Phentermine and Topomax
startylight88
Posts: 6 Member
Hey guys, I saw a weight loss doctor last Friday. He put me on 37.5 mg of phentermine once a day and 25 mg of Topomax twice a day. I have gone from 214 to 206.8 in one week. Has anyone else experienced any success with these medications?
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I take phentermine half a tab. I currently weaning myself off of it. I started at 215 and currently I'm 173. My Dr. Starts me with half a tab so when it stops working she could increase the dosage. Taking half a tab daily allowed me to take it longer than the recommended length which is a few months I think. I'm still taking half a tab & it still works. I'm actually weaning myself off of it so I don't take them on the weekends and eventually I'll only take it every other day until I completely stop taking them. They have been a great tool in my weight loss efforts. I have better knowledge in foods, portion control, etc & feel like I no longer need them as they have also taught me how to listen to my body & stop eating when I'm full. So, to answer ur question yes I have had sucess with phentermine. Never took topamax.4
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blackcars7411 wrote: »I take phentermine half a tab. I currently weaning myself off of it. I started at 215 and currently I'm 173. My Dr. Starts me with half a tab so when it stops working she could increase the dosage. Taking half a tab daily allowed me to take it longer than the recommended length which is a few months I think. I'm still taking half a tab & it still works. I'm actually weaning myself off of it so I don't take them on the weekends and eventually I'll only take it every other day until I completely stop taking them. They have been a great tool in my weight loss efforts. I have better knowledge in foods, portion control, etc & feel like I no longer need them as they have also taught me how to listen to my body & stop eating when I'm full. So, to answer ur question yes I have had sucess with phentermine. Never took topamax.
How long did it take you to go from 215 to 173 ?0 -
Topomax is known for helping people to lose weight quickly... I was put on it awhile ago and my Dr told me this!1
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Be careful of the rebound weight gain. So incorporate a healthy lifestyle with the meds. I am a doc who prescribes these meds.5
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I am currently on the phentermine. I have been on it for 1 month now and have lost 15 lbs, I don't have much time to exercise, I do it as much as I can. I love to work out, besides that I have limit myself to a 1000 calorie diet and eat high protien. My goal is 65 more lbs. Also to manage my time wisely and lose 20lbs this coming month, it won't be easy but I am going to do my best.2
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I take phentermine and still cant lose anything- I have lost on it in the past but not now. I am on an anti-depressant and a hormone replacement and i think they are causing me to not lose weight. I have tried everything. Nothing works1
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I am hoping this works. It is because of my health. I had an extremely stressful job managing around 400 employees and 4 other site managers and I was working 70 to 90 hour weeks last year. My days off were always changing and I did not have a home or work life balance at all. I gained 50 pounds due to my eating habits, and all the stress. I am looking for all the encouragement I can get. I have already changed my eating habits and was eating healthier, lowering my calories, sugars, etc but I was barely seeing any results. Pray for me guys !3
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I am seeing a weight loss doctor as well. I'm on phentermine I've been on it on and off because it makes me stay up all night, but I have lost almost twenty pounds in a month on it.1
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startylight88 wrote: »Hey guys, I saw a weight loss doctor last Friday. He put me on 37.5 mg of phentermine once a day and 25 mg of Topomax twice a day. I have gone from 214 to 206.8 in one week. Has anyone else experienced any success with these medications?
About two years ago, I took Qsymia (phentermine + topamax) for about three months and lost 25 lb. Then I changed jobs and my new health insurance wouldn't cover it. Since it was going to cost me $200/month, I stopped taking it... and stopped losing weight.
About five months ago, my dr prescribed just the phentermine. It, too, is not covered by my insurance but only costs me about $15/month. I've lost 40 lb since starting it.
I don't see/feel any difference between the two meds... the phentermine alone is just as effective for me.
40 more pounds to go!
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I have taken topamax, as a mood stabilizer and never again. There is a reason it is nick named dopamax. I literally forgot words mid sentence. I got in my car the one day and forgot where I was going, forgot I was even driving. After a scary 2 weeks (and yes, even my significant other thought it was scary) I awas quickly taken off the medication. I can't imagine electively taking the medication.
Please do not drive while taking this medication. It took a few days for the side effects to kick in for me. Please do not risk yourself and others by getting behind the wheel of a car.
Medication or not, weight loss still comes down to a calorie deficit.
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I take topamax for migraine prevention. It is definitely having a suppressant effect on my appetite. It is also causing low-grade nausea fairly often. I am going for a sloooooow rate of loss, and am not too happy about this. I get full much quicker and my average calories are lower than I want them to be. It's not a magic pill, melting off fat. I'm just eating less-so I'm losing more.
I'm concerned that when these side effects stop (bc that's what they are-side effects) my normal appetite will come back and I will have an even harder time regulating my appetite once I've gotten used to not being hungry. I would rather continue with a small deficit and the occasional hunger pangs, with a slow rate of loss.
No judgement intended, but there have been a bunch of threads about this. Anyone have data about the long-term results of the weight loss? Do most people keep it off? Just because it's a prescription doesn't mean it's a good idea (or the BEST idea). I also don't know much about the other drug-but I bet it's not something you stay on for life.2 -
I was on topomax about 4 years ago (not for weight loss). I did lose a lot of weight while on it, about probably 20-30 lbs over two or three months. However, I did experience many other side effects. The "dopiness" is not a myth, that was terrible. I was also very depressed. As someone who is always willing try a new medication to help with weight loss, this is one drug I personally will avoid. Also, after I stopped taking it I did gain a huge amount of weight, and when I restarted Topimax it only seemed to increase my appetite.0
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I was in disbelief when thet gave me Topomax. I was prescribed it back in 2013 and had lost 25 lbs in a month and a half beforehand. I never had any bad side effects. Is it true that Phentermine takes your stored fat cells and turns them into energry, is that why weight is lost so quickly? Does anyone know why being on Topomax makes people lose weight ?0
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startylight88 wrote: »I was in disbelief when thet gave me Topomax. I was prescribed it back in 2013 and had lost 25 lbs in a month and a half beforehand. I never had any bad side effects. Is it true that Phentermine takes your stored fat cells and turns them into energry, is that why weight is lost so quickly? Does anyone know why being on Topomax makes people lose weight ?
I'm not sure about the why for Topamax (side effect, likely), but phentermine is an amphetamine. It works because it kills your appetite, so people often seriously undereat which is why they lose so rapidly. Places them at risk for malnourishment. So make sure you are aiming for a reasonable minimum calories per day while on it. It would be a good idea to speak with a pharmacist about this. It would also be a good idea to work with a registered dietician to help you set up a sustainable plan and ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs while on the drugs.1 -
ALL medications have side effects, especially long term. Please be careful. Once you stop taking the medications what will you do?3
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I am on 15 mg phentermine and 50 mg topamax just started today hopefully I will see weightloss
How long before I start seeing weight fall off!! I exercise daily. I have about 50 lbs to lose2 -
hugsnkisses1 wrote: »I am on 15 mg phentermine and 50 mg topamax just started today hopefully I will see weightloss
How long before I start seeing weight fall off!! I exercise daily. I have about 50 lbs to lose
Wish you the best please keep me updated on your progress!0 -
jepierson4 wrote: »Be careful of the rebound weight gain. So incorporate a healthy lifestyle with the meds. I am a doc who prescribes these meds.
I took phentermine a while ago. I lost 20 lbs pretty quickly and then quickly gained it back once I stopped taking it. I also got heart palpitations when I was taking it. I have learned (throughout numerous diets, programs, pills, etc) that there is no weight loss substitution for a healthy lifestyle.1 -
Search "Qysmia" or "Topamax" here and you'll see a lot of posts.
Topamax is a powerful psychoactive medication used for seizures and serious migraines. People on it for those conditions discovered that it has weight loss as a side effect. However, for many people it also has very serious cognitive side effects, some of which can be permanent.
Ooh, and the official paperwork on Topamax also has a BIG warning about birth defects. Wonder how many doctors prescribing it for weight loss mention that to patients?2 -
I am seeing a weight loss doctor as well. I'm on phentermine I've been on it on and off because it makes me stay up all night, but I have lost almost twenty pounds in a month on it.
The no sleeping was just one of the major reasons i stopped taking it. Even when i took it at 4am i still couldn't sleep that night, I got maybe 2-3 hours of broken sleep per night, it was a flippan nightmare!
I only had 15lbs left to lose, after already losing 15 and my doctor happily prescribed it to me, not very ethical now that i think about it. Another doctor in the same surgery refused to write me a script for them, and told me to see this other doctor in the practice "who will prescribe anything".0 -
I took Topamax for migraines & did lose some weight. I also experienced significant depression & even suicidal ideation. When not taking Topamax, I've never experienced depression. It's a horrible drug, imo, & doctors do not do a good job of warning their patients about possible side effects or monitoring them appropriately.0
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I was on phentermine about 2 months ago. I lost 23 lbs in about 5 weeks.. Then I fell off the bandwagon. My weight loss doctor didn't talk to me about healthy eating or portion control. She told me how many cals to eat and how often to exercise and gave me a script. At 312 lbs and 5'7 she put me on 1300 cals a day which I've read is a big drop from what MFP would give me so I'm sure that's why I lost weight so fast plus, going from 0 exercise to 3-5 days a week At least 60 mins a day I'm sure helped as well. I've been off the bandwagon about a month now and have only gained 2 lbs (I know 2 lbs is a lot in a month, but considering I stopped exercising completely and ate like a horse I think its a good thing) I also stopped taking the phentermine only because I was still super hungry while taking it so I felt like what was the point. Now, I've started logging again and will start my exercise regims again WITHOUT phentermine I guess to test it. Did it REALLY help me lose weight or not. I'm not knocking it at all, I hope you have long term success with it.. But I personally don't want to take meds to help aid in my journey anymore. As for Topamox, my mother was on it since she has seizures and she dropped a bunch of weight and has kept it off.. But she is much more active now.0
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I take Topamax for migraines. I have not seen any weight loss from I-beam however I will admit to being a horrible patient and only taking it half the time due to side effects. Half my normal dosage helps curb some of the side effects and keeps my migraines under control. Finally a win-win for the non-compliant patient. 0
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I took Topamax for migraines & did lose some weight. I also experienced significant depression & even suicidal ideation. When not taking Topamax, I've never experienced depression. It's a horrible drug, imo, & doctors do not do a good job of warning their patients about possible side effects or monitoring them appropriately.
I just want to agree with this part. When my doctor put me on topamax for migraines I was surprised. I've had experience with a number of psychotropic medications from working in behavior with the DD population in the past. So I was aware of what the drug was and knew to get more information on it.
My experience so far has not been horrible, but their are definitely risks and weird side effects (even ibruprofen use has risks). She told me it was generally tolerated and had NO side effects..... Some doctors just kind of suck1 -
I took Topamax for migraines & did lose some weight. I also experienced significant depression & even suicidal ideation. When not taking Topamax, I've never experienced depression. It's a horrible drug, imo, & doctors do not do a good job of warning their patients about possible side effects or monitoring them appropriately.
I just want to agree with this part. When my doctor put me on topamax for migraines I was surprised. I've had experience with a number of psychotropic medications from working in behavior with the DD population in the past. So I was aware of what the drug was and knew to get more information on it.
My experience so far has not been horrible, but their are definitely risks and weird side effects (even ibruprofen use has risks). She told me it was generally tolerated and had NO side effects..... Some doctors just kind of suck
It's pregnancy category D and is associated with cleft palate and facial disabilities! Plus at least some of the weight loss side effects come from changes in your ability to taste certain foods!0 -
And it interferes with one of the common hormones in birth control pills, meaning that may make some of them less effective:
ADDITIONAL CONTRACEPTION RECOMMENDED: Efficacy of oral contraception may be decreased by concomitant use with topiramate. The mechanism of action appears to be increased metabolism of the estrogenic component of the oral contraceptive. In a pharmacokinetic study with topiramate 800 mg/day, ethinyl estradiol clearance increased by 47% (range 13% to 107%), while norethindrone was unaffected.
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And it interferes with one of the common hormones in birth control pills, meaning that may make some of them less effective:
ADDITIONAL CONTRACEPTION RECOMMENDED: Efficacy of oral contraception may be decreased by concomitant use with topiramate. The mechanism of action appears to be increased metabolism of the estrogenic component of the oral contraceptive. In a pharmacokinetic study with topiramate 800 mg/day, ethinyl estradiol clearance increased by 47% (range 13% to 107%), while norethindrone was unaffected.
This is true. I always get warned about the OC/ Topamax interaction everytime I get my refills. I know OCs can cause migraines, but I need those for anemia causing gyn problems. Topomax has zero effect on my weight, btw.0
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