WEGOVY

**As of July 2021, we have a new program for the new  NEW FDA approved weight loss medication Wegovy. Click the link above to learn more. 

 

PHENTERMINE VISIT: $55/MO

Phentermine is a medication classified as an “anoretic” medication, meaning it helps you lose weight, and has been an FDA approved medication since 1959.  Simply stated, phentermine stimulates the brain to increase activity of the sympathetic nervous system.  In doing so, appetite is suppressed and cravings are decreased, while metabolism is increased. The medication lasts about 10-12 hours in most patients and is usually taken in the morning. Phentermine is only approved for short-term use and has a risk for increased tolerance (having to take more of the medication to get the same effect), abuse and dependence. It is classified by the DEA as a controlled substance and can only be obtained with a prescription from a doctor. This is only one out many of the appetite suppressants available at Indian Lake Medical.

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SIDE EFFECTS:

Side effects related to phentermine include insomnia or trouble sleeping, feeling jittery or anxious, dry mouth, dizziness and headache.  If you have high blood pressure or other cardiovascular condition this medication can cause it to worsen. 

SR COMBO VISIT: $95

We also offer SR COMBO as a combination of phentermine and topiramate / topamax and many of their patients have been successful using this combo medication. The quick-release phentermine in SR COMBO starts working immediately, and is thought to reduce your appetite, while the topiramate, often dosed in the afternoon works throughout the day to help you feel full and additionally help with night time eating. It may also alter the taste of certain foods, helping to reduce the pleasure of eating and potentially reducing cravings for sweet or salty foods.

 

 

SAXENDA VISIT: $95

Saxenda® is an FDA-approved, prescription injectable medicine that, when used with a low-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity, may help some adults with excess weight who may also have weight-related medical problems (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes), to lose weight and keep it off. 

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Along with a low-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity, some people in a medical study lost nearly 2.5 times more weight with Saxenda® versus placebo (17.3 lb vs 7 lb). Study participants had an average starting weight of 234 lb and an average body mass index (BMI) of 38.

 

———>HOW DOES SAXENDA WORK?

Saxenda® is different from weight management products that you may have taken in the past. It works like a hormone the body produces naturally that regulates appetite, known as glucagon-like-peptide (GLP-1). By activating areas of your brain that regulate appetite, Saxenda® may make you feel less hungry, which can lead to lower calorie intake and weight loss. Saxenda® can help you to not only lose weight, but keep it off as well.

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While medication is a great step in the battle to lose weight, just taking a medication might not be enough. While your PCP may be able to prescribe Saxenda, its is unlikely that they will be able to provide the other important pieces of the weight loss puzzle. At Indian Lake Medical Weight Loss, that is what we do, every day.  Seeing a weight loss professional gives you the best chance to succeed.

 

OZEMPIC VISIT / (semaglutide) : $95

For years, here at Indian Lake Medical we’ve taken a metabolic approach to treating obesity. Yes, Phentermine will help you eat less, but it will not help your liver break down fat more efficiently.

Please review the article:

 

 

CONTRAVE VISIT: $120 [120 tab bottle]

Contrave, combines two generic drugs, naltrexone and bupropion.
Naltrexone is used to help kick an addiction to alcohol or narcotics. Bupropion is used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorder. Many people also take bupropion to stop smoking. Neither naltrexone nor bupropion by itself has been approved for weight loss.

When used as directed in combination with a healthy lifestyle that includes a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, Contrave provides another treatment option for chronic weight management.  Specifically, Contrave was approved for use by adults who are obese (meaning a body-mass index of 30 or higher) and by overweight adults (body-mass index between 27 and 30) who have at least one other weight-related condition or illness, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.

 

(Don’t know your body-mass index? Calculate it using Harvard Health Publications BMI calculator.)

 

Contrave joins Belviq (lorcaserin) which the FDA approved in June 2012, and Qsymia, which got the green light a month later. Neither of those two drugs has sold well. Pharmacies will likely have Contrave in stock within a few months.

DOES CONTRAVE WORK?

The FDA approved Contrave based on the results of several clinical trials that included 4,500 overweight and obese men and women. Some had significant weight-related conditions, others didn’t. All were treated for one year.

 

In one trial of people without diabetes, 42% of those who took Contrave lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 17% of those who took a placebo. In a trial of people with diabetes, 36% of those taking Contrave lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 18 % of those taking a placebo.

Across the studies, some people lost much more than 5% of their body weight. But it’s important to note that more than 50% had minimal or no weight loss.

If Contrave does not work after 12 weeks, the FDA says its use should be stopped.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Why should the combination of a drug for addiction and one for depression help with weight loss? It’s likely that the drugs act on impulse, reward, and/or hunger centers in the brain to decrease appetite and dampen the reflex to seek food for comfort.

DOWNSIDES TO CONTRAVE:

Like any drug, Contrave can cause unwanted side effects. These include:

Since the use of bupropion has been linked to the onset of suicidal thoughts, Contrave will carry the same black-box warning about this that bupropion does. Naltrexone use has been linked to seizures.

Given the side effects and warnings, Contrave shouldn’t be taken by anyone with:

• a seizure disorder
• uncontrolled high blood pressure
• an eating disorder
• a narcotic addiction or who is taking medication to treat one.

You can check further about appetite suppressants at Indian Lake Medical Weight Loss.