Today is only my 7th day on it. I would ask your Dr. because it is bad for your heart if used over 3 months. Im not trying to freak you out because I am obviously not a Dr. But I would ask him just to be sure. Some Drs. wont even prescribe it because of the heart risk. And it is also highly addictive. Just be careful with it (: I love it so far and I am so glad to hear that you lost 50 lbs on it!!! Gives me hope! I am headed to my first weigh in because I go once a week!

July 3rd will make 12 months for me. I have had tremendous success and have discussed the risks with my doctor. He informed me that the latest research, which treats the obesity medicines as disease medications (just as you would with cholesterol or blood pressure problems), has shown that while the phentermine may become less effective over time, it still helps. He stated that people who "take a break" from it tend to regain. The studies have shown that adding another medicine to get the weight further under control (just as you would do if you had results with lowering bad cholesterol, but needed to lower it further) is much more effective. For weight loss, this is adding Topomax to end up with the newer approved qsymia, which is exactly what my dr prescribed for me and it is helping me to break through my 5 month plateau.

Before everyone who has been on Topomax for as a seizure medication starts jumping all over this thread and scaring everyone, the dosage is much smaller as a prescription for weight loss than for seizure and the side effects are typically much more mild. I am told it is highly unlikely that I will become any more forgetful than I already was, for example.

Basically, find a doctor who you trust and with whom you can discuss your concerns. My dr is fantastic and explains everything until I understand thoroughly, and he monitors all my numbers to make sure I stay healthy...a good doctor is worth his weight in gold!

O, no. I was really sleepy when I replied last night...sorry. Once I am finished losing weight, I will be weaned off both medications. My calories will also be increased until I figure out where maintenance is. I don't know the ins and outs completely yet...as I have another 40-50 pounds that I really want to lose (50 would put me at the high end of "normal" for the first time in my life, according to that darned bmi chart...my family carries a lot of muscle though, so we tend to be outlighers). No, I don't want to be on medicine the rest of my life either! And I doubt the medicines would stay effective for decades at a time even if I wanted to be on them that long!

Truthfully, I anticipate that maintenance will be the really tough part...learning to STAY in the right place...I have always been a yoyo, so once I an at goal, staying will be a whole new thing to learn.

I hope you have a fantastic journey to the new you!