised that you not take Meridia. Women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding should not take the drug as well. Anyone taking the drug should exercise caution while driving or operating heavy machinery, as the side effects can alter your alertness.
As with virtually any medication on the market, Meridia has its fair share of side effects. The most common are increased blood pressure and heart rate. It is imperative to schedule follow up visits with your doctor so your blood pressure and rate can be monitored regularly. Other common side effects include headaches, dry mouth, constipation, anorexia, dizziness, and insomnia. Less common side effects that require immediate medical attention include seizures, chest pain, fever, irregular heartbeat, and abnormal vision. Clinical studies are ongoing on reports of sudden death and heart and renal failure in patients taking Meridia.
In conclusion, if you are willing to take a chance on it, Meridia may work for you. As with most weight loss products, a healthy diet and an effective exercise routine are required while taking the medicine for it to work properly. Meridia should only be prescribed to those severely overweight, and always taken as directed. Studies have shown numerous side effects, and tests are still being done as to whether its consumption is a serious health risk. It has also been requested that Meridia be taken off the market, but reports have not been conclusive to its potential danger as of yet.
July 2nd, 2008
Xenical or Orlistat, as it can also be called, is a prescription drug that blocks approximately one third of the fat eaten from being digested. Xenical is a prescribed drug, but can also be purchased without a prescription as the diet pill alli. Xenical was approved by the FDA in 1999. As with many prescription weight loss medications, it is recommended for those who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) or 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher if other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, or diabetes are present. A healthy diet and exercise plan are need for the drug to work effectively.
Xenical works by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down the fat in your intestines. Since it was not absorbed into the body, the fat will pass in regular bowel movement. In a clinical trial, 35.5% to 54.8% of Xenical users lost 5% or more body mass, while 16.4%-24.8% lost more than 10% body mass. Studies also found a 37% reduction in type 2 diabetes among Xenical users. You may want to note that not all of the body mass lost was fat, some could have been muscle. After these users stopped taking Xenical they gained back 35% of their weight, which proves the fact that if a healthy diet isn’t maintained after taking weight loss drug, the weight is likely to return.
You should take not Xenical if you are allergic to orlistat, or if you suffer from chronic malabsorption syndrome (an inability to absorb food and nutrients properly) or if you have gallbladder problems. Always remember to talk to your doctor about any other prescription drugs you are taking or if you have an underactive thyroid, a history of kidney stones, a history of pancreatitis, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia), or if you take any other weight-loss medications (prescription or over-the-counter). Be sure to take a multi-vitamin wile talking Xenical because some nutrients such as beta carotene will not be absorbed as efficiently.
The most common side effects of Xenical deal with the digestive system. These effects include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rectal pain, and noticeable changes in your bowel movements, including oily spotting in your undergarments, oily or fatty stools, loose stools, an urgent need to go to the bathroom, inability to control bowel movements, an increased number of bowel movements. These results are generally natural and are a sign that Xenical is working properly. However, these side effects are usually triggered by too much fat intake. Lowering your fat consumption will help rid yourself of the effects.
More serious side effects that can be caused by taking Xenical include hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. You should stop taking Xenical and call your doctor at once if you experience any of these effects, as well as if you have severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, or a fast heart rate. The latter could be signs of pancreatitis.
Xenical is believed to be one of the safer weight loss medications out there, due to the fact that it doesn’t affect the workings of the brain. Instead it works on the digestive system to reduce absorption of fat into the body. Most of the side effects can be easily decreased, and maybe even prevented, by having a low fat diet. It is still recommended that you speak with your doctor about whether Xenical or Orlistat is right for you.
July 2nd, 2008
Back in 1959, the Food and Drug Administration approved a weight loss drug known as Phentermine. Since then, this generic drug has been known as Adipex and countless other names. There are virtually no clinical studies that have been done on this drug because it was approved almost 50 years ago, back before anyone knew the potentially harmful effects or the need for tests on medications. The drug itself is only available with a prescription, but it has been combined with other medicines and sold over the counter, a few which were later taken off the market by the request of the FDA.
Phentermine is an appetite suppressing drug that works with the brain to control hunger and eating. It does so by sending the body into a “fight or flight response,†which means that you body starts to sense danger and forgets about being hungry. Appetite is then decreased because hunger signals do not reach the correct part of the brain. Along with “forgetting†hunger, this medicine typically causes increased heart rate and blood pressure. It is only recommended for short-term (approximately 12 weeks) use as a supplement to dieting and exercise. This is due to the fact that the body may begin to tolerate the drug, and its purpose will no longer be effective.
As with any medication, there are some patients who should not take Phentermine. Anyone who is allergic to any ingredient in the drug should definitely not take it. Also, patients who are currently taking other medicines should contact their doctor before taking this drug. People with high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, glaucoma, or heart disease, as well as women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near future should stay away from Phentermine. Anyone with a history of substance abuse would also not be advised to take this drug, as it could lead to addiction.
Phentermine works with the brain to put it in a state of danger, which in turn gets rid of the hunger signals the stomach tries to send. In doing so, it may also cause increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure, which are two effects of panic in the body. It is also recommended that the drug be taking in the morning, due to the risk of insomnia in the patient. Other common side effects of Phentermine include irritability, nervousness, dry mouth, blurred vision, confusion, nausea, stomach pain, and fatigue. Less common effects that can occur include tremors, convulsions, irregular heartbeat, fever, hallucinations, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Addiction to this drug is possible, and could cause drowsiness, fatigue, and depression if prolonged use occurs.
The lack of studies done on this drug could prove to be harmful, but people have taken Phentermine and had nothing more than the occasional side effects. There are many risks of taking this drug, as it works with your brain. This could lead to improper body functioning if the drug not used as recommended or is abused. Hopefully, more studies will be conducted on this drug that will prove its effects and safety of use in the body.
July 2nd, 2008
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