Adipex- results?

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So I'm currently on a 1500 calorie diet after finding that I had borderline hypothyroidism. I was 5'11" and 250 lbs despite changing eating habits, quiting soda, and exercising regularly I was steadily gaining roughly 5 lbs a week (I weighed in at 215lbs a month and a half prior). My doctor put me on Adipex on the 9th (today being the 11th). Today I weighed in at 245.3lbs! It's great to see some weight finally coming off. Has anyone else taken Adipex? What were your first round (3 month) results? TIA!

Replies

  • Jbell0213
    Jbell0213 Posts: 189 Member
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    Please be careful with this. Make sure your Dr is monitoring. Some weight loss meds are not good for your heart.
  • xxnellie146xx
    xxnellie146xx Posts: 996 Member
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    Do others known that you're taking it? A few months ago I had a patient admitted to the hospital with psychosis and paranoia and it was secondary to taking Apidex. We stopped the medication and her symptoms resolved. She did lose some weight while on it. I don't have any opinions on the med and I don't know much about it other than this situation. Just make sure someone knows you are taking it incase there is some weird side effect or change in your behavior it can be appropriately attributed to the med and not something else.

    Congrats on your loss so far!
  • xtina315
    xtina315 Posts: 218 Member
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    I lost 40 lbs with it, and gained it all back in 3 months. Your basically starving yourself. Look out for heart complications as well. It's a quick fix, that doesnt last long.
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    xtina315 wrote: »
    I lost 40 lbs with it, and gained it all back in 3 months. Your basically starving yourself. Look out for heart complications as well. It's a quick fix, that doesnt last long.

    I don't see how it's a quick fix...? If you take care of yourself, watch your eating habits, and make sure not to slip back into old habits when you're done taking it every result I've seen thus far has been mostly permanent. Glad to hear about your success though!
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    Do others known that you're taking it? A few months ago I had a patient admitted to the hospital with psychosis and paranoia and it was secondary to taking Apidex. We stopped the medication and her symptoms resolved. She did lose some weight while on it. I don't have any opinions on the med and I don't know much about it other than this situation. Just make sure someone knows you are taking it incase there is some weird side effect or change in your behavior it can be appropriately attributed to the med and not something else.

    Congrats on your loss so far!

    My husband, mother, and mother-in-law all know that I'm taking it. I go in for monthly check ins at my PCP to monitor any side effects, and also keep track of my BP and heart rate at home. Thank you!
  • xtina315
    xtina315 Posts: 218 Member
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    xtina315 wrote: »
    I lost 40 lbs with it, and gained it all back in 3 months. Your basically starving yourself. Look out for heart complications as well. It's a quick fix, that doesnt last long.

    I don't see how it's a quick fix...? If you take care of yourself, watch your eating habits, and make sure not to slip back into old habits when you're done taking it every result I've seen thus far has been mostly permanent. Glad to hear about your success though!

    I did follow up with a healthy lifestyle afterwords. I was only consuming 200-500 calories at most while on. Thats considered starvation. Adipex wasn't made for this. Adipex was made for individuals going through certain medical procedures to take to supress their appetites. So it is considered a "quick" fix because your losing it fats, and your truly not learning how to eat right.
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
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    I took Phentermine (generic of Adipex) for several months. It stopped the cravings, thereby giving me time to learn how to eat better. Without the drug, I had horrible cravings and could not even imagine what eating at a deficit was because I was always hungry. I started at 251 pounds in 2012 and dropped to around 210. Now, 4 years later, I am at 205. The key for me was that I took the opportunity to learn more. I read about calories, macronutrients, and combinations of food. I read bunches of articles with names like "The 10 foods you need to eat" or "the top 6 superfoods," etc. Each time I read those, I would ask myself, "Can I do that?" I kept looking for things that I could and would do. There are lots of small changes that are easy to make; when taken together, they make a big difference. Little by little, I adjusted my eating through trial and error, figuring out what worked for me and what didn't. Without the drug, I would not have had the luxury of that kind of trial and error. However, if you let the drug do all the work -- you let it kill your appetite without you learning how to make better choices -- then it won't do anything for you in the long run. The main benefit to this drug is that it gives you time. If you use it well, you can have long-term success. But if you don't use it well, then you are just fooling yourself for a few months.
  • charmedbrat
    charmedbrat Posts: 65 Member
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    I was on it off n on for 3yrs... first time dropped 60lbs, then gained it all back... gain it back every time... now im doing weightloss the old fashioned way... lots of exercise n eating healthier... its the better way to go...
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    xtina315 wrote: »
    xtina315 wrote: »
    I lost 40 lbs with it, and gained it all back in 3 months. Your basically starving yourself. Look out for heart complications as well. It's a quick fix, that doesnt last long.
    I did follow up with a healthy lifestyle afterwords. I was only consuming 200-500 calories at most while on. Thats considered starvation. Adipex wasn't made for this. Adipex was made for individuals going through certain medical procedures to take to supress their appetites. So it is considered a "quick" fix because your losing it fats, and your truly not learning how to eat right.

    I am learning how to eat right. That's why I'm on it. I have virtually no metabolism anymore so I am constantly hungry, and got addicted to fast food and soda pop. I wasn't trying to offend you by any means! I definitely eat my 1500 calories a day, and try to exercise as much as possible. I'm trying to watch my sugar intake as well, because that's a big thing for me. I'm not a big sweets eater, but living in the south I drink a lot of sweet tea and load my coffee with sugar every morning before work. Thank you for your input, though!
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    xtina315 wrote: »
    xtina315 wrote: »
    I lost 40 lbs with it, and gained it all back in 3 months. Your basically starving yourself. Look out for heart complications as well. It's a quick fix, that doesnt last long.
    I did follow up with a healthy lifestyle afterwords. I was only consuming 200-500 calories at most while on. Thats considered starvation. Adipex wasn't made for this. Adipex was made for individuals going through certain medical procedures to take to supress their appetites. So it is considered a "quick" fix because your losing it fats, and your truly not learning how to eat right.

    I am learning how to eat right. That's why I'm on it. I have virtually no metabolism anymore so I am constantly hungry, and got addicted to fast food and soda pop. I wasn't trying to offend you by any means! I definitely eat my 1500 calories a day, and try to exercise as much as possible. I'm trying to watch my sugar intake as well, because that's a big thing for me. I'm not a big sweets eater, but living in the south I drink a lot of sweet tea and load my coffee with sugar every morning before work. Thank you for your input, though!



    I don't know why that quoted so oddly. Still trying to figure this out lol
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    scottkjar wrote: »
    I took Phentermine (generic of Adipex) for several months. It stopped the cravings, thereby giving me time to learn how to eat better. Without the drug, I had horrible cravings and could not even imagine what eating at a deficit was because I was always hungry. I started at 251 pounds in 2012 and dropped to around 210. Now, 4 years later, I am at 205. The key for me was that I took the opportunity to learn more. I read about calories, macronutrients, and combinations of food. I read bunches of articles with names like "The 10 foods you need to eat" or "the top 6 superfoods," etc. Each time I read those, I would ask myself, "Can I do that?" I kept looking for things that I could and would do. There are lots of small changes that are easy to make; when taken together, they make a big difference. Little by little, I adjusted my eating through trial and error, figuring out what worked for me and what didn't. Without the drug, I would not have had the luxury of that kind of trial and error. However, if you let the drug do all the work -- you let it kill your appetite without you learning how to make better choices -- then it won't do anything for you in the long run. The main benefit to this drug is that it gives you time. If you use it well, you can have long-term success. But if you don't use it well, then you are just fooling yourself for a few months.

    Thank you for that! I'm definitely trying to read more into my eating habits, and replace the unhealthy cravings with better alternatives. Instead of pasta noodles full of empty carbs, we're going to start trying to make noodles out of zucchini. Just stuff like that, but pasta is a big thing for me. Thankfully my husband is extremely supportive of trying to create a healthier lifestyle for not only us but our daughter.
    The Adipex also helps me get out of bed in the morning and gives me the energy to actually exercise. I never had any motivation or energy (mainly because of all the crap I was putting into my body, but also due to depression that stemmed from self-esteem). I had given up, but when I went to my PCP he said this drug might be able to help me slowly (but surely) transition into a healthier lifestyle rather than taking the chance of relapse by quiting everything cold turkey without any guidance or help.
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    I was on it off n on for 3yrs... first time dropped 60lbs, then gained it all back... gain it back every time... now im doing weightloss the old fashioned way... lots of exercise n eating healthier... its the better way to go...

    For a lot of people it is! I definitely agree. But for me, with (borderline) hypothyroidism I was slipping into a very, very deep hole of self destruction and unhealthy habits that were taking over my life. I tried for a long time to stop fast food, soda pop, sweets, and exercise on a regular basis but it was very very hard for me to find motivation when I just kept gaining and gaining weight. Thank you for your input!
  • choppie70
    choppie70 Posts: 544 Member
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    I was on it off n on for 3yrs... first time dropped 60lbs, then gained it all back... gain it back every time... now im doing weightloss the old fashioned way... lots of exercise n eating healthier... its the better way to go...

    For a lot of people it is! I definitely agree. But for me, with (borderline) hypothyroidism I was slipping into a very, very deep hole of self destruction and unhealthy habits that were taking over my life. I tried for a long time to stop fast food, soda pop, sweets, and exercise on a regular basis but it was very very hard for me to find motivation when I just kept gaining and gaining weight. Thank you for your input!

    This is what concerns me. All the Adipex is going to do is mask those cravings while you are on it. Once you are off of it the cravings are going to come back. It is kind of like putting a bandaid on a wound that needs stitches. Soon as the bandaid comes off, it is going to bleed again!

    Learning how to eat less when you are not dealing with hunger and cravings is a lot different than eating less when you are hungry and craving fast food and soda. Once you are off the Adipex, you are going to have those cravings again, and you won't have the Adipex to take to make the hunger go away.

    It is a short term solution.
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    choppie70 wrote: »
    I was on it off n on for 3yrs... first time dropped 60lbs, then gained it all back... gain it back every time... now im doing weightloss the old fashioned way... lots of exercise n eating healthier... its the better way to go...

    For a lot of people it is! I definitely agree. But for me, with (borderline) hypothyroidism I was slipping into a very, very deep hole of self destruction and unhealthy habits that were taking over my life. I tried for a long time to stop fast food, soda pop, sweets, and exercise on a regular basis but it was very very hard for me to find motivation when I just kept gaining and gaining weight. Thank you for your input!

    This is what concerns me. All the Adipex is going to do is mask those cravings while you are on it. Once you are off of it the cravings are going to come back. It is kind of like putting a bandaid on a wound that needs stitches. Soon as the bandaid comes off, it is going to bleed again!

    Learning how to eat less when you are not dealing with hunger and cravings is a lot different than eating less when you are hungry and craving fast food and soda. Once you are off the Adipex, you are going to have those cravings again, and you won't have the Adipex to take to make the hunger go away.

    It is a short term solution.

    I still have the cravings. A lot. But the Adipex helps make it not nearly as bad as it was. Like I said, I was ADDICTED to fast food. Very, very badly. It ruined a lot of hard work I tried to put into dieting and doing right by my body. I understand that the Adipex isn't going to "fix" anything, but it is a stepping stone in the right direction. I don't expect it to magically make me lose weight, or to even take the cravings away completely (it hasn't done either of these things, the cravings are still there and the weight I have shed off so far, I believe, was water weight I lost by working out and sweating a lot). I'm not going to use it as a crutch. But it will give me time to get used to these changes in my habits. I know that once I'm off of it, the cravings might intensify a lot more and it will get a lot more difficult. But that's what I don't think a lot of people are understanding- I know it's going to be hard. I've fought addiction to other substances before (which is where a lot of the initial weight came from when I became sober), and know that craving something has the potential to ruin your success. But what the Adipex is helping me do is to get out of the routine of going to McDonald's for lunch, or feeling hungry so running straight to Taco Bell. It's helping make those cravings subtle enough that I can overcome them and adapt to healthier habits. Once I've adapted to better habits and have made progress getting a new eating routine down, I truly believe that it will be easier once I'm off Adipex than to just do it cold turkey. When I was trying to do it by myself, the cravings were so intense that I would break down and cry, I'd lose hope and relapse into old habits. The cravings were so bad and I was still so used to being able to just go get something to eat from BK. Then continuously gaining weight would ruin my motivation to stick to it.
    I'm sure I sound pretty stubborn, and I apologize, but I really just wanted support- not for a bunch of people to tell me I'm going to fail. I know the risks of taking this medicine. My doctor has gone over them with me. But my doctor and I decided that this was a really good option for me, so I'm going to stick with it.
    Thanks everyone for your opinions.
  • charmedbrat
    charmedbrat Posts: 65 Member
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    I was on it off n on for 3yrs... first time dropped 60lbs, then gained it all back... gain it back every time... now im doing weightloss the old fashioned way... lots of exercise n eating healthier... its the better way to go...

    For a lot of people it is! I definitely agree. But for me, with (borderline) hypothyroidism I was slipping into a very, very deep hole of self destruction and unhealthy habits that were taking over my life. I tried for a long time to stop fast food, soda pop, sweets, and exercise on a regular basis but it was very very hard for me to find motivation when I just kept gaining and gaining weight. Thank you for your input!

    Invest in a heart rate monitor n step counter like a fitbit, watching the steps n pushing for higher amount of steps n higher heart rate is great motivation...
  • hamelle2
    hamelle2 Posts: 297 Member
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    Hi! Back in my younger days, I worked in a hospital. And my whole crew took diet pills. And we were health professionals! There were no doctors who guided our usage or kept an eye on our health. It was crazy!
    You may feel a bit down by the responses received here but it's because we care about your health....really. It will become easy to stop working on your behaviors and just let the drug do it's thing! If you see this as a very temporary motivation and continue to see your doctor and be very aware of side effects, then I hope it works for you.
  • hannahgrayfoster
    hannahgrayfoster Posts: 9 Member
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    hamelle2 wrote: »
    Hi! Back in my younger days, I worked in a hospital. And my whole crew took diet pills. And we were health professionals! There were no doctors who guided our usage or kept an eye on our health. It was crazy!
    You may feel a bit down by the responses received here but it's because we care about your health....really. It will become easy to stop working on your behaviors and just let the drug do it's thing! If you see this as a very temporary motivation and continue to see your doctor and be very aware of side effects, then I hope it works for you.

    Thank you! Yes, I see my PCP every four weeks. I definitely won't stop working on my habits, simply because I know how much they've taken over my life. Really, thank you!
  • lmeldrum23
    lmeldrum23 Posts: 54 Member
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    I have only taken Adipex for a few days (just got started with my weight loss journey). The only thing I would say is to make sure that your doctor helps you ween off of the medicine when the time is right. That way you wont go eating everything in sight. Also make sure that you are eating at least 1200 Calories a day. Its easy to forget to eat with Adipex but it is not healthy.