New Obesity Medicine Treatment

NEW OBESITY MEDICINE UPDATE

For those who watch the news, you may have noticed that the FDA is considering a new diet drug for approval in 2012.  As of right now, it seems to be on the fast track for approval.  The name of the drug is Qnexa and it is manufactured by Vivus.  Dr. Simonds wants to give you the “scoop” in advance.  Qnexa is a combination of 2 older drugs – phentermine and topirimate.  The phentermine is a drug we all know about.  Read on for more.

Topiramate is the generic form of the drug Topamax.  It was initially approved 15 years ago by the FDA for treatment of seizure disorder.  It now is used by physicians to treat multiple disorders such as migrane headaches, depression, neuropathy, obesity, etc. 

There are two helpful side effects of this drug that make it useful in the treatment of obesity.  First, in a majority of patients who take it, they will report a change in the taste of and desire for processed carbohydrates – sugary drinks, snacks, breads, etc.  This change leads to reduced consumption of these items in the diet.  Naturally, this promotes weight loss.  Second, topiramate is known to curb binge eating in many of the patients who take it.  The reduction in binge eating also promotes weight loss.  Doctor Simonds has been prescribing this drug with phentermine since 2005.  However, it was not available in a generic form, and the cost was prohibitive to patients, which limited its use.  Now it is available in an inexpensive generic form.

The Good News – At PAWL, we now carry this drug, and it can be added to your medicine regimen to help you lose weight!  In other words, you can take the components of Qnexa  now – even before it comes to market.  It is inexpensive, and it can be used along with almost all prescription medicines with no interaction.  It is a nice drug to add to your regimen if your weight loss has slowed, or if you just need a “jumpstart.”  A final advantage to using this drug combination at PAWL, is that we use phentermine at its normal, effective dosages.  Qnexa only has 15mg of phentermine.  As most of you know, this dose is entirely too low to adequately suppress your appetite.  At PAWL, we tailor the dosages of phentermine and topiramate to your specific needs to get the best result. 

If you are interested in adding this drug to your regimen, let us know at your next follow up, or call and make an appointment today.