List of Weight Loss Pills - Weight Loss Medications - Weight Loss Drugs - Weight loss Drugs

Any prescription weight loss pills , diet pills or medications should be used only by patients who are at increased medical risk because of their weight. They should not be used for  any tupe of “cosmetic” weight loss. Prescription weight-loss drugs are approved only for those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above, or 27 and above if they have obesity-related conditions, such as high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (abnormal amounts of fat in the blood), or type 2 diabetes. BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy.

Although most side effects of prescription medications for obesity are mild, serious complications have been reported also. Also, there are a few studies lasting more than 2 years evaluating the safety or effectiveness of weight-loss medications. And weight-loss medications should always be combined with a program of healthy eating and regular physical activity.

Weight Loss Pills or Medications That Promote Weight Loss

Until more information on their safety or effectiveness is available, using combinations of medications for weight loss is not recommended, except as part of a research study.

Appetite suppressants. Most available weight-loss medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are called appetite-suppressant medications. Appetite-suppressant pills or medications promote weight loss by decreasing appetite or increasing the feeling of being full. These medications make you feel less hungry by increasing one or more of the brain chemicals that affect your mood and appetite. Phentermine and sibutramine are the most commonly prescribed appetite-suppressants in the United States.

Please note that amphetamines are a type of appetite suppressant. However, amphetamines are not recommended for use in the treatment of obesity due to their strong potential for abuse and dependence. Do not use.

Lipase inhibitors. One drug works in a different way. Orlistat works by reducing the body’s ability to absorb dietary fat by about one third. It does this by blocking the enzyme lipase, which is responsible for breaking down dietary fat. When the fat is not broken down, the body can't absorb it, so fewer calories are taken in.

Other weight loss pills, diet pills or medications not FDA-approved for treatment of obesity

Drugs to treat depression. Some antidepressant medications have been studied as appetite-suppressant medications. While these medications are FDA-approved for the treatment of depression, their use in weight loss is an “off-label” use. Studies of these medications generally have found that patients lose modest amounts of weight for up to 6 months, and tend to regain weight while they are still on the drug. One exception is bupropion. In one study, patients taking buproprion maintained weight loss for up to 1 year.
 
Drugs to treat seizures. Two medications used to treat seizures, topiramate and zonisamide, have been shown to cause weight loss. Whether these drugs will be useful in treating obesity is being studied.

Drugs to treat diabetes. The diabetes medication metformin may promote small amounts of weight loss in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. How this medication promotes weight loss is not clear, although research has shown reduced hunger and food intake in people taking the drug.

Drug combinations. The combined drug treatment using fenfluramine and phentermine (“fen/phen”) is no longer available due to the withdrawal of fenfluramine from the market after some patients experienced serious heart and lung disorders. (See Potential Risks and Concerns below for more information.) Little information is available about the safety or effectiveness of other drug combinations for weight loss, including fluoxetine/phentermine, phendimetrazine/phentermine, orlistat/sibutramine, herbal combinations, or others. Until more information on their safety or effectiveness is available, using combinations of medications for weight loss is not recommended, except as part of a research study.

Drugs in development. Many medications are being tested as potential treatments for obesity. Two are being studied with patients in clinical trials. Rimonabant affects brain chemicals and ciliary neurotrophic factor affects hormones to control appetite. Currently, these medications are only available in clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies with human volunteers so that specific health questions can be answered.
 
Over the short term, weight loss in individuals who are obese may reduce a number of health risks.

  
FDA-Approved Prescription Diet Pills or Weight-loss Pills or Medications

The most currently available weight-loss medications are FDA-approved for short-term use, meaning just a few weeks, but doctors may prescribe them for longer periods of time—a practice called “off-label use.” Sibutramine and orlistat are the only weight-loss medications approved for longer-term use in patients who are significantly obese. Their safety and effectiveness have not been established for use beyond 2 years, however.

Approved for long-term use 
orlistat Xenical lipase inhibitor  1999
sibutramine Meridia appetite suppressant  1997

Approved for short-term use 
diethylpropion Tenuate, Tenuate dospan appetite suppresant  1959
phendimetrazine Bontril, Plegine, Prelu-2, X-Trozine, Adipost  appetite suppresant  1982
phentermine Adipex-P, Fastin, Ionamin, Oby-trim, Pro-Fast, Zantryl appetite suppresant 1959

Potential Benefits of Weight Loss Pills, Diet Pills or Medication Treatment  - as stated by the drug companies - 

People respond differently to weight-loss medications, and some people experience more weight loss than others. Weight-loss medications lead to an average weight loss of 5 to 22 pounds more than what you might lose with non-drug obesity treatments. Some patients using medication lose more than 10 percent of their starting body weight. Maximum weight loss usually occurs within 6 months of starting medication treatment. Weight then tends to level off or increase during the remainder of treatment.

Over the short term, weight loss in individuals who are obese may reduce a number of health risks. Studies have found that weight loss with some medications improves blood pressure, blood cholesterol, triglycerides (fats), and insulin resistance (the body’s inability to use blood sugar). New research suggests that long-term use of weight-loss medications may help individuals keep off the weight they have lost. However, more studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of weight-loss medications on weight and health. Remember that the drug isn't causing the health benefits it is the weight loss causing the health benefits.

Potential Risks and Concerns of Weight Loss Pills or Diet Pills

Because weight-loss medications are used to treat a condition that affects many millions of people, many of whom are basically healthy, the possibility that side effects may outweigh benefits is of great concern so make sure you understand all the risks before you take any.

 When considering long-term weight-loss medication treatment for obesity, you should consider the following areas of concern and potential risks.

Potential for abuse or dependence. Currently, all prescription medications to treat obesity except orlistat are controlled substances, meaning doctors need to follow certain restrictions when prescribing them. Although abuse and dependence are not verycommon with non-amphetamine appetite-suppressant pills or medications, diet doctors should be cautious when they prescribe these medications for patients with a history of alcohol or other drug abuse.

Development of tolerance. Most studies of weight-loss pills or medications show that a patient’s weight tends to level off after 6 months while still on medication. Although some patients and doctors may be concerned that this shows tolerance to the medications, the leveling off may mean that the medication has reached its limit of effectiveness. Based on the currently available studies, it is not clear if weight gain with continuing treatment is due to drug tolerance. It is clear, however, that weight gain would be much faster if the patient stopped taking the drug.

Reluctance to view obesity as a chronic disease. Obesity often is viewed as the result of a lack of willpower, weakness, or a lifestyle “choice”—the choice to overeat and underexercise. Such social views on obesity should not prevent patients from seeking medical treatment to prevent health risks that can cause serious illness and death. Weight-loss pills or medications, however, are not “magic bullets” or a one-shot fix for this chronic disease. They should be combined with a healthy eating plan and increased physical activity.

Diet Pill Side effects. Because weight-loss medications are used to treat a condition that affects many millions of people, many of whom are basically healthy, the possibility that side effects may outweigh benefits is of great concern. Most side effects of these weight loss medicines, drugs or medications are mild and usually improve with continued treatment. Rarely, serious and even fatal outcomes have been reported. Side effects of medications are explained below.

-----Orlistat. Some side effects of orlistat include cramping, intestinal discomfort, passing gas, diarrhea, and leakage of oily stool. These side effects are generally mild and temporary, but may be worsened by eating foods that are high in fat. Also, because orlistat reduces the absorption of some vitamins, patients should take a multivitamin at least 2 hours before or after taking orlistat.

-----Sibutramine. The main side effects of sibutramine are increases in blood pressure and heart rate, which are usually small but may be of concern in some patients. Other side effects include headache, dry mouth, constipation, and insomnia. People with poorly controlled high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heartbeat, or history of stroke should not take sibutramine, and all patients taking this diet pill or medication should have their blood pressure monitored on a regular basis.

Other appetite suppressants.

Phentermine, phendimetrazine, and diethylpropion may cause symptoms of sleeplessness, nervousness, and euphoria (feeling of well-being). People with heart disease, high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid gland, or glaucoma should not use these drugs.

Two appetite-suppressant diet pills or medications, fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, were withdrawn from the market in 1997. These drugs, used alone and in combination with phentermine (“fen/phen”) were linked to the development of valvular heart disease and primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), a rare but potentially fatal disorder that affects the blood vessels in the lungs. There have been only a few case reports of PPH in patients taking phentermine alone, but the possibility that phentermine use is associated with PPH cannot be ruled out. Please be careful.

A Note about Using Diuretics

Diuretics induce weight loss through the excretion of water. These medications or herbs will reduce the amount that a body weighs, but will have no effect on an individual's body fat. Diuretics can thicken the blood, cause cramping, kidney and liver damage.

Please be careful. Taking any of these weight loss pills, diet pills or medications could cause serious problems and far outweigh any beneift you could get from these drugs.  Finding other ways to lose weight would be a wise decision, one in which you are not risking your health.