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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by LouisianaSportsman on April 17, 2014, at 2:38:05
Anorexiants cause side effects that may not be good, in particular, for patients that have psychiatric conditions, including anxiety.
Lorcaserin HCl is instead a primarily selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist and has been released since last summer (2013); sold as the medication, Belviq [Arena].
Belviq reviews on drugs.com: 148 reviews with a 9.4 average score. This is blockbuster status for a medicine less than a year old to have so many positive reviews on this website in a short duration.
The only thing I generally see mentioned to address weight is metformin, or hope that Topamax causes side effects. Is that the best some PDOCs will even offer?
The lack of this drug's popularity on forums may be due to lack of reception among the psychiatric community due to lorcaserin's serotonergic mechanism of action that causes a side effect profile also not partiuclarly indicated for patients diagnosed with some mental health disorders.
I think that the patient should be evaluated and prescribed first-line metformin with lorcaserin, if appropriate.
Psychiatric patients, in particular, DESERVE and NEED a weight-loss medicine that provides RESULTS, and I think Belviq may fit the bill for many patients that take neuroleptics, antidepressants and various other types of psychiatric medications that coagulate excess adipose tissue.
Does anyone have experience or thoughts?
Posted by SLS on April 17, 2014, at 9:40:59
In reply to Belviq: Finally an appropriate anorexiant? Maybe., posted by LouisianaSportsman on April 17, 2014, at 2:38:05
Thanks for the information!
- Scott
> Anorexiants cause side effects that may not be good, in particular, for patients that have psychiatric conditions, including anxiety.
>
> Lorcaserin HCl is instead a primarily selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist and has been released since last summer (2013); sold as the medication, Belviq [Arena].
>
> Belviq reviews on drugs.com: 148 reviews with a 9.4 average score. This is blockbuster status for a medicine less than a year old to have so many positive reviews on this website in a short duration.
>
> The only thing I generally see mentioned to address weight is metformin, or hope that Topamax causes side effects. Is that the best some PDOCs will even offer?
>
> The lack of this drug's popularity on forums may be due to lack of reception among the psychiatric community due to lorcaserin's serotonergic mechanism of action that causes a side effect profile also not partiuclarly indicated for patients diagnosed with some mental health disorders.
>
> I think that the patient should be evaluated and prescribed first-line metformin with lorcaserin, if appropriate.
>
> Psychiatric patients, in particular, DESERVE and NEED a weight-loss medicine that provides RESULTS, and I think Belviq may fit the bill for many patients that take neuroleptics, antidepressants and various other types of psychiatric medications that coagulate excess adipose tissue.
>
> Does anyone have experience or thoughts?
Posted by PeterMartin on April 17, 2014, at 13:10:19
In reply to Re: Belviq: Finally an appropriate anorexiant? Maybe. » LouisianaSportsman, posted by SLS on April 17, 2014, at 9:40:59
Thanks for starting a discussion about this!! I posted a thread earlier this year and the medication was clearly unknown at that point. They just started TV Ads this week so hopefully there'll be more awareness/feedback.
As you mentioned I'm particularly interested in people on other meds (Antidepressants/etc) who are allowed to combine it with their current cocktail.
Thanks for bringing this up and hope someone giving it a trial can chime in....
Posted by PeterMartin on April 17, 2014, at 17:58:09
In reply to Re: Belviq: Finally an appropriate anorexiant? Maybe. » LouisianaSportsman, posted by SLS on April 17, 2014, at 9:40:59
> Thanks for the information!
>
> - Scott
>
>> > Lorcaserin HCl is instead a primarily selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist and has been released since last summer (2013); sold as the >>medication, Belviq [Arena].
Scott,
You know a ton about receptors/etc. If you were a pDoc is this a medication you'd try combining w/ psych-meds? Would you combine it with your current cocktail? Or is there a huge risk for Serotonin syndrome?
I'm currently on an MAOI and seeing my doc in July. I'm assuming there's a huge risk in combining a " 5-HT2C receptor agonist" w/ an MAOi. What about SSRIs/TCAs/etc. Of course the drug company is going to say not to combine the two but people take stimulants, lithium, etc with MAOIs - and pretty much anything w/ SSRIs.
Sorry if this doesn't read well but I guess to make it a hypothetical: Is there a drug combo that you think would keep your depression at bay that you think could also include Belviq (granted it works in weight-loss).
Thanks for any insight...
-PM
Posted by ed_uk2010 on April 18, 2014, at 5:58:49
In reply to Belviq: Finally an appropriate anorexiant? Maybe., posted by LouisianaSportsman on April 17, 2014, at 2:38:05
Lorcaserin (Belviq) is very interesting but the magnitude of weight loss achieved in clinical trials was very modest. It was rejected in Europe and the manufacturer has decided not to resubmit (as far as I know). It's a shame there's not more promising candidates.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on April 18, 2014, at 18:52:49
In reply to Re: Belviq: Finally an appropriate anorexiant? Maybe., posted by ed_uk2010 on April 18, 2014, at 5:58:49
You should just lose weight the safe, natural way, with Duromine and laxatives
Posted by jrbecker76 on May 28, 2014, at 21:02:40
In reply to Belviq: Finally an appropriate anorexiant? Maybe., posted by LouisianaSportsman on April 17, 2014, at 2:38:05
> Anorexiants cause side effects that may not be good, in particular, for patients that have psychiatric conditions, including anxiety.
>
> Lorcaserin HCl is instead a primarily selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist and has been released since last summer (2013); sold as the medication, Belviq [Arena].
>
> Belviq reviews on drugs.com: 148 reviews with a 9.4 average score. This is blockbuster status for a medicine less than a year old to have so many positive reviews on this website in a short duration.
>
> The only thing I generally see mentioned to address weight is metformin, or hope that Topamax causes side effects. Is that the best some PDOCs will even offer?
>
> The lack of this drug's popularity on forums may be due to lack of reception among the psychiatric community due to lorcaserin's serotonergic mechanism of action that causes a side effect profile also not partiuclarly indicated for patients diagnosed with some mental health disorders.
>
> I think that the patient should be evaluated and prescribed first-line metformin with lorcaserin, if appropriate.
>
> Psychiatric patients, in particular, DESERVE and NEED a weight-loss medicine that provides RESULTS, and I think Belviq may fit the bill for many patients that take neuroleptics, antidepressants and various other types of psychiatric medications that coagulate excess adipose tissue.
>
> Does anyone have experience or thoughts?Please be careful with Belviq. I would highly caution anyone from using it who suffers from issues related to mood or anxiety.
Although rates of depression, anxiety and other psychiatric issues were similar amongst placebo and active drug in the Belviq clinical trials, a significant number of subjects dropped out of the trial due to these issues in comparison to placebo.
5-HT2c agonism has been known to cause issues with mood and anxiety. This has been demonstrated mostly through studies with m-CPP, a drug similar to Belviq (Lorcaserin).
By contrast, 5-HT2c antagonism has well-known anxiolytic and antidepressant properties.
http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=1793760
This is the end of the thread.
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