You can improve your health with the help of weight loss drugs, healthy diet and exercise.

The weight loss diets can not be good for everyone as there can be some health problems with these diets drugs. It is very good for you to try to lose weight with the healthy diet and exercise. You can use weight loss drugs if you have gain excess weight with some medical problems.

Are you a candidate?

If you want to lose your few pounds of weight for cosmetic reasons then weight loss drugs are not good for you. The weight loss drugs can be used by the people who are unable to maintain healthy weight through diet and exercise causing health problems.

You can use medications for the treatment of weight loss on the prescription of your doctor if you don’t get success with other methods of weight loss. You can also go for the weight loss drugs if you have obesity problems, high blood pressure and sleep apnea and your BMI is greater than 30.

Common weight-loss drugs

Food and Drug Administration has approved two prescription drugs for long term weight loss which can work in different ways with different side effects.

Sibutramine (meridia)

You should use 5 to 15 mg of this drug daily. The side effects of this medication include increased blood pressure, headache, dry mouth and insomnia.

Orlistat (Xenical)

120 mg of this medication should be taken three times a day. The side effects of this medication are oily bowel movements, diarrhea, blotting and abdominal pain.

You can also use some medications like phentermine for short term use which can suppress appetite. Dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and lightheadedness are the side effects of these drugs.

If you are 18 years or older then you can use Alli which is reduced strength form of orlistat and approved for over the counter sale. You should take low fat, low calories and regular exercise with Alli. The weight loss with this medication will not be significant. Diarrhea and gas with oily spotting are common side effects of this medication.

Effectiveness: Modest but can improve health

You can be able to lose your weight effectively if you take regular exercise and low calorie diet with weight loss drugs. You will also need to make changes in your lifestyle. You can lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight with medications, fewer calories and more activity.

There will be decrease blood pressure, blood glucose level, insulin level and blood triglyceride levels with the weight loss.

There will be no replacement of changes in your eating habit or activity level with the weight loss drugs as these drugs will only improve chances of significant weight loss with positive impact on your health.

Drug safety: Still largely unknown

It is important for you to know that you will regain your weight when you stop treatment with the weight loss drugs therefore you should take these drugs indefinitely but at the same time you also don’t know the side effects of some of the new drugs.

There is increase in blood pressure with the Sibutramine due which most people don’t use it for long time and it is not recommended for the people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heartbeat or history of stroke.

The absorption of fat soluble vitamins is decreased with orlistat. You can use this drugws on the prescription of your doctor to prevent potential nutrient deficiencies.

Factors to consider

You can determine the potential benefits and risks on using these drugs for long term. The doctor will prescribe these drugs on the basis of your health history, possible side effects and potential interaction of weight loss drugs with other medications.

If you continue taking regular exercise then you can maintain your weight with the help of these medications. But it is an ongoing concern to keep off the weight once you have lost. You should also consider exercise, your eating habits and other lifestyle factors along with your weight loss drugs.