New Weight Loss Medication Being Discussed by FDA to Be Combined with Diet and Exercise to Improve Health

How many times have you tried to lose weight? Whether you are a little bit or a lot over weight, most of us have tried to lose weight from time to time. Why? Usually vanity, but now a days it is mostly for health reasons. We all want to live longer and don't we get told on a daily basis what new food has risen to the top of the list of foods that is bad for you. Too much fat, too many carbs, too much sodium, only lean meat, only eat beef once a week, Mediterranean diet is best. Atkins is bad...an apple a day... STOP! I want to get off.

Basically the best way to lose weight is to take in less and exercise more. Simple. Right? Well actually...No it is not! Many many people think it is nearly impossible to lose weight and they wish for some help that will really help them.

The tried and true weight loss method, diet and exercise

Years ago there was a drug that turned out to be dangerous for some people that took it. At that time in my life I had the need to lose some weight and I needed more help than just diet and exercise, and my doctor put me on the medication called fen-phen. Yes the dangerous one. And it worked. I had an eating disorder and I could not stop thinking about food and what I would next put into my mouth. This problem stopped me from being able to control portions or limit my intake. The fen-phen fixed that and I lost 80 pounds. Fortunately I lost my weight before they took the drug off the market.

New Weight Loss Diet Pill on the Horizon

But there is some interesting news on the horizon in the medical community right now. The FDA is meeting to discuss a proposed new weight loss drug. This new drug is called Qnexa, and it is a combination drug of phentermine and topiramate. You may recognize the first drug in this combination, phentermine as the phen in fen-phen, Phentermine is not the dangerous partner of the duo. It has continued to be prescribed by physicians to assist with weight loss and it has been helpful for some but really not the exciting results that fen-phen had.

The other half of the duo was fenfluramine, the bad one, discovered to cause heart problems in some people. But in the new combination drug the partner to phentermine this go around is topiramate. It is already approved for the treatment of seizures and migraines. Qnexa will be in different doses specifically for weight loss.

Some People Just Need a Little More Help than just Diet and Exercise to Achieve Weight Loss

If this drug, Qnexa is approved it will have some specific guidelines as to who should have this medication prescribed. It will be indicated as a partner to diet and exercise as it should be. It will be best for people that are obese with a BMI over 30 and for overweight people with a BMI of 27 or more but who also have overweight related problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol.

This really could be a wonderfully powerful new medication that may be the lifeline to some desperate people who need help. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and the other new partner to this drug, topiramate, decreases appetite and promotes felling like you are full for several hours.

There are of course the concerns of side effects that need to be addressed. There is no medication that does not have side effects, but since there was such a problem with the previous fen-phen they have to be especially careful. These concerns will be addressed by the FDA committee. The final FDA decision is expected October 2010.

FDA Decision on New Weight Loss Diet Pill in October 2010

So what do you think? Are you one that needs a little more help than just diet and exercise? Are you fearful to take this new combination drug Qnexa? Or do you say no thanks I learned from the fen-phen? It is going to be interesting.

Source:

WebMD