Informed Consent for Medically Management Weight Loss Therapy

I acknowledge that I am voluntarily entering into a medically managed weight loss program with Schneider Mobile Clinic LLC. I fully realize that entering any program involving weight reduction, which includes moderate calorie restriction, exercise, and medications, involves potential risks and side effects. The risks include, but may not be limited to the following:

1. Cardiovascular (heart or blood pressure): These problems may include heart palpitations, irregular beats, or rapid heartbeat. These effects are usually mild but can result in serious problems including heart attack or stroke. Also, these medications may increase blood pressure, which if left untreated can lead to heart attack or stroke. If you discontinue the weight loss medication, the elevated blood pressure usually resolves. For this reason, if you are on blood pressure medications you are required to monitor your blood pressure daily and discontinue medications if blood pressure rise, your heart rate increases, or you feel palpitations.

2. Sudden Death: Patients with morbid obesity, particularly those with hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes, have a statistically higher chance of suffering sudden death when compared to normal weight people without such medical problems. Rare instances of sudden death have occurred while obese patients were undergoing medically supervised weight reduction, though no cause and effect relationship with the diet has been established. The possibility cannot be excluded that some undefined or unknown factor in the treatment program could increase this risk in an already medically vulnerable patient.

3. Reduced Potassium Levels: The calorie level you will be consuming is 800 or more calories per day and it is important that you consume the calories which have been prescribed in your diet to minimize side effects. Failure to consume all of the food and fluids, nutritional supplements or taking a diuretic medication (water pill) may cause low blood potassium levels or deficiencies in other nutrients. Low potassium levels can cause serious heart irregularities. When someone has been on a reduced calorie diet, a rapid increase in calorie intake, especially overeating or binge-eating, can be associated with bloating, fluid retention, disturbances in electrolytes, or gallbladder attacks and abdominal pain. For these reasons, following the diet carefully and following the gradual increase in calories after weight loss is essential.

4. Gall Bladder Disease: Any program resulting in rapid weight loss may precipitate the formation of gallstones, which could lead to cholecystitis (inflammation of your gallbladder), which is a medical urgency or emergency and could require surgery. This is typically because of the rapid weight loss, not the medications you are taking. Symptoms include right upper abdominal pain, abdominal just below your ribs, nausea, and vomiting.

5. Pancreatitis: Pancreatitis, or an infection in the bile ducts, may be caused by gallstones or the development of sludge or obstruction in the bile ducts. The symptoms of pancreatitis include pain in the left upper abdominal area, nausea, and fever. Pancreatitis may be precipitated by binge-eating or consuming a large meal after a period of dieting. Also associated with pancreatitis is long-term abuse of alcohol and the use of certain medications and increased age. Pancreatitis may require surgery and may be associated with more serious complications and death.

6. Psychiatric: There are reported cases of “hysterical or psychotic reactions” associated with the use or discontinuation of some of the drugs utilized for weight loss purposes. These reactions are extremely rare.