Phentermine and Topomax

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  • laurabadams
    laurabadams Posts: 201 Member
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    I took Topamax for migraines & did lose some weight. I also experienced significant depression & even suicidal ideation. When not taking Topamax, I've never experienced depression. It's a horrible drug, imo, & doctors do not do a good job of warning their patients about possible side effects or monitoring them appropriately.
  • reichardtjessica
    reichardtjessica Posts: 89 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I was on phentermine about 2 months ago. I lost 23 lbs in about 5 weeks.. Then I fell off the bandwagon. My weight loss doctor didn't talk to me about healthy eating or portion control. She told me how many cals to eat and how often to exercise and gave me a script. At 312 lbs and 5'7 she put me on 1300 cals a day which I've read is a big drop from what MFP would give me so I'm sure that's why I lost weight so fast plus, going from 0 exercise to 3-5 days a week At least 60 mins a day I'm sure helped as well. I've been off the bandwagon about a month now and have only gained 2 lbs (I know 2 lbs is a lot in a month, but considering I stopped exercising completely and ate like a horse I think its a good thing) I also stopped taking the phentermine only because I was still super hungry while taking it so I felt like what was the point. Now, I've started logging again and will start my exercise regims again WITHOUT phentermine I guess to test it. Did it REALLY help me lose weight or not. I'm not knocking it at all, I hope you have long term success with it.. But I personally don't want to take meds to help aid in my journey anymore. As for Topamox, my mother was on it since she has seizures and she dropped a bunch of weight and has kept it off.. But she is much more active now.
  • jazziekins
    jazziekins Posts: 6 Member
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    I take Topamax for migraines. I have not seen any weight loss from I-beam however I will admit to being a horrible patient and only taking it half the time due to side effects. Half my normal dosage helps curb some of the side effects and keeps my migraines under control. Finally a win-win for the non-compliant patient. :)
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    jospen83 wrote: »
    I took Topamax for migraines & did lose some weight. I also experienced significant depression & even suicidal ideation. When not taking Topamax, I've never experienced depression. It's a horrible drug, imo, & doctors do not do a good job of warning their patients about possible side effects or monitoring them appropriately.

    I just want to agree with this part. When my doctor put me on topamax for migraines I was surprised. I've had experience with a number of psychotropic medications from working in behavior with the DD population in the past. So I was aware of what the drug was and knew to get more information on it.

    My experience so far has not been horrible, but their are definitely risks and weird side effects (even ibruprofen use has risks). She told me it was generally tolerated and had NO side effects..... Some doctors just kind of suck
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    slaite1 wrote: »
    jospen83 wrote: »
    I took Topamax for migraines & did lose some weight. I also experienced significant depression & even suicidal ideation. When not taking Topamax, I've never experienced depression. It's a horrible drug, imo, & doctors do not do a good job of warning their patients about possible side effects or monitoring them appropriately.

    I just want to agree with this part. When my doctor put me on topamax for migraines I was surprised. I've had experience with a number of psychotropic medications from working in behavior with the DD population in the past. So I was aware of what the drug was and knew to get more information on it.

    My experience so far has not been horrible, but their are definitely risks and weird side effects (even ibruprofen use has risks). She told me it was generally tolerated and had NO side effects..... Some doctors just kind of suck

    It's pregnancy category D and is associated with cleft palate and facial disabilities! Plus at least some of the weight loss side effects come from changes in your ability to taste certain foods!
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
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    And it interferes with one of the common hormones in birth control pills, meaning that may make some of them less effective:

    ADDITIONAL CONTRACEPTION RECOMMENDED: Efficacy of oral contraception may be decreased by concomitant use with topiramate. The mechanism of action appears to be increased metabolism of the estrogenic component of the oral contraceptive. In a pharmacokinetic study with topiramate 800 mg/day, ethinyl estradiol clearance increased by 47% (range 13% to 107%), while norethindrone was unaffected.

  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    edited June 2017
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    savithny wrote: »
    And it interferes with one of the common hormones in birth control pills, meaning that may make some of them less effective:

    ADDITIONAL CONTRACEPTION RECOMMENDED: Efficacy of oral contraception may be decreased by concomitant use with topiramate. The mechanism of action appears to be increased metabolism of the estrogenic component of the oral contraceptive. In a pharmacokinetic study with topiramate 800 mg/day, ethinyl estradiol clearance increased by 47% (range 13% to 107%), while norethindrone was unaffected.

    This is true. I always get warned about the OC/ Topamax interaction everytime I get my refills. I know OCs can cause migraines, but I need those for anemia causing gyn problems. Topomax has zero effect on my weight, btw.

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