Weight Loss Drugs (cont.)
Jim Morelli, MS, RPh
Jim Morelli holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health in Boston and an M.S. in civil engineering from Tufts University. He is registered as a pharmacist in the state of Georgia.
Louise Chang, MD
Dr. Chang completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University and attended medical school at New York Medical College. She completed her internal medicine residency at Saint Vincent's Hospital in New York City, where she also served as a chief resident from 2001-2002. Dr. Chang is board-certified in internal medicine.
In this Article
- What are weight loss drugs and how do they work?
- Who is a good candidate for weight loss drugs?
- What are the different types of weight loss drugs?
- What are the side effects of weight loss drugs?
- What are the warnings with weight loss drugs?
- What are the drug interactions with weight loss drugs?
- What are some examples of weight loss drugs?
- What are OTC diet pills?
- What do I need to know about OTC diet supplements?
- Here are some common ingredients seen in OTC diet supplements:
What are the drug interactions with weight loss drugs?
Phentermine may decrease the effectiveness of guanethidine.
Tenuate may interact with blood pressure medications, insulin, and other medications such as Thorazine.
Sibutramine should not be used with, or within two weeks of, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Doing so may precipitate a serious and sometimes fatal side effect known as the "serotonin syndrome." Sibutramine can interact with other antidepressants, narcotic pain medication, antibiotics, and migraine medications.
Because sibutramine commonly raises blood pressure, patients should be carefully monitored for use of other drugs which can do the same – such as over-the-counter cough, cold, and allergy preparations containing such ingredients as pseudoephedrine.
Orlistat may reduce levels of supplemental vitamins or medications such as cyclosporine. Patients taking both drugs should separate dosages by two hours.
What are some examples of weight loss drugs?
- Phendimetrazine (Bontril)
- Diethylpropion (Tenuate)
- Benzphetamine (Didrex)
- Phentermine (Adipex-P, Fastin)
- Sibutramine (Meridia)
- Orlistat (Xenical, Alli)
Next: What are OTC diet pills?
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