What meds cause weight loss?

Have you ever wondered why all those people in flashy TV advertisements seem happier and more content after taking their meds? It’s not just the side effects that are making them giddy – some medications can actually promote weight loss, too!

I know what you’re thinking: “What kind of sorcery is this?” Trust me; it’s not magic. There are several ways that certain medications work to reduce weight in your body. Let’s dive into the details below:

Medications That Target Appetite Control

1) Phentermine: This medication works as an appetite suppressant by influencing a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine (which tells your brain when you’re hungry). Phentermine reduces cravings and makes you feel full even if your stomach isn’t. However, like most good things in life, phentermine also comes with its own set of side-effects including diarrhea, constipation, nausea, dry mouth and headache (1).

2) Liraglutide: An injectable medication used for type 2 diabetes treatment has been found to reduce blood sugar levels besides this it also helps with obesity since Liraglutide slows down food intake by reducing appetite signals sent from intestinal cells to the brain (2).

3) Bupropion-naltrexone: Don’t let this long name scare you off- these two drugs combine together effectively suppressing hunger signals while creating a sensation of satiety which will limit how much food gets consumed in one sitting so overeating becomes less likely (3).

Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid hormones play an essential role in metabolism regulation.
Hyperthyroidism or increased thyroid hormone activity leads to rapid metabolism causing increased energy demand translating into high calorie burning resulting in significant weight loss meanwhile hypothyroidism or low thyroid hormone activity results slow basal metabolism leading to weight increase. Medications for thyroid diseases such as levothyroxine and liothyronine may significantly increase metabolism rates thus promoting calorie burning and hence supporting weight reduction in patients with said conditions (4).

Diabetes Medications

Some medications used to treat diabetes can lead to a loss of weight, particularly if they’re taken alongside diet adjustments prescribed by a medical professional. Physicians typically prescribe medications like metformin, GLP-1 agonists, or SGLT2 inhibitors for individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. These prescriptions encourage insulin sensitivity while reducing saturated fat absorption aiding in the preservation of glycemic control preventing blood sugar elevations (5).

Psychostimulants

Various psychostimulant agents have shown effectiveness against obesity when paired alongside monitored food intake schedules
6) Dextroamphetamine: A medication that targets pathways affected by various drugs resulting in increased focus and alertness within its recommended dose range when given at higher doses this drug has notably reduced appetite causing significant weight loss but it’s no longer widely used due to cases of substance abuse (6).

7) Methamphetamine: Maybe you’ve heard about meth being utilized recreationally? The chemical is set on boosting mood energy levels nearly immediately upon initiation and as one would expect it reduces appetite too however not recommended medically because of its incredibly addictive potential which comes along with long-term usage.

Overall psychiatric health assessment should always be performed ahead of any psychotropic medication prescription especially those that include appetitive suppressors since oftentimes undiagnosed mental disorders other than substance addiction might get aggravated using medicine without prior character evaluation could potentially do more harm than good.

Other Weight-Loss Inducing Meds:

8) Orlistat : This commonly marketed oral prescription binds pancreatic lipases labelling fats ingested by patients who consume high-fat diets keeping them from absorbing them, therefore, promoting excretion in faeces while reducing adipose deposition and weight gain (7).

9) Victoza: According to research conducted by the Endocrine Society’s 97th Annual Meeting this injectable medication used for blood sugar regulation also led to significant weight reductions amongst involved patients so much so that physicians advised including it in obesity treatment protocols (8).

Why a Med Promotes Reduction of Bodyweight?

Many factors contribute to how specific drugs amplify bodyweight loss but one thing remains consistent: none of these medications can stand as a substitute for a healthy lifestyle e.g., ongoing physical exercise or consumption of nutrient-proper foods with an appropriate calorie balance. From hormones regulating metabolism rates and appetite control medications to psychotropic agents employing cognitive fatigue mentioned earlier there are diverse mechanisms at play resulting from taking effect on pharmaceutical interventions affecting dietary habits leading ultimately down towards desired slimming results.

Still, thoroughly understanding among frequently prescribed compounds which ones work towards an individual’s ultimate end goal is crucial alongside guidance from qualified medical professionals such as prescribing doctors nutritionists or sports therapists when attempting any substantial body fat cutting efforts.
So next time someone mentions taking medicaments recommended extra attention should be paid during consultation thus avoiding harmful side effects!

Sources:

1)Phentermine use in overweight Hispanics with type 2 diabetes mellitus https://europepmc.org/article/med/15869637

2)Liraglutide- Why it works so well in T2DM (2014).https://www.medpagetoday.com/resource-centers/treating-t2dm-well/liraglutide-in-treat…

3)Vivus Announces FDA Approval for Obesity Drug Qsymia™ ( Phentermine and Topiramate Compound Extended Release), Available August 17 Under REM… https://investors.vivus.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vivus-announces-fda-approval-obesity-drug-qsymiatm-phentermine

4)Chronic treatment with thyroid hormone T3 (L-T3) enhances glucose turnover and GLUT4 in rat adipocytes without raising uncoupling protein 2… https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026049597800350?via%3Dihub

5)Medication-induced weight loss: What every clinician needs to know.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6234838/

6) The Self-Stimulatory Use of Long Acting Stimulants In Girl’s Eating Disordershttps://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/THE-SELF-STIMULATORY-USE-OF-LONG-ACTING-STIMULANTS-Fairburn-Cowen/f83c53f1ab647599391b61770651d54626801b89

7)Loss of Weight and Fat Mass Increases Plasma Oxyntomodulin Levels http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/suppl/2008/05/22/dc08-S246.DC1/care_31_Su…

8)VICTOZA® Significantly Reduced Blood Glucose & Bodyweight when used as an Add-On Treatment in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/victoza-significantly-reduced-blood-glucose-bodyweight-used-add-treatment-patients-type-2-diabetes-meeting-update/

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