Acomplia (Rimonabant) and weight loss (obesity)
When can Acomplia (Rimonabant) be prescribed to help weight loss (obesity)?
Acomplia is licensed as an adjunct to diet and exercise to promote weight loss. It is a prescription only medicine which can be prescribed for obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30 kg/m 2 or for overweight patients with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 27 kg/m 2 who also have other risk factors such as type 2 diabetes or dyslipidaemia (a disturbance in the levels of fat (lipids) in the blood).
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How many people are over weight or obese and so could use Acomplia?
People are classed as obese and can have a prescription for Acomplia if they have a body mass index over 30. They are overweight if it is 25-30. Click here to check your BMI.
Adult obesity rates have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years. Now over 20% of Britons are obese and three-quarters are classed as overweight.
What are the causes of obesity?
In most otherwise healthy people, the causes of being obese or overweight are simple: eating too many calories or taking too little exercise, or more than likely a combination of both!
The plethora of fad diets have convinced many people that eating low fat or low carbohydrate foods can provide a short cut to losing weight. Your body has the capability to convert fat to carbohydrates and carbohydrates to fat depending on the quantity of each it has available to it, so manipulating the amount taken in the diet in an attempt to lose weight is largely useless. In otherwise healthy people, it is equally untrue that some people have a “slow metabolism” and so are more likely to put on weight.
The simple fact is that if you regularly consume more calories than you burn off, you will put on weight. The good news is that if you burn off more calories than you consume on a regular basis you WILL lose weight. The only guaranteed way to lose weight is therefore to eat less, do more and preferably do both. can help by helping you consume less calories.
Why does weight loss (obesity) matter?
Despite being a very common condition being obese or overweight can have serious effects. Obesity can lead to extremely serious health problems, including arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. Acomplia can help avoid these problems. Because of these serious health problems, in England, over 30,000 deaths a year are caused by obesity. It has been estimated that obesity costs the NHS £500 million a year. The overall cost to the country is thought to be over £7 billion every year.
Treatment of obesity or the promotion of weight loss with Acomplia (Rimonabant)
As discussed above the best way to guarantee weight loss is to consume fewer calories and take more exercise. In addition to these doctors can now prescribe Acomplia, which has been shown to assist in weight loss.
How does Acomplia (Rimonabant) work?
Acomplia represents a novel way of controlling body weight. It operates by being a cannabinoid receptor antagonist.
The active ingredient in Acomplia is rimonabant. It works by blocking specific receptors in the brain and the fat tissues called “CB1” receptors. This means that Acomplia (rimonabant) prevents the normal action of the natural levels of cannabinoid in the brain from stimulating these CB1 receptors. It is believed that these receptors stimulate appetite and therefore when they are blocked, the desire to eat and so consumption of food is reduced. Put simply Acomplia (rimonobant) suppresses appetite signals from the brain and fatty tissue that promotes eating.
Acomplia comes as a tear drop shaped, white film coated tablet with “20”punched into one side. It is an oral tablet which is swallowed.
Does Acomplia (Rimonabant) always work?
Clinical trials have been conducted in over 6800 people in total. They were either obese or overweight with hypertension and or dyslipidaemia. 80% were women, 87% were Caucasian and 9% were Black. They followed a diet and were advised to exercise more.
Over 1 year an average weight loss of 6.5kg was seen for those who took Acomplia compared to an average weight loss of 1.6kg for those who took a “placebo”.
Around 50% of the group lost 5% of their body weight and 27% lost 10%
Similar results were seen in a group of type 2 diabetics.
Most of the weight loss occurred in the first 9 months of treatment and the weight stayed off for 2 years and in fact Acomplia (rimonabant) reduced the risk of weight regain.
Effects were the same for men and women, but weight loss seemed to be less for Black patients.
Acomplia (Rimonabant) side effects
Like all medicines Acomplia (rimonabant) can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Common side effects that affect more than 10% of patients include nausea and upper respiratory tract infection. Other less common side effects include upset stomach, vomiting, sleeping disorders, nervousness and depression, dizziness, diarrhoea, itching, excessive sweating, muscle cramps, fatigue, bruising, tendonitis, back pain, memory loss, hot flush, influenza and joint sprain. Rarely it can cause hallucinations, lethargy, panic attacks, hiccups, anger and restlessness.
Is Acomplia (Rimonabant) for everyone?
Acomplia (Rimonabant) should only be taken if your doctor has prescribed it for you.
Acomplia (Rimonabant) is not recommended for use in children below the age of 18 due to the lack of data in this population.
Acomplia should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breast feeding their baby.
'Acomplia' should not be used with caution with certain other medicines (ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, telithromycin, clarithromycin, nafazadone) and you should tell your doctor about all other medicines you are taking when he prescribes Acomplia.
How do I get Acomplia (Rimonabant)?
You need a prescription from your doctor to legally obtain Acomplia (Rimonabant). Companies offering Acomplia without a valid prescription are breaking the law, and you may be putting your health at risk.
Highly convenient and embarrassment free and supply of Acomplia (Rimonabant)
For many people who are prescribed treatments for weight loss (obesity) , taking their prescription to the pharmacy represents an embarrassing hurdle which some may not overcome.
Pharmacy2U offers one option to avoid this hurdle. Pharmacy2U is an NHS contracted, fully registered pharmacy that specialises in national home delivery of medicines, including the common treatments for weight loss (obesity). Pharmacy2U offers patients a professionally controlled and discreet service. All medicines are conveniently delivered in plain packaging to your chosen delivery address, so there is no need to go into a pharmacy. Medicines are dispatched by recorded delivery on the same day the prescription is received at Pharmacy2U.
Please click here for further details of how to use this service.
Ensure that you do not pay too much
Your doctor may give you a private prescription that means you have to pay for the full cost of Acomplia (rimonabant) and also any dispensing fee the pharmacist chooses to charge. Big differences can exist depending on where you take your prescription to be dispensed. This means that it is important for you to find the best price available to you.
Highly competitive prices are available at Pharmacy2U Ltd. Click here for details.
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All content of this web site is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice; rather it is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between you and your healthcare providers. You should make sure that you carefully read all product packaging and labels prior to use. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health problem you should consult your doctor. Please consult your doctor before taking any new product, particularly if you are already under medical care. For more information view our Terms & Conditions © Pharmacy2U Ltd 2000 - 2007.
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