Reading this just made me shudder. Topamax also makes you dumb as bricks. Horrible drug, and I can't believe they actually plucked up the balls to remarket this as a "weight loss" supplement. Why anyone would want to take any kind of medication that messes with your brain in the hopes that it will make them lose a few pounds is completely beyond me.
maillemaker wrote: » Reading this just made me shudder. Topamax also makes you dumb as bricks. Horrible drug, and I can't believe they actually plucked up the balls to remarket this as a "weight loss" supplement. Why anyone would want to take any kind of medication that messes with your brain in the hopes that it will make them lose a few pounds is completely beyond me. Topirmate can cause memory problems, but generally in the doses prescribed for weight loss, which are far lower than prescribed for migraines or seizures, side-effects are mild. The doctor did tell me that I might have trouble coming up with a word (like being on the tip of your tongue) and I have noted that a couple of times but I don't know if it is related to the drug or if I simply had a word on the tip of my tongue. I have not noticed any degraded cognitive ability. However, I am only taking half of even the prescribed dosage - I never take my afternoon pill. Also, as noted above, these drugs are not for people looking to "lose a few pounds". In order to get a prescription for them you generally need a BMI over 30 plus at least one comorbidity such as high blood pressure. I have both. In such cases, the risks of the obesity outweigh the risks of the drug.
angieward39 wrote: » I took phentermine for a period of 2 months back when I was in my early 20s (that was 15 years ago). I felt great for the first couple of months and lost 30 pounds. Everyone was complimenting me and I basically felt on top of the world. Then I was out in my backyard doing yard work one day and bent over to pick up a pile of sticks and blood started pouring out of my nose. I thought it was a simple nose bleed but it wouldnt stop. I ended up going to the ER and was told my BP was in stroke range. Fast forward 2 days in the hospital and thousands in medical bills. I ended up getting off of the pills, gained most of the weight back and never looked back. I started my own journey of eating healthy and moving more on Halloween of 2014 (about 7 months ago) and have lost 105 pounds on my own with no pills, no surgeries, no crazy diets, and very little stress. I eat whole foods. I don't drink soda. I walk a lot. I cut out 99% of my meat consumption. I weigh in once a week. I track every bite of food that goes in my mouth. I don't use food to "celebrate" anymore. It can be done. You have to really want it. You have to be willing to be angry, sad, tired, and irritated. You have to be willing to be uncomfortable. You have to stop making excuses. You have to stop eating junk. Most of all, You have to be honest with yourself and others. It can be done.
I have both a BMI over 30 and high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Also the high body fat percentage increases my chances of getting cancer, which are already increased with my BRCA2 mutation. You know what my doctor said? Reduce your caloric intake, eat nutrient dense foods and find an activity you enjoy doing for at least 30 minutes everyday. Considering the risks are pretty high for me, don't you think MY doctor should have prescribed me some sort of 'magic pill' to help me lose weight?
The thing is, you took it 15 years ago and who knows what was in it compared to today.
I'm sure those are taking this and losing so much weight and then gaining back is because of poor eating habits. I cannot stress enough that this is not a miracle pill. You HAVE to learn how to eat.
maillemaker wrote: » I'm sure those are taking this and losing so much weight and then gaining back is because of poor eating habits. I cannot stress enough that this is not a miracle pill. You HAVE to learn how to eat. I suspect it's because the hunger comes back, not habits. New habits form after about 6 weeks. So if you are on a diet pill for 6 months, new eating habits should be well and truly formed by that point. The problem is once the appetite suppressant is gone, the appetite comes back, and now you're on willpower again to maintain while your body is trying to restore fat stores back to their previous levels.
Appetite will come back and it is up to you what you eat. Are you going to reach for carbs? Or sugar? Develop a clean eating habit. When you are hungry, grab a boiled egg for protein or make yourself a clean smoothie.
MamaOfTwo20 wrote: » I'm sure those are taking this and losing so much weight and then gaining back is because of poor eating habits. I cannot stress enough that this is not a miracle pill. You HAVE to learn how to eat.
