FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DOES PHENTERMINE/TOPIRAMATE WORK?
Phentermine belongs to the anorectics, or appetite suppressants, class of drugs. Taking phentermine suppresses your appetite, allowing you to eat fewer calories. This can result in weight loss over time. While the precise mechanism by which phentermine reduces appetite is unknown, the drug is thought to work by increasing neurotransmitter levels in your brain. Neurotransmitters, which include the chemicals norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, are the chemical messengers in your body. When your levels of these three chemicals rise, your desire to eat decreases.
WHAT OTHER MEDICATIONS WILL INTERACT WITH PHENTERMINE AND TOPIRAMATE?
While taking birth control pills, phentermine and topiramate can cause irregular vaginal bleeding. But this won’t reduce the effectiveness of the pills in preventing pregnancy.
When combined with other drowsy medications, phentermine can cause this effect to be exacerbated. Before taking an opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medication for anxiety or seizures, consult your doctor.
HOW MUCH DOES PHENTERMINE COST?
A month's supply of phentermine without a prescription ranges from $30 to more than $200, depending on the brand, form, and dosage. Generic pills are less expensive than brand-name preparations, and tablets are frequently less expensive than capsules. The average cash price for generic phentermine 37.5 mg tablets, for example, is $32.35, while the average cash price for generic phentermine 37.5 mg capsules is around $36. Qsymia is the most expensive phentermine pill on the market, with a monthly cash cost ranging from $194 to 240 depending on the dose.
WHO SHOULDN’T TAKE PHENTERMINE?
Although phentermine is a popular weight-loss medication, it is not recommended if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid gland, or glaucoma. It is also not suitable for women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or who are breast-feeding.
CAN TOPIRAMATE HELP WITH EATING DISORDERS?
The combination of phentermine and topiramate may help reduce binge eating in patients with BED and bulimia nervosa. BED is distinguished by the consumption of large amounts of food, frequently in a hurry and to the point of discomfort. It's also linked to a loss of control during the binge, as well as feelings of shame or guilt afterward. Bulimia nervosa involves the same binge-eating behavior as BED but also includes compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting.
WHO WILL EVALUATE ME AND PRESCRIBE PHENTERMINE/TOPIRAMATE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
Dr. Ahwadesh Gupta is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician, licensed in New York, experienced in Internal Medicine office and hospital work, and with over ten years of experience in cosmetic procedures and weight loss medicine. His professional aesthetics skills include the performance of Botox, Fillers, and PRFM injections, Vampire Face Lifts, Breast Lifts, and the use of different cosmetic lasers. At StudioMD White Plains, Dr Gupta will see you for your Phentermine/Topiramate prescription, as well as investigate, with a holistic take, what other treatments and medicamentos available best serve your wellness goals.