In Australia, Phentermine is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use in treating obesity as a short-term monotherapy. And Topiramate is on the market as a medicine for the treatment of epilepsy, the prevention of migraine and the elimination of neuropathic pain.
Topiramate and Phentermine are not available in Australian retail pharmacies, and you can only buy them online via mail order. They often use the combination of Phentermine and Topiramate in Australia and other countries for more active weight loss.
According to a publication on the government website MedlinePlus, the treatment regimen is as follows. A doctor prescribes the minimum dosage of both drugs. Then after two weeks, he increases them to medium ones. After that, you should take the prescribed doses for 12 weeks. Then, after a weight loss check, the doctor may decide to stop complex treatment or continue it for another 12 weeks.
Don’t stop these medicines without consulting a doctor. If you suddenly stop Phentermine and Topiramate, you will have a high chance of cramps. You should stop treatment, gradually reducing the dose.
It is particularly stressed that both drugs can be addictive.
Qsymia or Phentermine
Qsymia is a combination of Phentermine and Topiramate. Qsymia increases satiety. It should lead to decreased food intake and, accordingly, a decrease in body weight.
Qsymia dosing regimen is the same for all people. You should take one capsule of the medicine once a day, in the morning, before or after meals.
The drug is available in four dosages:
- the minimum dose is 3.75 mg Phentermine/23 mg Topiramate;
- the maximum dose is 15 mg Phentermine/92 mg Topiramate.
As a rule, a doctor prescribes the minimum dose for the first 2 weeks of treatment. And on day 15, it is doubled for the next 12 weeks.
If treatment doesn’t help, they gradually increase the dosage of the combination drug to the maximum dose.
Phentermine and Topamax
TOPAMAX ® is one of the trade names of Topiramate. It differs from Topiramate in a dosage ranging from 25 mg to 200 mg.
The recommended dosage (you should reach it gradually) for monotherapy in adults and children over 10 years is 400 mg/day in two doses.
Accordingly, like Topiramate, they use Topamax in combination therapy with Phentermine to treat obesity.
Conclusion
You can use Phentermine and Topiramate together in combination therapy for weight loss.
It is a successful combination of two drugs. So, they are even combined into one drug (Qsymia) for ease of use.
As both drugs have many dosages, a doctor prescribes and changes a particular treatment regimen.
