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Drug Therapy

Drug therapy can prove an extremely effective component in a properly prescribed and managed weight loss programme. Often used in combination with diet, exercise and behaviour modification, some obese patients find drug therapy a particularly helpful contributor in their attempts to lose weight.
 
Before starting drug therapy, however, there are a number of health issues that need to be carefully examined by both you and your doctor. 

The two most common weight loss drugs used to treat obesity Xenical (Orlistat) and Reductil (Sibutramine) are not 100% side effect free and it’s their potential negatives - for example stomach cramps, faecal incontinence and diarrhoea (with Orlistat) and high blood pressure, constipation (with Reductil) that need to be weighed up against the weight loss benefits.

Drug therapy deserves proper consideration and should by no means be the first option when attempting to achieve safe, sustainable weight loss. Generally it should only be considered after the failure of a 3-month period of managed care, involving supervised diet and nutrition, activity and behaviour modification to achieve a realistic weight reduction.

Potential recipients of anti obesity drugs must also have a BMI of 30 or between 27 and 30 and be suffering other medical problems such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obstructive sleep apnoea that further increase their risk of heart disease.

Drug therapy must be regularly monitored and discontinued if weight loss is less than 5% after 3 months or if the individual regains weight at any time whilst receiving drug treatment.

All our drug therapies are arranged through Andrew Johnson, physician at Avon Obesity Service.

For more information on how anti-obesity drug therapy can play an effective role in your weight loss programme contact GBS today.