Phentermine support

Taraparker1013

I took ALli for about a year and lost about 35 lbs changing my eating habits and exercising. I felt that Alli was very helpful and found much success. Alli is one of the few drugs that is FDA approved and it really forces you to learn how to eat better. As long as you ate less than 15 grams of fat or less per pill/meal, you were safe. I have thought about staring to take it again just to help me even more as it blocks 20% of the fat your body absorbes. There is no altered feeling with Alli and no stimulates. Just make sure you take with a multi vitamin.

caramia_20

Phentermine is the equivelent of speed. It does serious, unrepairable damage to your heart. I took this drug for 2 years about 13 years ago. Lost A LOT of weight. Went from 240 lbs. to 160 lbs. I stopped taking it and ballooned to almost 300lbs. I have now realized how unhealthy my choices were then. I have lost 103lbs. by eating right and exercising. And it has taken me 15 long months to lose that. You don't need a drug. Find what motivates you.

MamaOfThree88

The thing about this drug, which I take, is that you can NOT eat unhealthy on this drug. I mean, you can, but you won't lose weight the "right" way. I am currently eating a Paleo diet and have eliminated all gluten/carbs and bad foods as well as increased my water intake (120 oz). If you continue to drink soda, sit on your behind and eat twinkies, then yeah you "might" lose some weight, but boy will it come back plus more.

You have to learn to eat healthy. Eliminate your sugars, carbs, bad fats and put in healthy fats (avocado is my fav!) and drink. more. water.

cardozm

hello everyone.. I have been on and off pf phentermine as of 4/4/15 . starting at 208lbs and now 200lbs.. I have felt the side effects of dry mouth and heart racing.. and also I noticed that not hungry... the reason of being on and off of pill is because I really had a bad case of constipation.. but lesson learned metamuzil is helping me.. I understand its not a magic pill ,, but I like the motivation.... have a great day .

NextPage

I still don't get why anyone would take this drug since it has caused heart problems for many people. It is like taking up smoking because well, it has shown to help some people stay thin and not everyone gets cancer. Everyone who has been successful in keeping weight off has said that they still had to do the hard work - watch calories and exercise. In the end, this is what it comes down to and there is are no health risk with this route. I totally get the difficulty with dealing with "hunger" both the literal and emotional kind but this means that for many of us it is also time to get down with some behaviour changes, ways of distracting ourselves, eating the kind of food that makes us most satisfied etc. I really think that the problems that posters have said they were trying to overcome with a drug are common and there are other less risky routes. That said you are adults and if this is the choice you make please at least proceed with caution. I am saying this because I had a friend who had a heart attack while taking this drug, she survived thank goodness, but up until the heart attack she was a real advocate of phentemine. And yes, she was taken them only as directed by her doctor and she wasn't someone who otherwise engaged in high-risk activity.

prowlingrowlin

I think there are a lot of people that take medication or have help in one form or another in losing weight, doctor supervised or otherwise, but it is so stigmatized here that it is very, very rarely discussed. I don't know of other places/forums that provide the support, but I have seen enough posts to know that you aren't alone in taking them. It's just a touchy topic. People have very strong feelings about it one way or the other. Do what is right for you with your doctor's advice and use your own brain about whether it's best for you given your own total circumstances. I hope you find somewhere else for medication support if you need it.

MonsoonStorm

maillemaker wrote: »

I am currently taking phentermine with topiramate. This is the generic equivalent of Qsymia.

Phentermine is amphetamine - speed. Topiramate is used to treat seizures and is somewhat of a depressant. Both drugs have appetite suppressant qualities.

They are, however, serious drugs and require a prescription. Doctors generally will not prescribe unless you have a BMI over 30 and at least one comorbidity due to obesity, such as high blood pressure.

Qsymia is a time-release, once-a-day pill of phentermine and topiramate. But it is expensive - about $180 a month. Doctors may also prescribe generic phentermine and topiramate. I take one 15 mg phentermine first thing in the morning (it takes all day to burn off ) with a 25 mg topirmate. I am supposed to take a second topirmate in the afternoon but I never do as I do not need it. The generics cost me about $30 a month.

These are low doses of phentermine and topiramate. The topiramate is given in doses far lower than generally given for migraines or seizures and so the risk of side effects is low.

The first two weeks I felt very uncomfortable. Very edgy. But that has gone away. I definitely feel "amped up" in the morning after I take the pills but this goes away by lunch. It is definitely an effective appetite suppressant for me.

Topriamate can effect taste. I can no longer stand the taste of Diet Coke. So after drinking it for decades, I quit cold turkey on February 18th and now drink nothing but water. So that is a pleasant side effect.

My doctor will only prescribe for 6 months then I have to take a 2 month break.

I find the pills very effective as my biggest problem with weight loss and maintaining a calorie deficit is hunger. The pills get rid of hunger, so willpower is no longer an issue. This makes weight loss much easier.

Is it sustainable? No.
Does it teach you to eat properly? No.
Does it teach you to maintain your loss? No.
Does it provide the knowledge needed to maintain your new weight? No.
Does it help you count calories and learn about nutrition? No.

I agree that if you are going to do this, you still need to log your food as it is essential that you learn what proper portions are.

However, if learning to eat properly is simply a habit formed over time, then over the course of, say, 6 months to a year you should learn the new eating habits over that period of time.

However, I suspect that when you stop taking the drug the hunger will come roaring back as the body detects the fat loss and decreases metabolism and increases hunger to try and compensate, and this effect has been seen in the lab for weeks and extrapolated out for years.

So while you may learn new habits, my fear and suspicion is that when you get off the drug the hunger will come roaring back and you will be back on willpower again to try and stick to what you have learned about calorie counting and proper eating. Unfortunately, as my past experience with Redux back in the 1990's showed, willpower usually loses in the end.

But, I'm willing to try it anyway, because it makes the weight loss effortless while I'm on the drug. My mother-in-law lost 60 pounds over last year while on it.

I'm going to ride the train as long as I can to get what results I can.

Reading this just made me shudder.

Topamax also makes you dumb as bricks. Horrible drug, and I can't believe they actually plucked up the balls to remarket this as a "weight loss" supplement.

Why anyone would want to take any kind of medication that messes with your brain in the hopes that it will make them lose a few pounds is completely beyond me.

prowlingrowlin

[/quote]

Reading this just made me shudder.

Topamax also makes you dumb as bricks. Horrible drug, and I can't believe they actually plucked up the balls to remarket this as a "weight loss" supplement.

Why anyone would want to take any kind of medication that messes with your brain in the hopes that it will make them lose a few pounds is completely beyond me.[/quote

It's not for people who are trying to lose just a few lbs. It is for people who are very obese and have very significant comorbidities where the potential side effects are not nearly as severe as the consequences of their other health problems.

maillemaker

Reading this just made me shudder.

Topamax also makes you dumb as bricks. Horrible drug, and I can't believe they actually plucked up the balls to remarket this as a "weight loss" supplement.

Why anyone would want to take any kind of medication that messes with your brain in the hopes that it will make them lose a few pounds is completely beyond me.

Topirmate can cause memory problems, but generally in the doses prescribed for weight loss, which are far lower than prescribed for migraines or seizures, side-effects are mild. The doctor did tell me that I might have trouble coming up with a word (like being on the tip of your tongue) and I have noted that a couple of times but I don't know if it is related to the drug or if I simply had a word on the tip of my tongue.

I have not noticed any degraded cognitive ability. However, I am only taking half of even the prescribed dosage - I never take my afternoon pill.

Also, as noted above, these drugs are not for people looking to "lose a few pounds". In order to get a prescription for them you generally need a BMI over 30 plus at least one comorbidity such as high blood pressure. I have both.

In such cases, the risks of the obesity outweigh the risks of the drug.

angieward39

I took phentermine for a period of 2 months back when I was in my early 20s (that was 15 years ago).

I felt great for the first couple of months and lost 30 pounds. Everyone was complimenting me and I basically felt on top of the world. Then I was out in my backyard doing yard work one day and bent over to pick up a pile of sticks and blood started pouring out of my nose. I thought it was a simple nose bleed but it wouldnt stop. I ended up going to the ER and was told my BP was in stroke range.
Fast forward 2 days in the hospital and thousands in medical bills. I ended up getting off of the pills, gained most of the weight back and never looked back.

I started my own journey of eating healthy and moving more on Halloween of 2014 (about 7 months ago) and have lost 105 pounds on my own with no pills, no surgeries, no crazy diets, and very little stress.
I eat whole foods. I don't drink soda. I walk a lot. I cut out 99% of my meat consumption. I weigh in once a week. I track every bite of food that goes in my mouth. I don't use food to "celebrate" anymore.

It can be done. You have to really want it. You have to be willing to be angry, sad, tired, and irritated. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable. You have to stop making excuses. You have to stop eating junk.

Most of all, You have to be honest with yourself and others.

It can be done.

BodyByBex

maillemaker wrote: »

Reading this just made me shudder.

Topamax also makes you dumb as bricks. Horrible drug, and I can't believe they actually plucked up the balls to remarket this as a "weight loss" supplement.

Why anyone would want to take any kind of medication that messes with your brain in the hopes that it will make them lose a few pounds is completely beyond me.

Topirmate can cause memory problems, but generally in the doses prescribed for weight loss, which are far lower than prescribed for migraines or seizures, side-effects are mild. The doctor did tell me that I might have trouble coming up with a word (like being on the tip of your tongue) and I have noted that a couple of times but I don't know if it is related to the drug or if I simply had a word on the tip of my tongue.

I have not noticed any degraded cognitive ability. However, I am only taking half of even the prescribed dosage - I never take my afternoon pill.

Also, as noted above, these drugs are not for people looking to "lose a few pounds". In order to get a prescription for them you generally need a BMI over 30 plus at least one comorbidity such as high blood pressure. I have both.

In such cases, the risks of the obesity outweigh the risks of the drug.

I have both a BMI over 30 and high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Also the high body fat percentage increases my chances of getting cancer, which are already increased with my BRCA2 mutation. You know what my doctor said? Reduce your caloric intake, eat nutrient dense foods and find an activity you enjoy doing for at least 30 minutes everyday.



Considering the risks are pretty high for me, don't you think MY doctor should have prescribed me some sort of 'magic pill' to help me lose weight?

MamaOfThree88

angieward39 wrote: »

I took phentermine for a period of 2 months back when I was in my early 20s (that was 15 years ago).

I felt great for the first couple of months and lost 30 pounds. Everyone was complimenting me and I basically felt on top of the world. Then I was out in my backyard doing yard work one day and bent over to pick up a pile of sticks and blood started pouring out of my nose. I thought it was a simple nose bleed but it wouldnt stop. I ended up going to the ER and was told my BP was in stroke range.
Fast forward 2 days in the hospital and thousands in medical bills. I ended up getting off of the pills, gained most of the weight back and never looked back.

I started my own journey of eating healthy and moving more on Halloween of 2014 (about 7 months ago) and have lost 105 pounds on my own with no pills, no surgeries, no crazy diets, and very little stress.
I eat whole foods. I don't drink soda. I walk a lot. I cut out 99% of my meat consumption. I weigh in once a week. I track every bite of food that goes in my mouth. I don't use food to "celebrate" anymore.

It can be done. You have to really want it. You have to be willing to be angry, sad, tired, and irritated. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable. You have to stop making excuses. You have to stop eating junk.

Most of all, You have to be honest with yourself and others.

It can be done.

The thing is, you took it 15 years ago and who knows what was in it compared to today. People don't eat junk on the Phentermine pill. I certainly don't, I'm eating Paleo.

fitmomma99

I used it I lost 35 lbs in 3 weeks. Gained it all back and what I lost was muscle. My body has never been the same.

Junebuggyzy

Here's my dilemma now. I feel like I can't do this without Phentermine. Last year, with careful logging my food and exercise here, I went from 162 to 118 in less than a year. On Phentermine. I am short, so that's still a Size 10. Phentermine was a useful tool for me, but I still had to work hard to not overeat.

My doctor is at a weight loss clinic. She is very caring, so that helps a lot. I go in once a month for blood pressure, weight and heart rate. I also weigh in and get measured. The doctor wanted me to gradually taper off the Phentermine. That did not work well for me at all, so I just quit taking it. I still checked in with the doctor every couple of months.

I had a hard time keeping up with my healthy habits. I started eating unhealthy foods. I overate. I didn't feel right without the Phentermine. I stopped logging my foods. I didn't want to see in writing how badly I was eating. I was so disappointed in myself started drinking again. A bottle of wine almost every night. I quickly gained back 15 pounds.

I don't ever want to be in plus sized clothing again. I felt great at 118. I had not been that thin in as long as I can remember. I went back to my weight loss clinic doctor. I wanted to nip this in the bud. She did not really want me to go back on Phentermine, but agreed to a couple of months. I feel better. I am logging my foods again. I am coming here for support from my small group of friends I have met here.

My problem is I don't feel right when I am not taking Phentermine. It's supposed to stop working after awhile, so maybe it's the placebo effect. I just feel so much more motivated when I am taking it. I wish I could stay on it forever.

maillemaker

I have both a BMI over 30 and high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Also the high body fat percentage increases my chances of getting cancer, which are already increased with my BRCA2 mutation. You know what my doctor said? Reduce your caloric intake, eat nutrient dense foods and find an activity you enjoy doing for at least 30 minutes everyday.

Considering the risks are pretty high for me, don't you think MY doctor should have prescribed me some sort of 'magic pill' to help me lose weight?

Not all doctors will prescribe it, regardless of your issues. Some doctors, like some of the people here, are of the opinion that you should just be able to tough it out on your own willpower and if you can't, too bad.

I had one doctor tell me that she would rather sign me up for bariatric surgery rather than prescribe phentermine/topiramate. Now surgery is more effective than drugs for long-term weight loss, but I think it's crazy to go straight to surgery.

Your doctor's advice is spot-on. Unfortunately not everyone has the willpower to do it. Drugs can help some people with that.

maillemaker

The thing is, you took it 15 years ago and who knows what was in it compared to today.

Phentermine is an old drug (1959), so it's quite possible that she was taking the same stuff. High blood pressure is a possible side effect and my doctor looks for it when I have my monthly check-ins. So far no issues.

MamaOfThree88

I'm sure those are taking this and losing so much weight and then gaining back is because of poor eating habits. I cannot stress enough that this is not a miracle pill. You HAVE to learn how to eat.

maillemaker

I'm sure those are taking this and losing so much weight and then gaining back is because of poor eating habits. I cannot stress enough that this is not a miracle pill. You HAVE to learn how to eat.

I suspect it's because the hunger comes back, not habits.

New habits form after about 6 weeks. So if you are on a diet pill for 6 months, new eating habits should be well and truly formed by that point. The problem is once the appetite suppressant is gone, the appetite comes back, and now you're on willpower again to maintain while your body is trying to restore fat stores back to their previous levels.

KatrinaMitchellKilburn2015

I started adipex late March and loss 3 pounds not sure why so little loss

MamaOfThree88

maillemaker wrote: »

I'm sure those are taking this and losing so much weight and then gaining back is because of poor eating habits. I cannot stress enough that this is not a miracle pill. You HAVE to learn how to eat.

I suspect it's because the hunger comes back, not habits.

New habits form after about 6 weeks. So if you are on a diet pill for 6 months, new eating habits should be well and truly formed by that point. The problem is once the appetite suppressant is gone, the appetite comes back, and now you're on willpower again to maintain while your body is trying to restore fat stores back to their previous levels.

Appetite will come back and it is up to you what you eat. Are you going to reach for carbs? Or sugar? Develop a clean eating habit. When you are hungry, grab a boiled egg for protein or make yourself a clean smoothie.