How Weight Loss Medications Can Help, and What to Know First

Weight loss medications can be valuable tools, but you should understand their benefits, downsides, and options before starting any program.

Losing weight is difficult. Changing long-term habits around diet and lifestyle takes serious willpower. 

Even doing everything “right” with nutrition and activity levels, weight loss can be frustratingly slow for some people or seem impossible no matter what they try.

When healthy eating and regular workouts aren’t enough, weight loss medication may give your body that extra push it needs. 

However, these prescription meds come with risks and side effects. You’ll want to learn all you can about your choices before committing. 

This allows you to have an informed discussion with your healthcare provider.

Should I Consider Prescription Weight Loss Medications?

You may want to talk to your doctor about weight loss medications if:

• Your BMI is 30 or higher (obesity).
• Your BMI is 27+ and you have risk factors like heart disease, high BP, or diabetes.
• Make sure you have realistic expectations if you pursue this route—don’t expect overnight miracles without effort and discipline from yourself as well. However, weight loss medications can make it much easier to develop lasting healthy habits around food and exercise.

On the other hand, you may want to avoid or delay using these drugs if:

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• You have a history of disordered eating. These medications may increase risks of relapse or new issues.
• You have not yet tried improving your nutrition and incorporating more physical activity into your routine. Doctors will likely expect you to attempt lifestyle changes first before prescribing meds for weight loss.

So should you try weight loss meds? There are good arguments on both sides. Let’s take a closer look at how exactly these drugs lead to weight reduction so you understand all aspects of the decision.

How Do Prescription Weight Loss Medications Work?

Despite many types and brands, most weight loss medications work through one of these mechanisms:

1. Decreasing appetite – Certain meds dampen neurotransmitter signals in the brain telling you that you’re hungry. This helps cut portion sizes and limit binge or emotional eating.
2. Slowing digestion – Some drugs slow the emptying of your stomach to keep you fuller longer after meals.
3. Blocking absorption – Other medications bind to enzymes involved in digesting and absorbing fats and carbs from food. Less gets absorbed, so there are fewer calories for fat storage.

Prescription Options	Main Actions	Expect to Lose
Phentermine (Adipex-P)	Suppresses appetite	5% to 10% body weight over 12 weeks.
Liraglutide (Saxenda)	Suppresses appetite + slows digestion	5% to 10% body weight over 12 months.
Orlistat (Xenical, Alli)	Blocks fat absorption	20 to 50 pounds over 6 to 12 months.
Qsymia	Combination – suppresses appetite + increases satiety	15% body weight or 10% weight + improved BMI, blood pressure, or cholesterol over 24 months.

“It takes time and stalwart discipline to retool your approach to food, activity, and weight. Medications provide modest but valuable support with the process. They help “rewire” your body, but you must put in the conscious effort as well.”

Let’s explore the pros and cons of prescription weight loss medications…

Potential Benefits

The main reason doctors prescribe these drugs is that they simply work for many people. When combined with improved nutrition and regular exercise, weight loss medications offer several potential perks:

• Accelerates fat loss beyond what’s usually possible with just lifestyle interventions alone. This jumpstarts progress which builds confidence and momentum to fuel healthier long-term habits.
• Increases compliance ability by curbing hunger and cravings that may sabotage diet efforts otherwise. This allows developing new relationship with food.
• Produces better health numbers like lower BMI, blood glucose levels, cholesterol panels, and blood pressure readings associated with being overweight or obese. This directly reduces risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. Numbers improve both due to direct chemical actions of the medications as well as from losing excess body fat.
• Relieves joint pain for those with weight-related osteoarthritis and other mobility issues that interfere with activity goals. Becoming more active further accelerates fat burning.

What Are the Risks or Downsides?

However, prescription weight loss medications also have some potential side effects and safety concerns to know about:

• Most common complaints involve GI symptoms like gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. These sometimes fade in days or weeks but may require stopping treatment if severe.
• Certain meds increase heart rate so may be unsafe for those with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease. Others may interact with common prescriptions.
• There are risks if becoming pregnant while taking some weight loss medications, so proper contraception is essential.
• Costs can add up without insurance coverage. Check if yours covers these or offset copays with manufacturer savings cards.
• Small chance of more serious issues like kidney problems, seizures, vision loss, severe arthritis pain, suicidal thinking, or liver damage. Immediately report concerning symptoms.
• With certain drugs, rebound weight gain often occurs after stopping unless new eating and activity habits firmly take over. Lifestyle changes should start early on with medication assistance.

Discuss all benefits and potential safety issues thoroughly with your prescribing doctor. Share complete health histories to allow personalization of approach, dosing, and follow-up plan. Report any concerning symptoms promptly during treatment.

What’s the Process for Getting Weight Loss Medications?

If deciding to try prescription meds for losing extra body weight, here is a rundown of what to expect:

1. Make appointment with primary care doctor or weight loss specialist. Come prepared to discuss current health status, past attempts losing weight, challenges faced, lifestyle factors, goals and expectations.
2. Get medical workup – Physical exam, BMI, lab testing may be required to uncover any underlying issues. Ensure heart, liver and kidney function are adequate for medication usage.
3. Discuss options for weight loss meds or other interventions. Ask about risks, side effects monitoring needs, and costs for each choice presented by the doctor. State preferences and share decision making.
4. Have contraindications? Certain meds cannot be combined with some pre-existing prescriptions common for managing high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, etc. Discuss all medications.
5. Get prescription for selected weight loss medication. Have regular follow-ups scheduled to monitor effects and make dosage adjustments. Report any concerning symptoms immediately.
6. Commit to improved nutrition and more activity. Medications alone lead to poor long-term success without building better lifestyle habits. Work closely with doctor/dietitian/trainer for expert guidance.
7. Track progress while taking medications with regular weigh-ins, body measurements, before & after photos, and lab testing. Monitoring keeps motivation high.