Is Combo Pilling for Excess weight Loss advisable? Combining Medicines Might Be Legal Nevertheless Is It Safe?

While watching good news this morning, I was alerted to the practice of "combo-pilling, " taking supposedly not related medications together to produce more efficient results toward a desired outcome. Combo-pilling diet drugs went mainstream in the 1980s, with the pairing of phentermine and fenfluramine (later known as "fen-phen"). This pairing, as well as a commercial related version, was heralded as the first effective weight loss drug treatment. Later, when it was uncovered that the commercial medicine was associated with possibly fatal pulmonary hypertension and heart-valve problems, it was withdrawn from the market and the manufacturer was sued to the melody of more than ten billion dollars.

Combo-pilling remains, in part because solitary diet drugs never have produced the results many seek. After sibutramine (Meridia) was removed from market past due a year ago, the only Medical grade drug for treating being overweight for more than a few weeks is orlistat. However, if dieters eat fat-heavy dishes, the results are some less-than-pleasant side effects (oily stains on one's underwear, being one).

So combo-pilling continues.


Of late, the combination of Topomax, an anticonvulsant approved for the treating epilepsy and migraines; and phentermine, the above referenced appetite reducing drug, are making their way to the collective dieters' awareness. It appears that Topomax effectively "shuts off" the desire to eat. When coupled with phentermine, the results can be downright staggering. I supervised some on-line discussion organizations and found it not phenq uncommon for participants to claim weight losses of four or five pounds a week for extended periods. (A healthy environmentally friendly weight loss is considered to be one to two pounds weekly. )

Using medicine so that it is not intended is called "off-label" use. Although no official data can be found as to the extent of this practice, a March 2009 study released in Obesity found that 65 percent of weight specialists belonging to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians who taken care of immediately a survey do indeed prescribe "off-label" combinations. The practice is legal; actually based to a 2006 analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine, approximately 20 percent of common adult drugs are approved as such. (Since the drug is approved and on the marketplace, physicians may put it to use as they observe fit. )

While some doctors are unconcerned, many are raising red red flags, pointing out that these medical "cocktails" might be taken for many years, triggering long lasting adverse interactions and unforeseen side effects. Since the FDA is not monitoring such usage, authorities might never find out about such problems; and even should they do, it could lead to catastrophic results for those experimenting with untested combinations.

Referencing the aforementioned Internet discussions, the risk appears to be of little concern to some who persist on doing "whatever it takes" to attain their correct weight; consequences be damned. Said one post, "I started... one week ago and I've lost eight pounds already. Certainly with the post furthermore this may well not be 'healthy' weight loss, but being overweight isn't healthy either. Issue gets me personally to a proper weight, then so whether it is. " Alarming, isn't it?

Of higher concern in my opinion is not the threat of obesity, but that being over weight is considered such a stigma and so abhorrent that some would virtually risk life and arm or leg shed pounds. If it is indeed so essential to lose the weight, wouldn't it appear like it might be important enough to rearrange their life to eat a less and walk a bit more? It's a slower process, yes; but the most detrimental side effects in that situation are a growling belly and sore foot.