[siwa1]

Hello from Girona, Spain,
I am new to the forum. I have Diabetes type II and I am taking Acomplia, losing weight slowly, 3 kilos per month. And happy about it. My levels now are almost fine because I do pilates and also I am on diet.
Has anybody tried Acomplia?
They said it has side effects. I feel a bit melancolic, not excatly depressed, but I don't know if it is the drug or just this time of the year. I hate August and late summer.
Bye now:
Siwa1

[Mich]

Welcome Siwa,

I'm a type 1, so I'm not familiar with oral medications, but we have many people on this forum who use them. I'm sure someone will have an answer for you soon.

Congratulations on your weight loss, it isn't easy to do and takes determination. We hope to hear more from you soon.

Mich

[adiantum]

G'day Girona, Welcome to the forum & I hope you visit & post often.
Congrats on the weight loss, I believe slow is the best way to lose it.
Your diet & exercise regime is good for you .
I am always weary by the end of Summers so that may be whats happening with you. Someone will be sure to come along & discuss this med , or google it.

[shutterbug]

Hi siwa, welcome to DF. I haven't seen that med name here in the forum. Its probably not a common one in the US where I live. Hope you get your question answered by someone here. I just want to say hello and welcome!

[mortis505]

Acomplia

rimonabant

Company: Sanofi-Aventis

Acomplia (rimonabant) is an anti-obesity drug. It was approved for marketing in the European Union in June 2006. Rimonabant is not yet approved for use in the United States, where it is known as Zimulti.

What is Acomplia?


* Acomplia (rimonabant) is the first in a new class of therapeutic agents called Cannabinoid-1 Receptor Blockers (CB1).
* Acomplia is used in the treatment of obesity and related conditions.

How does Acomplia work?

* Acomplia acts by selectively blocking CB1 receptors found in the brain and in peripheral organs important in glucose and lipid (or fat) metabolism, including adipose tissue, the liver, gastrointestinal tract and muscle1.
* Acomplia switches off the same brain circuits that make people hungry when they smoke cannabis.
* CB1 receptor blockade with Acomplia acts to decrease the over activity of the endocannabinoid system (EC system)2,3. The EC system is a recently characterized physiological system that includes receptors such as the CB1 receptor and it has been shown to play an important role in regulating body weight and in controlling energy balance, as well as glucose and lipid (or fat) metabolism.

[notme]

Hi Siwa and welcome to Diabetes Forums!

Come around and read often. Lots of nice and very helpful people here.

[HelenM]

Hello Siwa, welcome to the Forum.
I don't know anything about Acomplia from a personal point of view but looked it up recently for someone else. I think its important that you should discuss your feelings with your doctor and try to work out whether its a seasonal thing or the drug.

Its prescibed in very limited cases in France, in spite of the fact that the manufacturers are French and have lobbied for a wider usage.
If you read French there is a report about it from the French Health Authorities (July 2007).

It can only be prescribed to people who aretype 2, overweight and not well controlled with metformin or with a HB1c of between 6.5% and 10% on sulfamides.
In these cases it says it can work very well indeed but there is a risk of depressive symptoms. (further clinical trials and compulsory reporting have shown relatively high levels) Most occurances have appeared within the first months of treatment.
It concludes with
If you have never had depressive problems in the past and you now don't have any signs of depression, continue with taking the medicine as prescribed.
If signs of depression (sadness, a wish to cry, anxiety, dark thoughts, a loss of energy) have appeared since you started treatment with Acomplia you should stop treatment and discuss with your doctor whether treatment for the depressive symptoms is indicated.


I tried to put in the link to the French document but the PDF link won't work. Google Traitement de l’obésité par Acomplia

[lottadata]

The concern with Acomplia and the reason it isn't approved in the U.S. is that it appears to cause severe depression in significant numbers of people who take it.

Since it works by blocking pleasure centers, this makes sense.

It sounds like it is working for you, which is good, but make sure that the people who live with you are alert to the fact that your mood could deteriorate so that if you start showing signs of significant depression they intervene and get you off the drug.

There was just an article (I think in the NYTimes) recently about a bunch of drugs, including Singulair which turn perfectly normal people without mental health issues into suicides. It is a real problem as the overwhelming depression caused by a drug can happen very quickly with little warning.

[siwa1]

Thanks everybody for the warm wellcome.
I am aware of the possible side effects of Acomplia. I have warned my partner. I am thinking of stopping the consumption after the next medical visit in mid september. It has done miracles! I have to say.
Siwa1

Siwa1