Description
Qsymia (Phentermine/Topiramate)
Qsymia (Phentermine/Topiramate) should be used together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management. Qsiva was expected to be used to treat severely obese patients (BMI ? 35 kg/m2), or patients with obesity (BMI ? 30 kg/m2) who have weight-related health problems, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or abnormal levels of fat in the blood. Qsymia is a combination of two medications. The phentermine component is a sympathomimetic amine that mimics neurotransmitters in the brain to reduce hunger. It was first approved by the FDA to help with weight loss over 60 years ago.
The other component is topiramate, which was approved by the FDA over 20 years ago to treat epilepsy and later found to help with weight loss. It works on different neurotransmitters in the brain than phentermine to decrease appetite and increase feelings of fullness after eating. It is important to note that these impressive amounts of weight loss occurred over 52 weeks of treatment. Keep this in mind when you read about some ‘miracle’ treatment that claims huge amounts of weight loss in a very short time.
Dosing of Qsymia is based on the body mass index (BMI) of the patient. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if a patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, treatment should be discontinued immediately and the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to a fetus. It is not known if Qsymia passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding. Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking this medication. The health risks that can accompany obesity are well known, and include heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes. It also is not for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, as Qsymia can cause fetal harm.
