No, I am not on under a doctor's care, but I plan on checking my blood pressure and if the side effects are too much I'll quit. I only have a two month supply, I really was just trying to boost my weight loss because I haven't lost any more WW since earlier this year when I went from 177 to 166 at WW, then I gained back almoxt all of it and am having a real hard time getting below 169.
I have been hovering at this weight for almost 2 years and have been trying
various diets and exercises.

I was on Meridia for about six months. I lost a little weight on it, but the side effects were too extreme. My doctor prescribed it even though I have high blood pressure, and he adjusted my medication to compensate.

Generally Meridia is only prescribed for those with over 60 lbs to lose, because the blood pressure spike can be dangerous, and at weights less than this the benefits are generally not thought to be worth the risks. Particularly because of the way the drug works. In most cases, the effect of the drug is not dramatic, but for a person who is very overweight the theory is that any loss is better than none, and might give a person a small jump start in weight loss.

Meridia was created as an antidepressant (no speed, but antidepressants can make you feel "wired," especially at first. This might be a sign that it is affecting your blood pressure and heart rate, however). The appetite suppressing effects were discovered by accident, and because it's antidepressant effects weren't any better than drugs already on the market, they developed it as a diet drug. Like most antidepressants it can actually increase appetite in some people. It can also affect mood both positively and negatively.

It really shouldn't be taken without medical supervision. When I was taking it, I had to see my doctor every two weeks at first, and every month once I'd been on it for a while. The potential side effects for a thinner person are just as severe as for a more overweight person, as my doctor said it is unpredictable as to who will have side effects, which is why he wouldn't prescribe it to anyone who had less than 100 lbs to lose.

Also Meridia, like other antidepressant drugs can have serious drug interactions (I think there might be food interactions too, but I don't remember if that's true of Meridia).

Wow. Didn't know all those effects. Personally, I think I'd be scared to use it without seeing a doc.

Originally Posted by rosemarie0007:
I have just started meridia. I know I am a borderline canidate for it but none the less I believe I really have a problem with my metabolism. I am 5'6', 43 years old and wiegh 168. I have been trying for over 2 years and I can't seem to lose. Most of my life I weighed 145 to 150 even after having 3 kids and gaining 50 pounds with each.


I exercise a few hours a week and eat "healthy", my problem is bingeing.

-Elaine

A few months back I followed your plan but also wasn't losing anything. I realized it really is all about the number of calories consumed as deducted by calories burned through resting metabolic rate, daily activities and exercise. I think my numbers show if I dont get any exercise in a given day, I need to eat less than 2000 calories or I will just maintain or even gain. I can eat as healthy as I want, but if I eat too many calories as compared to calories burned, I wont lose fat (and its sure easy to eat more calories than one thinks). I've been counting every calorie that I've eaten for a while now and its so easy now to see what's going on. When I go up, I see why. If I lose, I can see that too, that I've been eating less or burning a lot at the gym. I have a spreadsheet to track the weight, cals burned, cals eaten and the deficit; the weight sure does keep up with the deficit column. Hopefully the meridia will help you control the binges, but I would still count calories eaten and burned (this helps to motivate you to go to the gym) to see what's going on. :dizzy:

I tried Meridia for about 6 months....it really did NOT suppress my appetite, but it worked GREAT as an anti-depressant....I specifically remember waking up on day 5 or 6 and feeling GOOD....(I usually felt like **&^%).

for suppressing my appetite I had better sucess with phentermine.

Coleen, you said," Meridia was created as an antidepressant (no speed, but antidepressants can make you feel "wired," especially at first. This might be a sign that it is affecting your blood pressure and heart rate, however). The appetite suppressing effects were discovered by accident, and because it's antidepressant effects weren't any better than drugs already on the market, they developed it as a diet drug. Like most antidepressants it can actually increase appetite,"(I know use the quote button, I am not a forum whiz yet, I don't even have an avatar)
from what I researched I read that it is the chemical sibutramine which is a stimulant related to amphetamines. I think it tells your brain when you are full or something, is that the antidepressent part?

I would say it also stays with you a long time. Also my mood has improved.
I have not lost any weight though, so I agree its not some magic pill, but i'm not gaining even though its TOM. It was weird but after taking it for 5 days even though I kept waking up in the middle of the night and waking early I looked better. I didn't take it for a day and the depression set right back in.
I also noticed that when I take it I seemed to be able to tolerate stress around me better.

I also am not experiencing an increase in appetite. From what I read the increased appetite is a less common side effect. I do find the drug hard to take though, there are side effects, the waking in the middle of the night is annoying.

I have all the WW materials. I quit going because I would track till lunch then binge every night and eat 10 extra points at night. So I am going to go back to tacking on my own, and see if I can get this bingeing under control. So far, I'm doing better, but still have not lost anything.

Thanks for the replies.

-Elaine

I'm not sure Elaine, mostly I'm going by what my doctor told me and the handouts I got from the doctor and pamphlets from the drug company that makes it. At the time I was taking it, you could sign up on the drug company website for a discount card which came in the mail along with a bunch of pamphlets. I just remember that the company was emphasizing that it was NOT an amphetamine. I suppose that doesn't mean it isn't LIKE an amphetamine.

I do remember that the drug was supposed to work by increasing the levels of several neurotransmitters, if I'm not mistaken seratonin, dopamine, and norepinephrin (may have spelled those wrong). Most antidepressants increase one or more neurotransmitters, but which ones, and how they accomplish it can be different.

When I was in graduate school we studied a lot of the antidepressants and other neurotransmitter effecting drugs (I have my master's degree in psych), but Meridia hadn't been out yet. All the neurotransmitter affecting drugs can have side effects of increasing or decreasing sleep, sex drive, appetite, energy level, and mood (including suicidal thoughts). Some of them are more or less likely to affect one or the other (or affect it in a particular direction), but any affect is possible. This is why antidepressants can be dangerous when not prescribed and supervised appropriately. Someone who is depressed, but who has never been suicidal, and not aware that the antidepressant can actually provoke suicidal thoughts might actually be at risk for suicide. The chances of any antidepressant making a person suicidal is more common in teens, but can happen in anyone. I've not heard of Meridia doing so, but I suppose even that is possible.

Uhh, it raised my blood pressure, 147/94.

I think it was 140/90 when I had my knee surgery in January.

I had been to a cardiologist and he said I was fine, so I don't know if this is from
anxiety or what. I think it is the extra 30 pounds which is doing it,
but the drug seems too risky. We are getting a monitor and I am going
to monitor myself for a while off the drug, although I am not sure if it is even the drug.

I have a family history of heart disease so I am getting worried about being unable to lose this 30 pounds, no I didn't get any help from the doctor.

I don't know what I'm thinking, anyway after a week I didn't lose anyway.

I will say that I've always had low blood pressure (normal for me is 100/60). When I tried Meridia, my blood pressure went to 150/90 and the doctor told me that I couldn't take it anymore. It didn't do anything for me anyway. It would've been nice if it did work and if it didn't have dangerous side effects.

Can't they come up with something, that everyone can take and is safe?

I mean I'm not afraid to diet and exercise but sometimes we need help with appetite or whatever, or our metabolism has really slowed down.

They have help for smokers, and drinkers, (antabuse and revia), why not something for eaters?

I even tried smoking to try and lose weight, but I really don't like it, and I actually ended up gaining, go figure.

look, I got an avatar

Anyone taking Meridia?
 

That's what they call it in US, Here in India it's Obego.
Generic name is: Sibutramine Hydrochloride Monohydrate.

I went to an endocrinolgist Friday, to get my glands tested...He only tested thyroid, which I knew was fine. He also tested for Diabetes and Cholesterol.

No diabetes, though my cholesterol is 293, so I'm on Lipitor now for that.

He prescribed Obego 10mg capsule to assist in weight loss. He said it's for assisting in weightloss as I am obese... to be used with diet and exercise.

Anybody out there taking it? Seeing results? Side effects?

:?: k

Meridia-Giving it a try!
 

I was just given a script for Meridia. I have taken Phentermine with exceptional success years ago(although weight is now back on). Dr. did not want to give it to me again due to side effects involving heart valves. I am going to start the Meridia tomorrow and was wondering if anyone has had success with it. The dose starts low and then is increased from what I understand.
What I am looking for is a jump start or little boost. There are little to no side effects.
If anyone has been on this can you give me an idea of what to expect??

Lisa

I took it for two weeks. It gave me chest pains, and I've heard it can raise blood pressure. I am now having success with wellbutrin, love it, it gives me energy and I don't keep thinking about food, and I lost some weight.

I'm also on Wellbutrin. More for the depression aspect but it helps a bit with food appetite somewhat. I haven't used Merida, but I've had friends who have it's supposed to work in the same type of way (hence why you can't take both at the same time)

Well...day 1 on Meridia. More conscious of my intake of food also. Going to make trip to grocery store tomorrow for some healthier foods. I need to get some fruit and low cal snacks. I need those sweet snacks like cake and cookies.
Any ideas on some treats?? The 100 cal packs are a life saver but I would like to make some quick and easy things too.
Lisa

Meridia and Phentermine didn't really work for me because I never had an out of control appetite that needed suppression. I did find, however, that i was drinking LOADS of water because both meds gave me severe dry mouth.

As for the snack ideas, Lisa, I've found that a great snack for filling you up and curbing the sugar-cravings are mixed nuts/dried fruits. But not Planters or any of the mass-produced commercial ones - try to find the organic mixed nut/dried fruit that comes in a plastic container usually in one of the perimeter aisles of your grocery store. They don't have the preservatives or added sugars of the bigger commercial brands, so they're better for you overall.

Good luck!

My meridia experience (possibly TMI)

Meridia raised my blood pressure, but my doctor felt it was a small enough increase that it was safe to continue. Meridia was originally intended to be an anti-depressant (both anti-depressants and some appetite suppressants affect seratonin and other neurotransmitter levels).

I did lose about 15 lbs with careful dieting, but I was going through some stressful (positive and negative) situations, including becoming engaged and marrying my husband. Dating and marriage can wreak havoc on dieting, and my husband was certainly trying to impress me with fine dining. So failing to lose more (but not gaining), might have actually been success rather than failure.

My husband actually asked me to stop taking it, because he said it changed my personality. I felt very confident and decisive while taking it, but also couldn't sleep well and had night terrors (waking up in a panic). It also drastically affected my sex drive (in a way, you think a man would be happy with, but my husband said it made me "scary"). It was rather extreme, and I couldn't even concentrate at work.

All anti-depressant type drugs can have these effects, and they can affect different people in opposite directions. Sex drive for example can go drastically up or drastically down. You might find that you are unable to sleep, or sleepy all the time.

Meridia?
 

I've been on this for 3 days, and I am curious as to whether anyone on here has tried it. Does it work?

I tried it around 4 or 5 years ago? Not only did it not work for me but caused my normally low blood pressure to shoot up and my doctor took me off of it.

My only recommendation if you take it is to not skip out on seeing your doctor at least once a month.

I was on it years ago and all it gave me was horrible stomach pains.


.

Oh great. Thanks for the link. :)
And stomach pains...yikes.

i was on meridia for a month in june and i can honestly say it did nothing.. my friend was also on it for a month and she lost 3 pounds... its a waste of the 100+ $ prescription...

I agree with the others- I was on it for two months and lost 10 lbs, then gained it all back the second I got off of it!

Now I'm doing the fat smash and in one month have lost 6 lbs and am still going strong.

The pills are just way too expensive!

Meridia
 

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has tried or is taking meridia, I will be going into my fourth week and so far things have been going well. I have only had a few side effects that included a dry mouth and mild headaches which have since disappeared. I also find that if I don't take it first thing in the morning I am not able to sleep at night. I'm curious to see if anyone knows how long this medication works for. I would Love to hear your views on this medication.

Take Care :)

Hi there. I took meridia a couple of years ago but not for very long because my dh and I decided to have another baby. Well I am 6 months post partum, finished breast feeding so I started taking it again. I hasn't been very long so I haven't really noticed anything yet but the first time I did lose a bit of weight, not as much as I could have because I really didn't do much with my diet and exercise but this time I am more committed to eating better and exercising.

I took it years ago too, it gave me wicked stomach pains so I stopped. I even tried it again about a month after that but the same side effects came back so I stopped.

.

Anyone try Meridia?
 

My brother is trying to get me to try Meridia. He said his friend used it and she lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks. Has NO appetite.

Anyone try this? I'm toying with the idea of taking it for a week or two to get a jump start.

I lost a ton of weight on it a few years ago, because I was never hungry and had to force myself to eat. Once I went off of it, my body was like hi remember me? You haven't fed me in months, let's eat!

I merged your thread with a few other meridia threads out there over the years. Many people have posted their experiences in the past.

I have been on Meridia since June 2009 - prescribed by my endocrinologist after complaining about how hard a time I was having trying to lose weight and I was so focused on what I could and could not eat. She gave me a couple of 'trial' packs of the 10 mg and I tried them and WOW - what a difference! I was no longer obsessed with food and could go hours without eating. And eventually I settled into a pattern of eating less...and making some better choices.

At the time I had been going to a TOPS group and had struggled to lose 15 lbs - but the meridia sure helped speed things up and I have now (Dec 2009) lost 35 lbs. I notice things are slowing down a bit and dr had given me a prescripton for 15 mg so I just filled it the other day and I am taking that now (hoping it helps thru the holiday season).

What Meridia does is affect the satisfaction centers of the brain - so that you SHOULD be satisfied with less food! My dr said I was very lucky cuz in her experience it only worked for 25% of her patients.....not everyone could tolerate it or had any significant results. I realize the problem is not eating as much.....it is very easy to 'continue' eating - however you need to be aware of your 'satisfaction' levels and monitor them carefully.

For example I can now just eat half a sandwich for lunch, a bowl of soup or small salad w/tuna - instead of what I was normally eating. Of course it's easy to eat the other half of the sandwich but of course that may slow down your weight loss.

Meridia should always be used in conjunction with a good eating plan and exercise. Since losing 35 lbs my bp has gone down (I am on bp meds), my insulin is normal, my sugars are normal, and my cholesterol is still good. Hoping to lose at least another 25 lbs if possible but I am so happy now cuz I am getting fit and have started buying some new clothes in smaller sizes (and have given all the big clothes away).

Would love to hear others' experiences with meridia and dosages...and any side effects they encountered!

Thanks!

P.S. Luckily here in Canada my prescriptions are covered by my drug plan (80% of cost)...and I do visit my dr every 2-3 months!

Works AWESOMELY! BUT....BIG BUT, you have to work hard to maintain, or you will gain it back. Plus the expensiveness is kinda a let down. I think it is something you have to be on long term in order to keep up :(

Hey I am also new to this forum
 

I am also new to this forum. I have also started taking meridia medication to reduce my weight. I would like to share my experience with it.

Now I am also in race.:carrot:

Apparently Meridia is now linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke for some patients. Here is the FDA info link posted 1/21/10.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/does...ml#post3513847

Meridia has been taken off the market.