Phentermine and Topomax
superfreakphillips
Posts: 2 Member
Has anyone tried these together as a cheaper alternative to Qsymia? And does
It really help you lose weight ?
It really help you lose weight ?
1
Replies
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Please don't. Phentermine in and of itself is problematic.5
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I was on Topamax for several months for migraines in my early 20s, and I did indeed lose weight. I went from 160 lbs to 136 lbs in less than two months. It was not healthy weight loss- I lost my appetite and was eating less than 1000 kcal/day. The Topamax caused so many horrendous side effects (numbness/tingling in my fingers/toes, personality changes, loss of muscle memory in playing the piano which luckily returned when I stopped taking it, etc.) that I had to get off the med. I developed binge eating disorder and gained the weight back with interest. After that I found it exceptionally difficult to lose weight until several years later when I got into lifting.
Topamax is no joke. I’ve heard lots about Phentermine, and I cannot imagine putting the two of them together. Seems like a recipe for disaster.5 -
I didn't internalize healthy eating habits when my appetite was artificially suppressed by taking a legal amphetamine-like drug and I gained all the weight back when I stopped taking it. And now I am on medication for heart palpitations.
Here's my favorite post about Phentermine: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10329901/phentermine/p1itschanelle wrote: »I have seen a lot of posts on and off about this and other weight loss drugs. I can vouch that they absolutely work. I have lost a lot weight using Phentermine on and off throughout about a 10 year span.
BUT...
The weight doesn't stay off. And those side effects? They are real.
You could take Phentermine and lose the weight, but you might end up like me. I'm 30 years old, slightly over weight, and have moderate tricuspid valve regurgitation. As in, I might need open heart surgery because my heart was damaged by Phentermine. To be clear, I never took it for more than a few months at a time, was monitored by a doctor, and did everything "right".
My lifespan has likely been shortened to lose a few pounds. Weight I could have lost on my own with a little bit of gumption. It wasn't worth it.7 -
You can’t hear the voice in my head screaming No! No! No!!!!
I don’t subscribe to the “My Body is a Temple” philosophy, obviously, or I never would’ve gotten obese in the first place.
But listen to yourself. Are you really willing to take two strong medications, one known to cause severe issues, to lose a few pounds the “easy” way?
That’s akin to poisoning yourself even worse than the other stuff you already take (eat).
I had no idea my mom was on diet pills til she wound up in the hospital, and I had to go through her desk, which, mind you, was on the other side of a thin wall from mine. (Family business).
I took two grocery sacks of diet pills to her doctor and asked “can this have anything to do with her issues?”
She claimed customers had given them to her to help her lose weight. A.) customers had to stand in the doorway of my office to speak to her so that bird didn’t fly and B.) speaking for myself, as a formerly obese woman, I never had random people say “here! Take these diet pills I brought you! You sure do need them!”
I’m sure all the pills she was secretly taking affected her terrible health and mental state. It was a light bulb moment when I found them all.
Is this a future you foresee for yourself? Or even want?
Listen to the people here on these boards. There’s other ways to do this without making your body a toxic waste dump.
Honey, I would shake you and slap you upside the head, with nothing but love and support for you, if I knew where to find you.
There’s better ways to do this!!!!!8 -
Only you and your doctor know of your current health problems, whether they are caused or exacerbated by your current weight, and how life threatening they are.
If you're picking between two bad alternatives, you evaluate which one has higher risks and you make a choice.
If you have the luxury to chose and you're "only" trying to lose weight, long term, and achieve better health, long term, ... the best way to achieve that is without an artificial timeline.
Many people do find short term success through drug therapy. AT the risk and REALITY of, potentially, serious side effects. And none of the drugs, to my awareness, claim to be suitable for long term use.
So even with drug therapy you will soon have to transition to losing weight without the appetite suppression effect.
If you do happen to be obese (which I would hope is the case given you are considering drug therapy), you may be gladdened to know that most people who implement a substantial caloric deficit actually only experience mild hunger once they've gotten themselves into the groove (say after a week or so).
You may also benefit from knowing that larger than necessary deficits are not... necessary! Honestly. A LOT of weight can be shed with "only" a deficit of 500 Cal or 750 Cal a day...
Hanging your hat on 2lbs a week (1000 Cal deficit), or FASTER (so more than a 1000 Cal deficit) is NOT necessary in order to achieve 50 to 75lbs of losses in a year.
Two years of 75lbs losses is 150lbs. That's a LOT of weight. And a substantial improvement in terms of health for most people who lose it.
And if you're obese and needing to lose this kind of weight in order to hit the normal weight range, then you SHOULD be looking at this endeavor as a 5+ year project; NOT as a six months to lose weight quickly project.
Wishing you the best from the dimming memories of my approximately 300lb self (above the analogue scale's maximum so a bit uncertain as to the exact number) a good 8.5 years ago. Got to the normal weight range about 6.5 years ago. And have been within that normal range since.
Again. There may be medical reasons and you may be making the best choice in the circumstances. If that's the case, work with your doctor. Otherwise... working on behavioural changes and over-eating triggers is probably even more important than appetite suppression.
Take care of yourself.10 -
I’ve only been on it for one month after reading all this comment I am on my way to the toilet now to go flush it down.9
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In a world of quick fixes and temporary bandaids for weight loss, they can put you on a pill. They'll see you every three months for the rest of your life. Or...we can give you all of the tools for weight loss and we may see you for the rest of your life.4
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@nikky2030 You may want to call your doctor before you do that, you may need to wean off of it to prevent withdrawal effects from the Topomax. I have no idea on withdrawal from Phentermine. These drugs are dangerous and I think it is great you have taken these comments to heart, just don’t want you feeling sicker!
Come back for support on your weight loss/goals/getting healthier!7 -
Hiawassee88 wrote: »In a world of quick fixes and temporary bandaids for weight loss, they can put you on a pill. They'll see you every three months for the rest of your life. Or...we can give you all of the tools for weight loss and we may see you for the rest of your life.
One of the problems to drug therapy as a solution to obesity is that "they" *cannot* see you every three months for the rest of your life. The nature of current drugs is such that they can only be used as short term tools.
The question then becomes whether these short term tools are useful enough in a particular case to counterbalance the dangers they bring to the table.1 -
Hiawassee88 wrote: »In a world of quick fixes and temporary bandaids for weight loss, they can put you on a pill. They'll see you every three months for the rest of your life. Or...we can give you all of the tools for weight loss and we may see you for the rest of your life.
One of the problems to drug therapy as a solution to obesity is that "they" *cannot* see you every three months for the rest of your life. The nature of current drugs is such that they can only be used as short term tools.
The question then becomes whether these short term tools are useful enough in a particular case to counterbalance the dangers they bring to the table.
Agreed, but some are using it long term.
Kristina H. Lewis, Heidi Fischer, Jamy Ard, Lee Barton, Daniel H. Bessesen, Matthew F. Daley, Jay Desai, Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick, Michael Horberg, Corinna Koebnick, Caryn Oshiro, Ayae Yamamoto, Deborah R. Young, David E. Arterburn. Safety and Effectiveness of Longer‐Term Phentermine Use: Clinical Outcomes from an Electronic Health Record Cohort. Obesity, 2019; 27 (4): 591 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22430
Withdrawal? You bet. @PAV8888
"Lewis and her team analyzed data from the electronic health records of 13,972 adults who were prescribed phentermine for short-term use versus longer-term use of a year or more. The researchers compared weight loss and changes in blood pressure for up to two years, and the risk of heart attack, stroke or death for up to three years, according to a patient's duration of medication use.
The study found that people who stayed on phentermine longer experienced greater weight loss than those who took the drug for three months or less, and longer-term use was not associated with increases in blood pressure or increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death.
"In general, the longer patients were on the medicine the more weight loss they had," Lewis said. "Not surprisingly, when patients stopped taking the medicine weight regain was common."
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Well what you posted, if cross validated and considered to be the "truth", argues that there were "only" 41 incidents of cardiovascular disease or death (0.3%) and no significant differences in terms of cardiovascular disease or death between using for three months or two or three years.... so, on the basis of that article, why would you NOT keep on using for three years?
This was 41 in 13,000+. MFP has a few million. So we can easily off a small town!🤷🏻♂️1 -
It's a suppressant. But it DOESN'T teach you how NOT to overeat. Once you're off of it, habitual behavior of overeating returns. You need to retrain yourself on eating and create a new habit. That's how lean people stay lean.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I used to take Topomax for migraines. I would advise not to try this at all. You might lose weight but it isn't in any way a healthy way of doing so.0
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Phentermine is all bad. It is very similar to meth. All of the stimulant drugs can cause heart damage. I haven’t heard of Topamax being prescribed for the main purpose of weight loss. Maybe that’s a new thing. It is typically used for migraines and other things.0
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Phentermine is all bad. It is very similar to meth. All of the stimulant drugs can cause heart damage. I haven’t heard of Topamax being prescribed for the main purpose of weight loss. Maybe that’s a new thing. It is typically used for migraines and other things.
Topamax is used to counteract weight gain that happens with various psych meds. That’s what it was originally prescribed to me for. Migraines getting better was the bonus that kept me on it for as long as I was. It’s a rough one though—the side effects are pretty pervasive and stayed with me the whole time I took it.
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I’m on topomax (it’s known as topirimate here), I use it for migraines and cluster headaches. The side effects of this medication are ridiculous and I wouldn’t advise people to take it unless absolutely necessary.2
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Phentermine is all bad. It is very similar to meth. All of the stimulant drugs can cause heart damage. I haven’t heard of Topamax being prescribed for the main purpose of weight loss. Maybe that’s a new thing. It is typically used for migraines and other things.
Topamax is used to counteract weight gain that happens with various psych meds. That’s what it was originally prescribed to me for. Migraines getting better was the bonus that kept me on it for as long as I was. It’s a rough one though—the side effects are pretty pervasive and stayed with me the whole time I took it.
What side effects have you experienced from Topamax?
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Phentermine is all bad. It is very similar to meth. All of the stimulant drugs can cause heart damage. I haven’t heard of Topamax being prescribed for the main purpose of weight loss. Maybe that’s a new thing. It is typically used for migraines and other things.
Topamax is used to counteract weight gain that happens with various psych meds. That’s what it was originally prescribed to me for. Migraines getting better was the bonus that kept me on it for as long as I was. It’s a rough one though—the side effects are pretty pervasive and stayed with me the whole time I took it.
What side effects have you experienced from Topamax?
I’ve been off of it for several years, but the two biggest side effects were near-constant tingling in my hands and feet—like the way it feels when your foot falls asleep, but all the time. Cognitive symptoms were pretty bad too. I’d just blank out for several minutes at a time. It was like I was just gone for a bit, stuck in place and completely spaced out. Not distracted or daydreaming or anything, just….blank. Didn’t matter if I was doing something or just hanging out, when it happened, it happened. Fogginess, inability to find words happened pretty consistently too. Beyond the physical side effects, I believe I also found out that it interacts with hormonal birth control, making it ineffective. I decided that I’d rather have a headache than a baby, so I weaned off of it and luckily haven’t had too many problems with migraines since.
People that take it commonly refer to it as Dope-amax, because the side effects are so pervasive.4 -
I was put on Topomax for chronic vesibular migraine. The migraines were easier to live with, the Topomax helped me lose weight, but it also almost made me lost my job. Dreadful side effects.1
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Wow, scary. I have suffered from migraines for years and doctors have offered it to me before. Never took it. I’m a PA myself but don’t typically prescribe this so am not the most familiar with it. Every medication insert tends to have a long list of potential side effects so it is hard to know what to expect. Thanks for your responses.Phentermine is all bad. It is very similar to meth. All of the stimulant drugs can cause heart damage. I haven’t heard of Topamax being prescribed for the main purpose of weight loss. Maybe that’s a new thing. It is typically used for migraines and other things.
Topamax is used to counteract weight gain that happens with various psych meds. That’s what it was originally prescribed to me for. Migraines getting better was the bonus that kept me on it for as long as I was. It’s a rough one though—the side effects are pretty pervasive and stayed with me the whole time I took it.
What side effects have you experienced from Topamax?
I’ve been off of it for several years, but the two biggest side effects were near-constant tingling in my hands and feet—like the way it feels when your foot falls asleep, but all the time. Cognitive symptoms were pretty bad too. I’d just blank out for several minutes at a time. It was like I was just gone for a bit, stuck in place and completely spaced out. Not distracted or daydreaming or anything, just….blank. Didn’t matter if I was doing something or just hanging out, when it happened, it happened. Fogginess, inability to find words happened pretty consistently too. Beyond the physical side effects, I believe I also found out that it interacts with hormonal birth control, making it ineffective. I decided that I’d rather have a headache than a baby, so I weaned off of it and luckily haven’t had too many problems with migraines since.
People that take it commonly refer to it as Dope-amax, because the side effects are so pervasive.Alatariel75 wrote: »I was put on Topomax for chronic vesibular migraine. The migraines were easier to live with, the Topomax helped me lose weight, but it also almost made me lost my job. Dreadful side effects.
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Been on Tompimax for over 10 years for seizures. Never had any weight loss from it.
If I didn't have to take it. I would stay far away.
I have no long term memory because of this drug. I do not remember my kids being little. The side affects related to memory are awful.9 -
I was put on Topomax as a mood stabilizer after being taken off an anti-psychotic. Ive tried many, many medications and a lot of things havent worked. My doctor told me about the "dope-a-max" effect and the appetite suppression. I started it in mid July at a very low dose. Yeah, definitely affected my appetite, to the point where some days I was getting to 9:00 at night and had 1,000 calories left to eat. (I am actively trying to lose but not this way!) I occasionally have tingling in my hands and feet and sometimes cant remember simple words. It does not make me sleepy. I saw my doctor in August and we decided to cut me down to half my dose. My anxiety has gotten really bad now but I dont really want to go up on the Topomax due to the possibility of increased side effects. I see her Wednesday and am going to ask how to wean off of it. ETA: There really doesnt seem to be any "perfect" psych drug without side effects out there. I wish I could just go without but Ive tried that many many times and it hasnt worked out well.
As far as Phentermine I have never taken it but was so desperate this past winter I had my finger hovering over ordering from some online overseas pharmacy late one night. I decided against it. I have a good friend who took it and lost a bunch of weight but stopped it and gained it all back plus some. My parents used to take it in the 70s and they always gained their weight back.
Its really hard at first but CICO works. Set small goals, have patience, you will see and feel progress.6
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