Obesity Medications - Short Term Use Only
Most anti-obesity medications are approved
by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for short-term use, meaning
a few weeks or months. Sibutramine and orlistat are the only weight-loss
medications approved for longer-term use in significantly obese patients.
While the FDA regulates how obesity medications
can be advertised or promoted by the manufacturer, these regulations do
not restrict a doctor's ability to prescribe the medication for different
conditions, in different doses, or for different lengths of time. The
practice of prescribing medication for periods of time or for conditions
not approved is known as "off-label" use.
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While such use often occurs in the
treatment of many conditions, you should feel comfortable about
asking your doctor if he or she is using a medication or combination
of medications in a manner that is not approved by the FDA.
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