Qsymia Review: Does it work?

Intro: What is it?

Qsymia is a prescription weight loss pill claiming to help lose 4 times more weight than with diet and exercise alone. It’s made to help with appetite suppression, as well as providing a more satiated effect to prevent overeating.

To qualify for usage you have to either have a BMI of 30 or more, or you must have a BMI of at least 27 with an obesity related illness. This is common practice for FDA approved drugs. This brand also has many clinical studies available which show what it’s capable of. Is a prescription weight loss pill as beneficial as natural supplements? What kind of an effect does Qsymia have? To determine what this product has to offer you can now read this full review.

Qsymia Ingredients

There’s a mixture of 2 active ingredients, the amount depends on what a physician prescribes:

Phentermine: Stimulant drug that is very similar to amphetamine, it has appetite suppressing effects.  It’s often only prescribed as a short term weight loss solution, and diet and exercise are necessary in order to reorganize eating habits for the future.  There’s a full list of common side effects which may result:

• Nervousness and agitation with feelings of anxiety and being ill at ease.
• Rashes and facial swelling as well as itching.
• Impotence and a lack of libido.
• Increased urination.
• Restlessness and a feeling of euphoria.
• Diarrhea, vomiting, and digestive issues.

It’s also not advised to take this if you are taking other medications, of if there’s a history of glaucoma, hyperthyroidism, epilepsy, ulcers, and many other restrictions.  It’s also a schedule 4 drug according to the FDA, since it may cause dependency and withdrawals. It’s not advised for anyone with an addictive personality, or with a history of drug dependence.

Topiramate:  Traditionally used as an anti-epilepsy drug, in this pill it’s added as a way to promote feelings of satiety.  There’s a list of several different potential side effects. The most common are:

• Pins and needle sensations that prick the body.
• Nausea and a lack of hunger.
• Diarrhea and other digestive symptoms.
• Depression.
• Fatigue

Other symptoms labeled as a common symptom in about 10% of people is:

• Weight gain.
• Amnesia and difficulty thinking.
• Sedation and lack of energy.
• Abdominal pain and vomiting.
• Insomnia.
• Anxiety, agitation, aggression, and mood swings.

The FDA has also noted that certain people taking this drug for a months’ time have eye pain and blurred vision, many customers mentioned they could not take this brand for long due to this effect.  It’s also been linked to a potential for genetic disorders in mothers.  The FDA has also mentioned that a significant amount of people have suicidal thoughts on this drug.

Qsymia Quality of Ingredients

Due to the high rate of potential serious side effects such as drug dependence and suicidal thoughts, it’s highly advised to stay within the watch of a doctor.

Since there’s a high risk of side effects and no guarantee of it working, these brands ingredients are questionable. You also have to make sure you implement diet and exercise in order for there to be an effect. It’s not advised as a long term fix, since within weeks it loses its potency.

The Price and Quality of Qsymia

The price depends on the strength you get which is recommended by a physician.

The most common price for a standard dose is $217.22 for 30 capsules.

At one a day this amounts to:

$217.22/30= $7.24 for one daily serving.

The company does mention that coupons are offered, however it’s still only available through a prescription. Since the rate of side effects can be serious and there’s no guarantee of weight loss, it isn’t the best quality pill.

Getting a Doctors Recommendation

Since it’s a prescription drug, a physician has to qualify one for using this brand. There’s also been a potential risk for damage to unborn babies. Due to this, the only people who can prescribe it also have to be part of the company’s special administration program.

The company mentions that when taking Qsymia:

“your baby has a higher risk for birth defects”

Web MD also mentions that when taking this drug after a few weeks it may not produce any weight loss benefits. Therefore they mention:

“Your doctor may direct you to stop taking”

It’s also advised to give information about this pill to your doctor, and then finding a specialized physician to fully approve one for this drug.

On top of this one is recommended to buy into a diet plan called the Smart Changes Program. This is because taking this brand alone isn’t enough for weight loss, one has to implement dietary changes and exercise since it’s only a short term use appetite suppressant. This ends up being a huge investment of time and money.

Clinical Studies

The company ran 2 large clinical trials to show what this ingredient can do within a group of 3,754 patients.

This was also with a 500 reduced calorie intake, and with a well-balanced meal.

Due to the rate of side effects, it was banned from use in Europe. According to officials, it had too high of a risk for:

• Damage to the heart and blood vessels.
• Long term psychiatric side effects including suicidal thoughts.
• Cognitive effects such as reduced memory and thinking skills.
• Genetic deformities in pregnant women.

Another study provided by the group showed that it lead to at least 5% weight loss after 56 weeks of treatment.  This means that for a 200 pound person, they could expect upwards of 10 pounds for nearly 13 months of use with a 500 calorie deficit and with exercise.

It takes about 7,000 calories to burn one pound.

Therefore, for someone getting their average amount of calories just to maintain weight, this means in around 12 months you would burn 182,500 calories from strictly dieting.

So through dieting alone you would lose:

182,500/500= 26 pounds in 12 months from dieting alone.

Of course since there’s days of overeating and not all metabolisms are the same, this number can change depending on lifestyle changes.

Still, this high mount can be reached since the company mentions that people in their trials dropped 500 calories each day for nearly 13 months.

The company mentions that the average dose saw a 24.6 pound drop. Placebo doses saw a 5.9 drop in pounds. This means that accounting for errors a person saw around a 19 pound drop in weight.

However this is only a short term fix, not a long term weight loss pill. It’s advised to implement diet and exercise in order to retain weight loss. It’s not recommended to take this drug for longer than a few weeks, in order to avoid the risk for side effects.

Business of Qsymia

The brand is made under Vivus, a small pharmaceutical company. They can be reached below:

Phone Number: (650) 934-5200

Address: 351 E. Evelyn Ave

Mountain View, California 94041

Qsymia is one of the lowest selling weight loss prescription pills on the market. According to a report by Seeking Alpha, a business review site, this pill may soon be off the market due to its low popularity.

Customer Opinions of Qsymia

Drugs.com features several reviews from customers who took this brand alongside a physician’s recommendation. The most common opinions are:

“could not get past the blurry vision and agitation”

“stay away from Qsymia, it is not worthy any weight loss”

“I got very ill with a bladder infection”

“The pain and doctor bills were not worth it”

Many mention that there were debilitating side effects that prevented them from acting normally. Some even add that they couldn’t do day to day activities due to the blurred vision and pain.

There were reports of weight loss, but these same people add that the side effects make it not worthwhile.

Conclusion

Some important details about this brand which sprang up:

• Many customers have complained about the debilitating side effects: There are several written opinions from customers who mention that any of the positive effects were overshadowed by negative effects. There’s mention from several users that they couldn’t see, and it made driving and other simple tasks impossible. These same people add that they couldn’t believe what they were experiencing, and that it scared them. The majority of reviews online mention that the side effects are hard to cope with. Some that mention they lost weight claim it was not worth it, and that it was an overwhelming negative sensation.
• It’s considered a schedule 4 drug according to the DEA: The reason for this scheduling is because it may cause dependence in certain people. This can lead to drug withdrawals, and extra care must be taken in the handling of this drug. It shares the same space as hard drugs such as Xanax and Ambien, which are also known to potentially cause side effects. It’s not advised to take this drug if you have a history of addiction. It’s also recommended to avoid taking Qsymia if one cannot handle the use of potentially hard drugs. This can lead to symptoms of euphoria which make it hard to limit intake.
• There’s the possibility for very serious side effects: Due to the fears of potential harm in pregnancy, it’s advised to not take this brand when pregnant. The company also lists a giant side effects menu which is possible from the use of this product. This may include depression, suicidal thoughts, kidney stones seizures, and many other harmful side effects. It’s also known to be potentially addicting. The reason why this brand requires the suggestion from a physician familiar with the brand is due to the numerous possible side effects. Also, the drug is the worst selling weight loss prescription pill; this is likely due to the amount of potential side effects. Qsymia has also increased the risk for cardiovascular damage, heart attack, strokes, and deformities in children.
• Use of this drug depends on the recommendation of a specialized physician: The intended way to take this brand is by first getting a doctor’s recommendation from someone who knows this brand well. This means a person has to ensure whoever is taking it has a high BMI, and that they don’t have a history of several issues such as those with heart issues, or dependency issues. This physician is someone that is greatly aware of all the potential side effects. Then, it’s advised to seek the support of a plan to help ensure proper diet and exercise. This is because the use of this drug alone isn’t enough for long term effects. It can only be taken for a few weeks before it’s no longer useful. The, majority of work has to be done through careful calorie counting and exercise.
• It’s only a short term fix which isn’t guaranteed, most of the work is on the user: In order to experience results a person has to count their calories and exercise. This pill is meant more as a short term fix which can help you adjust your stomach to eating less. It does this by tricking you into not being as hungry, and by feeling more satiated. This can be done with all natural and less expensive means. By using this product you’re forcing your body to have unnatural changes in the brain which have been shown to lead to severe potential side effects. The long term weight loss benefits are dependent on the user. If one can exercise and diet enough then it will help push one into a weight loss mode. However, results are not guaranteed and there’s no money back return.

Many customers have both complained about the high rate of side effects, as well as the lack of overall benefits.

In order to use this brand you need a prescription from a qualified physician, and still results are not guaranteed. It’s also known to potentially cause serious side effects including suicidal thoughts, kidney stones, genetic deformities, cardiovascular damage, and organ damage.