Body detoxification methods, another component of Qsymia, has Saffe linked to an increased risk weiht birth Insulin storage and handling, so women who take it weighr take pklls precautions not to get pregnant. Prescription losss to treat Insulin storage and handling and obesity work Pillss different ways. Only three of them are pills:. Obesity in adults: Drug therapy. Gifts Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Make sure you know about each of the medicines you take. Cons not suitable for everyone some medications may be expensive, depending on insurance coverage can cause side effects, some of which may be serious weight regain is possible once medication is discontinued more research needed on long-term health effects.

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For example, some medications may help you feel less hungry or full sooner. Other medications may make it harder for your body to absorb fat from the foods you eat. Weight management medications are meant to help people who have health problems related to overweight or obesity. Health care professionals use BMI to help decide whether you might benefit from weight management medications.

Your health care professional may prescribe a medication to treat your overweight or obesity if you are an adult with. If you are overweight or have obesity, you might be able to lose weight with a lifestyle program that changes your behaviors and improves your eating and physical activity habits.

A lifestyle program may also address other things that cause you to gain weight, such as eating triggers and not getting enough sleep. The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA has approved four weight management medications for children ages 12 and older: orlistat Xenical , 2 liraglutide Saxenda , 3 phentermine-topiramate Qsymia , 4 and semaglutide Wegovy.

Studies show that weight management medications work best when combined with a lifestyle program. Ask your health care professional about lifestyle treatment programs for weight management that will work for you. When combined with lifestyle and behavior changes, including healthy eating and increased physical activity, prescription medications help some people lose weight and maintain weight loss.

Less information is available for children ages 12 and over, but ranges appear to be similar. Losing weight also can improve some other health problems related to overweight and obesity, such as joint pain and sleep apnea. Most weight loss takes place within the first 6 months of starting the medication.

Experts are concerned that, in some cases, the side effects of prescription medications that treat overweight and obesity may outweigh the benefits.

For this reason, never take a weight management medication only to improve the way you look. In the past, some weight management medications were linked to serious health problems, and they were removed from U.

Possible side effects vary by medication and how it acts on your body. Most side effects are mild and most often improve if you continue to take the medication. Rarely, serious side effects can occur.

Choosing a medication to treat overweight or obesity is a decision between you and your health care professional. Important factors to consider include. How long you will need to take weight management medication depends on whether the drug helps you lose weight and keep it off and whether you experience serious side effects.

If you have lost enough weight to improve your health and are not experiencing serious side effects, your health care professional may advise you to stay on the medication indefinitely.

Your health care professional may also. Because obesity is a chronic disease, you may need to continue your new eating and physical activity habits and other behaviors for years—or even a lifetime—to improve your health and maintain a healthier weight.

You probably will regain some weight after you stop taking weight management medication. Developing and maintaining healthy eating habits and increasing physical activity may help you regain less weight or keep it off.

Federal physical activity guidelines PDF, You may need to do more than minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to reach or maintain your weight-loss goal. Some, but not all, insurance plans cover medications that treat overweight and obesity.

Contact your insurance provider to find out if your plan covers these medications. The table below lists prescription drugs approved by the FDA for weight loss. The FDA has approved five of these drugs—orlistat Xenical, Alli , phentermine-topiramate Qsymia , naltrexone-bupropion Contrave , liraglutide Saxenda , and semaglutide Wegovy —for long-term use.

A sixth approved drug, setmelanotide IMCIVREE , is limited to people who have been diagnosed with one of three specific rare genetic disorders, which must be confirmed by genetic testing.

You can keep taking these medications as long as you are benefiting from treatment and not experiencing serious side effects. Some weight management medications that curb appetite are approved by the FDA for short-term use only, for up to 12 weeks. Although some health care professionals prescribe them for longer periods, not many research studies have looked at how safe and effective they are for long-term use.

Never take weight management medications if you are pregnant. If you are planning to get pregnant, you should also avoid these medications, as some of them may harm the fetus. By choosing an off-label medication to treat overweight and obesity, your health care professional may prescribe.

You should feel comfortable asking whether your health care professional is prescribing a medication that is not approved for treating overweight and obesity. Before using a medication, learn all you need to know about it. Researchers are currently studying several new medications and combinations of medications in animals and people.

Researchers are working to identify safer and more effective medications to help people who are overweight or have obesity lose weight and maintain a healthy weight for a long time. NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including overweight and obesity.

The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life. Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help doctors and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of prescription medications to treat overweight or obesity, such a. Find out if clinical studies are right for you. Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www. You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe.

Always talk with your health care provider before you participate in a clinical study. This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIDDK , part of the National Institutes of Health.

NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public.

Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts. NIDDK would like to thank: Kishore Gadde, M. Sibutramine Meridia was removed after it was linked to heart attack and stroke in people at highest risk for them.

The options on the market today come with their own cautions. The ingredient phentermine—a component of Adipex-P, Ionamin, and Qsymia—isn't usually recommended for people who have high blood pressure or other heart conditions.

Topiramate, another component of Qsymia, has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects, so women who take it should take special precautions not to get pregnant. But medications are not a substitute for lifestyle changes. They work best when used as part of a broader medical weight-loss program.

They should be just one part of a lifelong plan that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress reduction.

Some weight-loss medications contain drugs used to treat other conditions. You may want to consider a "dual-purpose" medication if you have the following:. Type 2 diabetes. You might want to try liraglutide Saxenda , which may lower your blood sugar. If you're a migraine sufferer and don't intend to get pregnant, you might consider Qsymia.

One of its components, topiramate, is approved for treating migraines and seizures. Contrave contains bupropion, an antidepressant.

It may elevate your mood, which can aid weight loss. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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May 22, Image: Bigstock Newer medications, which may be safer than earlier drugs, have expanded the options for treating obesity.

Please pillz to Respiratory health and climate change pharmacotherapy clinical practice Safee to ensure you are utilizing the most up-to-date welght. Your healthcare team plls recommend medications as part of your obesity Lozs plan, alongside behavioural changes. Before starting a new medication, weigth healthcare professional Safe weight loss pills discuss lose consider a number of different factors such as your health history, BMI, other complications of obesity, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure and possible side effects. In Canada, four prescription medications are available for the treatment of overweight and obesity. Wegovy® is a GLP-1 therapy that acts like the natural GLP-1 found in your body. Wegovy® acts on specific neurons in the brain to help you feel more satisfied, reduce hunger, and control cravings. Studies have shown Wegovy® to have beneficial effects on blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.

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