For Healthcare Providers

Dosing for BELVIQ® or BELVIQ XR®

How to Take BELVIQ® or BELVIQ XR®

You may be prescribed BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR. BELVIQ is available in two different dosage forms. BELVIQ (lorcaserin HCl) CIV, 10 mg blue-colored tablet taken twice daily, or BELVIQ XR (lorcaserin HCl) CIV, 20 mg orange-colored tablet taken once-daily. You should take BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR, with or without food, as prescribed by your Healthcare Provider, with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

One 10 mg Pill Twice Per Day

OR

One 20 mg Pill Once Per Day

Depending on what dosage your Healthcare Provider has prescribed for you, take your medication exactly as prescribed along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

If you miss a dose, wait until your next scheduled dose, then resume your normal schedule.

Never take more than one pill at a time.

Taking too much BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR may cause hallucinations, a feeling of being high or in a very good mood, or feelings of standing outside your body.

Your Healthcare Provider should tell you to stop or continue taking BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR based upon achieving at least 5% weight loss, among other factors, by the first 12 weeks of treatment.

The fact of the matter is that prescription treatment can only work if you take it as prescribed. It makes sense, right? Yet many people find it difficult to make daily treatments a part of their routine.

There are a number of reasons why patients slip up, such as forgetting to refill prescriptions, forgetting to take medication on time, and not understanding the directions. Here are some tips that may help you stay on track and get the most out of your treatment.

Remember, you can always ask your Healthcare Provider or pharmacist for more information or suggestions for making BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR part of your everyday routine.

Tips for Making BELVIQ® or BELVIQ XR® Part of Your Daily Routine

Try to take your medication at the same time every day.

For example, if you are taking a twice-daily BELVIQ® 10 mg blue-colored tablet, take one immediately after waking up in the morning and one before you go to bed at night. Or take one with breakfast and one with dinner.

If you are taking a Once-Daily BELVIQ XR® 20 mg orange-colored tablet, take it at the same time everyday. Do not take BELVIQ XR twice a day.

Keep it in sight

If you keep forgetting to take your medication, try leaving it where you'll notice it. If you are taking your medication with food, place your pill bottle in the kitchen or near somewhere you eat regularly as a reminder. Like all medications, be sure to keep BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR out of the reach of children and pets.

Use a container

Consider placing your daily dose of BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR in a portable pill case or small container and throw it in your purse or briefcase. That way, you'll always have it with you.

Write it down

When you first start taking BELVIQ or BELVIQ XR, try keeping a record of each dose you take for the first few weeks; it may help you remember to take it every day as prescribed.

If you miss a dose, wait until your next scheduled dose, then resume your normal schedule. Never take more than one pill at a time.


You’re staying focused on your weight loss goals. One 20 mg BELVIQ XR tablet daily provides steady support throughout the day. Each 20 mg orange-colored tablet releases medicine gradually in your body throughout the day.

Please consult your Healthcare Provider about how to take your medications.

Our Discussion Guide Can Help You Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Weight-Loss Treatment Options.
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What is BELVIQ®/BELVIQ XR®?

BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR is a FDA-approved prescription weight-loss medication that, when used with diet and exercise, can help some adults (body mass index [BMI]  ≥27 kg/m2) living with extra weight, with a weight-related medical problem, or adults living with obesity (BMI  ≥30 kg/m2), lose weight and keep it off. It is not known if BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight-loss products is safe and effective. It is not known if BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR changes your risk of heart problems, stroke, or death due to heart problems or stroke.

Important Safety Information

  • Pregnancy: Do not take if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, as weight loss offers no benefit during pregnancy and BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR may harm your unborn baby.
  • Hypersensitivity reactions: Do not take if you are allergic to lorcaserin or any of the ingredients in BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR.
  • Serotonin Syndrome or Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)-like reactions: Before using, tell your Healthcare Provider about all the medicines you take, especially medicines that treat depression, migraines, mental problems, or the common cold. These medicines may cause serious or life-threatening side effects if taken with BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR. Call your Healthcare Provider right away if you experience agitation, hallucinations, confusion, or other changes in mental status; coordination problems; uncontrolled muscle spasms; muscle twitching; restlessness; racing or fast heartbeat; high or low blood pressure; sweating; fever; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; or stiff muscles.
  • Valvular heart disease: Some people taking medicines like BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR have had heart valve problems. Call your Healthcare Provider right away if you experience trouble breathing; swelling of the arms, legs, ankles, or feet; dizziness, fatigue, or weakness that will not go away; or fast or irregular heartbeat. Before taking BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR, tell your Healthcare Provider if you have or have had heart problems.
  • Changes in attention or memory: BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR may slow your thinking. You should not drive a car or operate heavy equipment until you know how BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR affects you.
  • Mental problems: Taking too much BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR may cause hallucinations, a feeling of being high or in a very good mood, or feelings of standing outside your body.
  • Depression or thoughts of suicide: Call your Healthcare Provider right away if you notice any mental changes, especially sudden changes in your mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings, or if you have depression or thoughts of suicide.
  • Low blood sugar: Weight loss can cause low blood sugar in people taking medicines for type 2 diabetes, such as insulin or sulfonylureas. Blood sugar levels should be checked before and while taking BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR. Changes to diabetes medication may be needed if low blood sugar develops.
  • Painful erections: If you have an erection lasting more than 4 hours while on, stop taking BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR and call your Healthcare Provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
  • Slow heartbeat: BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR may cause your heart to beat slower.
  • Decreases in blood cell count: BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR may cause your red and white blood cell counts to decrease.
  • Increase in prolactin: BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR may increase the amount of a hormone called prolactin. Tell your Healthcare Provider if your breasts begin to make milk or a milky fluid, or if you are a male and your breasts increase in size.
  • Most common side effects of BELVIQ®/BELVIQ XR®: Headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, constipation, cough, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in patients with diabetes, and back pain.
  • Nursing: BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR should not be taken while breastfeeding.
  • Drug interactions: Before taking BELVIQ/BELVIQ XR, tell your Healthcare Provider if you take medicines for depression, migraines, or other medical conditions, such as: triptans; medicines used to treat mood, anxiety, psychotic or thought disorders, including tricyclics, lithium, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or antipsychotics; cabergoline; linezolid (an antibiotic); tramadol; dextromethorphan (an over-the-counter (OTC) common cold/cough medicine); OTC supplements such as tryptophan or St. John’s Wort; or erectile dysfunction medicines.

BELVIQ®/BELVIQ XR® is a federally controlled substance (CIV) because it may be abused or lead to drug dependence.
For more information about BELVIQ®/BELVIQ XR® talk to your Healthcare Provider and see the full Product Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or
call 1-800-FDA-1088.