Stuck - what to ask Dr next / what will he do?

I am six months post-op and have lost 88 pounds.  I lost about 20 pounds before my surgery in early September and everything stopped in December.....  Since mid December I have lost less than 10 pounds.  My doctor even added an appetite suppressant (diet pill) six weeks ago. 

I've got another 115 pounds to go and if it continues this slowly I'm going to go crazy.  My doctor said he has "other tools" if this doesn't work.  I feel like I'm trying just another fad diet.  The most depressing thing is that others I work with are having surgeries of their own and now losing weight so quickly, even surpassing my own weight loss.  I feel like a failure...once again.  What is wrong with me?  I am following what the Dr recommends and still drinking two protein shakes a day with one meal a day. 

Does anyone have an idea what these "other tools" might be?  I am getting so discouraged.  I have an appointment with him next week and I'm not sure what to expect or what I should say, or ask him. 

Wandering around lost -

Well for one it doesn't seem like you are eating enough and your body is always in starvation mode. I am 4 1/2 months post op and eat 6 times or more a day plus a protein shake. I have lost 80 pounds so far. Started out at 287. 5'8" and I get minimal exercise. So I would suggest eat more

Were you overeating?  I don't understand why the appetite suppressant.

Do you have a registered dietician?  I would talk to an RD about your diet.  Sounds like  you're not getting enough calories.  Eating so few calories for a long time can really slow down your metabolism.  Why are you only eating one meal a day at six months post op?  And if you were hungry all the time, and that's why you needed the appetite suppressant, that might be why - protein shakes don't stay in the pouch long, so you would get hungry soon after drinking them.

I don't know what your doc's other tools might be, but since one of them was a diet pill, I'm concerned about what they might be.  You can ask him, though.  But before doing another fad diet or taking more diet pills, I think I would seek a second opinion.

Ditto what Kelly said, especially about not needing an appetite suppressant if you eat dense protein rather than drinking shakes and about concern that a bariatric surgeon would revert to prescribing drug for weight loss. I, too, have no idea what other "tools" he might try.  How has he attempted to address the issue other than prescribing the pills?

Are you tracking your daily food consumption?  How many calories and protein are you getting?  As someone else said, you may be sabotaging yourself by not getting enough (as backwards as that sounds). Are you getting any exercise?  Have you had your metabolic rate or thyroid levels checked recently?  There are a number of things that might be going on.

Lora

It sounds like you are not getting enough calories. I am about 6 months out too and my dietitisdietitisndietitian says I should eat 3 meals a day of up to 1 cup of food(with dense protein about half of that) and if needed a snack or two. I generally have 3 meals and a protein drink before bed. I would try tslking toto your dietitian about your plan. Maybe another opinion can help you get your weighT moving.

When I was six weeks post-op and graduated to solid foods - I moved to two meals and one shake a day.  The doctor told me that as long as I want to lose weight I needed to be drinking two shakes/one meal a day.

I was starting to find myself getting hungry all of the time - which is why I assume he prescribed the diet pill.  I was really confused about the diet pill since I had never heard of any other WLS people talk about it. 

I have thought about the second opinion but the only other Bariatric doctor in town wants $1,000 (calling it a transfer fee) just to see me because I have already had my surgery.

Thank you all for your input.  I was just hoping someone else may have been through something similar.  I am pretty discouraged at this point and it feels good to know that some people at least are willing to provide some input.