Hi all..

I need to lose about 100lbs... I would like to see my DR about starting one of the above medications... I have done some online research.. but was wondering if you could share your opinions with me about the two drugs.. Xenical is more related to fat non-absorption and meridia is more 'serotonin' right? does meridia still have the ill side effects?

Thanks so much
KIm

Hi Kim,

I can only speak for myself as a Xenical user...and if you follow the low fat/reduced calorie meal plan you should definitely lose weight using Xenical. There is also lots of support available, via videos, toll free hotline, recipes, etc., as well as a website.

The reason I started taking Xenical is because I just could not seem to do it on my own and needed a jump start. The attraction for me was that this was not a drug that entered the blood stream and affected the appetite control centers in the brain, but rather simply affected the digestion of fat in your body.

I do know Meridia is also very effective....and I certainly don't rule out future use...however it is certainly a personal choice, and I do suggest you talk this over with your physician who I'm sure can tell you the pros and cons for each drug.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

Frouf

Hi Kim,

I too have about 100lbs to lose and my doctor gave me both drugs to take at the same time. I did not have any side effects with Meridia 10mg. However I did with an increased dosage to 15mg. I had heart palpatations and shortness of breath. Went back on 10 mg and no side effects.

Good Luck,

Elle

I have actually taken Xenical in the past and am currently on Meridia. I don't have quite 100 lbs to lose...maybe 60-70 to be at my optimal weight.

In my opinion Xenical will only really help if you eat really poorly. While I didn't always eat as healthfully as I should by no means was I eating hamburgers and french fries everyday. Xenical keeps your body from absorbing some of the fat in food that you eat so unless you are eating alot of fat it doesn't do much. I took it for about a month and didn't lose any weight. I did always feel gassy and I hate to be explicit but going to the bathroom is disgusting...it is like an oil slick...anyways I really wouldn't recommend Xenical particularly if you have issues with portion control. While it may be able to help you want to stay away from fatty foods you can still gain a heck of alot of weight by eating a bag of fat free pretzels. In the end calories that you put in your mouth are the only thing that will make you gain weight.

I lost quite a bit of weight on my own using WW and exercising alot...having gained it back I went to see a specialist to hopefully try and lick this problem permenently. I am taking Meridia along with seeing a nutritionist and psychologist. I couldn't see the medication being effective without a comprehensive program. Meridia has more potential side effects than Xenical and that is why my primary care doctor wanted me to see a weight specialist to get a prescription.

I have only been on Meridia for about a week and a half and I think I have lost about 3 lbs. It has definately cut my appetite and I think alot less about food than I did before. Sometimes when I eat a small portion and feel full I have thought to myself- Is this what other (thin) people feel like when they eat this amount of food? In that past I had always had such an appetite. I don't want to be on medication permenently so it is something that I worry about with taking Meridia- many people have to be on it long term.

may i ask how you go about finding a weight specialist? I would like someone to be able to help me out with this other than my primary care doctor.

Thanks
Kim

I just looked in the yellow pages and found a doctor that specialized in weight loss.

Elle

commit2it....there you are.....

have not seen you in ages

how are you?

Froufy, good to see you also......wondered where you went to.

Ok, Kim, I will weigh in on the Xenical vs Merida.....I had many options since I had to lose 100+ lbs. First, I did go to a specialist in obesity. He is an endricronologist who heads the obesity program of a hospital located near my home.

I needed help---could not lose weight on my own and had just about given up. I chose Merida because I was a huge junk food junkie. I, of course, ate too much fat--- ate too much everything but fat was not what I consumed the most. Xenical, while excellent, did not seem to make sense as my first choice. Merida, however, is a drug that affects your brain....yaaaaa....so I was nervous when I first began.

Merida helps control my food thoughts and I had a lot of them. When trying to lose weight previously, I would wake up in the a.m. and think about what I COULD NOT eat that day. I spent way to much time thinking about food. Somehow, perhaps because it gives you a feeling of well being, Merida works.

To date, I have lost 95 lbs since the end of January, 2001. I have not been perfect...gained 12 lbs while on vacation, gained 5 around the holidays. Merida is NOT a wonder drug but it has made a huge difference....I also went to a group headed by psychologist and saw a nutrionist.

As Froufy wisely stated, you need to talk to a doctor that knows these medications. She/he may give you their opinion but the choice is ultimately yours.

Whatever you decide, good luck. Do post again and let us all know.

Take care.

Hello Everyone - I would like to add my opinion on zenical vs. meridia. I tried Zenical last February and took it for two months. The major drawback was the urgency to go to the bathroom and the results if you did not go immediately. I work in an office and I had a couple very embarrassing incidents. You cannot always eat a fat free or very low fat meal - it's just not possible. I only lost a few pounds.

I started Meridia in Nov. 2001 and to date I have lost 30 pounds. When I first started taking it I had mild side affects such as a minor headache and difficulty sleeping - but only for the first month or so. I have to visit the doctor every month to get my blood pressure and heart rate checked before I can get my pescription for the month. I think getting weighed by the doctor each month has helped as well. I plan to take Meridia for a couple more months. It definitely takes your mind off food and allows you to focus in other areas.

Hi, Kim--

I agree w/Marieinchicago, it's important to decide what it is you expect the drug to help you with. I took Meridia briefly, because while I've successfully lost weight before, my eating--healthy foods included--was out of control. A nutritionist recommended a low-carb diet to give me a jump start, and gave me a prescription for Merida. I didn't think I needed the negative reinforcement of Xenical (gross!). I figured that my cereal binges were partially self-medicating, so the serotonin-Merida thing made sense for me. I took it for the 20 days, but as my insurance wouldn't cover it, I haven't gotten a refill--it's over $5 a day!

Those few weeks did the trick for me: They helped me put the brakes on log enough to get with a program. I found a nutritionist by asking friends for recommendations. I took a copy of the blood work from my latest physical, because a good nutritionist will want to know about thyroid, diabetes, etc. The woman I saw is connected to a holistic clinic, and didn't seem too attached to any one "program"--she listened to me and recommended a simple combination of low-carb diet, vitamin supplements, and exercise. Even without the Meridia, I've lost at least a pound a week, sometimes more, since the first of the year. I've since relocated, and will look around for another great nutritionist to check in with every few weeks. Good luck! jaelynn

I went to a dr who put me on both xenical & phentermine while I follow the zone diet. I know the phentermine suppresses my appetite, but I don't know if the xenical is really doing much form me. Since I'm on the zone, my fat intake is low. If you've been on xenical alone have you been losing weight?

see thats kinda what i was thiking about the xenical... if youare eating somewhat healthy already its not going to help much.. it only helps if you eat lots of extra fat, right?

thanks for all the insight! i appreciate your help!
kim

Yes...of course you will lose weight following a low fat/calorie counting diet.....but you will lose it faster if you are using Xenical, as it gives you that extra jump start, by eliminating 30% of the fat you do consume.... and I know, for me anyways...I can never lose the weight fast enuf..

That being said, my weight loss was not super fast, but it was slow and steady. I lost about 25 lbs in 5 months....which is sitll only approx 1 lb per week.

I am having trouble staying motivated now, however, I seem to be at least maintaining my weight thru Dec and January, and I'm trying to "start" again.....

MaybeI should try Merida too?????

Frouf