I’ve discussed the power of Topirimate on appetite reduction before on here. I stumbled upon its usefulness quite by accident, as I was looking for something to calm my agitated mind and thought mood stabilizers would do the trick. I then noticed a profound loss of appetite on the drug. Well it was only a matter of time before some bright scientists decided to combine this lovely effect with another guaranteed appetite suppressant, Phentermine.
Lose 10% of your bodyweight in one year using this cleverly combined duo of an amphetamine derivative and an anti-seizure medication. It’s really quite simple and straight forward here. Phentermine does its thing through catecholamine release (norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine) which leads to increased energy expenditure, loss of appetite and a sudden urge to do extra cleaning around the house to boot!
And just in case you’re like me, where those magic speed pills don’t kill your appetite any more, Qnexa brand weight loss drug throws in some Topirimate, known as Topamax, which is an anti-seizure medication. This baby turns down the appetite and causes a loss of interest in food. It does so by lowering insulin levels throughout the day, which leads to far less dips and peaks of glucose and hunger, and as well I believe it has a direct effect upon the central chemistry involved in hunger. Actually I should say it doesn’t do a lot about hunger, the stomach gnawing, you-really-need-to-eat-or-you’ll-die kind. It helps curb that snacky kind of hunger, or cravings if you will, that affect so many of us privileged Americans who don’t hunt for their food anymore.
An added bonus IMO, would be the mood stabilizing effect of Topamax. Amphetamines, or anything that causes increased norepinephrine, makes me want to claw my eyes out. I get cranky, edgy and just plain not fun to be around. Topamax has the ability to lower that electrical storm that Norepinephrine causes, allowing those who are trying to keep from stuffing garbage in our mouths from spewing out garbage the next time we snap at someone for saying hello, which can happen if you get edgy like me.
So chill out, speed up, and stop eating so much crap by popping a pill. I am only half kidding about this all. I have no issue with someone using unique and creative means to end the battle of the bulge for them. Just know that decreased bodyweight does not always mean a postive body transformation as occured. If you want to starve yourself thin, then that will be just fine. But if you’re like me and you want to retain the muscle you have while burning off the fat you don’t want, then taking a drug that wipes out the appetite isn’t always the best solution. If you can’t get the desire to choke down enough protein in a day to stave off catabolism, then you’ve only taken one step forward and one step back.
So what about the risks? Well, increased chances of heart problems are definitely present, although not quite in the way that the original Phen/Fen combo caused. There are special serotonin receptors on the heart that cause problems for our little muscle if overstimulated. Phen by itself is somewhat safe in this regard, although if you have a pre-existing heart condition then I will scream at you if I see you pop one of these. But it was the combination of the two (phentermine and fenfluramine) that caused a rapid surge in the activation of this specific serotonin receptor which was breaking hearts quite a bit around here.
On top of that we also have the issue of Birth Defects. Topamax has been shown to cause Birth Defects. This is a tough sell of a product, when the main audience they sell to will be women. I think that’s particularly disturbing news, but it appears even more disturbing that the drug company is working hard to convince the FDA that it’s not an issue. Quoted from here http://www.chron.com/business/press-releases/article/Topamax-Containing-Obesity-Drug-Qnexa-Backed-by-3398877.php
However, Qnexa was not approved by the FDA in October of 2010 because of concerns regarding Topamax side effects that include the tendency for pregnant women who ingested topiramate to give birth to children with birth defects that include oral clefts. Qnexa’s manufacturer, Vivus resubmitted Qnexa for consideration by the FDA with additional study information.
This additional information included studies of 3,386 women who used Qnexa despite precautions asking that women in the study use contraception. An FDA expert on birth defects estimated there would be five babies born with a cleft lip defect for every 1,000 women who became pregnant while taking Qnexa. The advisory panel also stated that if Qnexa was approved, the FDA would require Vivus to train prescribers in the pregnancy risks of Qnexa and distribute warning pamphlets to patients regarding Topamax side effects and the possibility of birth defects.
Wow, a diet drug that precludes you must be on birth control before using it. Adding birth control to the mix, which has already been shown to be heard on the heart, doesn’t seem like an awesome plan. But neither does spending the rest of your life with Diabetes or Metabolic Syndrome.
