Musculoskeletal pain was reported in 2% of patients given the weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), versus 1.4% of patients given a placebo according to studies performed leading up to the FDA approval of the drug.

Read the entire article | Email this article

The weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), can cause problems with memory and attention as well as confusion, somnolence, and fatigue according to the prescribing Information for the drug.

“In clinical trials of at least one year in duration, impairments in attention and memory were reported adverse reactions associated with 1.9% of patients treated with Belviq (lorcaserin) and 0.5% of patients treated with placebo, and led to discontinuation in 0.3% and 0.1% of these patients, respectively,” notes the prescribing Information for Belviq (lorcaserin).

“Other reported adverse reactions associated with BELVIQ in clinical trials included confusion, somnolence, and fatigue.”

Read the entire article | Email this article

The weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), can cause euphoria, hallucination, and dissociation according to the prescribing Information for the drug.

“Events of euphoria, hallucination, and dissociation were seen with BELVIQ at supratherapeutic doses [that is, larger than recommended doses] in short-term studies. In clinical trials of at least 1-year in duration, 6 patients (0.2%) treated with BELVIQ developed euphoria, as compared with 1 patient (<0.1%) treated with placebo,” notes the prescribing Information for Belviq (lorcaserin).

“Doses of BELVIQ should not exceed 10 mg twice a day.

“Some drugs that target the central nervous system have been associated with depression or suicidal ideation.

“Patients treated with BELVIQ should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.

“Discontinue BELVIQ in patients who experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors.”

Read the entire article | Email this article

The weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), may cause depression or suicidal ideation according to the prescribing Information for the drug.

“Some drugs that target the central nervous system have been associated with depression or suicidal ideation,” notes the prescribing Information for Belviq (lorcaserin).

“Patients treated with BELVIQ should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.

“Discontinue BELVIQ in patients who experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors.”

Read the entire article | Email this article

The weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), can decrease white blood cell count according to the prescribing Information for the drug.

“In clinical trials of at least one year in duration, adverse reactions of decreases in white blood cell count (including leukopenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, and decreased white cell count) were reported in 0.4% of patients treated with BELVIQ as compared to 0.2% of patients treated with placebo,” notes the prescribing Information for Belviq (lorcaserin).

Read the entire article | Email this article

The weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), may increase the risk for pulmonary hypertension, a rare but lethal disease, according to the prescribing Information for the drug.

“Certain centrally-acting weight loss agents that act on the serotonin system have been associated with pulmonary hypertension, a rare but lethal disease,” notes the prescribing Information for Belviq (lorcaserin).

“Because of the low incidence of this disease, the clinical trial experience with BELVIQ is inadequate to determine if BELVIQ increases the risk for pulmonary hypertension.”

Read the entire article | Email this article

The weight loss drug, Belviq (lorcaserin), may increase the risk for pulmonary hypertension, a rare but lethal disease, according to the prescribing Information for the drug.

“In clinical trials of at least one year in duration, 8.6% of patients treated with BELVIQ prematurely discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions, compared with 6.7% of placebo-treated patients,” notes the prescribing Information for Belviq (lorcaserin).

“The most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation more often among BELVIQ treated patients than placebo were headache (1.3% vs. 0.8%), depression (0.9% vs. 0.5%) and dizziness (0.7% vs. 0.2%).

Read the entire article | Email this article

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today, June 27, 2012, approved the weight loss drug Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride). Studies of the drug for up to one year showed that increased weight loss by (only) 3 to 3.7 percent more than placebo. Read the entire article | Email this article

Studies of the new weight loss drug Belviq (lorcaserin) for up to one year showed that increased weight loss by (only) 3 to 3.7 percent more than placebo. The drug was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today, June 27, 2012. Read the entire article | Email this article

"The approved labeling for Belviq recommends that the drug be discontinued in patients who fail to lose 5 percent of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment [3 months], as these patients are unlikely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss with continued treatment," according to the Press Release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The drug was approved by the FDA on June 27, 2012. Read the entire article | Email this article

The most common side effects of Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride) in non-diabetic patients are

• headache


• dizziness


• fatigue


• nausea


• dry mouth, and


• constipation

and side effects in diabetic patients include

• low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)


• headache


• back pain


• cough, and


• fatigue.

This according to the Press Release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The drug was approved by the FDA on June 27, 2012.

Read the entire article | Email this article

"Belviq [lorcaserin hydrochloride] may also cause disturbances in attention or memory," according to the Press Release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The drug was approved by the FDA on June 27, 2012.

Read the entire article | Email this article

"Belviq [lorcaserin hydrochloride] Treatment with Belviq may cause serious side effects, including serotonin syndrome, particularly when taken with certain medicines that increase serotonin levels or activate serotonin receptors. These include, but are not limited to, drugs commonly used to treat depression and migraine," notes the Press Release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome are listed below. Read the entire article | Email this article

"Belviq [lorcaserin hydrochloride] should not be used during pregnancy," according to the Press Release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The drug was approved by the FDA on June 27, 2012.

Read the entire article | Email this article

Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride) does not appear to cause heart valve damage the way that fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux) did back in 1997 according to the Press Release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux) seemed to cause this problem by stimulating serotonin 2B receptor on heart tissue, while Belviq (lorcaserin) appears to only stimulate serotonin 2C receptor.

However, "drug’s manufacturer will be required to conduct six postmarketing studies, including a long-term cardiovascular outcomes trial to assess the effect of Belviq on the risk for major adverse cardiac events such as heart attack and stroke" notes the FDA Press Release.

Read the entire article | Email this article

Since serotonin syndrome is mentioned as a possible serious side effect of the new weight loss drug Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), here is a list of symptoms of serotonin syndrome.

• severe excitement


• hypomania (excitability


• hyperactive and
  
• talkativeness


• quick anger and
  
• irritability


• decreased need for sleep


• restlessness


• loss of consciousness


• confusion


• disorientation


• anxiety


• agitation


• motor weakness


• muscle spasms


• tremor


• flailing motion of the arms


• hyperreflexia


• impaired ability to coordinate movement


• difficult poorly articulated speech


• incoordination


• elevated body temperature


• shivering


• pupillary dilation


• sweating


• vomiting


• tachycardia (a racing heart)


• muscle twitches or rigidity


• diarrhea


• changes in blood pressure


• and coma.

Read the entire article | Email this article