Many individuals are familiar with the weight-loss drug phentermine. Phentermine has been utilized as a medication for weight loss since the mid-1900s, and it was approved for long-term use in 2012.
Semaglutide is a novel weight-loss medicine that will be approved by the FDA in 2021. When deciding whether a drug is best for you, the tried and true or the new kid on the block, you may be wondering if semaglutide or phentermine is the better option.
What type of drug is Phentermine?
What type of drug is Phentermine?
Phentermine is a central nervous system stimulant and "anorectic" (hunger suppressant) medicine. Phentermine enhances the neurotransmitters in the brain that give us energy and reduces appetite.
What type of drug is Semaglutide?
What type of drug is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 drug. This drug mimics glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which our bodies naturally produce. GLP-1 is released by the intestines and has several functions in the body. Semaglutide is 94% similar to the peptide that our bodies produce naturally.
How does Phentermine promote weight loss?
How does Phentermine promote weight loss?
Phentermine mostly causes weight loss by suppressing the appetite.
Some patients report an improvement in energy and mood, which they believe helps motivate them to make healthier choices such as cooking at home instead of eating out or going for regular walks instead of being inactive. Some patients believe that phentermine helps to ease their personal feelings of depression, which aids in their weight loss goals. Of course, the extra impacts stated above may or may not apply to your personal experience.
How does Semaglutide promote weight loss?
How does Semaglutide promote weight loss?
Three important processes are disrupted in people using semaglutide, which could be the primary cause of weight loss.
GLP-1 medicines inhibit the motility of the digestive tract. Keeping food in your stomach for an extended period of time keeps you fuller.
Act on the brain to reduce hunger, boost contentment, and alter the food-reward system (shifting food preferences to healthier ones).
Improves the body's response to insulin, often known as "insulin sensitivity", which has a good effect on blood sugar and weight loss.
What types of negative effects does Phentermine cause?
What types of negative effects does Phentermine cause?
The most common adverse effects include dry mouth, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, constipation, and insomnia. Most patients report only a few, if any, adverse effects, which are often minor and well managed.
Dry mouth, constipation, and sleeplessness may remain with treatment. Jitters, anxiety, and irritability usually subside or disappear entirely throughout treatment.
More significant side effects can be lethal, and symptoms should not be overlooked. There have been reports of harmful effects on the cardiovascular system.
They include high blood pressure, tachycardia (a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute), pulmonary hypertension, heart valve dysfunction, and even incidents involving ischemia (a lack of blood supply to the heart or other organs). Ischemia in the heart can result in a heart attack, while ischemia in the brain causes a stroke.
What kind of adverse effects might Semaglutide cause?
What kind of adverse effects might Semaglutide cause?
The most common adverse effects we observe in the clinic are minor nausea, diarrhea or constipation, burping, and headaches. Again, many patients suffer only one or two adverse effects, which are often moderate and well-tolerated. We have rarely seen people discontinue semaglutide owing to negative effects.
People rarely vomit, but it can happen if the patient is sensitive to the medicine if the dosage is increased too quickly.
More significant adverse effects were documented in trials and include acute pancreatitis, acute gallbladder illness (which may occur without the use of any medicine if the rate of weight loss is very quick), hypoglycemia, acute renal injury (caused by dehydration), and increased urination.
Who should not take Phentermine?
Who should not take Phentermine?
Most people tolerate phentermine well and can use the drug as long as their underlying health concerns are appropriately managed by a medical professional. If you have any of the following conditions, see your phentermine prescriber before proceeding.
People having a history of cardiovascular illness are much more likely to experience serious side effects than those without. Cardiovascular disease refers to a range of illnesses, including coronary artery disease, stroke, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and uncontrolled high blood pressure.
- Patients who use monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
- People who have previously untreated hyperthyroidism or glaucoma.
- People who are pregnant or plan to get pregnant.
Who should not take Semaglutide?
Who should not take Semaglutide?
In animal studies, mice and rats fed semaglutide exhibited an elevated risk of thyroid C-cell tumors.
Humans have not reported this tendency, therefore it is unknown whether it represents a risk. However, anyone with a history of medullary thyroid cancer should proceed with caution and have frequent thyroid monitoring if they decide to take semaglutide.
Finally, pancreatitis was noted during the clinical trials. As a result, anyone with a history of pancreatitis should be aware of the symptoms and have a full medical examination before using semaglutide.
People who are pregnant or plan to get pregnant.
Who should not take Phentermine?
Who should not take Phentermine?
Phentermine is available in two main formulations. The first is a 37.5 mg tablet, while the second is a 30-mg extended-release capsule. Most people take a single tablet or capsule each day.
Your doctor will recommend the proper dosage based on your medical history and weight loss objectives.
How is Semaglutide administered?
How is Semaglutide administered?
Semaglutide is delivered once weekly by an autoinjector pen or by filling up a syringe & injecting it. The drug is injected into a fatty area on the arm, stomach, or thigh.
The dosing plan starts with a small introductory dose of 0.25 mg and gradually increases until a therapeutic dosage is attained (a dose that produces good hunger suppression, minimum side effects, and consistent weight loss) or the highest FDA-approved dose, 2.4 mg.
How much weight may be lost with Phentermine?
How much weight may be lost with Phentermine?
It is vital to remember that the majority of research on phentermine was completed while the recommended treatment period was three months. Phentermine is now approved for chronic weight management.
Phentermine has helped many people lose the weight they wished. This number fluctuates between 20 and 150 pounds or more. Results vary and are dependent on lifestyle changes that encourage a healthy lifestyle as well as individual response to the medicine.
Can you take Phentermine and Semaglutide together?
Can you take Phentermine and Semaglutide together?
Yes! We have many patients that choose dual therapy at some point during their treatment. This strategy has proven to be quite successful in patients who have a substantial amount of weight to lose, have reached a plateau in their efforts, or who would benefit from extra energy in their daily lives.
