It seems that there is a pill for everything. That is
certainly true when it comes to weight loss. There have been dozens of “miracle”
pills over the years. They all promised great things, but most of them
delivered far less, and many of them turned out to be harmful. After more than
ten years without a new prescription diet pill, the FDA approved not one, but two new pills
for weight loss. Now both of them are on the market and available.
Nearly a year ago, the new diet pill Qsymia became
available for prescription. It is a combination of two established weight loss
medications, topiramate and phentermine. Each of the components enjoys a good
safety record, so the combination might be safe, too. That didn’t turn out so
well for Fen-Phen, which was linked to heart valve damage and high blood
pressure. The manufacturer blamed the component fenfluramine (the Fen part of
the dynamic duo) but the damage was done, and the pill was withdrawn from the market.
Belviq is the second new drug to be approved by the FDA
for sale this year. It is just now coming to market and should be the focus of
an intense advertising campaign. Approved for use strictly by the obese, Belviq
is designed to help people feel full more quickly. The clinical studies that
demonstrated the safety of Belviq showed that most people lost between 3% and
3.7% of their body weight over the course of a year. The FDA recommends
discontinuing the drug if you don’t lose at least 5% of your total body weight
within 90 days.
Do you have experience with diet pills? What has worked (or
not) for you? Click on the Comment button and share your thoughts!
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