Do Diet Drugs Drop Density

Not sure if its the AP writer or Arena Pharmaceuticals that wants you to take a bit of this one with a veil of success.  I'm skeptical so far because I've looked at the statistics. Their PR says 13 percent to 15 percent of body weight, but is you read the reports it takes about a year to reduce by very few percentage of pounds.

And there are risks as well as problems related to monkeying with your serotonin.

"Lorcaserin works in a way similar to fenfluramine, which was part of the fen-phen diet cocktail before it was withdrawn in 1997 after being linked to heart valve damage."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1225473220100312

Fenfluramine is a fluoride based compound with benzene
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/common-sense-needed-not-new-risky.html
Lorcaserin 10 mg Once Daily

40.2% of patients treated with 10 mg of lorcaserin dosed once daily lost
at least 5% of their body weight (p<0.0001); and
17.4% of patients treated with 10 mg of lorcaserin dosed once daily lost
at least 10% of their body weight (p<0.0001).

Taking the drug twice daily (BID) increases your risk of serious side 

effects and you show little difference in weight loss over taking the drug

once daily

22.6% of patients treated with 10 mg of lorcaserin dosed twice daily
lost at least 10% of their body weight compared to 9.7% for placebo
(p<0.0001)

So for what costs you incur for the drug, price data which so far I haven't

located, you really aren't making signnificant progress.

If you weigh 250, in a year on this drug you may lose 12.5 - 25 pounds. And if

you follow a sound weight management plan without drugs and include exercise

you can safely look at a loss of 2 pounds a week.

Experimental diet pill shows promise, little risk

Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Thu Jul 15, 2010

ATLANTA – An experimental diet pill helped about half the people who tried it lose some weight and keep it off a year later, without the heart problems that some earlier drugs caused, a study found.
Complete article/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100715/ap_on_he_me/us_med_obesity_drugs

http://invest.arenapharm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=410040
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1225473220100312http://weightloss.suite101.com/article.cfm/will_new_weightloss_drug_make_it_to_market

There might be better ways to look at this health problem.

Common Sense Needed, not new risky weight loss drug

Obesity Concerns Not Cured by A Risky Drug: FDA Plans to Review First of 3 New Diet Drugs

Remember Phen-Fen, an older alleged weight loss drug that harmed the hearts of many and often caused pulmonary hypertension among its other gifts?

It may be reappearing in a different form, a new concoction of phentermine and topiramate, ready to be reviewed by our trusting folks at the FDA.

Phen-Fen: The once-popular diet-drug combination of fenfluramine and phentermine that, amidst much media attention, was taken off the market because of concern for heart valve damage.

Fenfluramine hydrochloride is an anorectic drug for oral administration. Immediate release tablets containing 20 mg fenfluramine hydrochloride are orange, scored, compressed tablets engraved AHR and 6447.
Inactive Ingredients: Corn Starch, FD&C Yellow 6, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Fenfluramine HCl - one of many fluoride based drugs - has the following chemical name: N-ethyl-alpha-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl) benzeneethanamine hydrochloride.

The most common adverse reactions of fenfluramine are drowsiness, diarrhea, and dry mouth. Less frequent adverse reactions reported in association with fenfluramine are:

Central nervous system: Dizziness; confusion; incoordination; headache; elevated mood; depression; anxiety, nervousness, or tension; insomnia; weakness or fatigue; increased or decreased libido; agitation, dysarthria. Gastrointestinal: Constipation; abdominal pain; nausea. Autonomic: Sweating; chills; blurred vision. Genitourinary: Dysuria; urinary frequency. Cardiovascular: Palpitation; hypotension; hypertension; fainting; pulmonary hypertension. Skin: Rash; urticaria; burning sensation. Miscellaneous: Eye irritation; myalgia; fever; chest pain; bad taste.

Drug Abuse and Dependence

Fenfluramine hydrochloride is a controlled substance in Schedule IV. Fenfluramine is related chemically to the amphetamines, although it differs somewhat pharmacologically.

Topiramate is a white crystalline powder with a bitter taste. Topiramate is most soluble in alkaline solutions containing sodium hydroxide or sodium phosphate and having a pH of 9 to 10. It is freely soluble in acetone, chloroform, dimethyl sulfoxide, and ethanol. The solubility in water is 9.8 mg/mL. Its saturated solu tion has a pH of 6.3. Topiramate has the molecular formula C₁₂H₂₁NO₈S and a molecular weight of 339.36. Topiramate is designated chemically as 2,3:4,5-Di-O-isopropylidene-β-D-fructopyranose sulfamate and has the following structural formula: used for Seizure and Migraine

14 July, 2010  NEW YORK (AP) – Vivus Inc.'s potential weight loss drug Qnexa will likely draw scrutiny over nervous system and psychiatric side effects from a panel of Food and Drug Administration experts this week.
But shares jumped in morning trading as the FDA acknowledged the potential blockbuster drug's effectiveness in cutting weight. The stock rose $1.75, or 16 percent, to $12.40 in morning trading, more than doubling from a low of $5.57 last July.
The FDA raised some concerns in briefing documents posted online on Tuesday about a range of side effects. It said reviewers should take into account rates of depression, memory and concentration lapses, and heart-related issues, among others. The concerns were not a surprise to Wall Street, which has been following development of the drug over the last several years. Complete article

Side effects include but may not be limited to

Cardiovascular: Primary pulmonary hypertension and/or regurgitant cardiac valvular disease (see WARNINGS), palpitation, tachycardia, elevation of blood pressure.

Central Nervous System: Overstimulation, restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, euphoria, dysphoria, tremor, headache; rarely psychotic episodes at recommended doses.
Gastrointestinal: Dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, other gastrointestinal disturbances.
Allergic: Urticaria.
Endocrine: Impotence, changes in libido.

http://www.diet.com/g/fenphen

Sensible responses to weight issues are welcome.

Our main organization, CHI, offers nutritional and spiritual counseling 

 

If the 'Phen' proportion isn't bad enough consider the anti-seizure drug's problems. Just check out page three of this drug information database and evaluate for yourself.

http://www.rxlist.com/topamax-drug.htm

http://www.vivus.com/pipeline/qnexa-obesity

http://www.merck.com/mmpe/lexicomp/topiramate.html

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/07/12/fda-plans-to-review-first-of-3-new-diet-drugs/

http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/07/12/obesity-was-no-laughing-matter-for-comedian-sonya-d/