Weight Loss and Medication-Assisted Weight Management

The most important resource we have is our health. For many, managing weight has become the hardest challenge in life, contributing to a host of other illnesses and or issues interfering with quality of life. There are many places you can go for help. Here is why RVA Telecare may be the right choice for you.

RVA Telecare is owned and operated by Dr. Dawn M. Adams, a nurse practitioner with more than three decades of healthcare experience and two decades of expertise in weight management and weight-related disease. In addition, she personally understands the struggle and is sensitive to the harsh realities of weight-related bias in our society and the judgments made by those who don’t understand that weight loss in a world preoccupied with food that is low quality and high calorie is near impossible to sustain.

RVA Telecare offers comprehensive management structured to support the individual needs of the patient. Appointments are tailored to you and include a thorough assessment, prescription medications if needed, counsel, and ongoing support.  We do not use compounded medications, so while they may be perceived as lower in cost, we do not believe it is worth the risk of using a chemically different product than the prescription medications, as is the case for the GIP/GLP1 medications.

Medication-assisted weight management, particularly via medications such as Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, can be truly effective and relatively low risk if you are a good candidate. But medications are only a tool and not the answer. Dr. Adams will teach you strategies to support your journey, increase the tools in your tool bag, and provide you with a transition plan when you reach your goal.

Weight Loss Medications

Several weight loss drugs approved/to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long-term use:

·       Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave)

·       Semaglutide (Wegovy)

·       Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)

·       Liraglutide (Saxenda)

·       Orlistat (Xenical, Alli)

·       Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia)

·       Setmelanotide (Imcivree)

Dr. Adams has spent years studying the risks and benefits of weight loss medications. The research is increasingly clear with regard to efficacy. Of the above medications Semaglutide and Tirzepatide have proven the most effective, but sometimes other medications make more sense. If you need medication support you will decide with Dr. Adams which medication makes the most sense for you and your life.

Medications Prescribed by RVA Telecare

Bupropion-naltrexone

Bupropion-naltrexone is a combination drug. Naltrexone is used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction. Bupropion is a drug to treat depression, called an antidepressant, and a drug to help people stop smoking, called a quit-smoking aid. Like all antidepressants, bupropion carries a warning about suicide risk. Bupropion-naltrexone can raise blood pressure. So your provider will need to check your blood pressure regularly at the start of treatment. Common side effects include nausea, headache and constipation.

Semaglutide

Semaglutide is a GLP1receptor agonists and also used to help control type 2 diabetes. You take it as a weekly shot to manage obesity.

It can cause side effects such as:

·       Reflux/ Sour stomach

·       Constipation/Diarrhea

·       Nausea and vomiting

·       Headache

·       Tiredness

Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide is a GIP receptor, GLP1receptor agonists and used to help control type 2 diabetes. You take it as a weekly shot to manage obesity.

It can cause side effects such as:

·       Reflux/ Sour stomach

·       Constipation/Diarrhea

·       Nausea and vomiting

·       Headache

·       Tiredness

Medications NOT Prescribed by RVA Telecare

Liraglutide

Liraglutide also is used to manage diabetes. It's given as a daily shot. Nausea is a common complaint. Vomiting may limit its use. While FDA approved its efficacy is significantly lower than other GLP1receptor agonists.

Orlistat

You also can get orlistat in a reduced-strength form without a prescription (Alli). Orlistat can cause side effects such as passing gas and having loose stools. You need to follow a low-fat diet when taking this medicine. In rare cases, people have had serious liver injury with orlistat. But researchers haven't found that the drug causes liver injuries.

Phentermine-topiramate

Phentermine-topiramate is a combination of a weight-loss drug called phentermine and an anticonvulsant called topiramate. Phentermine has the potential to be misused because it acts like a stimulant drug called an amphetamine. Other possible side effects include an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, constipation, and nervousness. Topiramate increases the risk of birth defects.

Phentermine cannot be prescribed by telemedicine and the side effect profile may warrant in person assessments.

Setmelanotide

The FDA has approved setmelanotide only for people age 6 and older who have obesity due to one of these rare inherited conditions:

·       Pro-opiomelanocortin deficiency

·       Proprotein subtilisin-kexin type 1 deficiency

·       Leptin receptor deficiency

To take the drug, you'll need to have test results that show you have one of these conditions. Setmelanotide also has a significant side effect profile that warrants in person evaluations/assessments.

Weight Management Appointment

If you are ready to start taking control of your health and your weight, schedule an appointment by clicking below.

Schedule Appointment

Please note:

Unfortunately
Medicare, Veterans Affairs (VA) & Tricare
do not cover medicines for obesity, though they are beginning to offer free counseling sessions for it. Some select Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans for retirees, however, do cover medicines for obesity.