Question:
Any far out post-op taking Diet Pills perscribed (phentermine) help suppress appetite
I finally bit the bullet. I am 2 years post op later this month and have not lost since 8 months post op. Gained back about 15 lbs and stay within an 8 lb range usually. Never made it near goal. Lately snacking has been really uncontrolable. Try as I might I constantly snack especially at night. Just started Phentermine (It's not the one that caused heart/lung problems)to help as an appetite suppressant. Just wondering if there are any brave post op souls out there who will admit to having to do the same and have you had any success. — SARose61 (posted on February 3, 2004)
February 3, 2004
I have the same problem as you and have been so tempted to buy over the
counter appitite control pills, but im so scared they will hurt me now. I
am hoping you get some answers. Good luck!
— Sandy M.
February 3, 2004
I admit I am taking pheteramine. My PCP prescribed a low dose (15mg) as it
help with depression too. So, now I get the best of both worlds.
— Mona R.
February 3, 2004
Hi Rosemary: I'll admit I had to go back to diet pills post op. Not
phentermine because I believe that is timed released. I told my surgeon I
was thinking of it and he replied, "We know that doesn't work."
I felt like saying HELLO, neither did the surgery. I stopped losing at a
year post op (about five pounds from goal) and immediately starting gaining
2 to 4 pounds a month for the next year. I ended up gaining 41 pounds, and
there was no end in sight until I got the diet pills. I tried to just go
back to the pouch rules, but cutting out the sugars I had added to my diet
and increasing water and exercise wasn't stopping the gain. I always did
get plenty of protein, and was continuing the protein, so that wasn't the
reason I was gaining. My surgeon didn't scope me, but he was sure I had an
enlarged stoma based on how much I could eat in one sitting. I did lose a
fair amount of weight the first month after starting the pills. I only
trickled down after that, but at least I was no longer gaining. I've
relost most of the 41 pounds now, but it took another 1/2 of a year and a
tummy tuck. I did a search on diet pills post op a while ago and there
were a few posts by people who took pills postop, not many. I congratulate
you for putting a stop to your weight gain before it got totally out of
hand like it did for me. 15 pounds is a lot easier to get rid of than 41
or more. When I started researching surgery 3 years ago people never
talked about regain. I used to always read "X amount of pounds gone
forever." I guess enough of us are brave enough to come back and say
there's not a guarantee, so I don't see that as much anymore. Good luck
with controlling your evening snacking. If you are going to snack, make it
protein and that'll help. Set a maximum amount and if you go a pound over
do whatever it takes to get it off. That's my new rule. Hope it helps to
know you're not alone. S
— sherry hedgecock
February 3, 2004
I hit a major plateau in my weight loss around 9 months out. I was so
afraid that I would not get to my goal weight or at least a weight lower
than I had ever been as an adult, so I ordered phentermine from an online
pharmacy. It did help me break the plateau and lose an additional 15
pounds. However, after taking it for about 6 weeks, I began to have
stomach pain from what my dr said was probably an ulcer. It scared me
pretty bad, so I stopped taking the phentermine. I never told my dr what I
had done. The medicine definitely helped me with my all day snacking, and
since I have been off, I have been able to maintain the weight loss. I
think my body just needed a little help getting jump started again. You
might check in to other appetite suppresives that might not be as hard on
your stomach, though. Ulcers are NO FUN! I would like to know what you
find out about alternatives, as I still would like to get rid of that last
ten pounds.
— J H.
February 4, 2004
Hi there. I am not judging you or your decisions, but, I do have a
question. Is it really hunger that you are having the battle with? Or, it
this a by-product of past behavior patterns that are coming back to haunt
you? The reason this comes to mind for me and I mention it is especially
because of the night time snacking you mention. Night time snacking is a
pattern behavior that many obeese people have suffered from. It is one of
the most difficult patterns to break. So, I guess I'm just submitting to
you that perhaps there's another angle to attack your problem from, the
emotional eating or psychological behavior issue. I've been there both
from the hunger side and from the behavior side, so, again, I don't pass
any judgement on what you decide. When I had to deal with being hungry, I
chose to change my eating patterns (ate more small meals in the day to stay
full) rather than go the medicine route. That worked for me, but may not
for you. When I had to deal with the 'hunger' from a behavior standpoint,
I asked my family for help and support group for advice, which has assisted
me greatly, though is still a challenge. Either way, I wish you the best
outcome in whatever you decide is smartest course of action for you.
Again, I'm not judging or trying to push other issues on you...It's just a
natural thought. Take care of yourself... a friend who's been there...
Lisa C from CT
— LMCLILLY
February 4, 2004
Thank you folks for responding. Yes, I always cringe too when I read the
"X amount of lbs gone forever." As a new post-op I was dead
certain I was going to be the one to make it to goal, no problems, no
weight gain. I wish more struggling post-ops would come forward to paint a
more accurate picture of what it can be like to not make it to goal, gain
some weight back or stay stalled and still be obese and worried that your
health problems are going to return. I feel I was not prepared to face the
fact that this surgery was not going to do anything for my compulsive
eating, that it would come back with a vengeance and it seems like it is a
hundred times worse than before this surgery. I can eat constantly all
evening long on lazy snacks that turn to nothing in my pouch but add up to
a whopping lot of calories when you really analyze what you have eaten.
Anyway, I am very hopeful that I going to be able to get this situation
under control and hopefully even start losing beyond my stalled weight.
— SARose61
February 4, 2004
I have thought of this too. I am still about 20 pounds from goal, and I am
starting to become hungry a lot. I'm currently in therapy for my obsession
with food, and the urge to eat all of the time. Fortunately, I have not
had the regain yet, but I can see it coming if I don't get control of this
soon. On my psychological I had before surgery, the psychologist wrote
that I had an eating disorder. I was eating uncontrollably. While I
really obsess about what I eat now, I feel that I'm losing control again
and I want to eat all the time. I have considered the diet pills.
What kind do you take and in what amount? Not that I'm necessarily going
to do it, I was just wondering.
— raye
February 4, 2004
I'm always sad when I read a post where someone is struggling so hard with
compulsive eating and they were totally unprepared for that. My doctor and
my dietician both told me plainly that if I had problems with that before
surgery, I'd have them afterward. The psych also told me the same thing
and I did tons of research before I had surgery so I knew that could be a
problem. Do you have any opportunity for counseling for the eating habits?
I spent years working on those compulsions before I had surgery so I
haven't had a problem (yet) and counseling helped me more than anything by
helping me understand why I had the behaviors. Once you understand why you
behave a certain way, you can more easily work at changing the behavior.
My heart goes out to you and to all who still struggle with control.
— SCbabe B.
February 13, 2004
Well I have started taking the pills also. I am in a size 8 but i feel i
can be a size 6.. i am 4 years post op and age 27. I did again 20 pounds
in that time, but lost it when i started taking the pills this past summer.
I went off of them and due to some relationship issue i started eating
more(snacking) at work and again 8 pounds. I am back on the pills, feeling
great with energy and Bound to be a size 6 :)
— Nicole S.
February 7, 2006
HI, I AM 4 1/2 YEARS OUT. MY APPETITE CAME BACK AFTER 16 MONTHS. I PUT
BACK 20 LBS OF THE 100 LBS I LOST. WORSE WAS THE FACT THAT MY APPETITE
CAME BACK AND I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOOD EVER SINCE. ABOUT 2 YRS AGO MY
PRIVATE DOCTOR PUT ME ON TENUATE. 25 MG TWICE A DAY. IT CURBED MY
APPETITE. I THOUGHT I DIDN'T NEED IT ANYMORE SO I QUIT TAKING IT. 10LBS
CAME BACK ON QUICKLY. I BEGAN TAKING THE MEDICATION AGAIN AND IT IS
KEEPING MY HUNGER IN CONTROL AND I HAVE LOST 10LBS SO FAR. MORE THAN THE
WEIGHT LOSS IS THE FACT THAT IT STOPS THE RAVENOUS FEELING OF HUNGER. I
ASKED MY DOCTOR IF I WILL HAVE TO BE ON SOMETHING THE REST OF MY LIFE. HE
SAID THAT UNLESS MEDICAL SCIENCE CAN COME UP WITH A MORE PERMANENT HELP I
PROBABLY WILL. THE WLS GAVE ME BACK MY HEALTH BUT AS THEY SAY, IT IS JUST
A TOOL. IT GOT MY WEIGHT OFF FAST. I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THAT THE DIET
PILLS HELP ME TO MAINTAIN. BEFORE THE SURGERY, DIET PILLS ALONE DID NOT
HELP ME BUT SINCE THE SURGERY THEY DO SEEM TO HELP A LOT. I AM NOT
RECCOMMENDING THAT ANYONE ELSE TAKE DIET PILLS BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE
PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DO AND I UNDERSTAND WHY.
— mrkopnicky
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