What patients say...
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Easier than I had imagined |
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"After many years of being frustrated and fed up with my weight, as well as with the direction my life and health were going because of it, I made up my mind that I was going to lose the weight and that there was no going back."
- Lisa L.
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Read more...
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In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, in some cases it is appropriate to use weight loss medication as another tool to facilitate weight loss. (http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2005/niddk-16a.htm). Most available weight-loss medications are "appetite-suppressant" medications. Appetite-suppressant medications promote weight loss by decreasing appetite or increasing the feeling of being full. As a controlled substance, Dr. Pierson evaluates and supervises patient use of this medication.
Medication affects patients in different ways, some typical comments are:
- “I’m not totally preoccupied with what I’ll have for my next meal."
- "It takes the edge off, I eat responsibly and don’t gorge myself anymore."
- "It helps me balance my eating behaviors with my healthy lifestyle choices and lets me feel in control.”
Several factors are considered when determining if weight loss medication is an appropriate tool. Steps for considering the appropriateness for weight loss medication include:
- Medical and social lifestyle histories
- Laboratory work
- EKG
- Patient review Kansas law 100-23-1 (http://www.ksbha.org/regulations/article23.html), Obesity Treatment, Patient Informed Consent for Appetite Suppressants (click to see the information) and Information Sheets on specific weight loss medication (click to see the specific meds)
- Consultation with Dr. Pierson
Once these are completed and the determination is made to use medication, patients can begin treatment immediately. Patients follow up with a monthly medical appointment for their refill. For patient convenience, some medications are available for purchase at the clinic.
Three medications are commonly prescribed:
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