I am a physician, long practicing, experienced, well read in research literature, and it’s time we provide everyone with our thoughts. Here are EIGHT REASONS BELVIQ IS PREFERRED FIRST LINE.
Everything else is media hype or misinformed HF/ MM, who could give a flip about real patients.
The sacred Hippocratic Oath all we took upon med school graduation requires us to put our patent's welfare first, balancing risks vs. potential benefits for each.
No one treatment plan fits all. After extensive review and debate among us, almost all of my local colleagues will start with BELVIQ. Why?
1) PATIENT SAFETY: BELVIQ WINS. Belviq has no severe REMS unlike Q. There is no known teratogenic potential of cleft lip or palate defects, and no known risk of amphetamine related morbidity, such as heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias, or strokes.
2) WEIGHT LOSS EFFICACY: EQUIVALENT. Belviq and Qsymia are roughly equivalent at 8% after 12 months in placebo adjusted studies with FDA approved lower Q dosage. Higher Q dosage was NOT approved. Please do not try to fool anyone unless you have really digested the real figures from BLOOM AND BLOSSOM.
3) SIDE EFFECTS: BELVIQ WINS. BELVIQ confers on its users no feelings of nervousness or feeling “wired:” Our patients do not desire this feeling.
4). PATIENT AND PRESCRIBER CONVENIENCE: BELVIQ WINS. Simple Rx, and get it filled at local pharmacy. Qsymia requires labwork, frequent patient visits to doctors, cardiac monitoring, blood pregnancy testing, which will have to be done monthly. Any physician who prescribes Q will have his or her schedule jammed up with Q surveillance, reducing physician availability to others who require evaluation. The patient will have to have their Rx filled at a mail order pharmacy.
5) REDUCTION IN ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE EFFECTIVENESS: BELVIQ WINS. BELVIQ causes no reduction in contraceptive effectiveness. QSYMIA reduces birth control pill effectiveness due to its hepatic topirmamine metabolism. How many unintended pregnancies will occur with female teens taking their mother’s prescriptions? How many will choose to NOT to undergo abortion?
6) DIABETIC BENEFITS: BELVIQ WINS. Due to its 0.9% reduction in hemoglobin a1C levels, and 27% reduction in fasting blood sugar levels, BELVIQ will likely become first line therapy in most Type II diabetics.
7) MEDICO-LEGAL RISKS TO THE PRESCRIBER: BELVIQ WINS. QSYMIA IS TOO DANGEROUS TO BE FIRST LINE.
8) COST TO PATIENT OR THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY: BELVIQ WINS. BELVIQ requires little follow up. On the other hand, someone will have to pay for QSYMIA’s labwork, frequent doctor visits, cardiac monitoring, blood pregnancy testing, and mail order postage many times a year. All this costs money. Qsymia will be MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE to take. Which medication will likely be an approved formulary medication in the future for managed care? It won’t be Qsymia I promise you.
Everything else is media hype or misinformed HF/ MM, who could give a flip about real patients.
The sacred Hippocratic Oath all we took upon med school graduation requires us to put our patent's welfare first, balancing risks vs. potential benefits for each.
No one treatment plan fits all. After extensive review and debate among us, almost all of my local colleagues will start with BELVIQ. Why?
1) PATIENT SAFETY: BELVIQ WINS. Belviq has no severe REMS unlike Q. There is no known teratogenic potential of cleft lip or palate defects, and no known risk of amphetamine related morbidity, such as heart attack, cardiac arrhythmias, or strokes.
2) WEIGHT LOSS EFFICACY: EQUIVALENT. Belviq and Qsymia are roughly equivalent at 8% after 12 months in placebo adjusted studies with FDA approved lower Q dosage. Higher Q dosage was NOT approved. Please do not try to fool anyone unless you have really digested the real figures from BLOOM AND BLOSSOM.
3) SIDE EFFECTS: BELVIQ WINS. BELVIQ confers on its users no feelings of nervousness or feeling “wired:” Our patients do not desire this feeling.
4). PATIENT AND PRESCRIBER CONVENIENCE: BELVIQ WINS. Simple Rx, and get it filled at local pharmacy. Qsymia requires labwork, frequent patient visits to doctors, cardiac monitoring, blood pregnancy testing, which will have to be done monthly. Any physician who prescribes Q will have his or her schedule jammed up with Q surveillance, reducing physician availability to others who require evaluation. The patient will have to have their Rx filled at a mail order pharmacy.
5) REDUCTION IN ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE EFFECTIVENESS: BELVIQ WINS. BELVIQ causes no reduction in contraceptive effectiveness. QSYMIA reduces birth control pill effectiveness due to its hepatic topirmamine metabolism. How many unintended pregnancies will occur with female teens taking their mother’s prescriptions? How many will choose to NOT to undergo abortion?
6) DIABETIC BENEFITS: BELVIQ WINS. Due to its 0.9% reduction in hemoglobin a1C levels, and 27% reduction in fasting blood sugar levels, BELVIQ will likely become first line therapy in most Type II diabetics.
7) MEDICO-LEGAL RISKS TO THE PRESCRIBER: BELVIQ WINS. QSYMIA IS TOO DANGEROUS TO BE FIRST LINE.
8) COST TO PATIENT OR THEIR INSURANCE COMPANY: BELVIQ WINS. BELVIQ requires little follow up. On the other hand, someone will have to pay for QSYMIA’s labwork, frequent doctor visits, cardiac monitoring, blood pregnancy testing, and mail order postage many times a year. All this costs money. Qsymia will be MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE to take. Which medication will likely be an approved formulary medication in the future for managed care? It won’t be Qsymia I promise you.
