Medication in the Treatment of Obesity (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
Risks and Benefits of Weight-Loss Medications
The possible benefits of these drugs in the short term include weight loss, which may lower the risk of some obesity-related health problems. Whether these drugs actually improve a person's health over the long term is not known.
The risks include the side effects, which vary from drug to drug (see next section).
- Side effects are especially a concern in patients who may be healthy other than their obesity.
- Other concerns include the potential for abuse of the drugs (all except Xenical are controlled substances).
- People taking these drugs often find that their weight loss tapers off after 4 to 6 months. This is usually attributed to development of tolerance, in other words that the medication has reached its limit of effectiveness. The drugs are being studied to see if tolerance really does occur.
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Glaucoma
- Heart disease or heart condition, such as irregular heartbeat
- Eating disorder, past or present
- Depression or bipolar disorder ("manic depression"), past or present
- Alcohol, drug, or other substance abuse, past or present
- Migraine headaches requiring medication
- Planning to have surgery that requires general anesthesia
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or antidepressants now or within last 2 weeks
Next: Medications Used in the Treatment of Obesity »
Important Safety Information
- KAPIDEX may not be right for everyone. You should not take KAPIDEX if you are allergic to KAPIDEX or any of its ingredients. Severe allergic reactions have been reported.
- Symptom relief does not rule out other serious stomach conditions.
- The most common side effects of KAPIDEX were diarrhea (4.8%), stomach pain (4.0%), nausea (2.9%), common cold (1.9%), vomiting (1.6%), and gas (1.6%). KAPIDEX and certain other medicines can affect each other. Before taking KAPIDEX, tell your doctor if you are taking ampicillin, atazanavir, digoxin, iron, ketoconazole, or tacrolimus. If you are taking KAPIDEX with warfarin, you may need to be monitored because serious risks could occur.
Uses of KAPIDEX
- Persistent heartburn two or more days a week, despite treatment and diet changes, could be acid reflux disease (ARD). Prescription KAPIDEX capsules are used in adults to treat heartburn related to ARD, to heal acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus (called erosive esophagitis or EE), and to stop EE from coming back. Individual results may vary. Most damage (erosions) heals in 4–8 weeks.
Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. Please see full Prescribing Information for KAPIDEX.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
KAPIDEX™ is a trademark of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., and is used under license by Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
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Obesity »
Obesity is a substantial public-health crisis in the United States and in the rest of the developed world.
