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Wellbutrin for Weight Loss?
Wellbutrin is a common prescription medication often used for depression and to help people stop smoking. It is also prescribed for weight loss. But should it be?
I work for a large health insurance company, and I've been in the health care field for many years. I was also overweight for many years, so I have many reasons to be concerned with the health problems associated with obesity. But is it possible that some "cures" may actually be more dangerous than the problem itself?
Wellbutrin has become a popular weight loss drug, even though it is officially an anti-depresant. It is also used by many people to help them stop smoking. Wellbutrin has become so popular for weight loss that many people now make their purchases through online pharmacies such as Millennium Medical Group, which offer "consultations" over the internet. That means that the prescription doesn't have to come from your family doctor.
That's why I was very interested in this article, which is printed here by permission of it's author, Shane Ellison. His title pretty much tells it all. The opinions, of course, are those of the author.
Wellbutrin (Zyban/Bupropion) for Weight Loss
© 2003 Shane Ellison
Currently, the man-made drug Wellbutrin is being marketed as a weight-loss pill. Previously, it has been prescribed for depression and to curve the craving for nicotine. Because of its broad applications and popularity as a prescription drug we made an attempt to elucidate the mechanism of action. Afterall, a drug with so many benefits must elicit amazing responses within the body.
Unfortunately, after reviewing the scientific literature we ended up where we started, nowhere. With relation to Wellbutrin as a potential weight loss pill the recent study, reported in July's Obesity Research, was paid for by the drug's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline.(1) It seems that "subjects who completed 48 weeks of use maintained mean losses of initial body weight of 7.5% and 8.6% for bupropion SR 300 and 400 mg/d." (Obes Res 2002 Jul;10(7):633-641)
Looking closer at the actions of the drug, Clinical Pharmacology gave what seems to be a warning rather than a mechanism of action. "Bupropion is a novel antidepressant whose mechanism of action must still be elucidated."(2) And Further, "The mechanism of action of the novel antidepressant bupropion remains unclear after many years of study."(3,4)
The Journal of Clinical Psychology did shed some light on the subject. "Bupropion is widely distributed to tissues and extensively metabolized by oxidation and reduction to at least six metabolites, some of which may be active. Bupropion does not inhibit monoamine oxidase, exerts no effect on serotonin uptake, and minimally alters the reuptake of norepinephrine at presynaptic sites. It does not appear to exert action leading to postsynaptic beta-adrenergic down-regulation, and it has minimal inhibitory effects on presynaptic dopamine uptake."(5)
O.K. the scientists have made it clear that they don't know how Wellbutrin works in the body. So, why are Doctors prescribing Wellbutrin? Well, maybe because it's safe, right?
Wrong, Wellbutrin was withdrawn in 1986 because of an Unacceptable incidence of seizures. It was released back to the market in 1986 for unknown reasons. We discovered that 6.1% of users suffer from withdrawals due to adverse events based on clinical studies. Additionally, all of the Wellbutrin related seizures occurred in patients who were taking what was considered to be a therapeutic dose or 450 mg/day or less. However, real life data is suggesting much higher rates of adverse reactions.
Wellbutrin is the third leading cause of drug related seizures with cocaine being number one.(6) Health Canada and GlaxoSmithKline (the same company who funded the aforementioned weight loss study) received 1127 reports of adverse reactions to Wellbutrin between May 1998 and May 28, 2001. Among these were 19 deaths and 172 reports of seizures or convulsions. Worse, the Medicines Control Agency (equivalent to FDA) of Britain has confirmed 18 deaths and received reports of 3,457 patients complaining of adverse reactions in the last year!
And you were worried about Ma Huang/Ephedra.
Despite these staggering figures, the number of children being prescribed Wellbutrin jumped 195% between 1995-1999!(7) Somebody should be tried and convicted!
Nonetheless, we still have so-called experts making erroneous claims: "This is a drug that people have taken for many years to treat depression with few problems or side effects." said > Dr. Richard Atkinson, president of the American Obesity Association.
This blatant lie reminds me of the following statement made by the chairman of California Medicine, Dr. Ian Macdonald and published in U.S. News & World Report, "One could modify an old slogan: A pack a day keeps lung cancer away." He was referring to cigarettes.
Fortunately, safe alternatives to playing Russion Roulette with a pill are abundant. These alternatives of course vary with each individual. Find someone who understands history, the human body, nature and bit about chemistry and your on your way to healthy living. Centuries of recorded information guarantee it!
References:
1. Health Policy Journal Health Affairs. July
9th, 2002. Reported by Larry Lipman.
2. Clin Pharm 1983 Nov-Dec;2(6):525-37
3. J Clin Psychiatry 1995 Sep; 56(9):395-401
4. Neuropharmacology 1983 Nov;22(11):1257-67
5. J Clin Psychiatry 1983 May;44(5 Pt 2):74-8
6. J Emerg Med 2002 Apr;22(3):235-9 J
7. JAMA, April 17, 2002 - Vol 287, No. 15
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shane Ellison is an organic chemist who has first-hand experience with drug research, design and synthesis. As an expert medicinal chemist he founded Health-FX Nutraceuticals to raise the health awareness regarding the use of natural supplements for optimal health. Health-FX provides cutting edge information, FREE consulting and supplements at wholesale prices! Visit http://www.health-fx.net
Suggested reading:
The
Diet Pill Book: A Consumer's Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter
Weight-Loss Pills and Supplements
by Deborah Mitchell, David, Md Dodson, David Charles Dodson
If you'd like to know which diet pills work, which ones don't, and which ones are still a definite "maybe," this guide will help.
New research shows that low-calorie diets can cause food obsessions and binge eating. They can even make sugar addiction worse. No wonder most people end up fatter than they started when they try to lose weight with a low-calorie diet.
The answer? The New Craving Control Diet.
Lose 3 to 5 pounds a week without surgery, starvation diets or dangerous appetite suppressant pills. Enjoy the satisfying, delicious diet that controls your appetite naturally, reduces food cravings, and helps burn fat faster.
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