The market is also rapidly changing, so it is important to keep pace with the available options and their pros and cons. Determining whether someone is a candidate for weight loss medications begins with BMI.

Most medications are prescribed for someone with a BMI of 30 or greater, or a BMI of 27 or greater if the person has weight-related health conditions. Zepbound was approved in November for adults with a BMI of 30 or greater. While some weight loss medications are approved by the FDA only for adults, semaglutide, liraglutide, and orlistat are approved for children aged 12 and older.

All of the medications discussed here are contraindicated for pregnancy. Some weight loss medications have been on the market for many years, and new ones emerge frequently. Commonly prescribed weight loss medications include:. Wegovy is a brand name for semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

It was FDA approved in The dose must be increased gradually over 16 to 20 weeks to arrive at the 2. This progression can help to alleviate side effects, which include gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, dizziness, and fatigue.

Tirzepatide was previously approved to treat type 2 diabetes as Mounjaro. As Zepbound, it is approved to treat obesity in adults with a BMI of 30 or greater.

It is both a GLP-1 and a GIP receptor agonist and, like semaglutide, works by reducing appetite and is meant to be used in combination with diet and exercise to lose weight. It is also administered as an injection.

Liraglutide is a daily injectable medication that acts on hormones from the gut that send signals to the brain to make the patient feel full quicker and decrease hunger signals. Doses start at 0. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, headache, decreased appetite, dyspepsia, fatigue, dizziness, abdominal pain, increased lipase, and renal insufficiency.

It is contraindicated in patients with personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Phentermine is the oldest and most widely used weight loss medication.

It was originally used as a short-term medication to jump-start weight loss, but now newer medical guidelines have added it to long-term therapy.

In the US, phentermine is almost exclusively available in the HCl formulation — available in 15 mg and 30 mg strength. Side effects include headache, overstimulation, high blood pressure, insomnia, rapid or irregular heart rate, and tremor.

Interactions may occur during or within 14 days following the use of monoamine oxidase MAO inhibitors, sympathomimetics, alcohol, adrenergic neuron-blocking drugs, and possibly some anesthetic agents. Topiramate can be combined with phentermine to decrease appetite and cravings.

Having the combination of two drugs increases efficacy. Adults with migraines and obesity are good candidates for this weight-loss medication. Daily doses with four strengths start at 3.

Side effects include abnormal sensations, dizziness, altered taste, insomnia, constipation, and dry mouth. Contraindications include uncontrolled hypertension and coronary artery disease, hyperthyroidism, glaucoma, and sensitivity to stimulants.

Naltrexone-bupropion combines an opioid receptor antagonist with an antidepressant to affect the pleasure-reward areas of the brain and thereby decrease cravings and appetite. The most common side effects include nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth, and diarrhea.

This medication should not be prescribed to a patient who has a seizure disorder or who takes opioids for chronic pain. Setmelanotide is a melanocortin-4 receptor agonist indicated for chronic weight management in adult and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older with obesity due to one of several specific rare genetic disorders.

The condition must be confirmed by genetic testing demonstrating variants in POMC, PCSK1, or LEPR genes that are interpreted as pathogenic, likely pathogenic, or of a variant of uncertain significance VUS. Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor that comes in a capsule and works by blocking the enzyme that breaks down fats consumed through food.

In this way, it inhibits the absorption of dietary fats. Undigested fat is then passed through the body. It is intended for use in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and is also indicated to reduce the risk of weight regain.

Dosage is one mg capsule three times a day with each main meal containing fat during or up to 1 hour after the meal. An over-the-counter formulation is available at 60 mg capsule with each meal containing fat.

The most common adverse reactions to orlistat are oily discharge from the rectum, flatus with discharge, increased defecation, and fecal incontinence. A medical device rather than a medication, Plenity was FDA-cleared in for people with a BMI of 24 to The treatment has experienced increased media attention since the rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists.

It consists of a capsule that releases a biodegradable, super-absorbent hydrogel into the stomach. The gel helps to increase satiety, enabling the person to eat less. With fervent consumer demand for weight loss medications, combined with rising obesity rates, more medications are bound for the market in the coming years.

Lilly is developing orforglipron, an oral GLP-1 inhibitor. Retatrutide, another injectible, targets GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. Pfizer is also developing two GLP-1 inhibitors that can be administered as pills.

Meanwhile, Amgen is trialing a drug candidate that is both a GLP-1 receptor agonist and a GIP receptor antagonist, as opposed to a dual agonist like semaglutide. Researchers continue to seek hormones that play a role in appetite, such as peptide YY, for other ways to target obesity with medication.

For example, the monoclonal antibody bimagrumab is being studied as an infusion to increase muscle mass while decreasing fat. With more options available, doctors will be increasingly able to personalize treatments as they match patients to the medications that will work best for them.

FDA-approved anti-obesity medications AOMs are safe, evidence-based therapies that target specific physiology to improve the disease and are most effective when they are used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

The amount of weight a person loses depends on the medication they take, their overall health, and other individual factors. Even as the range of weight loss medications has expanded, some drugs have been withdrawn based on their lack of efficacy as well as safety concerns.

The amount of weight loss possible with semaglutide, according to clinical studies, is significant. A study of individuals showed 5. A larger study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed even greater average loss— They may be able to suggest patient-assistance programs, which help people pay for high-cost medicines.

Or your doctor may be able to prescribe a different, lower-cost medicine. Author: Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Author: Healthwise Staff. Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

The Health Encyclopedia contains general health information. Not all treatments or services described are covered benefits for Kaiser Permanente members or offered as services by Kaiser Permanente. For a list of covered benefits, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or Summary Plan Description.

For recommended treatments, please consult with your health care provider. Want to stay signed on? We are unable to switch you to this area of care.

Weight-Loss Medicines. Skip Navigation. About This Medicine Make sure you know about each of the medicines you take. What are some examples? Semaglutide Wegovy, Ozempic. It may help you eat less. It's given as a shot or pill. Liraglutide Saxenda.

This medicine may help you eat less. It's given as a shot once a day. Tirzepatide Zepbound. You take this medicine as a shot once a week. This medicine combines the drugs phentermine and topiramate.

Taking it once a day can help you eat less. This medicine may reduce your appetite. It may help you avoid overeating. Orlistat Xenical. Orlistat prevents some of the fat calories you eat from being absorbed in your intestines. It's also available without a prescription under the brand name Alli.

Alli is half as strong as Xenical. Why are prescription weight-loss medicines used? How well do they work? What about side effects? For example: Blood pressure changes can occur with naltrexone-bupropion and semaglutide.

Changes in bowel habits can occur with orlistat. These changes may include oily or fatty stool and being unable to control bowel movements. Before you get a prescription for weight-loss medicine, be sure to: Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to get pregnant.

These medicines can harm a pregnancy or baby. Tell your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements that you take. Over the last few years, the FDA has approved a number of anti-obesity medications that help control appetite and food cravings.

Because weight loss drugs make you less hungry, they also reduce how many calories your body takes in each day. Over time, eating fewer calories will cause you to lose weight. Some anti-obesity medications also help decrease cravings and control compulsive eating, especially for sweets and fatty, salty, high-calorie foods.

Phentermine is a pill you take by mouth. It's a stimulant that has similar effects to amphetamines. It's an appetite supressant and has been on the market since the s. Lorcaserin also called Belviq is a weight loss pill that was approved by the FDA in It works by selectively targeting hunger receptors in your brain that researchers believe help you feel more full, and therefore help you eat less.

Topiramate is an anticonvulsant drug, which means it belongs to a class of drugs that help treat seizures. You should take a low dose of this medicine. Some people also use it to prevent migraines. Contrave also called naltrexone HCL or bupropion HCL is made up of two medications: naltrexone HCL and bupropion HCL.

Naltrexone HCL is used to treat opiate addiction, and bupropion HCL is used to treat depression. Both of these medicines work together to lower your appetite and control some cravings. Victoza also called Liraglutide is injected into your skin. When taken at a certain dosage, it helps lower your appetite and control some food cravings.

It also lowers blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes. Saxenda also called Liraglutide is an injection that helps people lose weight by lowering appetite and controlling food cravings.

It uses the same active ingredient as Victoza, but you should not use these two medicines together. By combining weight loss medications with diet and exercise, most people lose 7.

There are also positive health benefits to losing weight. Losing just five—10 percent of your body weight will lower your:. Most people taking weight loss medications lose an average of one to two pounds per week.

Of course, weight loss medications work best when you combine them with other healthy lifestyle changes like eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise.