Sometimes the path to prescription weight loss can be deadly. Diet plans combining popular diet pills, Phentermine, Phendimetrazine, with Glucaphage or Synthroid or Topamax are unsafe ways to lose weight. Glucaphage is a diabetic drug. Synthroid is a hormone for the thyroid. Topamax is a drug for headaches or seizures.
Diet clinics may begin with the usual diet pills. If the patient doesn’t lose weight, more pills may be added even if the person doesn’t have a problem with seizures, blood sugar or thyroid. Any drug has a side effect. Unneeded drugs have more side effects. Drug combinations have still more side effects.
Phentermine and Phendimetrazine Diet Pills Precautions
Phendimetrazine helps burn more calories at rest by increasing metabolism. It is a 2 or 3 time a day prescription. Phentermine is usually once a day. Both are recommended to be used for several weeks although some people use them for months or even years.
- Both pills decrease hunger urges.
- Eating less means fewer calories to burn thus there is weight loss.
- Diet clinics may take an EKG before prescribing phentermine and phendimetrazine but the EKG is rarely repeated once the pills begin.
- Diet pills may raise blood pressure and pulse.
- Both pills, phendimetrazine more so, may cause a late afternoon or evening head ache in regular users. Pills are then added for head aches. More natural body chemistry is altered.
- Both diet pills may cause mood swings in regular users.
- Both interrupt the sleep cycle.
Metformin or Glucaphage may be added to the Diet Drug Cocktail
When weight loss isn’t progressing quickly enough a diabetic medication called Glucaphage (metformin) may be added. This practice may be part of an obesity or weight loss clinic protocol having nothing to do with whether the person is diabetic or not.
- Metformin helps diabetics keep rising insulin levels in check.Insulin increases hunger in everyone, regardless of diabetes.
- The belief is by medically reducing normal insulin elevations in non-diabetics, hunger is decreased.
- Taking the drug to alter otherwise normal physiologic insulin production invites rebound problems.
- Diarrhea and nausea are drug side effects that may also cause weight loss.
Topamax for Headaches, Seizures, and Weight Loss
Dropped pounds are a side effect of the migraine medicine Topamax (topiramate). Topamax is also an anti-seizure medication.
- It has side effects of numbness, tingling, and memory loss.
- There is also a warning box about possible drug induced suicidal ideation.
- Combining Topamax with Phentermine increases weight loss but is also reminiscent of the other phentermine combination, Fen-Phen that ended up in millions of lawsuits, pulmonary hypertension, or death.
Synthroid (levothyroxine) a Thyroid Hormone and Losing Weight
People with sluggish or absent thyroids take this medication to boost their metabolism to a normal rate. Taking it when the thyroid is functional and normal to artificially boost the rate has many negative side effects.
- There may be minimal temporary weight loss.
- There will be palpitations.
- Abdominal cramps, diarrhea
- Calcium is lost from bones.
- Anxiety and moodiness can be side effects.
- Side effects can also be hives, allergic reactions, and flushing.
- Natural so-called thyroid boosters may contain iodine or kelp or animal glands and are also dangerous.
- Tiratricol, a natural thyroid booster and weight loss pill can be deadly combined with synthroid and can also cause permanent defects in thyroid function.
- Marvin Kirschner, MD. chief of endocrinology for UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, states the misuse of thyroid medicines attacks muscle and bone tissue and lean body mass.
Unfortunately, no magic way has yet been discovered to lose weight and get thin without normal dieting and exercise. All pills have side effects and a “good” side effect of weight loss may be countered by a bad side effect of death. Combining these medications is a recipe for disaster.
References:
Obesity 17, 1730–1735 (1 September 2009)
Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) 2009
American Thyroid Association, thyroid.org
Amy Andersen - Amy Andersen, MSN, ARNP, family & pediatrics certified, practices yoga and explores the inter-relationships of mind body fitness and ...
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