Does anyone have any experience with Qsymia (pherterime/Topiramax) or Ozempic?

I met with a doctor about weight loss and we went over the usual lifestyle choices but she really stands behind using medications to assist with weight loss. I am obviously concerned due to my benzo injury, but I am so sick and tired of being overweight. I also have this withdrawal problem where I am constantly hungry and thinking about the next meal. So, I feel I could use the help but am terribly afraid of sustaining more brain/body damage from pharmaceutical drugs.

 

 

So these are the meds she is suggesting (only one to see what works for me):

 

~Qsymia (which is phertermine/topiramax combination) or

~Topomax (topiramax) on its own, or

~Phentermine (on its own), or 

~Ozempic (which is a once a week injectable).

 

Does anyone have experience taking these medications who could give me guidance?

Yay or nay?

Is it a dreadful idea in your opinion? or give it a try for a few days?

 

many thanks.

 

 

Have you tried Keto diet? Or GAPS?

Hi Benzoito,

 

I tried the Keto Diet for a week or so, but stopped because I got incredibly worried about cholesterol because I have high cholesterol. I also don't think it is a sustainable diet- I don't think I can eat Keto for a long time. I have cousins who lost a ton of weight on Keto (so to speak, lol), and were evangelical about it, but not sure how long they kept doing it. It seems complicated to keep ketogenic fat burning happening going.

Have you had any luck with it?

 

Not sure what GAPS is.

 

I also have tried LEAP diet for inflammation but I had trouble maintaining it after 4 months...guess I got burned out.

 

 

Taylor, I think it's really important for you to get your thyroid checked soon.  If you are even borderline hypothyroid that could explain the weight gain.  Once you get on thyroid medication, then you should be able to lose the weight.  I'd wait to have my thyroid checked before taking any weight reduction meds.  A TSH above a 2.0 can cause weight gain in some people.  I know because I have been hypothyroid for decades.

Yeah, I will do that. Sounds like good advice. I really think my weight gain was caused by sedentary lifestyle from going off all the psych meds (8 of them), and being bedridden, menopause, and dysregulation ito my amygdala.

 

"The amygdala is the primary brain area regulating appetite with response to emotions. Indeed, the amygdala activates to food cues [124, 125], and this response is increased in childhood, adolescent, and adult obesity [126-129].Feb 6, 2016" ncbi.nlm. nih

 

My hypothalamus was messed up too...all of my brain was majorly offed up by these drugs.

 

Then, factor in genetics. My mom struggles with her weight after menopause and my dad struggled with his weight from his forties on...male menopause! (andropause)  I guess genetically my family gets fat after menopause! My half-brothers are okay though- must get it from their dad. 

Thank you for all the additional advice but I do wish SOMEONE KNOWS something from experience about phentermine, topomax, qsymia, or ozempic.

 

 

I took Topamax for migraines and lost a ton of weight but I was in my thirties and pretty slender as it was. It’s nicknamed dopamax because it makes you incredibly dense cognitively. My pupils got really big and I started seeing shadows, kind of hallucinating. It is an anti-convulsant. I got off it after 6 months but it did break a horrible migraine cycle. I tried again years later and didn’t get the same effect. My husband takes the Ozempic for heart disease/diabetes issues. He has some GI problems from it and gets really tired the day he takes the shot and the day after. He seems to be leveling out though after about a month. Both of those drugs suppress your appetite so much that you hardly eat. I don’t know anything about the others.

I used to get phentermine online for weight loss when you were still able to do that, like 15 years ago. I was on klonopin at the time.  Yes, it made me lose 50 pounds but it’s a stimulant.  I would not DREAM of taking it now, it would give me massive panic attacks.  It makes you very jittery.  It can really mess with your blood pressure too.  I didn’t even think it was legal anymore, I know it has caused heart problems for some people.

 

I highly recommend intermittent fasting if you want to lose weight.

Oh, is that phen phen? That was some bad stuff. People were dying from it.

Oh, is that phen phen? That was some bad stuff. People were dying from it.

 

Phen phen was a combination of phentermine and fenfluramine…. I think it was taken off the market.

Thank you Tinkered and Scrabblegirl.

 

I really needed to hear first-person or second-person accounts, so thank you. Based on these accounts, I don't think I'll be trying any of these meds, especially Topomax aka Dopamax, because I already have significant cognitive impairment. Yikes!

Also, since phentermine is a stimulant I think it would cause increase in anxiety and I dont need that, that was why I was curious about the phentermine-topomax combo (qsymia), but those side effects sound too awful for me.

 

I know Phen-fen was taken off the market and some pretty hefty fines were paid because they caused significant heart damage.

 

I think Ozempic is fairly pricey but my health insurance might cover it because of my fatty liver disease. It is still fairly new I think, so maybe the side effects aren't as known?

 

Anyway, I really appreciate it and hope your husband is doing well, Tinkered.

 

 

 

Phentermine / Topiramate

Drug Description

Phentermine/topiramate, sold under the brand name Qsymia, is a combination drug of phentermine and topiramate used to treat obesity. It is used together with dietary changes and exercise. If less than 3% weight loss is seen after 3 months it is recommended the medication be stopped. The weight loss is modest.

 

I think we can call it DopePhen or PhenDope. Yet another potential pharma cash cow at the expense of immense suffering. I looked back in my medical journals and found some not so fond memories of hair loss, dry mouth and tingling limbs from Topamax. I truly think our best ways of correcting these health issues due to over medication are lifestyle changes. I know it is challenging during prolonged withdrawal symptoms but my best results have come from change in diet and exercise, patience and overall mindset to the meaning of suffering. Best luck to you, Tater Tot.

DopePhen and PhenDope 

 

Tinkered, those are pretty clever nicknames and accurate as well, no doubt. Hair loss, dry mouth, tingling limbs and god knows what else these drugs are doing to people's central nervous system and neurotransmitters... another cash cow that causes immense suffering. The lost weight probably comes back on after stopping the drug. 

 

There are no easy fixes. It is exactly what got so many of us into this mess and on this board. We are told we need help, and it comes in the form of little pill, or liquid, and there are minimal side effects or that it is easy to stop. And then we find out otherwise.

 

These weight loss drugs are her same. Time to buckle down on the lifestyle alterations. Now I need to find a good app to track calories and activities!!! 

 

Can attest. The weight comes back with a vengage, even if you didn’t have a high BMI before. You might get it afterwards. These psych drugs are well known for possibly causing metabolic syndrome.

 

You’d think my husband would get it after watching my debacle but he thinks heart meds and diabetic meds are different somehow. It’s heartbreaking to witness. What do you do?

Ugh, gaining even more weight on the other side of this would just kill me. I am sorry it happened to you. I barely ate when I was on clonazepam (Klonopin) and I was at a very low weight, probably too low. Then I got off these drugs, and weight piled on, and as you said, naturally I didn't have a high BMI. But now I am probably 40 pounds over what I should be for my height (5'3"). It is so frustrating. I hate the way I look and feel. But *shrug*

 

When I was researching, Ozempic the list of possible side effects really scared me away. Possible pancreatitis or pancreas issues, gallbladder issues, kidney issues, hypoglycemia, changes in vision etc. So many new drugs get discontinued after a few years of use due to adverse effects and I while I hope Ozempic isn't one of them (for your hubby's sake), it is just such a new drug that that concerns me. Pharma does not have a good track record.

 

I forgot another that the doctor mentioned another drug called Contrave. Contrave is naltrexone and bupropion. Naltrexone to reduce cravings and Wellbutrin to assist. That is so hardcore!

 

Yeah, hard pass on Contrave. They are just mixing stuff up and hoping for a payday. The same thing is happening on the streets. I follow the opioid mess because I lost a nephew and cousin after they were prescribed copious amounts of opiods for moderate pain. Plus, I lived the opioid stigma nightmare which pushed me into CT. The entire system is broken and if you’ve watched the opioid rise and downfall you can predict what will happen inevitably with psych drugs. Exactly why we are seeing so many being forced off of stimulants and benzos. Eventually it will happen with the psych drugs so they just evolve. It’s the same marketing, over and over again. I’m glad you have decided to forego the weight loss combo drugs. Fitness Pal is a great weight loss tool, btw.

 

Thank you, Tinkered. I think inevitably psych meds will be looked at as a global tragedy.

We need to evolve and look at treating root causes.

I am sorry about what happened to your nephew and cousin; what a tragic loss of life and sadness for your family.

 

And thank you so much for the recommendation re: MyFitnessPal. Can't wait to check it out!

 

Can't believe a doc would prescribe Wellbutrin for weight loss.  Most AD's have a side effect of weight gain, I believe. 

That has been my experience Becks. I gained lots weight on AD's and then when I went on Clonazepam, I lost it and then some. But when I went off all the drugs, it piled on again. My normal metabolism has gotten so screwed up!