Mysimba

What is Mysimba?

Mysimba contains 2 active substances: naltrexone hydrochloride and bupropion hydrochloride and is used in obese or very overweight adults to manage weight together with a reduced calorie diet and physical exercise. It works on the parts of the brain that regulate appetite, reducing food cravings and suppressing feelings of hunger. This makes sticking to a calorie controlled diet easier. Mysimba showed promising results in clinical trials.

Mysimba should be taken alongside a calorie-controlled diet and exercise to help you lose weight. Exercise and a balanced diet will help you to maintain a healthy weight even when you stop taking your medication.

Effectiveness

Mysimba is one of the best weight loss supplements for obese individuals (Those with a BMI of 30 or more).

Data from clinical trials have shown that, when used alongside a healthy diet and an increase in physical activity, Mysimba can lead to significant weight loss results. Mysimba can help you lose an average of 5% of your total body weight if combined with a calorie controlled healthy eating regime, compared to a loss of just 1% in individuals who used diet alone. In fact, 42% of Mysimba users lost at least 5% of their total body weight, whereas only 17% of individuals not using Mysimba lost 5%.

Side effects

Like all medicines, Mysimba can cause side effects in some patients. The most common side effects are:

• Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Headache
• Disturbance in concentration
• Dizziness
• Hot flushes
• Palpitations
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Muscular pain

Many patients will not experience any side effects. If you do experience side effects, please report them to your doctor who may advise that you stop taking Mysimba. Whilst taking Mysimba, you should have your blood pressure regularly checked.

How does Mysimba work?

Mysimba uses a combination of two active ingredients: bupropion and naltrexone. Both of these ingredients have been used previously for different purposes — bupropion as an antidepressant and a stop smoking medication, and naltrexone to reduce alcohol dependence. However, Mysimba marks the first time these ingredients have been combined.

The combination of naltrexone and bupropion acts on the part of the brain which controls energy balance and food intake, controlling the pleasure associated with eating food. This allows Mysimba to reduce feelings of hunger and alleviate food cravings.

It can help to reduce the buildup of fat around your waistline, which can be a contributing factor to serious conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. If you are already diabetic it can also support you to control your blood sugar more effectively.

How long does Mysimba take to work?

The best results are achieved when Mysimba is combined with a healthy balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices. If you do not lose 5% of your initial body weight within 16 weeks, you should stop taking this.

How do you take Mysimba?

The dosage of Mysimba is increased gradually as your body adjusts to the medication. You will start by taking one tablet every day and increase the dose gradually.

However, you should never use more than four tablets of Mysimba in a  day. Here is the recommended dose of the Mysimba.

Week 1 – One tablet, once in the morning.

Week 2 – One tablet, twice a day

Week 3 – Two tablets in the morning and one in the evening

Week 4 and onwards – Two tablets, twice daily

Mysimba is only prescribed when all other weight loss measures have failed to produce results, the weight loss is closely monitored by your doctor.

If you have not lost 5% of your weight within the first 16 weeks of the treatment, it is best to consult your doctor and reconsider its use.

Who should use Mysimba?

Mysimba is a great weight loss treatment solution for any adult over 18 with a body mass index (BMI) over 30. A BMI over 30 indicates obesity, meaning you could benefit from a course of Mysimba. In cases of weight-related comorbidities like type 2 diabetes or controlled hypertension, a BMI over 27 could mean that Mysimba is the right weight loss medication for you.

Who should not use Mysimba?

Do not take Mysimba:

• if you are allergic to naltrexone, to bupropion or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine
• if you have an abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension) that is not controlled using a medicinal product
• if you have a condition that causes fits (seizures) or if you have a history of fits; - if you have a brain tumour
• if you are usually a heavy drinker and you have just stopped drinking alcohol, or are going to stop while you are taking Mysimba
• if you have recently stopped taking sedatives or medicines to treat anxiety (especially benzodiazepines), or if you are going to stop them while you are taking Mysimba
• if you have or have had a bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings)
• if you are using any other medicines which contain bupropion or naltrexone
• if you have an eating disorder or had one in the past (for example, bulimia or anorexia nervosa)
• if you are currently dependent on chronic opiates or opiate agonists (for example methadone), or you are going through acute withdrawal (cold turkey)
• if you are taking medicines for depression or Parkinson’s disease called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or have taken them in the last 14 days
• if you have severe liver disease
• if you have terminal kidney disease.

Can I use Mysimba with other medications?

Mysimba should only be taken if prescribed by a doctor. It should not be taken by patients who experience hypersensitivity to any of the listed ingredients. Patients should also avoid Mysimba if they experience uncontrolled hypertension, seizure disorder, have a known central nervous system tumour or are experiencing benzodiazepine or alcohol withdrawal. Mysimba should not be taken if the patient is already taking other products which include bupropion or naltrexone, or has a history of bipolar disorder or a previous diagnosis of bulimia or anorexia nervosa. Mysimba is also unsuitable for patients who are currently dependent on opiate agonists or chronic opioids or are using antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), or have taken them within the last 14 days.

Mysimba should be used with caution in patients with a history of depression. Mysimba contains bupropion which is similar to active ingredients found in some antidepressants. Potentially this can increase the risk of suicidal behaviour. Bupropion may also increase the risk of experiencing seizures. The enclosed leaflet gives more details.

Saxenda is another prescription only, daily injection weight loss medicine. Xenical is another prescription only weight loss treatment, it works by blocking some of the fat that you eat from being absorbed by your body. It is available in tablet form.

You can also buy Orlistat tablets online without a prescription as the same active ingredient in Xenical is also available at a lower strength in Alli, an over-the-counter medicine. You can buy it from our sister company, ChemistDirect.