Glad to hear so many of you are doing well on Meridia! After my first month I weighed in at the doctor's office with only a one pound loss (eek) and she decided to UP my dosage to 15 mg. But I decided instead to switch to Xenical. The Meridia made me feel a little weird, I had a constant pressure in my head (almost like sinuses?) and at first I thought it was just me, but when I stopped taking it, it did subside. Maybe it just wasn't for me?
Anyway, good luck to those of you still on it and I hope to read of more success stories from you!
Hi Ladies. Thought I would pop in to say hi. I've been lurking for a while and recently started posting on the support and 100 lb. threads. I totally agree with your statements on Meridia. Reluctantly, I tried it after stalled efforts at losing. I've been on it about 2 months, with a 10 pound loss, much slower than I would have expected, but it's going in the right direction. No drug is a crutch. I don't want to be on Meridia forever, but if it can help me over the difficult periods until new habits can be established, then it's worth it. My worst time was right after work. I used to walk in the door fixated on what I could eat, sometimes opening up the fridge before I even took my coat off! Now, I feel full on less (which really helps) so 1/2 sandwich really is enough. If I keep eating, I'll feel gross the rest of the day. The food fixation is also diminished--when I come home from work I can open the mail, change, feed the cats, whatever, and then decide what dinner will be. My doc offered to up the dosage, but I'm sticking to 10mg for now. I want to increase exercise first. Haven't had any side effects. I'm losing about 1.6 pounds per week, which for someone my size (315) eating about 1200 cal, is slow. I never had the big 8 or 10 pound losses larger people often experience in the initial weeks. If I have to fight for each pound, so be it.
Catmum...might I suggest that you aren't eating enough?
I know it sounds bizarre, but I had a two month plateau on my weight loss, and after changing some of my eating habits and eating MORE, I actually lost 5 pounds.
If our bodies don't get enough fuel (even with Meridia), then they go in to starvation mode, and actually slow down. I have a feeling that 1200 calories isn't enough for you...I am at 255 and i eat 1500-1800 calories a day and have lost an average of .75 pounds a week, with high losses on the weeks where I ate more and exercised...
WineBrat,
I've often thought the same. I've gone weeks when the scale has barely budged, and I've thought undereating could be the culprit (although most who have not walked in our shoes never believe that). I also need to increase exercise. The program I'm (at doc's office) emphasizes 2000 calories worth of exercise per week, over and above your normal activity level. My office is about 1/2 mile from the train station, so I get a 1 mile walk in every day. I have to look at that as the baseline and build from there. The 2000 cal. requirement also means as you lose you have to do more to meet the 2000 cal, either increasing time spent exercising or intensity. The doc's staff also discusses case studies of long term weight loss, and the steady exercisers were, no surprise, more successful in maintaining a loss.
VioletRose sorry to hear that you had a problem with Merida. I am sure that others have had unpleasant side effects also. That is the nature of drugs and you were wise to note your symptoms and stop taking it. You will have to let us know how you do with Xenical. My doctor offered it to me also, he let me make a choice. It is interesting to know that you can take both Merida and Xenical together (no thanks)
catmum, I still think your weight loss is wonderful but do agree with winebrat and you that you can eat too little. Then your body goes into a protect mode and you will not lose. I have to watch that sometimes also.
I do believe that exercise is the key. It is the only thing that can raise our metabolism. I have had a back problem and was not able to exercise for three days. Believe it or not I was bummed out. Started slowly again last night and hopefully can pick up where I left off after seeing physcial therapist tomorrow.
Amy WOW WOW WOW you have done a fantastic job. 38 lbs. We will all be like twigs together. lol. Keep it up.
Taco, see that you posted here. The meeting last night was good wasn't it. Love most of the people. See you next week.
Frosty have not seen you on chat and I did not know you were going to be a bride. Congratulations.
I had my first weigh in today after starting Xenical on Friday and I lost 5.75 lbs. But I had a big gain last week after I stopped the meridia, so it could just be a coincidence. I'll have to wait and see how it goes next week!
I can definitely tell you that the Xenical does at times have some gross side effects (like they warn) but hopefully once the body adjusts, that will too!
Don't blame you on not wanting to take both at a time. I think it's too expensive! My Xencical would have cost me $125, except for a coupon on their web site, which brought the price down! The 15 mg of Meridia was going to cost about the same, so I figured I would make the switch, rather than going with the higher dosage.
Sounds like you have been doing great with the Meridia though, so keep it up!
I totally agree about the exercise portion! That is my biggest struggle, but I also recognize that the weeks where I do get to the gym or walk, that I lose MUCH better than the weeks I don't.
Catmum, you're doing great. I had a few weeks there that I was really frustrated too. But you're doing great, and just keep plugging away (that's what i tell myself too)! Sounds like you are doing good on the exercise though.
Well, I'm PMSing this week so it's REALLY hard to stay on track.
I will NOT eat 1000 Jelly Bellies for lunch! I will not!
:-)
TTFN - time for my bananna and raspberry breakkie.
For those of you paying for your prescriptions, I decided to do a little digging last night on the AETNA US Healthcare website and I found out that they *will* pay for weight loss meds (like Meridia or Xenical) if your BMI is over 30 or if it's over 27 and you have certain medical conditions. I guess some of them try not to make that well known, but after seeing that some people had insurance covering their prescriptions, I decided to check! So make sure you check very well with your insurance plan!! I switched to Xenical and it was going to cost $125 so I'm thrilled to know this!
I recently took a trip to Mexico. It's only an 8 hour drive, and one tank of gas from where I live. While I was there, I ran into a woman that buys her Sibutramine, in Mexico. It's called Raductil, but she claims it's the same as Merida. I talked to a Pharmacist, and he told me it was the same thing as well. It's in Pharmacias everywhere. She said she paid about $50.00 for 15, 15mg. capsules. She has a perscription, but prefers to buy it this way because she said it's cheaper. I checked into the laws here, and from what I understand, if I'm interpreting it correctly, (And I may not be,) You can legally purchase and transport enough pharmaceuticles for 6 months of personal use across the US border. Has anyone tried this Raductil? And is it really the same thing as Merida? Does it work just as well? I may be making another road trip to Sunny Mexico if so.
Debdub,
First, welcome!! There are great people on these boards.
Second, I urge you to be cautious about buying Rx drugs outside the US. While the formulation may be the same, there's no guarantee that the drug is unadulterated, as it's not under the control of the FDA. Merida is still a controlled substance in the US (although my doc told me the FDA may de-list it soon). One side effect of Meridia is an increase in blood pressure, so please be careful.
My insurance (United Healthcare and Express Pharmacy) pays for weight loss drugs, fortunately. My co-pay for a month's supply is about $15, and I called the mail order pharmacy program we have, and they cover Meridia as well--$30 for a 90 day supply. If your benefit plan includes a mail order Rx option, you can get supplies of maintenance drugs (insulin, BP medicine, etc.) for a low co-pay. For those of you with group health insurance through your employer, note that the decision of whether to cover diet drugs is not just up to the ins. company. Your employer also decides whether they are covered. If the employer doesn't want to pay for them, the ins. comp will act accordingly. So, if your ins. comp tells you they are not covered, don't give up! Go to your benefits office and ask. You can point out that covering the drugs is cheaper for the company in the long run. It's cheaper to pay for $1000 of drugs today than long term treatment for heart disease, cancer and other conditions obesity contributes to. Be persistent!
Wow, I'm envious of you that have insurance! My mom (we're partners in business but she is covered under my dad's policy) has tried to find health insurance privately for me at a reasonable cost and it is impossible. I have asthma and she's been told that I need to get to 175 lb. before they will insure me. What a pain. The good thing is this is even more incentive to take the weight off! For now I'm pleased with the weight loss so I'll gladly pay for the Meridia and the doctor's visits. I just wish that I could find a cheaper way to get a tummy tuck once this is all over with (I've been told it will cost around $7,000). Believe me, I'll find the way to pay for it if I have to get a second job, but if anyone has any other ideas I'm open for suggestions. I wonder if I went to a teaching hospital and let a novice work on me?? Then I wonder...are my thighs and upper arms going to need work too? I already know that I need a boob job...I've needed one of those for years! Oh well, that is down the road and maybe I'll hit the lottery by then
Good luck to everyone.
debdub agreeing with catmum. be careful what you buy that is not regulated by FDA
amy, have you gone onto the Merida site. They send you a card and you get 25% off on your first three month supply and then 50% off the next three months. I just got my doc to write me a new scipt and took it to another pharmacy. My pharmacy probably would have gone it but just went up the street. My insurance will not cover Merida but will cover Xenical.
I too need my stomach done. The only way that I have heard of insurance paying is if you keep having a persistant rash. Yes I know, yech. But at the hospital I go to, there is a procedure where they remove only excess skin and it is much less expensive. I will wait until I am done losing and then check into it.
Sure I can use other "tucks" but will not have the $$$ so will concentrate on stomach.
debdub how is your job hunting coming?
Just left chat---it is almost 12:45 here so I am off to bed
Thanks for the input on the Mexican Merida. I don't have insurance, or a job, so of course saving a few bucks looks real good to me. Too good sometimes. The job hunt isn't going real well, but I can get unemployment for 6 months, or until I find something, whichever comes first, so that will help. We live in a small community, and it's a tourist town to boot. So jobs in my field are pretty much unheard of. I'd have to drive to the next town over for work, which is only about a half hour away, but I'm also taking care of an uncle that had a mild stroke about 4-5 months ago. He lives a block away from us. He's coming along pretty well, although he fell down some steps again on Saturday, and got banged up and bloodied. He can't do his own errands, shopping, laundry, dog walking, cooking, or get to any of his many doctor appointments, etc. I take care of that. So it's been a big load off my shoulders having been laid off actually, now that I've had a few weeks to get over the initial shock, and think about it. We're just tightening our belts for now, and hoping for the best. Everything happens for a reason. And I really needed the rest. I was on my way to a meltdown with all that on my plate plus a full time job.
My weight hasn't changed at all. I'm not eating as much, the Merida has been a wonderful tool. I can finally stop eating when I'm satisfied. But I'm not getting any exercise, so I suppose that's where I'm falling short. It seems I've hit a wall. I'm so busy taking care of two households, you'd think that's exercise enough, but it's not. The only time I sit down is at the computer, at dinner, and when I fold clothes, and I get to sit down for a long time today. Got alot of laundry to fold. I'm actually looking forward to it! Gonna put the tv on, get a big glass of Sun tea, and fold heaps of clothes. It's gonna be a lovely day.
Hang in there everyone, keep your eye on the prize. It's all about determination. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. We can do this!
Okay Deb, anyone that can see a huge pile of laundry as a good thing, well they are a hero in my book! I hate laundry and it is a discipline I had to get myself into when I started my "New Life" after my divorce six years ago (that and doing the dishes after every meal). Then I think, if I can discipline myself to do laundry and dishes, why can't I do the same with food and exercise? Well, with the help of Meridia I've been able to do that with food, and hopefully I will be in the routine after the Meridia has gone. Exercise is still tricky. I've yet to find something that I enjoy...but while I'm on the hunt, I'm getting lots of different ways to burn calories!
Thanks for the info on the discount card Nik. I have actually used it for the past two months (the first one I paid regular price for but my pharmacist went ahead and used it for the next month just like it was my first time so maybe it doesn't make a difference?). After I've reached my goal I will talk to my doctor about options for my leftover skin. I figure I should wait to prove to him that I will make it to goal. I'm confident but I think I'm having to prove myself to lots of skeptics! Yet another reason to succeed!!
I am curious after reading the previous couple of posts regarding tummy tucks....I have about 100lbs to loose. Will I need a tummy tuck? I thought if I lost slowly that my skin would shrink back if I was exercising regularly. Am I wrong, will I be left with tons of skin hangin' everywhere???
Slow losses...
Exercise is a 4 letter word!
