- Effect on the body
- Kinds
- Harm
- Features of application
- Rating of the best
- About prohibitions
Obesity is not just a problem of being overweight and out of appearance.
First of all, it is a chronic disease, closely related to metabolic disorders. And therefore, it requires complex treatment, one of the important components of which is the prescription of medications. There is a lot of controversy around them - about the composition, about the effect on the nervous system, about the effectiveness. And yet they were and remain part of the therapy. The question is whether it is worth taking certain anti-obesity pills and what results you can generally expect.
About prohibitions
Many pills are banned by the US Food and Drug Administration due to the side effects being too dangerous. Currently approved drugs:
- Orlistat.
- Lorcaserin.
- Phentermine-topiramate.
- Bupropion-naltrexone.
- Liraglutide.
Since January 2008, sibutramine has been declared a potent drug approved by the Russian government. Since that time, the sale of drugs containing it is permitted strictly according to a special, approved prescription. Such tablets should be sold exclusively in pharmacies, although they can be found in the public domain and on Internet resources.
Despite the fact that anti-obesity pills are a necessary part of the treatment of this disease, their use should be treated with caution. Compliance with dosages, instructions and doctor’s recommendations cannot be violated, since most drugs do not have a very positive effect on the state of the nervous system. So, if you happen to have the treasured box in your hands, first weigh the pros and cons of such treatment, which must take place under the strict supervision of a doctor.
Rating of the best
A small rating includes the best anti-obesity pills, according to doctors and patients. They are effective and allow you to achieve the desired results. The first under each rating number is the main active ingredient, and in brackets next to it are the drug options.
- Phentermine (Fastin, adipex-P, ionamine - amphetamine group) - reduces appetite, but at the same time provokes nervousness, leads to severe headaches and insomnia.
- Orlistat (Xenical) - activates pancreatic lipase, which reduces fat absorption by 30% without suppressing hunger, but it has a very unpleasant side effect - stool incontinence.
- Sibutramine (Meridia) - directly affects the hypothalamus, which contains the centers of saturation and thermogenesis. Contraindicated in arterial hypertension. Infamous pills that were believed to have hallucinogenic effects.
- Fluoxetine (Prozac) is an antidepressant that suppresses appetite, but after you stop taking it, body fat and weight return very quickly.
- Lorcaserin (Belviq) - suppresses appetite.
- Bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) - blocks hunger.
- Ephedrine with caffeine - stimulates adrenergic receptors and the production of norepinephrine.
- Topiramate is prescribed for epilepsy, but its side effects include rapid weight loss. Scientists still cannot establish the mechanism of such weight loss.
- Naltrexone - suppresses cravings for sweets and other tasty foods.
- Liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda) - enhances the effect of the satiety hormone.
A separate list should include scandalous medications containing sibutramine:
- Meridia.
- Reduxin.
- Lindax.
- Slimia.
- Lida.
For the treatment of abdominal obesity and elimination of visceral fat, the following are most often prescribed:
- Adiposine;
- Xenical;
- Meridia;
- Glucophage;
- Pramlintide (Symlin);
- Rimonabant (Acomplia);
- Fepranon, Regenon, Mirapont, Desopimon;
- Fluoxetine;
- Exenatide Byeta.
The tablets are selected by the doctor according to the severity of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient.
Harm
Many drugs that were previously actively promoted and even used to treat obesity are now banned. This is due to the harmful effects they have on the body. Moreover, side effects after long-term use are not always caused by non-compliance with contraindications. They often appear even when one is in poor health. Therefore, all the risks of such therapy should be assessed in advance.
Contraindications:
- pregnancy;
- kidney and liver diseases;
- age under 16 and after 60 years;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- lactation;
- impaired cerebral circulation;
- recent surgical interventions (if no more than a month has passed since them);
- simultaneous use of other powerful medications;
- tumors of any origin;
- high blood pressure;
- mental and nervous disorders, ranging from common chronic fatigue syndrome to epilepsy;
- regular migraine attacks;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- serious vision problems, in particular glaucoma;
- tendency to allergic reactions;
- thyrotoxicosis is a hormonal imbalance caused by improper functioning of the thyroid gland.
Side effects:
- insomnia;
- hallucinations;
- hypertension;
- hypothyroidism;
- discomfort and pain in the stomach;
- intoxication;
- migraine;
- allergic reactions were so strong that there were cases of anaphylactic shock;
- numbness of different parts of the body;
- loss of appetite;
- problems with stool;
- severe dizziness;
- from the nervous system: causeless fear, anxiety, depression, sudden mood swings, lethargy and weakness;
- dry mouth;
- tachycardia, which can result in a heart attack;
- nausea and vomiting;
- tremor of the limbs;
- noise in ears.
Such tablets are especially carefully prescribed for the treatment of obesity in women who initially have hormonal disorders. In this case, the menstrual cycle often fails and various problems with the thyroid gland begin. Complications can also affect the reproductive system, and then among them may be infertility and the inability to bear a child.
Features of application
You need to understand that anti-obesity pills are not just used for weight loss. These are powerful medicines to eliminate a serious and dangerous disease. Therefore, their independent use is strongly not recommended - only as prescribed by a doctor.
- Buy tablets exclusively from pharmacies, where all medications undergo appropriate certification. Online resources and intermediaries are not the best ways to purchase them.
- Don't just use them for weight loss, because shedding a few extra pounds and treating obesity are two different processes. And tablets are part of complex therapy.
- Before use, carefully read the instructions for use. Try to follow it exactly. If the dosages indicated in it do not coincide with those that the doctor prescribed for you, do not hesitate to ask him about the reasons for this.
- To prevent intoxication of the body, drink up to 2 liters of water a day.
- Throughout the course, you need to track changes: measure body volume, weigh yourself. If there are no results within a month, the drug is discontinued and another one is prescribed. Or a decision is made on surgical treatment methods.
- It is not recommended to take medications of this kind before bedtime. Peripheral ones can provoke severe turbulence and flatulence, and centrally acting drugs can cause insomnia.
- Without dietary restrictions, treating obesity with pills is a failure in advance. You definitely need a special diet recommended by an endocrinologist or nutritionist.
- Regular sports and physical activity are another element of complex therapy.
And remember that there are no harmless pills. Even the most effective ones have contraindications, provoke the development of complications and are fraught with side effects. All these risks must be assessed in advance.
Kinds
All medications prescribed for obesity are divided into 2 groups according to their effect on the body.
Group 1. Peripheral drugs
Reduces the activity of gastrointestinal lipases. These are enzymes of the digestive tract, the main purpose of which is the breakdown of fats. In obesity, they usually do not work at full capacity or do not function at all. Under the influence of the tablets, these substances begin to intensively destroy fat cells. This ultimately leads to weight loss and a reduction in subcutaneous fat.
The undeniable advantage of such tablets is that they act exclusively on the gastrointestinal tract and do not affect other organs in any way. On the other hand, digestion is closely connected with the excretory systems and the liver - accordingly, intensive breakdown and elimination of fats will affect their work too.
The disadvantages include primarily side effects from taking such tablets. They irritate the intestinal walls and relax the stomach. As a result, towards the end of treatment or even earlier, unpleasant bowel movements begin - frequent, liquid, foul-smelling, which are sometimes difficult to contain. You will also have to get used to flatulence and discomfort.
This list includes Orlistat and Xenical.
Group 2. Centrally acting drugs
Are more powerful than the previous group. They affect a vital organ on which the functioning of all systems depends. The cerebral cortex contains inhibitors that can block the feeling of hunger. It is they who are attacked by medicinal substances. The result is that a person does not want to eat even after abstaining from food for a long time. The process of losing weight proceeds naturally: you can calmly follow a diet, not feel discomfort, and easily give up everything harmful.
The advantage of such tablets is that they are very effective if other methods of treating obesity are carried out in parallel.
However, among the most significant disadvantages are numerous contraindications, as well as a powerful effect on the nervous system and brain function. Therefore, the consequences of treatment can be very undesirable for health: irritability, depression, decreased mental activity, etc.
Names: Phentermine, Sibutramine, Fepranon, Regenon, Fluoxetine, Mirapont, Desopimon and others.
