Doctor wants me to take diet pills

Hi!!! Are they pills called Xenical?

I have PCOS and it is very hard for me to lose weight. You should ask your doctor about it. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Have you guys looked at other things like thyroid function?

Or perhaps a new doctor? I'd be really pissed if my doctor kept trying to push me to get on pills to lose weight. Every time I've gone in, I've been fat and it's always emphasized to eat properly and work out. She even supports my seeing a nutritional coach. Never once has she even mentioned pills as a remote possibility.

Then again, I also think pills aren't the way to go.

Don't forget that you can always get a second opinion.

Agree!!

The doctor I go to has wanted me to take diet pills for some time now. I refused them. I wanted to lose the weight on my own. I have 30 lbs to lose to be considered a high normal rate. The thing is I don't look that big but according to my BMI I have a lot to lose and am at risk for diabetis and high blood pressure. Well to make a long story short, I refused the pills and did everything in my power to try and lose weight. Finally 2- 3 months ago I started this program. I cut my calories from 2200-1360. I really watch what I eat, cut tons of snacks out and all sugar drinks, ( I was drinking about 5 cans of mountain dew a day). I work out at least 3 times a week I am really trying. Well in this time I have only loss 6 lbs. And that has started to come back on even though i haven;t started eating bad again. I had my yearly physical yesterday and brought in all my progress reports from this site. After the doc looked them over he really stressed that I needed to try the diet pills just for a time being to get my metobolism raised and drop some weight to lower my risks of diabetes and high blood pressure. I am trying to figure out what to do, I am so against diet pills. I have IBS really really bad and migraines and am on medicine for both of those. I guess I am just wondering if anyone else has been in this position?

In my experience diet pills are the devil. The second you stop taking them you have to either work twice as hard and eat half as much...or gain all the weight back. I would think especially since you have ibs and migraines that diet pills would be a big no no. Especially any kind of stimulate (like ali) . But this is just my opinion. I haven't read up on it or anything it just seems wrong.

What diet pills is he talking about? There are many different kinds, some safer than others.

Maybe you are not eating enough? What is your weight? Are you eating more when you exercise? If not, you could be sending your body into starvation mode and that could be slowing your rate of loss down.

Have you been tested for thyroid problems as that can mess with your metabolism?

I started on diet pills (stronger version of Alli) when I began this journey because I was struggling to lose weight alone. I was morbidly obese when I began 265lbs, they helped re-train my eating patterns and speed up my metabolism. I took them and lost 40lbs on them then began to do it alone, I have now lost 80+ pounds. So I think there is definitely a place for them but you have to take so much into consideration when deciding whether to go on them

I would say that you are the exception and not the rule when it comes to how diet pills were designed to be used.

This is everything that is wrong with "Western Medicine". Here you are, taking your life in your hands, doing what you are supposed to do, and rather than encourage and try to help the doctor wants you to take the stupid pills. Its easier for him.

Not to be mean and nasty, but when you gave him your progress reports, he probably got a little intimidated. Doctors don't spend time learning about foods and fitness in medical school. They learn about medicine.

I struggled with losing weight, doing everything I was told. I saw numerous doctors. I cut out processed foods, they recommended Lean Cusines. I lowered calories, they told me to cut fat and carbs. I exercised, they told me I was just meant to be big. That was so frustrating! I was told to try diet pills as well. I started reading and learning everythig possible about the human diet. I took college courses, wellness courses, read books, websites, MFP, etc.

It wasn't till I saw an endocrinologist that I finally got answers. And that is my recommendation to you. Get another opinion from a specialist, see a dietician, and DO NOT GIVE UP! You tell your doctor what you want. You have the right to disagree with him, doctors aren't always right! Don't be afraid to get a new doctor. One that doesn't use pharmecueticals as a crutch, one that takes the job of healing a little more seriously.

Also, if you just went for your physical, you probably had bloodwork done. How did that turn out? Being overweight does put you at risk for all those things, but if you are truly being good to yourself, that will show in the bloodwork. If you aren't in a dangerous place, thats because you are eating right and exercising. That means you are on the right track and you don't need to resort to something crazy, like drugs, just because the weight is coming off slow. He should take everything into consideration, not just the pharmecuetical rep that just bought him lunch to get him to pass out his product.

I don;t know which pill he wants to put me on. he has let me try for a year to lose the weight and i have only lost 6 lbs and I have been trying so hard. with my IBS I can not eat a lot of fresh fruits or veggies ( I double over in pain). Like I said I have it really really bad, Like episodes daily. I have for 13 years. he checked my thyroid yesterday and it came back ok. I have also been checked for celiac disease, chrons, ext.... He also scheduled me for an ultrasound today to check for fybroid tumors because of some other trouble I have been having. I will find out the results later on today or tomorrow. they will also check for pcos. Um.... He also instructed me on dieting and eating healthy and exercising but after looking through all my food diaries and exercise logs he said I was doing the best I could with the foods that I can eat. (lots I cant cause of my IBS). So... he really is trying to help I just still don't know about the pills.

Ask to see an endocrinologist. My thyroid was always normal or borderline when I had my physicals. The endocrinologist did additional tests and sure enough, I had low thyroid function, low cortisol levels, and high testosterone.
He said the tests used by a MD tend to show normal function. When he gets someone in his office that has struggled to lose weight, he tests additional hormones and almost always proves that it is low thyroid and other hormone imbalances.
If anything, its worth a try....

Honestly? I would seek a second opinion. If a second doctor gives the same diagnosis - fine... but when it comes to something like this don't trust the opinion of one man.

Do not take medical advise from this site. They are not doctors. Please get a second opinion from another doctor.

No one is giving medical advise. We are speaking from our own personal experiences and many times the personal experience gives someone the courage to go to their doctor and demand tests to be done in the correct manner or be sent to an endocrinologist.

And out of compassion for another human being, I don't see where anyone that has commented here has told her anything wrong.

Diet pills are dangerous!!! There are NO safe ones. The side effects and the long term effects on the human body are not good. Drugs should always be prescribed as a LAST result, not a first result.............

Most doctors are puppets for the Pharmaceutical companies!!!

I agree. If we only responded to threads in our own expertise I would only be able to answer insurance claims questions :laugh: How boring would that be?

Honestly? I would seek a second opinion. If a second doctor gives the same diagnosis - fine... but when it comes to something like this don't trust the opinion of one man.

concur.

There are rare occasions when diet aids can be useful. But we do tend to be over medicated so getting another doctor's opinion is a smart way to balance the odds in your favor. Also, consider seeking the advice of a naturopathic doctor. You might find that the boost your metabolism needs can be obtained from a safe, natural alternative to the otherwise potentially risky drugs.

I am no doctor, but I do know that doctors can be flawed with biased human agendas just like lawyers and politicians and anyone else. Get a second (and third) opinion.

I would absolutely agree with the concept of a second or even third opinion! I would go see a registered dietitian for the IBS and a gastroenterologist (not an endocrinologist I'd think, as they deal with metabolic issues, and this sounds more like something's wrong with your digestion and/or intestinal tract.)

Nope, I'm no doctor, nor do I claim to be anything close, but just as I say I'm no doctor, I would feel much better about the doctor who says "I'm no registered dietitian!" because most aren't.

Side note, be wary of nutritionists, some are good, but some are very bad, you don't need a degree in the US to be a nutritionist, you just need a sign over your door and a Federal tax ID. Dietitians require a degree, a state certification (in most states), and are required to stay current with that certification.

I see that some of you have had negative experiences concerning weight loss with your physicians, and I can understand how upsetting that is. However, not all physicians are like that. We take a nutrition course here (at my medical school) though it is not very in-depth. We are striving to learn more about the growing trend of obesity and how to help people with their diet, but our knowledge is definitely lacking on how to counsel/motivate. As such, they have taught us to lean heavily on team-based medicine, and if a patient wants to know more about nutrition or how to lose weight without medication, then we refer them to a nutritionist/dietician if they have questions that we cannot answer.

Granted, prescribing meds is the norm because honestly, that's what most people are there expecting. Most people are looking for the "magic pill" so to speak, because they work quickly. It is unfortunate that your physicians keep mentioning the pills repeatedly, but maybe they don't know what else to tell you. Maybe they don't have good resources to give you about diet and exercise, and that should be changed. America is growing increasingly overweight, and physicians need to be better equipped to deal with it--bottom line. But how does that new curriculum being to be implemented? I don't know the answer to that...

But being on here has been an eye-opener for me...I am so happy that I did this the natural way and I actually learned how to eat healthily and how to incorporate exercise into my life. As a physician, I will strive to lead those that come to me with weight concerns to websites like this one, or lead them to someone who is certified to help them. I may just be one person, but if I am changing, others can, too!

I have not been in your situation but know people that are addicted to diet pills and jump from one to another all the while eating badly being sedebtary and gaining even more weight.

With everything that's wrong with diet pills, I see no problem with taking Xenical for a while. It does not contain any stimulants and it works in the digestive system. It blocks some of your dietary fat from being absorbed by your intestines. This helps in both ways. It will excrete the extra fat with your bowel movement and it will force to eat lower fat because of the side effects. You can take Xenical (Alli is the non-prescription version) all the while increasing your activity levels and ;earning proper eating habits. Don't rely just on Xenical to do the job - it never works that way.

BTW I don't work for Roche (the manufacturer of Xenical).

Edited to correct spelling mistakes. I hope I got all of them. Some keys on my keyboard just don't work properly.

Xenical and Alli are not healthy for you either. It leaches the fat out of the foods and the body, which we are meant to burn, not excrete............and then in the long term, what side effects are they capable of making your body have?

Too low of fat reaks havoc on the body in terms of hair, skin and nails. We need a moderate fat intake for the body to work as nature intends for it to work, not a low fat intake.

In my opinion, there is NO diet pill, prescription or not that should be ingested.