Safe?

rjel78
rjel78 Posts: 102 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
So I just got done at the doctors and it was not a good visit, as I gained 5 lbs since my last visit. He suggested weight loss surgery but without insurance it would cost 4 million dollars out of pocket...he then gave me a prescilription for Adipex, which I have never heard of but the side affects are pretty scary. Anyone else take this and if so what were your experiences?
«1

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I do not know the medicine or its side effects. As you research it and perhaps seek a 2nd opinion, start NOW if you have not already done so: log your intake accurately and honestly so as to eat at a deficit.

    If you're being recommended for weight loss surgery, I assume you are more than 100 and possibly more than 200 pounds overweight. From your profile, you are male. Look for areas you can eliminate calories. Do you drink calorie heavy soda, tea? If so, switch to a lower cal alternative immediately. More baked/grilled, less fried/breaded. Move more assuming you have clearance for light impact cardio.
  • rmgnow
    rmgnow Posts: 375 Member
    Did you just want to share what happened at the doctor?
    Are you just looking for other people's opinions on the drug?
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    Holy *kitten*-balls! 4 MILLION dollars??!! I really hope you are being figurative, not literal. Have you went to a nutritionist? they can help you make a diet plan and exercise schedule.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Hey, I know it isn't quick but you can modify the amount of calories you eat to be in deficit. Until I came here I had no idea how badly I was overeating. Over time with dedication it will produce results. I say this because I do not want to be on any medication if I can avoid them. Every drug has side effects and each one you take compounds it. I was close to needing blood pressure medication when I made changes to how much I eat, what I eat and exercise habits. Blood pressure is down and cholesterol too. Good luck and get started.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    You give no information about yourself (other than having gained 5 pounds). I would say that it may depend on how overweight you are and how urgently you need to start losing. For most people, I would say it's not worth the risks, but for someone who is morbidly obese it may be a better thing to drop some weight right away. It's about balancing risks and benefits.

    If your doctor didn't talk to you about the risks and why he thinks it's a good idea for you to take it, I would call and ask for more information. You can also ask the pharmacist for a lot of information regarding risks, possible side effects, and drug interactions.
  • KevHex
    KevHex Posts: 256 Member
    You have the number 78 in your MFP username, is that the year you were born. If you are 39/40 years old you have lots of time on your side. Just make a start on the suggestions people have made on this forum and in 6 months to a year you will be in a different place, and in 2 years who knows what great shape you will be in. There is no need for drugs or surgery. Everyone will offer plenty of help and support, you just need to make lots of right decisions every day and progress will follow.
  • rjel78
    rjel78 Posts: 102 Member
    I do not have endurance and am unemployed so I cannot afford surgery. I do have a good scale, log my food,etc. also he did briefly discuss the side effects but doctors say a lot of things so I want a non-doctors opinion on this. I have tried different things, including switching up foods and exercise and nothing is really working, or not as fast as I want it too. I only drink 2 diet sodas a week now, as everything else is either water or coffee. This is not like I did not make an attempt and was lazy, my body is different than others so what I did may have made others lose 40 lbs. I really want this weight off but I'm struggling right now.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Wow. What a helpful doctor.

    Glad you checked in with us here. Let's keep this thread going. I think you can do this without surgery and drugs.
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
    I don't remember where they are, but there are a few threads on Adipex/Phenteramine in the forums. If you use the search function, you will find several discussions.

    It's a serious drug that can have some bad side effects, but if you have a medical need to drop weight quickly then the rewards *may* outweigh the risks.

    Keep in mind that it is NOT a panacea. You WILL still need to learn better habits with regards to diet if you want to lose weight and keep it off. As others have suggested, start now by logging what you eat and making small changes where you can.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited July 2017
    This content has been removed.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
    My weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a day, due to all sorts of things not fat gains related. And if you're comparing two dr. office visits then you're most likely weighing at different times of day and wearing different clothes. If one visit was say at 8am and the next one was at 3pm you're going to have very different weigh-ins. If you're wearing tennis shoes one visit and then flip flops the next time you're going to have different weigh-ins. If you wear jeans one visit and then shorts the next etc etc etc.

    I'm not seeing why he'd suggest a life changing surgery or life changing drug over 5lbs. That seems a bit extreme.

    edit: clarity
  • InkAndApples
    InkAndApples Posts: 201 Member
    I am baffled as to someone may actually seek out the advice of non-doctors over the internet instead of qualified medical professional who knows your entire medical history.

    Why not just stick with your doctor's suggestions?
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    rjel78 wrote: »
    So I just got done at the doctors and it was not a good visit, as I gained 5 lbs since my last visit. He suggested weight loss surgery but without insurance it would cost 4 million dollars out of pocket...he then gave me a prescilription for Adipex, which I have never heard of but the side affects are pretty scary. Anyone else take this and if so what were your experiences?

    I'm still stuck on the 4 million dollar part...I can see it being $100 000+ but 4 million seems like a wild exaggeration!
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    rjel78 wrote: »
    So I just got done at the doctors and it was not a good visit, as I gained 5 lbs since my last visit. He suggested weight loss surgery but without insurance it would cost 4 million dollars out of pocket...he then gave me a prescilription for Adipex, which I have never heard of but the side affects are pretty scary. Anyone else take this and if so what were your experiences?

    I'm still stuck on the 4 million dollar part...I can see it being $100 000+ but 4 million seems like a wild exaggeration!

    In my area you can get gastric bypass surgery done for under $25,000, other options like the sleeve are even cheaper. I know people who've paid for it oop, without insurance, (they re-gained the weight back, plus some btw).
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I disagree @kshama2001 - why would you suggest he eat more? 2000 was his doctor's recommendation and he can get plenty of nutrition on that. 3300 is just delaying the inevitable. The only reason to eat that much is as a step-down process. He's not exercising. He's more than 200 pounds over weight.
  • princeofmind
    princeofmind Posts: 95 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    rjel78 wrote: »
    I do not have endurance and am unemployed so I cannot afford surgery. I do have a good scale, log my food,etc. also he did briefly discuss the side effects but doctors say a lot of things so I want a non-doctors opinion on this. I have tried different things, including switching up foods and exercise and nothing is really working, or not as fast as I want it too. I only drink 2 diet sodas a week now, as everything else is either water or coffee. This is not like I did not make an attempt and was lazy, my body is different than others so what I did may have made others lose 40 lbs. I really want this weight off but I'm struggling right now.

    On http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10573374/caloric-intake-question you said your doctor suggested 2,000 calories per day, and with 200 pounds to lose, that probably is too little for you. I'm female, a lot lighter, and presumably shorter and older as well, and I can lose weight on 2,000 calories gross (gross calories include calories I earned from exercise.)

    Have you been sticking to 3,300, and for how long? Obviously, with 1,300 more calories, weight loss would be slower, but this may be more sustainable for you and thus give you better results than if you give up in despair.

    I spent some time figuring out what foods fill me up the best. When I focus on them, I am only hungry right before meals.

    Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal

    ...Tips on how to feel fuller

    So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:
    1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
    2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
    3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
    4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
    5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

    Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

    I would ignore the first bit of advice given.
    Always trust a doctor over a stranger on the internet.
    The doctor gave personal advice to you after meeting you.
    They have studied for years for this.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    rjel78 wrote: »
    I do not have endurance and am unemployed so I cannot afford surgery. I do have a good scale, log my food,etc. also he did briefly discuss the side effects but doctors say a lot of things so I want a non-doctors opinion on this. I have tried different things, including switching up foods and exercise and nothing is really working, or not as fast as I want it too. I only drink 2 diet sodas a week now, as everything else is either water or coffee. This is not like I did not make an attempt and was lazy, my body is different than others so what I did may have made others lose 40 lbs. I really want this weight off but I'm struggling right now.

    In what way is your body 'different'?

    +1 to this...how is your body different and what did you do that would have made others lose 40lbs, but didn't work for you???
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
    princeofmind wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    rjel78 wrote: »
    I do not have endurance and am unemployed so I cannot afford surgery. I do have a good scale, log my food,etc. also he did briefly discuss the side effects but doctors say a lot of things so I want a non-doctors opinion on this. I have tried different things, including switching up foods and exercise and nothing is really working, or not as fast as I want it too. I only drink 2 diet sodas a week now, as everything else is either water or coffee. This is not like I did not make an attempt and was lazy, my body is different than others so what I did may have made others lose 40 lbs. I really want this weight off but I'm struggling right now.

    On http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10573374/caloric-intake-question you said your doctor suggested 2,000 calories per day, and with 200 pounds to lose, that probably is too little for you. I'm female, a lot lighter, and presumably shorter and older as well, and I can lose weight on 2,000 calories gross (gross calories include calories I earned from exercise.)

    Have you been sticking to 3,300, and for how long? Obviously, with 1,300 more calories, weight loss would be slower, but this may be more sustainable for you and thus give you better results than if you give up in despair.

    I spent some time figuring out what foods fill me up the best. When I focus on them, I am only hungry right before meals.

    Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal

    ...Tips on how to feel fuller

    So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:
    1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
    2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
    3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
    4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
    5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

    Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

    I would ignore the first bit of advice given.
    Always trust a doctor over a stranger on the internet.
    The doctor gave personal advice to you after meeting you.
    They have studied for years for this.

    Many doctors have very little education/background in nutrition. Over the past few years I've had 3 doctors-the one who studied sports nutrition and had a background in that area gave me much different advice than the other 2 (I saw the 3 of them in the context of annual well check-ups). All 3 were MDs, but only 1 had any idea what he was talking about in the context of nutrition. The other two were clueless.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    I cant get passed the $4mil.
    No.
    "Doctors say a lot of things"... I need opinions from non-doctors on medicine.

    Dear~
    Speak to a pharmacist about the meds in questions.
    You can take all the pills you want- You can have your 4 MILLION dollar operation but you will have learned nothing.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories