My doctor just put me on Phentermine, what do you think of this?
 

I have been struggling with weight my entire life. I am so sick and
tired of being this way. I am fatter than I ever dreamed I would be.
I absolutely despise what I see in the mirror and often wonder why my
husband stays with me.


I have a lot of health issues. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, overactive thyroid, sleep apnea, enlarged heart, fatty
liver and I am sure there are more but haven't been figured out yet.
Oh yeah, did I mention depression? lol It seems the weight is what
has caused every single one of my health issues.


I am 36 years and female.


I am currently on a ton of meds, but have recently been switched from
fluoxetine to wellbutrin. I am on my 3rd month of this switch and I
find that the wellbutrin doesn't help at all. I am so miserable and
wasn't feeling this way on fluoxetine. My doc says that fluoxetine and

phentermine can't be taken together.


I finally get the doc to prescribe me this drug and I have to go off
the one drug that makes my quality of life feel so much better. Yeah,
I have lost 36 lbs in the last 2 months, wonderful. Wish I felt like I

have lost weight, I still see the same ugly person in the mirror.


Is it even possible to lose a lot of weight and keep it off without
surgery? I have lost and gained sooo much weight in my life, over and
over again and always gain it back plus some. Is there anyway I can
lose weight this time and not gain it back? Am I destined to be
bed-bound because I am just to fat to move around?


sigh, hope someone has something good to say to me. I don't know much
about phentermine, ok, I know nothing about it. What do you think of
this drug?

Is it even possible to lose a lot of weight and keep it off without
surgery?

The odds are not good, but given the state of your health, it's worth
trying.

I had many of the physical problems you describe. I was going to have
bariatic surgery, but I've managed to lose a massive amount of weight
by eating less and exercising more.

Will I keep the weight off? I don't know. But I'm having a good
quality of life now. It's been worth the effort, without the dangers
and side effects of surgery or drugs.

What do you think of
this drug?

Years ago, my doc prescribed phen and then fen. I had disturbing side
effects - diarrhea, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and had
to sotp each med after less than a month. I did not lose an ounce.

As always, YMMV.

Kasey
365/213/190

wsherry72 wrote:
I have been struggling with weight my entire life. I am so sick and
tired of being this way. I am fatter than I ever dreamed I would be.
I absolutely despise what I see in the mirror and often wonder why my
husband stays with me.

You despise what you see in the mirror and 'wonder why' your husband
stays with you. Quite bluntly, you will never lose weight in your
present state of mind. Why? Because your head is not in the right
space. You loath yourself instead of loving yourself. You use it as a
crutch to blame everything in your life on. You cant find true longterm
weightloss in a pill nor a surgical intervention. You need to change
your life and your lifestyle. Like the mantra of this board you need to
follow this over and over and over till it becomes your reality:
0. Fix your head. Find out why you chose to get fat (and stay fat)
1. Eat less.
2. Exercise more.
3. Repeat.
4. Forever.
Forget the wellbutrin, weightloss pills and searching for the
unatainable 'out there'magic bullet, only YOU can do this for YOURself!
Exercise gives you feelgood endorphins, adopt it and change yourself.
Visit Dr Phils website and read about the seven keys. You need to fix
your head before you do anything. Stop kidding yourself and get
serious!


joni

So you think a person should stop taking their anti-depressants and do
it by themselves? Do you realize that some people have legit medical
conditions that require these pills? If I stopped taking them, I would
not have any will inside me to even consider exercising because I would
be in bed sleeping and crying all the time. Nope, can't forget about
the anti-depressants. Not yet, anyway.

But the rest of what you say makes sense. I was feeling REALLY crappy
yesterday but feel somewhat better today. One thing I did was had my
husband take our scale from the bathroom and put it up high where I
can't get to it. I find myself being obsessed with weighing myself.
Often times I will weigh myself up to 10 times or even more a day! And
if I see that I weigh more than the last time, I get so discouraged!
And I even know that a person fluctuates in weight and that doesn't
mean they are gaining anything, but it doesn't matter, I still get very
discouraged and just down. And when I am down, I can't do anything
about it because I am just too down. It is a horrible cycle to be in.
I have been in a very self destructive state of mind for many years and
throughout the last 2 years I have slowly been pulling myself out of
it. I still have a long way to go and I still get really down on
myself. But, I feel that if I stay with it, I can do it. Sometimes I
just need to be reassured, I guess. Ask others that have been where I
am. I am glad I came to google groups because I have found a lot of
information and believe that it is directly related to why I feel so
much more hopeful today.

Thank you
Sherry

"joni" wrote in message
oups.com...

0. Fix your head. Find out why you chose to get fat (and stay fat)

Forget the wellbutrin,

It's possible these two are conflicting advice.

"wsherry72" wrote in message
ps.com...
So you think a person should stop taking their anti-depressants and do
it by themselves? Do you realize that some people have legit medical
conditions that require these pills? If I stopped taking them, I would
not have any will inside me to even consider exercising because I would
be in bed sleeping and crying all the time. Nope, can't forget about
the anti-depressants. Not yet, anyway.

Honestly I wouldn't worry the least about what one person on the Internet or
even more than one person says when it comes to your prescriptions. You
have to realize that on Usenet like everywhere else opinions are just like
assholes - everyone has one. Amazingly enough some people think they're so
incredibly smart that they can tell you how to fix your whole life based on
only a few words typed into a computer.

Depression and anxiety disorders are illnesses and may or may not be
exacerbated by specific foods. Some dietary fanatics claim their WOE will
cure everything under the sun but usually have only a small base
(themselves) to prove it. A healthy diet will help you feel better
physically and usually mentally and exercise is definitely a mood lifter,
but there are definitely mood disorders that require medication. If it's
working for you then do what you need to do.

You might find over time with a consistent exercise plan and eating in a
healthy manner that you will require less medication or none. OTOH there
are certainly thin and physically fit people on antidepressants and other
medications.

But the rest of what you say makes sense. I was feeling REALLY crappy
yesterday but feel somewhat better today. One thing I did was had my
husband take our scale from the bathroom and put it up high where I
can't get to it. I find myself being obsessed with weighing myself.
Often times I will weigh myself up to 10 times or even more a day! And
if I see that I weigh more than the last time, I get so discouraged!
And I even know that a person fluctuates in weight and that doesn't
mean they are gaining anything, but it doesn't matter, I still get very
discouraged and just down. And when I am down, I can't do anything
about it because I am just too down. It is a horrible cycle to be in.
I have been in a very self destructive state of mind for many years and
throughout the last 2 years I have slowly been pulling myself out of
it. I still have a long way to go and I still get really down on
myself. But, I feel that if I stay with it, I can do it. Sometimes I
just need to be reassured, I guess. Ask others that have been where I
am. I am glad I came to google groups because I have found a lot of
information and believe that it is directly related to why I feel so
much more hopeful today.

Based on what you've already posted it looks like you have some serious work
ahead of you. You were given some good advice in that you really do need to
fix your head before, during, and even after weight loss. If not, you're
doomed to repeat the cycle of loss and regain forever. It's not easy and
not always fun but it really is more worthwhile in the long run. You're
taking some steps now and recognizing trouble spots. Are you getting any
kind of counseling to go with the meds? It might help if you get the right
counselor.

--
the volleyballchick

No drug will help you in the long term. It's about you making the decision
to get serious and to keep making that decision every day.

hope someone has something good to say to me.

It's always darkest just before dawn. You've said some pretty negative
things about yourself. Maybe you've hit psychological bottom with this post
and can find the will to turn it around from here :)

BCJ wrote:
No drug will help you in the long term. It's about you making the
decision
to get serious and to keep making that decision every day.


hi, BCJ
If the wellbutrin is for chronic depression, it may very well be a
must. Chronic depression, speaking from personal experience, can be
very hazardous to your mental, emotional, and physical well being.
OTOH, taking anti-dpressants for their appetite suppression, is not the
appropriate method. The problems will still be there, when the
medication is gone. Fix the base problem, not mask the symptoms, so to
speak.

Donna K.
398.8/281.8/275 (next short term goal)
NWOE began Jan 2003
LC since May 2003
LC and CR since Jan 2005

"Nuclear Girl" wrote in message
oups.com...

BCJ wrote:
No drug will help you in the long term. It's about you making the
decision
to get serious and to keep making that decision every day.


hi, BCJ
If the wellbutrin is for chronic depression, it may very well be a
must. Chronic depression, speaking from personal experience, can be
very hazardous to your mental, emotional, and physical well being.

You are absolutely correct. No one would tell an epileptic that their
Tegretol won't help in the long term or an asthmatic to just stop using
Albuterol and find another way to deal with the problem. It's just a
serious misunderstanding about the nature of illnesses like chronic
depression or other mental illnesses.
--
the volleyballchick

It seems the weight is what
has caused every single one of my health issues.

As someone who was supermorbidly obese less than two years ago, I
understand the inclination to blame all of one's problems, health or
otherwise, on one's excess weight.

But losing weight won't solve all, or even most, of some people's
problems.

Sometimes I
just need to be reassured, I guess.

As do we all. So please be reassured that you can feel better, and you
can lose weight.

I hope you'll keep posting about your progress.

Kasey
365/213/190