Phentermine vs. Acomplia vs. Meridia vs. Alli

As a clarification, there are no magic bullet pills that simply burn the fat away. Everyone has to diet (and exercise) to lose weight. The so-called weight loss drugs are used as part of a lifestyle change affecting what you eat, how much you eat and how much you exercise.

There are four drugs that have won their way through to FDA approval and distribution within the US. They are Phentermine, Acomplia, Meridia and Alli (also known as Orlistat). All continue to be available for purchase online under a variety of different names. Here is a summary of the main advantages and disadvantages for each drug.

This is the longest running weight loss drug, having been on the market for about fifty years. This tells you a lot about the safety and effectiveness of the drug. Nothing survives this long in a free market unless word-of-mouth strongly approves. As an appetite suppressant, it acts in support of a calorie-reduced diet and exercise program to help you lose weight.

But, as one of the amphetamine group of drugs, it is also habit forming if you take it at too high a dosage or over too long a period of time. Because dealing with the withdrawal symptoms can be unpleasant, the best strategy is to take the drug only for a short period of time. Once you are used to eating less, phase out the use of the drug.

This has a completely different chemical approach to solving the problem of “appetite”. It affects one of the pleasure centers in the brain and reduces the amount of enjoyment you derive from eating, smoking and other activities. This makes it very effective in helping you eat less and quit smoking.

Unfortunately, it is also a downer. People who are already sad or depressed can find their sadness increases. There have been a small number of suicides among people taking this drug. You should not take it if you have an symptoms suggesting an anxiety or depressive disorder.

Like several antidepressants, this drug is a serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and, although it is effective in reducing appetite, there are some concerns about its safety. When drugs are released on to the US market, there is postmarketing surveillance to collect any evidence of possible problems. There are some suggestions that people taking this drug are more likely to have a stroke or heart attack than people who do not take it. You should not take this drug if you have had cardiovascular problems or there is a history of heart disease in your family.

This drug is very different from the others in that it diverts fat from the stomach into the gut before it is absorbed into the blood stream. The medical evidence in favor of this drug is quite strong, showing it reduces the risk of diabetes and lowers blood pressure. It also produces modest weight loss. But there is an unfortunate side effect. Taking this drug diverts fat into the intestine and this makes the stools loose and oily. Many people using this drug find they can produce a lot of gas and leak liquid as in bad cases of diarrhea. To reduce this effect, changes to the diet are needed to increase the amount of fibre eaten.