[SaraMorgana]

Hi my name is Sara. I'm 18, just started college and i've lost about 60 pounds in the last 2 years. How? I took pills. See I wanted to go live with my father who is an dedicated health nut/gym rat and I wanted to learn how to get healthy but my mother said no so she dragged me back home and took me to this doctor who prescribed me phentermine and Levothroxin.

Almost 3 years later and here I am, kinda at weightloss plateau . I haven't been able to go to the gym so much because of school and time management probably the only reason I am still the same size is my eating habits. Since I haven't been able to go to any doctors appointments and my mom can't keep getting me scrips forever. She's talking about me stopping one day...and the thought of that is petrifying.

When I was really big, I just remember I ate constantly. All day and all night it was like I never could get full. When I started taking the pills the hunger went away and the mental hunger did too. It was bliss, I could eat in public without looking like a starving animal and food wasn't something I really thought about.

Now I sometimes think about food and maybe the "Fatty inside of me" as I mockingly call it rears its ugly head but overall its the same, no hunger. My problem is I don't think I can be without the pills and not overeat/binge.

I've accepted that I am addicted to food. But with that has perhaps come an addiction to pills? ((Addiction runs in my immediate family i'm not proud of that)) And a fear of hunger. When i'm off my meds..it's scary how hungry I can feel. But am I just not used to it anymore? Or is it my addiction?

Mainly what i'm asking is what should I do? And is there anyone who has gone through something similar like this? I feel as though i'm happy for the first time, I have someone who loves me and I can look in the mirror and not cringe. My family is no help. My father just got out of rehab and would probably suggest it to me and my mother she would just try to find something else for me to take.

If you made it to the bottom of this...wow, you really care.
-Sara

[lemonthyme]

I am sorry you are dealing with this. Are you actually on levothyroxine? And if so, do you have thyroid issues or are you just on it so that it can be a diet helper, which is not normally why it's prescribed. If you are on it for thyroid issues only, then no, you can't go off of it. You may actually want to find another doctor to go see and talk to them about what you have been on and see if there are ways to wean you off if it's been for weightloss only. If you have lost this much weight is the fear more that you think you might overeat? I am guessing you haven't tried without the meds help to go it alone.

If it were me, I'd find a different doctor, one that can work with you on a diet as long as there are no other health issues that require your medicines, see about weaning off and get on with being young. Yes, you may come from a line of addictive family members but that doesn't need to be your lifes outcome.

[BigNomore71]

I'm sorry to hear about your possible addiction to Phentermine. I've been on Phentermine too (and will be on it again soon) and I was weaned off the med in 5 mos time. Please discuss with your doctor how to wean off of the medication, take lower dosage and slowly come out of it. Then perhaps you might want to take some counseling and help from professionals for possible food addiction (without the med, that is). Good luck!

[HaveDogWillDiet]

SaraMorgana talk to your doctor, hopefully they will be supportive. Although absolutely no expert, it sounds more like you are afraid you are addicted / afraid of going off it, not actually addicted. Again, not a mental health expert though! I was prescribed phentermine and found the benefits you mentioned. However it also GREATLY increased my anxiety-it is after all a stimulant. So I stopped taking it daily. But like you I was worried about not having it, so I talked to my doctor about keeping it on for "recreational" use. I.e. if I am going to a wedding or all day event with lots of food and I am worried I will have control my eating or will be thinking about food, I take it then. That way I know I have something in my toolbox when I need it, but I also don't rely on it everyday, so I know I can diet without it. And the occasional use doesn't seem to affect my anxiety so much. Best of luck to you!!

[Kitiaraven]

I take Synthroid, but I have Grave's Disease and they had to kill my thyroid at age 20 with RAI. I am shocked if the doctor actually prescribed that to you without a thyroid issue, because if you don't need it, it can actually raise your heart rate which is dangerous.