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Blog

Good Neighbor Travel Insurance Blog

Two new Weight Loss Drugs You May Not Know About

May 20, 2014 By : Doug Gulleson

GNI-Thank-you-Card-2Good Neighbor Insurance works on keeping our guests, you, up-to-date with health insurance news as well as information that our insurance carriers provide to us in the form of updates on medical care and medical Rx.  Blue Cross provided some great information to us this week that we want to share with you.

Thirteen years after last approving any new weight-loss medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 okayed two prescription pills that may help dropping pounds easier.

Marketed as Belviq and Qsymia, both pills were approved for use in adults 18 and older who are either overweight and have at least one weight-related health problem—such as diabetes or high blood pressure—or are obese. 

Both of these medications are intended for lifelong use in people who respond well to them—a potential plus, since obesity is often a lifelong condition. Most of the other FDA-approved weight-loss medicines on the market are supposed to be taken for only a few weeks, though doctors can prescribe them for longer periods of time—a practice called off-label use. 

Just how effective are these new drugs? Research showed that the average weight loss for people taking Belviq is up to 3.7 percent more than those using a placebo and it’s up to 8.9 percent more for those taking Qsymia.

Belviq is a 10 mg tablet taken twice a day. It works by activating a part of the brain called the hypothalamus that controls hunger.

Qsymia is taken once a day and comes in different doses. It’s a combination of two drugs already approved by the FDA: phentermine, an appetite suppressant, and topiramate, which is a treatment for epilepsy. 

According to the FDA, the medications are meant to be another tool to help you lose weight—they don’t replace eating less and exercising more.

If you’re pregnant—or even thinking of becoming pregnant—neither pill is for you. Both can harm a developing baby. Belviq may also trigger side effects such as headaches, fatigue and memory problems. Qsymia may raise your heart rate and should not be taken if you have glaucoma or an overactive thyroid.

Your doctor can tell you more about both medications.

For more information about these drugs, please visit:  http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm312380.htm

Doug Gulleson

Search Results

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February 17, 2014

      Good Neighbor Insurance provides both group and individual health care coverage in Arizona, as well as travel insurance for those vacationing overseas and for expats residing overseas. We are happy to be able to share the following important information for our clients who currently have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona individual coverage. […]

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Insurance for travel in the U.S.

May 2, 2017

Protecting our Domestic Non-Profit Friends Needing Insurance for Travel in the U.S. Is your group/staff doing great work in the USA? Too many of our many friends working in the USA are faced with lack of health insurance protection especially when outside their health insurance coverage area. (They are doing great work with under-served populations, […]

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How do ACA laws work for U.S. expatriates?

November 2, 2015

How do ACA laws work for U.S. expatriates? Especially when it comes to international group medical insurance benefits? When the U.S. federal government created the ACA (affordable care act) laws they did not realize the extra questions it would generate, especially for U.S. expatriates.  The key to all the ACA laws is that it is […]

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News of earthquake damage in Northern India

April 28, 2015

Reports of earthquake damage in Northern India News reports coming out of India have noticeably focused on the greater devastation in Nepal, yet the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, along with Sikkim were also close to the epicenter of the quake, and were rocked hard. (See map – http://www.mapsofindia.com/mapinnews/areas-affected-by-earthquake-in-india/) In India, besides […]

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Health Net Group – new underwriting guidelines for 2012

May 9, 2012

Good Neighbor Insurance provides group health insurance to our clients.  One of the best group insurance companies in Arizona is the Health Net Group plans.  You may view request more information on this option for your organization by going to our Arizona web site at www.gninsurance.com or call us at 480.633.9500. Effective in 2012, Health Net […]

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Cadillac plan tax coming in 2018

August 10, 2010

Good Neighbor Insurance (www.gninsurance.com and www.gninsurance.com) is continuing to update our clients on the new health insurance laws.   There are six major coverage options for those in the US and even though some of the rules and regulations are similar for all many differences are there and it all depends on how old you are […]

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