Food is Not Your God Anymore

Reductil... What Really Works

Mechanisms for regulating food intake are still not clearly established. That the hypothalamus plays a part in these mechanisms, however, seems certain. Numerous studies seem to indicate that a cluster of neurons in the lateral hypothalamus function as an appetite center (meaning that impulses from them bring about increased appetite). Other data suggest that a group of neurons in the ventral medial nucleus of the hypothalamus functions as a satiety center (meaning that impulses from these neurons decrease appetite so that we feel sated, or satisfied. What acts directly on these centers to stimulate or depress them is still a matter of theory rather than a fact.

One theory (the thermostat theory) holds that it is the temperature of the blood circulating to the hypothalamus that influences the centers. A moderate decrease in blood temperature stimulates the appetite center (and inhibits the satiety center). Result: the individual has an appetite, wants to eat, and probably does. An increase in blood temperature produces the opposite effect, a depressed appetite (anorexia). One well-known instance of this is the loss of appetite in persons who have a fever.

Another theory (the glucostat theory) says that it is the glucose concentration and rate of glucose use that influences the hypothalamic feeding centers. A low blood glucose concentration and rate of glucose use stimulates the appetite center, whereas high blood glucose concentration inhibits it. The use of (Reductil) as a drug for weight loss is highly linked to the body's own appetite control mechanisms, where it suppresses appetite an stimulates the body to use its own energy resources.

The active ingredient of (Reductil) is sibutramine. Sibutramine was originally developed as an antidepressant (fights depression), and it exerts its effect by helping two other substances: noradrenaline and serotonin stay as long as possible in the brain. Noradrenaline is the hormone of stress. It gushes through our blood at times of fight or fear moments to help us use all our bodily capabilities to either fight or run away from the stress at hand. I don't think anyone who might be reading that article ever had the desire to eat when faced by any threat. Serotonin is a local hormone that controls the release of another local hormone called leptin whose receptors are in the brain and their activation by leptin inhibits impulses that increase appetite, and stimulates impulses that decrease appetite.

This drug is rapidly absorbed from the gut, and it is extensively metabolized (broken down) in the liver, and its resulting substances have a half life (time for the body to breakdown half of the substance) is 14 - 16 hours, and is responsible for its effects. That's why (Reductil) should be taken early in the morning, so that it doesn't make you awake and disturb your sleeping time, especially on the first day of taking the drug.

(Reductil) shouldn't be taken carelessly by patients. It should be prescribed only for people with Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27 or more who have other heart or blood vessel risk factors, or 30 or more in their absence. It should be stopped if weight lost after 3 months is less than 5% of the initial weight. It should be stopped also if weight lost stabilizes at less than 5% of the initial weight thereafter (despite increase in concentration of Reductil), or if users regain more than 3 kg after previous weight loss. It should not be given for more than 1 year.

If one want to calculate one's own BMI, Divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. So for example, if your weight is 115 kg, and your height is 180 centimeters (i.e. 1.8 meters), so your BMI can be calculated as 115/(1.8)2 = 115/3.24 = 35.4, so, if you have no other contraindications to use (Reductil), you'll definitely be able to use it.

Being part of the antidepressant family, (Reductil) is not the drug which you might be drinking alcohol during its course of treatment, because both will exert a depressing effect on brain function. So try to be more conservative at birthday parties or celebrations please. The dose of (My Reductil) is 10-15 mg per day by mouth.

One of the most reported side effects experienced by users of (Reductil), and which - at the same time - are self-limited with continued use or - sometimes - symptomatic treatment, is lack of sleep especially in the first night or two of taking (Reductil), and the best way to handle that is by taking the pill very early in the morning.

Another very popular side effect, dry mouth, which occurs in more than 10% of users, but it's nothing to worry about. It may require the user to consume 2-3 litres of water a day, and always carry an extra bottle of water around, but to look at it from another optimistic view, drinking a lot of water daily actually fills the stomach and decreases appetite, so it's helpful anyway.

There is a famous forum on Yahoo about how good (Reductil) is as an anti-obesity drug. I've been to that forum reading people's feedback on that drug, and how it really helped most of them with their weight loss battles. Here are some of the remarkable quotes people said after sing that drug: "With My Reductil, I just have no interest in food." One guy with inactive thyroid gland said: "Reductil is the only thing that helped me." Another one quoted: "My Reductil stops you needing to eat. It gets rid of the hunger, but willpower needs to be strong." A last one: "Food is not my God anymore."

There is also one last relation between (Reductil), blood pressure and headache. That relation needs to be understood by patients in order not to be confused to the extent of quitting treatment for no reason. As I notified earlier, (Reductil) depends on noradrenaline and serotonin inside the brain to do what it does. As all would know, noradrenaline narrows blood vessels everywhere in the body which contributes to raising the blood pressure a little, while serotonin, dilates blood vessels, and in the brain, may cause the headaches that (My Reductil) users may experience especially on the first days of treatment. The point is: Don't just quit (My Reductil) if your blood pressure rises a little bit. You can stop it if the rise in blood pressure is severe (more than 180/110), so that's why doctors recommend that (Reductil) users should check their blood pressure closely throughout its use (twice weekly during the first 3 months). You shouldn't worry much about the headache because it goes away later, and as far as your blood pressure is fine, take a panadol or something or the headache and life will go on.

In fact, you should benefit from the 3 months that you start your (Reductil) in, and not rush losing weight too fast. Losing weight so fast may let you get saggy skin, or let your kidney fall off inside your abdomen due to quick loss of the fat pad attaching it to the wall of the abdomen, so those first 3 months should be used by you wisely. The first month is all about surviving the changes that taking (Reductil) will have on your life. The second month should be all about trying to establish an eating pattern. The third month should be all about introducing a more extensive exercise program.

The last thing to be mentioned here is that (Reductil) should not be used in (severe) increase in blood pressure. It should not be used at all with peripheral occlusive arterial or coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, enlarged prostate condition, and in severe liver or kidney disease. It shouldn't also be used to treat obesity of endocrine origin, or those with a major eating disorder or a psychiatric disease. It also shouldn't be taken together with a tricyclic antidepressant, because both may lead to central nervous system toxicity.