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May 23

Patients losing weight with prescription drugs, injections – WCVB Boston

Long Term Weight Loss Comments Off on Patients losing weight with prescription drugs, injections – WCVB Boston

BOSTON

Carolyn Mills has lost 45 pounds since December by taking the prescription diet drug Contrave.

"It's probably saving my life," she said.

Contrave is one of several new drugs that the Food and Drug Administration approved in the past few years to help patients struggling with obesity.

"The drugs work," said Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of the nutrition and weight management program at Boston Medical Center. "And they all help you lose, on average, between 5 and maybe 12 percent weight loss."

That's significant for people who are obese. Often, the hormones telling them, "I'm hungry," are too powerful. Diet and exercise alone don't seem to work.

"Most people don't see obesity as a disease," Apovian said. "And even the patient thinks, 'I can do this on my own. I can lose this 100 pounds.'"

At BMC, Apovian said patients eligible for prescription pills are at least 20 to 30 pounds overweight. They must have a Body Mass Index over 30 --- or a BMI over 27 if they have another complication.

"We have to know a lot about a patient to choose which drug to try first," she added.

For example, Apovian prescribed Qsymia for her patient Jodi Gold, a young woman without any major health issues who hoped to lose a significant amount of weight.

"Gives you really good weight loss," Apovian explained. "Could keep you up at night. Headache. Palpitations. But it's a very good drug."

Gold said she hasn't experienced any side effects since she started using the drug two years ago. In combination with diet and exercise, Gold said Qsymia has helped her lose more than 60 pounds.

"I'm able to kind of go through my day without making food a focus," she said. "So it's helped me created a different lifestyle."

Apovian said another drug, Belviq, offers more more modest weight loss, but with fewer side effects.

"So it's a great drug if you have a patient with high blood pressure or diabetes," she said.

If a patient is comfortable with needles, the drug Saxenda is a new option.

"Really good weight loss," Apovian said. "Small injection. The side effect for that is nausea."

The drug Contrave combines anti-addiction with anti-depressant medications.

"And this combination is fantastic for people who have bingeing and addictions to food like carbohydrates," she said.

Mills said Contrave is working for her. She already feels healthier and happier.

"You're just not dragging yourself around all day long going, 'When will this day be over?'," she said.

Apovian said if patients stop using the drugs, unfortunately the weight can come back, but she added that the FDA has approved most of the drugs for long-term use.

WEBVTT OR RESPONSIBILITY.IT IS STILL UNFOLDING.AND YOUR HEALTH, GETTING APRESCRIPTION TO LOSE WEIGHT.MARIA: MORE DRUGS ARE ON THEMARKET AND THE FDA SAYS THEYWORK NEWSCENTER 5'S EMILY RIEMEREXPLAINS THE OPTIONS.IT'S PROBABLY SAVING MY LIFE.>> EMILY CAROLYN MILLS HAS LOST: 45 POUNDS SINCE DECEMBER WITHTHE DIET DRUG CONTRAVE.>> THE DRUGS WORK.AND THEY ALL HELP YOU LOSE ONAVERAGE BETWEEN A 5 AND MAYBE12% WEIGHT LOSS.EMILY THAT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR: PATIENTS STRUGGLING WITHOBESITY.OFTEN, THE HORMONES TELLING THEMI'M HUNGRY ARE TOO POWERFUL.AND DIET AND EXERCISE ALONEWON'T WORK.MOST PEOPLE DON'T SEE OBESITY AS>>MOST PEOPLE DON'T SEE OBESITYAS A DISEASE, AND EVEN THEPATIENT THINKS, I CAN DO THIS ONMY OWN.I CAN LOSE THIS 100 POUNDS.EMILY AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER,: DR. CAROLINE APOVIAN SAYSPATIENTS ELIGIBLE FORPRESCRIPTION PILLS ARE AT LEAST20 TO 30 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT.THEY MUST HAVE A BODY MASS INDEXOVER 30, OR A BMI OVER 27 IFTHEY HAVE ANOTHER COMPLICATION.>> WE HAVE TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT APATIENT TO CHOOSE WHICH, WHICHDRUG TO TRY FIRST.EMILY FOR JODI GOLD, SHE: PRESCRIBED QSYMIA.>> GIVES YOU REALLY GOOD WEIGHTLOSS.COULD KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT.HEADACHE.PALPITATIONS.BUT IT'S A VERY GOOD DRUG.EMILY IN TWO YEARS, JODI SAYS: SHE'S HAD NO SIDE EFFECTS, ANDWITH DIET AND EXERCISE, QSYMIAHAS HELPED HER LOSE MORE THAN 60POUNDS.>> I'M ABLE TO KIND OF GOTHROUGH MY DAY WITHOUT MAKINGFOOD A FOCUS, SO IT'S HELPED MECREATE A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE.EMILY BELVIQ: OFFERS MORE MODEST WEIGHTLOSS, BUT WITH FEWER SIDEEFFECTS.SO IT'S A GREAT DRUG IF YOU HAVEA PATIENT WITH HIGH BLOODPRESSURE OR DIABETES.EMILY AND IF YOU'RE OK WITH: NEEDLES, SAXENDAIS A NEW OPTION.>> REALLY GOOD WEIGHT LOSS,SMALL INJECTION.THE SIDE EFFECT FOR THAT ISNAUSEA.EMILY CAROLYN'S DRUG, CONTRAVE: COMBINES ANTI-ADDICTION WITHANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS.AND THIS COMBINATION IS>> FANTASTIC FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEBINGING AND ADDICTIONS TO FOODSLIKE CARBOHYDRATES.EMILY CAROLYN SAYS IT'S WORKING: FOR HER.SHE ALREADY FEELS HEALTHIER, ANDHAPPIER.>> YOU'RE JUST NOT DRAGGINGYOURSELF AROUND ALL DAY LONGGOING WHEN WILL THIS DAY BEOVER.EMILY IF YOU STOP USING THE: DRUGS, YES, UNFORTUNATELY, THEWEIGHT CAN COME BACK.BUT DR. APOVIAN SAYS, MOST OFTHE DRUGS ARE APPROVED FORLONG-TERM USE.

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Patients losing weight with prescription drugs, injections - WCVB Boston

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