A New Breed of 'Diet' Pills

Drugs Approved for Diabetes, Depression, Epilepsy Grow Popular For Their Weight-Loss Side Effects

Sally Krawczyk lost 135 pounds after taking antiseizure medication and antidepressants.

(August 22, 2006) -- Like many people who struggle with their weight, Sally Krawczyk has tried everything from liquid diets to low-carb regimens to Weight Watchers. And like many dieters, each time she stopped, she gained back all the pounds she'd lost.

But the 51-year-old teacher says she's finally discovered a successful way to lose weight. On the advice of her doctor, she's been taking an antiseizure medication and two antidepressants -- and has lost 135 pounds in 18 months.

Ms. Krawczyk doesn't suffer from seizures or depression, but she has found the medication beneficial in another way. "The medicine helps control my need to constantly be eating," says Ms. Krawczyk, of Murrieta, Calif., who now weighs 220 pounds and hopes to lose 40 more. "Without it I could eat and eat and never feel full or satisfied."

In the unending quest for a miracle diet pill, Americans are trying an array of prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat a variety of illnesses. None of them have been approved as diet drugs -- but for many, weight loss is a side effect.

The list includes drugs meant to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (Adderall and Ritalin), depression (Wellbutrin), epilepsy (Topamax and Zonegran), diabetes (Glucophage and Byetta), sleep disorders (Provigil), smoking (Zyban) and even opiate overdoses (Narcan). Often these drugs are used alone, but sometimes they're taken in combination with each other or with popular weight-loss medications, such as phentermine.

While there are no hard data on the trend, doctors and patients say it has been increasing for several years and that the drugs are being used by Americans -- especially women -- of all sizes, from obese people to anorexics. Adderall, a stimulant that was originally marketed as a diet drug in the 1970s under a different name, is said to be the weight-loss agent of choice for everyone from soccer moms to Hollywood starlets, debutantes and college kids, many of whom take it without a prescription.

"People are looking for a quick fix," says Christine Gerbstadt, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Taking a pill is so much easier than going to the gym or cutting back on portions."

Though the drugs generally work to suppress appetite or food cravings, many have additional, less desirable side effects, which can include abdominal cramps, anxiety, insomnia and cognitive problems. One drug, Wellbutrin, comes with a "black box" warning that it may cause increased risk of suicide in children and adolescents.

Doctors are permitted to prescribe drugs for applications other than those for which they are approved -- a use which is termed off-label. But not everyone is getting these drugs from a physician. Some are buying the drugs from Internet pharmacies or from Canada. A number admit they are taking drugs prescribed for friends or family members.

When Jacqueline Colozzi, a 20-year-old college student in New York, wanted to drop a few pounds, a friend with an Adderall prescription offered her some. "It was easier just to take a pill as opposed to working out or watching what I ate," says Ms. Colozzi, who weighs 110 pounds. After losing 10 pounds over the course of a year, she got tired of never wanting to eat or sleep. "I realized it didn't make me feel good," she says.

Trading Tips Online

The Internet, too, is giving the use of off-label drugs for dieting a boost. Web sites such as FatNews.com often run articles on the latest research being done on the weight-loss effects of these drugs. Users compare the success rates and side effects of the medications in an increasingly varied range of message boards, from Web sites dedicated to information about drugs, such as Askapatient.com, to eBay.

Still, the practice of prescribing drugs off-label for weight loss is controversial. To begin with, the drugs can be expensive, and insurance companies typically don't pay for off-label uses of drugs. What's more, doctors have varying opinions on the weight-loss effects of these drugs. In general, they say, they may help people lose about 5% to 10% of their body weight.

More important, these can be risky drugs, especially when taken without a doctor's supervision. Although drug companies and independent researchers have studied the weight-loss effects of many of these drugs, including Wellbutrin and Topamax, to date the FDA hasn't approved any of them for weight loss.

advertisement

"There's no evidence of the safety or the efficacy of going off-label for weight loss," says George Blackburn, associate director of Harvard Medical School's Division on Nutrition. When patients request off-label drugs to help them lose weight, Dr. Blackburn suggests that they modify their diet and exercise instead. If that doesn't work, he will prescribe one of the approved weight-loss drugs to help them control their cravings. "We see no need to go off label," he says. "We have zero tolerance for the side effects."

Continue to page 2

Last updated: 08/06

Related Information:

• A Radical New Argument in Treating Eating Disorders

• Nutrition Intervention in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

• What Parents Need to Know About Eating Disorders

• Ten Ways to Help Yourself Deal with an Eating Disorder

• Tips for Kids on Eating Well and Feeling Good about Yourself

• The Five Greatest Motivators For Preschool Children to Eat Healthy Foods

• What Foods Do Children Need and What Foods Should Be Avoided

• Teen Vegetarians Can Meet Nutrition Needs

• Eating Disorders Treatment Overview

• Overcoming Eating Disorders

• Eating Disorders Treatment Strategies

• Anorexia Nervosa - The Most Deadly Mental Illness

• Older Women Struggling With Anorexia, Bulimia

• Brain Theory of Eating Disorders

• The Many Causes of Eating Disorders

• Types, Causes, Symptoms of Eating Disorders in Children and What a Parent Can Do

• Who Needs Eating Disorders Treatment

• Philosophy and Approaches to Treating Eating Disorders

• What Parents Need to Know About Eating Disorders

• Eating Disorder Patients Heal Through Yoga

• New Self-Help Technology Set to Combat Eating Disorders

• New Treatment Program for Eating Disorders: Exercise!

back to top | news index | news index for 2005