Has anyone tried Phentermine 37.5mg?

imagination_fragments

I recently started seeing a specialist for my hypothyroidism and she's recommended that once she gets my thyroid levels balanced that I try Phentermine 37.5mg to help me with my weight-loss.

I'm wondering if anyone else's doctor has recommended this medication.

I tried to do a basic search in the message boards but I swear a lot of people had nothing but ugly things to say. I understand losing weight naturally is best but verbally berating a person because they aren't doing it the "right way" is crazy.

I'm not thrilled to be on another medication but I realize that it might help. I've been between 270 and 266 for the past three years despite completely changing my diet (cutting pastas out, no more sweets or snacks in the pantry, including a lot more fruits and veggies and learning to love my rice cooker for cooking my veggies), severely limiting my caffeine intake (one can during the weekdays simply because I can't do coffee) and exercising between four and five times a week. I even walk up and down stairs at work during my break so I get away from the computer and move. Weight lifting has been helpful but due to joint issues most forms of cardio hurt ... a lot. Was swimming most weekdays while the weather was nice but now that it is colder outside not such a viable opinion so I use the bikes at the gym now. I seem to be able to maintain weight but not lose it. At least my appetite is under control and I typically only eat when I'm actually hungry or I know that I need to eat.

The tl;dr version is despite my lifestyle changes I haven't been able to lose weight while my now husband has lost over 75lbs by doing the same lifestyle changes in the same period of time! I will admit to being a bit jealous ... I have no desire to be 170lbs (per height/weight chart) but my main goal is 200lbs so I'm hoping this medication helps. I'm just wondering if anyone else with thyroid issues has ever tried this and had success.

Thanks ^_^

Fuzzipeg

I found the better I ate, that is the more I ate plenty of fruits and veg within calorie restriction I still did not loose weight and my joints ached to the extent I had to use walking sticks and this was before my thyroid really became a nightmare. By accident I discovered if I took medication pre exercise I had pain. Then I realised if I forgot to take pills I got no pain. Over time the discomfort totally went and I lost a lot of weight but had no clue why. Then I discovered salicylate. I would not wish salicylate sensitivity on anyone, it can be a component in chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, asthma, so many other chronic illnesses even MCS.

Salicylate is a toxin which many plants use to protect themselves from moulds and mildews, it is the active ingredient in aspirin and other related pain relief, in us too much can cause untold problems from fluid retention, night sweats and many also on the low thyroid lists. In general doctors are even less aware of dietary salicylate as an issues than they are low thyroid. Doctors advise asthmatics to avoid aspirin because it will make their breathing problems worse but they do not consider corn starch, vanilla, tomato purée common food additives to be a real problem too. My attention was drawn to your problem with coffee, like tea, this too is high in salicylate.

Please look up Salicylate Sensitivity.com this site uses information compiled by an Australian Dietitian and many of her colleagues giving a graduated list of herbs, veg and fruits etc as well as symptoms of sensitivity. Some people have trivial symptoms others are more susceptible and it is not known why, this is at the edge of science apparently. The UK Thyroid support site came up with the salicylate /thyroid connection, for me when I did a cross reference search. Finegold is another name to search. The consensus is for an exclusion of all diet and then add back. I would suggest initially cutting out high value foods and if this is an issue you should feel personal benefits within days then it is up to you how far you go or need to go for optimum benefit.

Last January I consulted an immunologist who confirmed salicylate sensitivity and thyroid issues but my immune system was too suppressed by the thyroid so I was referred to endocrinology. When I eliminated aspirin related medication and then as much salicylate from my system as I could, I had been reducing the toxic load on my thyroid. The thyroid function is to monitor and support many of our hormonal systems from cell replication and digestion from start to finish including the elimination of toxins and general waste products from digestion, respiration as well as substances which breach the moist mucus and skin barriers particularly when the thyroid is under performing.

Back to your question about weight loss medication. I don't know. They can be helpful in some people. I would observe myself for unwanted side effects. Because low thyroid function and weight problems go together, hand in glove I would try for optimum treatment first. Reading around and around my SS and thyroid problems I have concluded, A/ tsh should be at or under 1, B/ the addition of t3 to the t4 is helpful in terms of well being and weight loss particularly where a person is not converting 4 to 3 well, (selenium can help in this process) C/ natural thyroid is possibly better than synthetic because it includes t2 (which is made in women's ovaries) and t1, (I don't know where that comes from, just that it exists). Contrary to common belief and the net recycling old information the natural thyroid is no more problematical in the production of equal tablets than any other medication. All pharmaceutical companies and products are subjected to checks and balances and have to pass at very high standards to be tested on and then given to members of the public. Information at the start of this paragraph is controversial, the medical profession seem to fall into two main camps one gives minimal treatment where as others seek optimal benefits for the patient. Being able to find a sympathetic practitioner is difficult. I have noticed in the US there are practitioners who straddle the natural approach as well as general medicine and this offers some a third option. Finding a practitioner who treats to symptoms is in my humble opinion, desirable.

All the very best, I hope you find what will work best for you. After all this is all any of us want, what works best for us.

imagination_fragments

I looked up the Salicylate Sensitivity that you mentioned and all I can say is ... yikes ...

I'm pretty sure that my joint issues aren't caused by a salicylate sensitivity. My knees are messed up from a combination of sports injury and a skiing accident (was trying to avoid crashing into a friend and ended up twisting my right knee). A minor car accident years ago left my neck sort of messed up. No "real" damage but it causes discomfort when the weather is stupid. The main thing that keeps me from doing most cardio workouts is my feet. About two years ago I worked in an ER as part of an internship to finish a degree. Because I told my school that I would not quit my good job I ended up working 40 hours a week at one job where I was mostly on my feet and another 40 hours a week at a hospital where I was always on my feet. The constant abuse and the fact I already had flat feet ended with me having a wonderful issue called Plantar fasciitis.

Luckily it occurred right at the end of my internship so I was able to finish but the pain was so bad I could barely walk. Even standing was beyond painful and grocery runs ended up with me in one of those tiny electric scooters. My then boyfriend/now husband was crazy helpful (that's when I knew I was going to keep him around for a good long time). Between meds and foot braces and generally just being a stubborn cuss I was able to walk almost normally within about a year and a half.

Had so much improvement that when we got married a few months ago we went to Savannah and walked all over the historic district. Sadly after having such a good time walking when we came back we tried to get back into our old walking schedule and my feet went out on me after about a week. So we swam for the remainder of the summer and now that's its getting cold again we're back at the gym. I can use the tread mill or the elliptical machine and the main cardio machine I can use is the bike. Unfortunately after about 25 minutes of light work the bottoms of my feet start to burn and hurt a lot.

It goes away if I'm sitting and doing other exercise so its not interfering with my weight training much but between my feet and my knees the cardio machines at the gym are next to useless. Weight training is all fine and good but the cardio seems to be the best for losing the weight and at this point I don't really have a way to do it at the level I need to do.

I have at least until late December before she's looking to put me on this medicine. I'm sort of hoping that once my levels are stable I won't need the medicine.

Fuzzipeg

I'm relieved you have so many good reasons to disregard salicylate toxicity as a contributory factor. I'm pleased for you that you are recovered from so many bad happenings. From what you have written if anyone can beat this thing, thyroid, you can. I spoke out because I have been failed by my health advisers, being told to live with this and that and couldn't keep quiet if someone else were having similar issues to mine, or at least how it all started.

All the very best, hope all comes right soon.