Semaglutide
Semaglutide mimicks a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which regulates appetite and food intake.
How does Semaglutide work?
- Appetite Suppression by slowing gastric emptying and promotes the feeling of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake
- Improves insulin sensitivity preventing sharp spikes in blood sugar
- It is administered subcutaneously (in the fat) once weekly
Contrave
Contrave (naltrexone / bupropion) is a combination of two medications. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, and bupropion is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. They work together on parts of your brain responsible for appetite control and the reward system to manage your food cravings. Contrave can help people lose a significant amount of weight, but only when it's taken properly and combined with a healthy diet and exercise. Clinical trial data showed that study participants lost 5% to 15% of their body weight while taking Contrave. It is an oral tablet given twice a day, titrating weekly until reaching goal dosage at week 4.
How does Contrave work?
- Reduces hunger and controls cravings
- Increases satiety after eating
- Blocks opioid receptors in the brain that associate high-calorie food with pleasure
Phentermine
Phentermine is a weight loss medication that has been approved for long-term weight loss and weight management. It is often used in combination with topiramate. Phentermine is recommended for long-term use to both lose weight, and to maintain loss. It is an incredibly safe, non-addictive medication that has been used for over 50 years. FDA approved for three months’ worth of use at a time, Phentermine has proven to have a very high success rate when used properly.
Phentermine works in your brain and nervous system, increasing the release of two neurotransmitters (dopamine and norepinephrine) in your brain. Phentermine also works outside of the brain, triggering the release of adrenaline and epinephrine, hormones which have powerful fat-burning properties.
Paired with a dietary strategy, phentermine achieves significant weight loss. The medication doesn’t lose the weight for you — rather, it helps you not think about eating. The diet you select should work well with your personality, habits, and lifestyle. It’s also important to exercise regularly. Taking 37.5mg of phentermine daily for 12 weeks leads to an average weight loss of about 16 pounds. Phentermine is taken once a day, typically in the morning so that it can suppress your appetite from breakfast through dessert. Over the course of a few hours, the medication will rise in your bloodstream, reaching its peak concentration in 3 to 5 hours. After this, it will slowly decline over the rest of the day.
How does Phentermine work?
- Stimulates metabolism
- Suppresses hunger
- Burns fat