3 New Medications

There is a new Phentermine in town called Suprenza. 

Suprenza is a peppermint flavored orally disintegrating tablet that dissolves on your tongue, and can be swallowed with or without water. This provides convenience and flexibility, allowing you to take Suprenza before, during, or after a meal with no dosing time restrictions, unlike conventional phentermine tablets, which must be taken before, or 1-2 hours after breakfast. Our experience is that patients may experience less jitters and less sleep disturbances and headaches than with regular Phentermine tablets.

Two NEW prescription weight loss drugs, Qsymia and Belviq, have now been approved by the FDA.

Which, if either, is right for you?

Both drugs help some people lose weight. Neither drug is for everyone and the two drugs are quite different.

Qsymia (kyoo-sim-EE-uh) is now available, but by mail order only. Qsymia, which is taken once a day, uses a one-two punch to spur weight loss. It combines low doses of topiramate, used to treat seizures and migraines, and phentermine, a currently available mild stimulant approved by the FDA for weight loss. Phentermine suppresses appetite soon after the pill is taken, and topiramate (which kicks in later in the day) creates a sense of feeling full. In the FDA reviewed clinical trials, Qsymia has been proven to help patients lose between 10% and 15% of their body weight over a year's period as well as improve various cardiovascular aspects. Further studies have shown that this mixture has also had good results when studied as a sleep apnea treatment. It costs between $135 and $184 per month.

Belviq (BEL-VEEK) should be available in early 2013 because the DEA has to rule on how to schedule (a ranking system of drugs as to potential for abuse) the drug. Belviq works by targeting specific central nervous system serotonin receptors in the eating regulatory system and is expected to be a useful tool in those affected by obesity and obesity-related co-morbidities. The approved labeling for Belviq also recommends that people discontinue the drug if they fail to lose 5% of their body weight after 12 weeks as longer treatment is unlikely to lead to meaningful weight loss.

WeightLoss MD will be following these new drugs very closely and will add them to our treatment protocols when they become available. Please feel free to sign up for our newsletter for announcements.

We currently carry very similar safe and effective FDA approved medications. If you'd like more information about our current program, call any of our clinics today.