Introduction to BeLite Weight Loss Medications
Our bodies use complex systems to control appetite, desire for food and body weight. The medications we use for weight loss attack different aspects of those systems. The BeLite Medical Center medical providers prescribe several proven effective specialty medications to help patients lose weight. These medications include the GLP-1 agonists, semaglutide [Ozempic, Wegovy] and liraglutide [Victoza, Saxenda], as well as Tirzepatide [Zepbound], a GLP-1/GIP agonist. Other specialty medications are typically filled at our on-site compounding pharmacy, include:
- Phentermine
- Phendimetrazine or Diethylpropion
- Carbidopa
- Note: 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is supplied as specially formulated supplement
Weight Loss Medications to Increase Brain Norepinephrine
Some patients are prescribed phentermine, phendimetrazine or diethylpropion, medications that work in the brain to increase norepinephrine production in the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens, thereby decreasing hunger and stopping food cravings.
These medications are typically prescribed in conjunction with 5-HTP/carbidopa (see below).
Weight Loss Medications to Increase Brain Serotonin
Many patients are successfully treated with the natural substance, 5-hydroxytryptophan, which is abbreviated 5-HTP. All the serotonin in the body is made from 5-HTP and we therefore already have this natural substance in our bodies. 5-HTP is also an over-the-counter product and has been available for many years.
The goal of treatment is to take a little bit more of what we already have in order to increase brain serotonin. When taken orally, though, 5-HTP is rapidly broken down in the gastrointestinal tract and blood. As a result, one would have to take 500 mg to 1000 mg 5-HTP to get a significant amount into the brain. To prevent this breakdown process, we prescribe 5-HTP capsules, specially formulated at lower doses than is typically available, with a prescription medication, carbidopa, which prevents the breakdown process. As a result, 5-HTP gets into the brain and increases brain serotonin.
We also provide patients with a multivitamin tablet to ensure that proper nutrition is maintained, even when food intake decreases. Other medications may be prescribed, as needed.
The combined use of phentermine and 5-HTP for weight loss is the subject of a paper published in 2010 by Dr. Rothman, our Medical Director.
A published survey given to the physician members of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) in 2009, found that 20% used 5-HTP/carbidopa in their practice.
Click for an abstract of the survey results on the use of medications for treatment of obesity.
Injectable medications for weight loss
“Injectable” medications have been around for quite some time as treatments for type 2 diabetes, but they have only recently begun to be used for weight loss. The most popular injectable weight loss medications on the market today are semaglutide, marketed by Novo Nordisk as Wegovy, and Tirzepatide, marketed by Eli Lilly as Zepbound. Semaglutide is a member of the GLP-1 [glucagon-like peptide-1] medications. Another medication of the same class is liraglutide [Saxenda]. Semaglutide is taken by injection once per week. Like semaglutide, tirzepatide is taken by subcutaneous injection once per week. In addition to acting as a GLP-1 agonist, this medication also targets the GIP receptor, and thus may be more effective than semaglutide.
The exact mechanism by which these medications promote weight loss is not 100% known, but they slow the transit of food through the stomach, decrease hunger, and increase satiety. Clinical studies, such as one published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that semaglutide can produce clinically relevant weight loss, safely (N Engl J Med 2021; 384:989-100). Significant weight loss in the range of up 20% or more of initial body weight can be achieved. Similar results were reported for Tirzepatide. Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are not stimulants. They works by a different mechanism than phentermine and 5-HTP. Thus, we use these medications at BELITE both for patients who can’t tolerate stimulants, and for patients whose weight loss with our standard medications has plateaued.
Contact us at BeLite Medical Center about whether the semaglutide [Wegovy], Tirzepatide [Zepbound] or liraglutide [Saxenda] weight loss injections are right for you
Medications
Mounjaro
Mounjaro is the brand name for tirzepatide, a once-weekly injectable medication FDA-approved for improving blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Semaglutide
Semaglutide is a medication that is injected once a week and has been shown to help people lose weight and keep it off.
Zepboud
Zepbound is a brand name for the medication, tirzepatide, and it is FDA approved for weight loss, chronic weight management and obstructive sleep apnea in adults.
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