[Troy]

Hi All!

My first post to this discussion group - but I have been reading articles left and right avidly. I have tried searching for this, but I haven't found anything related really.

I recently started (about 3 weeks ago) 30mg of Phentermine in the morning, and 25mg of Topamax at night. To my understanding, the phentermine causes the loss of appetite - and the topamax makes me feel full - faster.

My concerns come from the topamax really. If you check this out (www.topamax.com) - it's FDA approved for the treatment of seizures and among other things (note weight loss isn't one of them). However, the more I read on newsgroups about the medicine, the more I DO see different people and Doctors talking about losing significant amounts of weight on topamax alone.

So here's my ultimate problem: I have been worried about the quick and noticible (like everyone else I notice) weight loss you experience when first using phentermine. I dropped 20lbs in 2.5 weeks! I got concerned and talked to my doctor - and he said he recently went to another "weight loss conference" and the doctors were literally pushing the topamax more than phentermine now. So, instead of going to the doctor and expecting him to say something like ".. that's too much weight too fast... - let's take you off the topamax.." - he ups the topamax to 100mg twice a day!

I am also concerned about gallbladder damage due to losing too much weight too fast. I'm only 28 years old.. and he doesn't seem to concerned - but easy for him to not worry about

Anyway, any comments, suggestions, or related stories would be greatly appreciated and consoling.

Thanks!

Unkle T

[AmyTN]

Troy, a word of caution. I also took Topamax. I was not on phen at the time. I took it for a neurological problem. I had the severe side effect of psychiatric side effects. I was so angry and hostile ALL the time that my husband was really upset. I tried to stick it out and hide my horrible anger and hostility because I wanted the weight loss side effects, but, finally, neither I nor my family could stand it any longer. I started on 25 mg twice a day and my neurologist cut me back to 12.5 mg twice a day and it didn't help. I am in the minority. Many, many people do very well on very high doses of this drug, I was not one of them. I feel almost obligated to let people know of what happened to me. It was terrible. If you have a significant personality change, you can bet your boots it's the topamax and not the phen.

I want to add a PS to this. The personality changes ended when I stopped the topamax.

[ February 09, 2002: Message edited by: AmyTN ]

[jjpp]

Troy,
I lost 90lbs in 7 months last year and I had my Gallbladder removed two months later. My gallbladder was full of stones and the surgeon said it was probably like that for a couple of years, just getting worse and when I cut out all fats, low carbs, it made it alright and then I ate pizza..OH man, it threw me into serious pain..and out came the gallbladder 3 days later.
The surgery wasn't that bad either. I was back in full swing 4 days later.
Hope this helps you..
Take care,
Johnna

[Haas29]

Hi Troy! Congrats on your 20lbs lost! However, if you're wondering why your doctor upped your meds instead of saying whoa you're losing too fast, maybe you should look into using a different doctor? It's only a thought, I just kinda got a red flag in my head when I read your post, that's all. Did your doctor willingly prescribe both meds? I've never heard of topomax before. Sounds interesting

[jjpp]

Oh Troy,
I forgot to welcome you..I am a newbie here too..I've only been here about a month now. I have also heard that men lose weight much faster than women due to having a higher metabolism.
Well, good luck and keep us posted on what you decide to do!
Johnna

[Camri]

Troy - reading your situation and interested in finding out how things are going-
Why did the Doc give you 25 and then up to 100- did he explain
have you missed a day taking either pill? How is your energy level and mood?
From your original post you had dropped significantly- how much more have you dropped?
Camri

[Troy]

Well, Here's an update really - gonna try and answer everyone's questions in one swoop.

When my doctor started me on phentermine - he also started me on the topamax combo. Never just the phentermine alone - it was both at the same time. It was explained that that kind of "worked together hand in hand". The phentermine of course to curb my appetite and the topamax to make me feel full faster and help burn the pounds off (speed up metabolism).

The phentermine never changed and was only intended to be used for 3 months - and then I would go off it. The topamax was to be continued as long as desired.

WELL, since my last posting, I asked my doctor why the push from 25mg of topamax to 200mg of topamax? (100mg tables twice a day - morning/night) He said that physicians are pushing topamax and saying to give it as much as possible - because it's working significantly. So, that's why he upped my prescription.

The 25mg was doing weird things to me, making foods taste differently (sweets no longer tasted good, coffee, diet coke, orange juice and a bunch of things no longer tasted good) I didn't notice any mood changes or anxiety problems, but there were other effects such as dry mouth and tingling sensations in my hands. So, I wasn't a huge fan of upping this to 200mg a day instantly.

To make an extremely long story as short as possible, within a week of taking 100mg of topamax with the 30mg of phentermine, I noticed the worst side effects of topamax. Blurred vision, trouble focusing, dissiness and finally - a coworker asked me one day while at work, "When did you get pink eye?" I went to the bathroom and looked at my eye and both eyes were as bloodshot as could be. I started searching the internet for possible side effects of topamax and found a letter published in Sept from Ortho-McNeil (makers of Topamax) saying that if you experienced these side effcets to stop taking it immediately that it could cause blindess and the effcts could be irreversable! http://www.fda.gov/medwatch (search for topamax)

Anyway I called my doc and said to stop taking it all together. So, I've stopped the phentermine. I've stopped the topamax. I've stopped. Stopped alltogether trying to lose weight through chemicals. I am no longer going to put my body in danger when all I have to do, is prepare myself and get the courage and motivation to lose weight on my own. I didn't take medicines to gain weight... so I can't expect to take it to lose it. I have to take this approach now, it's just not worth it - not worth the "side effects" when you try to take the easy way out.

I would like to end with this statement. Phentermine is not a bad drug in my opinion. Topamax is not a bad drug either. People's body's react differently to different drugs. Period. What may have made me have side effects - may not make you have them at all. I will say this also. The phentermine will curb your appetite. But, the topamax will in time turn out the be the weight loss drug of choice. It's not as popular as phentermine - nor as publicly known. But, through my experiences, the topamax is a very powerful drug and when taken - it can make you melt the pounds off.

If you do not believe me - search the internet for topamax and read. Most people are taking it for migraines and or seizures (what it is intended for) - but the side effects of it is weight loss. Unfortunately, I had the worst of it's side effects and stopped. But, somewhere within the 3 weeks of taking it... lost 40 to 50 pounds.

[Camri]

I bumped this - detailed info

[JacJac2001]

I can not believe that so many people are taking Topamax for weight loss. This is not a drug that is for weight loss. And as I have stated ovet and over, I am taking it as an alternative to Lithium, as I am Bipolar I. The side effects that this drug produces can be extremely terrible, as they are with Lithium, Depakote, etc... However, patients that take them for psycological of neurological disorders/issues need them and take them with the realization of these side effects. The disorder that I have can not be fixed and if it could believe me I would be in line for the first neurotransmitter correction surgery. But the fact is this is not an option, as a matter of fact there is not an anti-depressant/depressant for Bipolar patients and we rely on the ability of doctors to test drugs such as Topamax on us to find the right combination on us, so that we can eventually make it through each day with out crying or extreme elation. I believe that weight loss drugs such as Phen, Tenuate, etc... are created just for that, weight loss. But if you take a drug such as Topamax, just for the "side effect" of weight loss, the harm done may far out do the good.

I do not want to offend anyone, sorry if I did.