However, this isn’t to say that anyone who is sick of going on a diet can pop the new pill, but Qsymia is for people whose wellbeing is at risk from their weight. According to Sue Decotiis, MD, of New York’s Manhattan Medical Weight Loss Physician which is a practice specializing in obesity treatment, ‘We’re not talking about the person who just needs to lose 10 pounds. We are talking about the patient who is obese or very overweight with related health problems.’ Diet and activity alone can bring about dramatic weight loss for anyone, but when you’re obese your body burns less and less fuel, your appetite is greater and exercise hurts more. Decotiis says obese people ‘get de-motivated quickly because they have no success’.
The wellbeing benefits of Qsymia have been tested in clinical trials led by Michelle Look, MD, of San Diego Sports Medicine and Family Health Centre. ‘We found that over the entire 52 weeks of the first trial, patients lost from 11% to 14% of their body weight,’ says Look. ‘But the most dramatic effect we saw was in patients who were pre-diabetic and were prevented from converting to diabetes — and in patients who had diabetes who not only had lower blood sugar but whom we could take off several of their diabetes medications.’
However, Decotiis warns that ‘Doctors prescribe weight loss drugs knowing full well that any drug can have side effects or complications. But that is why it is put in the hands of a prescribing doctor, who will follow the patient carefully, monitoring for side effects and educating the patient.’ Unfortunately, Qsymia is not without some serious side effects, and it can cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Women of childbearing age cannot get a Qsymia prescription unless they can confirm with their doctor that they are using 100% effective birth control. Other possible side effects include increased heart rate, suicidal thoughts or actions, and serious eye problems.