Belviq. What's your experience?

Hey all,

Going to see my weight loss physician this week to inquire about Belviq. I tried and failed on phentermine ( worked well, but too nasty of side effects), and so I stopped taking it.

I've done my research on Belviq, and it seems like more like a clean appetite suppressant ( with no stimulant), which is exactly what I need. The side effects that do happen seem manageable, except maybe the "spaced out" feeling, as I work in the medical field and spacing out could mean someone's life.

For those who have tried Belviq, what has your experience with it so far? Side effects you have experienced? Average weight loss per week?

Thanks!!!

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    I hope it works for you. It is a new drug so not many people have used it.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    My personal opinion on the upsurge of medications that directly impact neuro-receptors and neuro-transmitters other than dopamine is incredibly skeptical.

    Dopamine agonists like phentermine make a lot of sense to me, because dopamine is the chemical associated with satiation, satisfaction, and energetic emotions. However, serotonin agonists such as Belviq carry a much greater risk of influencing a person's mental health, as serotonin directly impacts a person's state of mind regarding mental illnesses such as depression. Forcibly increasing one's serotonin levels when they do not have a deficiency issue or a diagnosed mental illness seems incredibly ridiculous to me, especially for something like weight loss.

    Now, it's no new thing for physicians to utilize psychiatric medications to inspire weightloss, but in my eyes, it makes it no less scary. Something like Belviq may help you if you have emotional eating problems or struggle with depression that leads to the inability to maintain a dedicated effort to lose weight through diet and exercise control.

    Things to note: Belviq has not been evaluated for efficacy or safety when used alongside ANY other medication, including herbal supplements and OTC medications. They also have not had long enough time to establish any cardiovascular impact that it may have, so one has to consider the CV impact of serotonin levels themselves... and well, high levels can seriously affect the heart... Serotonin increase is what fenfluramine did.
    Another thing that I found interesting is that pharmacologically, if you take it for 12 weeks and fail to lose at least 5% of your body weight, resources state that you should cease the medication entirely, because clinical trials have shown that if your dietary habits are not successfully impacted to that level by 12 weeks, it is highly unlikely that it will ever work for you. So keep that in mind.

    These things are summarizations of the fact sheet provided on Belviq's website, found here: http://www.belviq.com/documents/Belviq_Prescribing_Information.pdf

    Basically they state that if you take it, you should not have pre-existing mental health issues, cardiovascular issues, should be aware that the medication can cause mood disturbances and psychotic issues, and that in men, it's been shown to cause priapism (prolonged southern salute if you know what I mean)...

    If you are not having difficulty controlling overeating or emotional binges, it's pretty unlikely that a serotonin agonist is going to do anything for you regarding weight loss. It's basically an appetite suppressant that makes you not want to eat during high-stress, enabling more control. My psychological professional opinion is that people see far more success addressing their overeating and eating disorder issues through cognitive therapy and sometimes the utilization of long-term psychiatric medication use than short term, high dose psychiatric use without therapy.

    Lots of info, and no firsthand experience. Frankly, I won't ever have the experience, because I think these drugs are far more dangerous than most people want to admit, and I chose a while ago to not mess with my brain chemistry regarding serotonin and norepinephrine for the sake of something like weight loss.

    Editing to say... by the by... just because it is not an active stimulant doesn't mean it won't have a stimulating effect. Many serotonin-acting drugs cause sleeplessness, anxiety, mood swings and more... I don't know why you think of this as a "clean" weight loss medication, because it is going to flood your system with a neuro-transmitter that regulates just about every emotional experience that you have. The documentation they provide themselves shows MANY risk factors and warnings... Not to mention it is classified as a Class IV controlled substance due to the potential for abuse and dependence, which means it's classified on the same level as phentermine in this sense.
  • Thank you for your candor.

    I've tried phentermine in the past and the side effects were too nasty for me, as I think I'm too stim sensitive. I had insomnia, my heart rate would randomly skyrocket during sedentary activities, severe agitation, dry mouth, depression, acne, emotional swings, etc... Also, after about 3 weeks, I really started to crave sweets. Like, ravenously. My doctor speculated that it was due to serotonin depletion due to norepinephrine modulation due to phen. The appetite suppression and corresponding weight loss were great (~4 pounds a week) but I just couldn't handle the side effects.

    So I guess that's why I did research on Belviq, a drug that possibly had the same appetite suppression without the stim side effects. I see mostly good reviews on other websites ( e.g. Drugs.com) but i wanted to see if anybody on this forum has personally taken it and what they thought of it or had any info about it.

    Thank you
  • prism1968
    prism1968 Posts: 121 Member
    I used it for about 2 months.
    I had NO appetite for the first week or two (yay!), and lost about 5 lbs.... the medication lost effectiveness (my binges came back as did the weight) after that and instead I noticed worsening side effects (sleepiness, extreme tingling in hands).
    Best wishes!
  • I used it for about 2 months.
    I had NO appetite for the first week or two (yay!), and lost about 5 lbs.... the medication lost effectiveness (my binges came back as did the weight) after that and instead I noticed worsening side effects (sleepiness, extreme tingling in hands).
    Best wishes!

    If you don't mind me asking, how much weight did end up losing at the end of the two months?

    Did you take the 10mg twice daily the whole time?

    Thanks!
  • haydn24
    haydn24 Posts: 9
    Before taking Belviq try a tyrosine supplement. I've been taking it for several months and it's like a dream come true. I used to be an overeater with incontrollable cravings who spent decades trying to lose weight to no avail. With tyrosine the situation changed overnight and I'm not exaggerating.
    I totally agree with Quasita: dopamine is the key . Our brain needs tyrosine to make dopamine and once dopamine is raised cravings disappear and hunger greatly diminishes. Tyrosine must not be confused with thyroxine which is the thyroid hormone and a prescription drug, whereas tyrosine is an aminoacid and it's widely available as a food supplement (it's quite cheap, by the way) . Tyrosine has not stimulant properties unless dosage is too high. Most brands, maybe all of them, sell tyrosine in 500mg capsules which in my experience is too much, at least at the beginning, and it may cause an effect similar to too much caffeine. Half a capsule twice a day worked very well for me during the first two-three weeks, then I upped the dosage to a full 500mg capsule. In order to be effective tyrosine must be taken on an empty stomach but with something sugary , because sugar (real sugar, not artificial sweeteners) triggers insuline release which lowers competing aminoacids. Side effects? None whatsoever.
  • SkepticalOwl
    SkepticalOwl Posts: 223 Member
    My personal opinion on the upsurge of medications that directly impact neuro-receptors and neuro-transmitters other than dopamine is incredibly skeptical.

    Dopamine agonists like phentermine make a lot of sense to me, because dopamine is the chemical associated with satiation, satisfaction, and energetic emotions. However, serotonin agonists such as Belviq carry a much greater risk of influencing a person's mental health, as serotonin directly impacts a person's state of mind regarding mental illnesses such as depression. Forcibly increasing one's serotonin levels when they do not have a deficiency issue or a diagnosed mental illness seems incredibly ridiculous to me, especially for something like weight loss.

    Two problems here:
    1) Dopamine affects mental health just as serotonin does. Dopamine agonists (direct and indirect) can cause mania and psychosis and are used to treat ADHD. They can also be drugs of abuse (eg. cocaine, methamphetamine). Dopamine antagonists are used to treat schizophrenia and as tranquilizers. Dopamine reuptake inhibition is one of the mechanisms of action of Wellbutrin, an antidepressant.

    2) Belviq acts at the 5HT2c receptor preferentially (though not exclusively) and thus acts to increase dopamine in other parts of the brain, so it is actually an indirect stimulant.
    Now, it's no new thing for physicians to utilize psychiatric medications to inspire weightloss, but in my eyes, it makes it no less scary. Something like Belviq may help you if you have emotional eating problems or struggle with depression that leads to the inability to maintain a dedicated effort to lose weight through diet and exercise control.

    Belviq is NOT a psychiatric medication. It has no indication for use in psychiatric disorders. It does work in the brain, but so do many other drugs that are used to treat physical conditions (clonidine, for example, for high blood pressure). One of the risks of Belviq is depression and medications that act as antagonists of the 5HT2c receptor have been considered as antidepressants, though none have been approved to my knowledge.
    Things to note: Belviq has not been evaluated for efficacy or safety when used alongside ANY other medication, including herbal supplements and OTC medications. They also have not had long enough time to establish any cardiovascular impact that it may have, so one has to consider the CV impact of serotonin levels themselves... and well, high levels can seriously affect the heart... Serotonin increase is what fenfluramine did.
    Another thing that I found interesting is that pharmacologically, if you take it for 12 weeks and fail to lose at least 5% of your body weight, resources state that you should cease the medication entirely, because clinical trials have shown that if your dietary habits are not successfully impacted to that level by 12 weeks, it is highly unlikely that it will ever work for you. So keep that in mind.

    These things are summarizations of the fact sheet provided on Belviq's website, found here: http://www.belviq.com/documents/Belviq_Prescribing_Information.pdf

    Basically they state that if you take it, you should not have pre-existing mental health issues, cardiovascular issues, should be aware that the medication can cause mood disturbances and psychotic issues, and that in men, it's been shown to cause priapism (prolonged southern salute if you know what I mean)...

    No problems here
    If you are not having difficulty controlling overeating or emotional binges, it's pretty unlikely that a serotonin agonist is going to do anything for you regarding weight loss. It's basically an appetite suppressant that makes you not want to eat during high-stress, enabling more control. My psychological professional opinion is that people see far more success addressing their overeating and eating disorder issues through cognitive therapy and sometimes the utilization of long-term psychiatric medication use than short term, high dose psychiatric use without therapy.

    I very much agree that therapy and whatever addresses underlying conditions that may be contributing to obesity are far more likely to be successful in the long run. Not that there isn't a role for medications for weight loss, but that we definitely shouldn't reach for them too soon. Again, though Belviq is NOT a psychiatric medication.
    Lots of info, and no firsthand experience. Frankly, I won't ever have the experience, because I think these drugs are far more dangerous than most people want to admit, and I chose a while ago to not mess with my brain chemistry regarding serotonin and norepinephrine for the sake of something like weight loss.

    Editing to say... by the by... just because it is not an active stimulant doesn't mean it won't have a stimulating effect. Many serotonin-acting drugs cause sleeplessness, anxiety, mood swings and more... I don't know why you think of this as a "clean" weight loss medication, because it is going to flood your system with a neuro-transmitter that regulates just about every emotional experience that you have. The documentation they provide themselves shows MANY risk factors and warnings... Not to mention it is classified as a Class IV controlled substance due to the potential for abuse and dependence, which means it's classified on the same level as phentermine in this sense.

    Many serotonergics and antidopaminergics can cause akathesia, which is the feeling of restlessness that you describe here. It is truly extremely uncomfortable and usually leads to discontinuation of the medication.

    I take issue with your description of Belviq as a "neuro-transmitter that regulates just about every emotional experience that you have." It is not serotonin, nor an agonist at all serotonin receptors, nor a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It *may* have a negative effect on mood, but that is far from "every emotional experience" that someone has.

    Btw, I do not prescribe, promote, or profit from Belviq in any way. I'm just irritated when people have their facts wrong.
  • prism1968
    prism1968 Posts: 121 Member
    I used it for about 2 months.
    I had NO appetite for the first week or two (yay!), and lost about 5 lbs.... the medication lost effectiveness (my binges came back as did the weight) after that and instead I noticed worsening side effects (sleepiness, extreme tingling in hands).
    Best wishes!

    If you don't mind me asking, how much weight did end up losing at the end of the two months?

    Did you take the 10mg twice daily the whole time?

    Thanks!

    Yes, I did take the whole dosage the whole time... it 'kicked in' about day 3 and I lost about 5 lbs by the end of the second week. Over the next few weeks, the binge episodes came back and by the end of the second month I had gained back all I had lost :(
  • Rejecta
    Rejecta Posts: 4
    I get irritated when people don't have their facts straight, as well, particularly when they then attempt to advise others in their 'professional opinion.' So much wrong here that it disturbs me that it is stated so authoritatively.

    I'd be more than happy to refute so many of these inaccuracies, but here are just a couple...and they are significant in terms of understanding how these drugs work:

    -phentermine is not primarily a dopamine agonist; it is a general catecholamine releasing agent. It primarily induces release of norepinephrine but also dopamine and serotonin to lesser extents. Therefore it non-selectively increases levels of these transmitters throughout the brain, and thus non-selectively acts functionally as an agonist at all of these receptors. Like amphetamine, it is a stimulant with similar risks to cardiovascular function (in addition to satiety and psychiatric liabilities)

    -belviq does not 'flood' the brain with serotonin; it is not an SSRI nor a releasing agent. It selectively binds to and activates the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor (a specific serotonin sub-receptor) with little to no activity at other serotonin (or other CNS receptors) receptor subtypes. Therefore it is a MUCH cleaner drug than phentermine, or fenfluramine. Fenfluramine induces general release of serotonin and is not a selective agonist like belviq; since it increases overall levels of serotonin, it results in activation of all serotonin subtypes. In fact it does the same in the periphery too (ie outside the brain) which is what led to its valvulopathy liabilities (stimulation of heart 5-HT2B [not 2C] receptors in heart tissue.

    Etc etc etc...yeah I have a certain vested interest in belviq since a friend was involved in its development. More importantly I am a scientist who cares about truth and can't stand to see non-scientists mislead others with scientifically inaccurate statements.
  • BeckyV73
    BeckyV73 Posts: 69 Member
    I've been on belviq for 5 days and I love it!!