Anyone on Topamax or Phentermine?

If you are on these or have taken them in the past I would like to read about your experience with them. Thank you.
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Replies

  • I tried Phentermine for a while but didn't like the lightheaded feeling i would get because i didn't eat. It works well to surpress my appetite however i would forget to eat and feel lightheaded and then i would bing eat to get rid of the feeling. So not really sucessful in my option.
  • Julettashane
    Julettashane Posts: 723 Member
    i was on fastin which is supposed to be like phentermine..........i couldnt stay still and talked non stop lol it helped but i was so bouncy.....my mom was on the phentermine that the dr gave her and she didnt have side effects and she lost like 20lbs in the 1st 2 months i believe
  • I tried Phentermine, and it didn't help me lose weight. It did help with my appetite but yea it made me light headed and felt dizzy at times. I ate healthy and excercised and I didn't lose a single pound. It may just not of worked for me but I have yet to know someone who it has helped.
  • I took topamax for about a year a few years back. I was in a really bad car accident, and ended up having seizures so my doctor prescribed topamax.

    It helped a little with my headaches, but there were a LOT of bad side effects. First I was sleeping nearly 20 hours a day. I could barely function. I had numbness and tingling in my face arms and hands. I was seeing dots. I would get lost driving in my own neighborhood. It was really scary. My moods were also really messed up. I have always been a pretty happy and easy going person, but on topamax I would get very agitated from the littlest things. I also had no appetite. Not sure what your interest in topamax is, but if it is to lose weight then this does work. I lost about 50 pounds in 6 months. But, because of all of the side effects I couldn't really enjoy the weight loss. Some people say the weight came back on for them after they stopped taking the drug. The weight stayed off for about 2 years for me. If you have any other questions just inbox me.
  • joeykat16
    joeykat16 Posts: 81 Member
    I was on Topamax for migraines. It made me have insomnia and I never had an appetite. I lost 10lbs in 2.5 weeks while taking it because I was never hungry (obviously not the way you should lose weight, it was just a side effect). However, I had to find a different medicine because I couldn't handle the insomnia.
  • Blown_Away1
    Blown_Away1 Posts: 123 Member
    I"m on topamax for migraine maintenance. Even though I have talked my doctor into letting me take my full dose at night it still manages to keep me in a fatigued state all day. I had an extremely rough summer, and the positive is that its better than a migraine a week with interim headaches.

    Not sure what you would be taking it for, but its also used for seizure maintenance.

    I agree with others statement about loss of appetite. Haven't been on it long enough to notice mood changes...hope that doesn't happen to me though
  • citizencrp
    citizencrp Posts: 228 Member
    On Topamax for Migraines and yes I have diminished appetite, even a year later (I also quit smoking without even trying or knowing that might be a side effect).
    There's another recent thread about Topamax and it's side effects, if you do a search you'll find it. I think it was less than a week ago.
  • Melaniec78
    Melaniec78 Posts: 259 Member
    I took phentermine and the weight loss was great for the first 3 weeks I think I lost like 14 lbs after that I barely lost so I figured feeling crappy and akward at work from the pill was definetly not worth having the same weight loss I could have on my own.
  • ashleybr1980
    ashleybr1980 Posts: 70 Member
    bump
  • I haven't tried either one. Why not eat healthy and exercise instead of looking for the easy way. I have heard it comes off quickly but when you go back to eating normal you gain back more than you lost. I would rather do it the healthy way even if it takes longer to get it off. Just my opinion though.
  • I've been on Phentermine a number of times..... helped me lose about 30 pounds 3 years ago..... which I've gained back. I got back on it this past year, and it didn't do anything this time..... did curb my appetite and gave me extra energy for several days, then after that, nothing. I figured I could spend that $$ better on healthier food and exercise equipment.
  • I have been on topamax for almost 12 years now because of seizures. My doctor told me about a surgical procedure in which would remove old scar tissue from my brain that contributes to my seizures and headaches associated with them. This was a few years ago... not to keen on having my skull open.
  • Starbuck2020
    Starbuck2020 Posts: 173 Member
    I was diagnosed with bipolar. They had given me depakote and I gained weight instantly. I have been off of it for a few months and working really hard on getting in shape. Lots of exercise and tracking what I eat. Very little progress. My doctor told me that Topamax can be used as a mood stabilizer with the side effect of losing weight instead of gaining like most of the other drugs. She gave me phentermine and I have been taking it for almost 2 weeks. I am focussing really hard on making the right choices and keeping my calories up so I can train my brain to expect ____ calories a day and not eating after such and such time of night etc. I am sitting here thinking that Topamax might have been a better choice though since a lot of my bad choices were made due to unstable mood. Thanks for all of the input.

    I have to get to work, but I will be back on later.
  • I haven't tried either one. Why not eat healthy and exercise instead of looking for the easy way. I have heard it comes off quickly but when you go back to eating normal you gain back more than you lost. I would rather do it the healthy way even if it takes longer to get it off. Just my opinion though.

    ^^^ what she said. :)
  • Starbuck2020
    Starbuck2020 Posts: 173 Member
    I haven't tried either one. Why not eat healthy and exercise instead of looking for the easy way. I have heard it comes off quickly but when you go back to eating normal you gain back more than you lost. I would rather do it the healthy way even if it takes longer to get it off. Just my opinion though.

    I have always eaten pretty healthy and I have developed an excellent love for exercise. My mental health has improved, but I spent at least 10 years with untreated chemical imbalances in my brain. The medication is meant to help me get that all sorted out so I can be consistant with my lifestyle.
  • I took Phentermine when I was trying to lose weight for my wedding (8 years ago). I lost alot of weight however I was also in the gym EVERY DAY. Phentermine definitely helped suppress my appetite but you also have to work at it and still make good choices.

    When I got close to my goal weight I stopped taking it and got complacent. Guess what, all the weight (plus more) came back. See I didn't learn anything. Just kept popping that pill and letting it do the work. I should have been making changes along the way but since I didn't I fell back into the same old same old.

    This time I am working my butt off without the help of diet pills. I am changing the way I eat, the way I work out, etc. I want to do it the healthy way this time.

    Keep in mind that it's a stimulant (similar pharmacology to amphetamine). You'll want to make sure you and your body can tolerate something like that. It's meant to be used short term with exercise, diet, and behavior modification. I can't tell you not to use it because that would be hypocritical. Just be aware of what you're ingesting and the possible short term and long term effects.

    Good luck!!
  • Blown_Away1
    Blown_Away1 Posts: 123 Member
    I have a friend on Amitriptyline...ask your doctor if it would be right for you. It has stabilized her mood swings and she's not gained an ounce on it. I don't know what kind of med it is though. I've never looked it up.
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    Was on Topamax several years ago for migraines. I can't recall but I know one of the many parts of the coctail I was admiinistered back then caused me to have rls, I was ALWAYS lethargic, and I gained weight fierce. Between all the doctors and all the pills, I finally said screw it, took myself off everything and waited 6 months before returning to doctors. Funny, the only thing I needed then was the anti-depressant, which was also the source of the rls but I'm not on that anymore.... I'm crazy, I deal with it by kicking my *kitten* during a workout. LOL
  • jfmast
    jfmast Posts: 1
    All I can say is : best weight loss pill by far is oxyelite pro.
    That plus HIIT training has changed my life.
  • khelm31
    khelm31 Posts: 51 Member
    I took Adipex (which is a phentermine) for about 3 months last year. It was great for appetite suppression and increased energy, but it did make me have anxiety at times. I cut down to 1/2 pill and that seemed to do well. Overall I lost 10 lbs, but after I quit taking it, I gradually gained those 10 lbs back. My doctor had said that these pills are bad for your heart, so I had to monitor my blood pressure while on them. She had said that because of this, these weren't pills you could take long term, only a few months out of the year. I know there are others I have talked to that have taken them longer. I think I just decided that if my body gets used to having that in order to function a certain way, it would only work as long as I was taking the pills. I opted to not take them again and am now trying to figure out what will work for my body that only has good side effects, diet, exercise, and making better choices.
  • I absolutely HATED Topamax. It controlled my migraines but it completely messed up my brain. I couldn't think of words, I would space out in the middle of sentences and not remember what I was saying, I couldn't write coherently--I'm a grad student and I basically lost 75% of my productivity. I felt awful. I've been off Topamax for a couple of years and I'm still feeling effects. It wasn't worth it, even if my migraines were debilitating.
  • cldaugherty
    cldaugherty Posts: 28 Member
    I am on Topamax and have been on it for a number of years that I can't remember how many. I take it for migraine prevention. The only side effect I seem to have is feeling fatigued. I have lost weight naturally. I am also on an antidepressant and it hasn't done anything to my appetite or weight. Everything that I have done over the last 4 years in regards to my weight has been control and exercise. The medications help me to function evenly on a day to day basis. I only have one headache on average per month and my depression/anxiety is under control. This helps me to exercise with perseverance and edurance with a purpose and meaning.
  • logrolls
    logrolls Posts: 3 Member
    I lost 50 lbs on phentermine in 3 months - kept it off for almost two years....and then regained it all as soon as I went on fertility drugs/hormones. The phentermine helped me stay full while I taught myself to eat more healthy and "shrunk" my stomach (even if it was partly psychological - it worked). By the time I went off it, I was eating better on my own, without the help of drugs. I had to see the doctor every week while on it so he could check my blood pressure and heart rate, etc....which became expensive. I've had a set back, but knowing that I have done it once is encouraging me now to get a grip and do it again. Good luck - it's all about what works for you, but make sure you are seeing an actual doctor and not ordering the dangerous crap from the internet! (Because of the possible effects on your heart rate, you may only do moderate exercises at first as well...but I love to walk, and that was fine.)
  • Starbuck2020
    Starbuck2020 Posts: 173 Member
    Thanks for the input. I am working with my doctor on this and will keep all of the information in mind. I am the last person that would look for a "miracle pill" when it comes to health, but I am at the point where I just don't see myself doing this on my own. Consistency is key for me.
  • Starbuck2020
    Starbuck2020 Posts: 173 Member
    I have a friend on Amitriptyline...ask your doctor if it would be right for you. It has stabilized her mood swings and she's not gained an ounce on it. I don't know what kind of med it is though. I've never looked it up.

    I will have to ask about that one as well thank you.
  • AverageAngel
    AverageAngel Posts: 123 Member
    All I can say is : best weight loss pill by far is oxyelite pro.
    That plus HIIT training has changed my life.
    I had great success with low dose phentermine about 5 years ago. but also own a treadmill, and have a very supportive husband, that knows a bit about nutrition and weight lifting and was there for me on good and bad days. I had no side effects of the dizziness or what ever.. I think that is in your head. I went from 225 to 175. 1600 calorie diet, hour of circuit, with cardio included 4-5 days a week. My doc ok'd it because I had proof of my work out and diet, but was feeling completely ravenous, and was having a hard time keeping the appetite under control... blah blah blah.. you know what I mean here.. ANYHOW... the topomax thing. good LUCK getting a doc to give it to you. Sorry , but true.
    On the OTHER hand...
    *Oxyelite pro* IS PHENOMENAL.
    It was the closest thing to RX I have found. none of the nasty otc fat burner jitters and bad stuff. I had put my winter butt and belly back on a few years ago, and the scale creeped back up to 195. With Oxypro.. I was able to get my **** together. Got my post workout binges under control again. Don't take it for more than 3 months. pointless. But I agree.. Oxyelite Pro is the non RX way to go. Good luck to you! Remember. Start the process in your kitchen YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.
  • Starbuck2020
    Starbuck2020 Posts: 173 Member
    Well considering my doctor offered the Topamax I don't think I will need much luck.
    Thanks for the feedback though. I have been working out 4-6 days a week for over 4 months. Personal trainer 3 days a week and my own workouts the rest of the week. 60-90 minutes sometimes more.
    I also love every vegetable there is and eat them all the time. haha The doctor seemed to think I was a good candidate so here I am. I don't care if it is 1-2 lbs a week (as I am working hard to keep my calories up to support the exercise). I just need this to help me eat the same general amount of calories a day. I was too up and down with all of it to get any real progress despite the healthy choices and the exercise.
  • W2obx
    W2obx Posts: 17 Member
    My time on Phentermine started out great but after a few weeks I either kicked in "starvation mode" or my body became used to the medication and stopped working. It was great for establishing a good eating pattern but not sure about all the side effects that go with the medication.
  • hope8311
    hope8311 Posts: 166
    I took phentermine but was monitored by a Physicans assistant...and we weighed in every week..We had to follow certain rules not over eating allowing one carb a day...It was healthy but depriving myself of a lot...I lost 20 lbs in a month and half....But once I was at a healthy bmi they slowely decreased me and took me off...I gained weight real quick afte 2 months I wasnt following the plan...HOwever the only con I could think of is that I could not fall asleep at night.....
  • trishka48
    trishka48 Posts: 51 Member
    I was on Topamax 3 years ago for migraines.
    1. It didn't decrease the amount of migraines I had.
    2. I experienced a lot of " Topamoments". ( forgetting what I was talking about, losing train of thought, etc.)
    3. It made everything taste like hot dogs--and I hate hot dogs.