I went to my Primary Care Dr. last week and told him I wanted to try something to help lose weight since my metabolism was so slow because of other RX meds I have to take for physical problems, etc. He prescribed Meridia - 10 mg pills, and told me that this has worked for some patients. I was shocked that they cost $ 99.00 at my pharmacy where I got them. I asked my pharmacist was there a generic and he said NO. but that another product that they have there is very, very similar and it is called,
"Fastin or phentermine is the other name for it". He told me that Fastin is also a whole lot cheaper, but for this month I went ahead and got the Meridia that my dr. prescribed and I planned on bringing this up to my dr. at my appt. in 4 wks. My dr. said I must come in and be monitored by him every 3 to 4 wks or will not prescribe anything.

Do any of you know anything about the Fastin or phentermine as well as the Meridia? And, can any of you tell me what experiences, if any, that you had with these prescription weight loss pills. I gained 70 lbs after my back operation in 2000 and for a long time had to be almost totally inactive, but am now able to pick up exercise but still not a lot since I broke my foot 2 mos ago and it still has not completely healed.

Thanks, April

i have indeed taken phentermine and yes it does work along with a diet plan i was on a low calorie diet the pill suppresses your appetite i think i lost about 31 lbs in about 2 1/2 to 3 months but unfortunately i gained it back because i got pregnant im actually thinking about starting back because its a good pill and i know it works i hope this helps good luck oh the price now is about $40 for the generic brand when i was on it about 4 years ago it was a little cheaper it is kind of popular

Thanks for your reply. However, I am taking now the MERIDIA, so do any of you have any experience taking it? Please let me know...Thank You.

There is a program to help you with the cost of the meridia...the phone # is 1-888-340-2159. You save 25% the first month and 40% the next 5 months. I am going to fill my RX tonight.

nance

I am taking marida and it is a god send. It kills my appitite and I just don't think about food anymore. I have not noticed any side effects, but I am montiered every month by a Dr. I go to a wieght loss clinic and since Jan 20th I have lost 55 pounds. It is not for everyone, and thank god my insurance covers it. You have to commit to a program and go to the Dr. But for me it is worth it. Good luck!

Medria is BAD BAD BAD for you I say that because it is in the same famly of drugs as phen-phen. So there for it can have the same risks and side affects.

Also, a word of caution on Meridia:

Do not take this medication if you are on the fluoxetine antidepressants (aka Prozac), or you can have a serious reaction to having both drugs in your system.

That's not necessarily so. Fen/phen was a combination of TWO drugs and ONE of the drugs was considered to have been the problem.

Meridia does work. I think a lot of it is psychological though. I have been on Meridia since April 2002. I have lost close to 30lbs. During that time I have had my ups and downs. I have gone from excercising and eating super well for months to not excercising at all and heading for junk food. During my lazy months ( due to working full time and school at night ) I knew what I was doing wrong. From February 2003 until April 2003 I only lost 5lbs. During these months I started to eat a lot of fast food again and I was rarely working out. Since getting back on track I have lost 2 lbs in 1 month.
I highly recommend Meridia. It gives you that extra push and it does work. I have had no side effects whatsoever. The downside is that it is expensive. My Aunt first started taking it, she has lost over 45lbs. Meridia works but only with common sense.
You have to eat less ( half of what you normally eat is a good way to go about it ) and excercise at least 3 times a week. Meridia works because it aids you in eating less. You do get to a point where the drug plateaus. You can feel it not work as much. My Dr. bumped me up to 15mg. It has helped a bit. I know I need to just excercise harder and more often. If you do that and try to eat healthy I can promise you that you will lose weight. It is the only thing that has worked for me. Believe me I have tried it all.

To go along with what Lori said.....You should not be taking Meridia with ANY anti-depressants, especially SSRI's. I was talking to my Doc abuut it and she will not let me, and after checking them out through different web sites it just confirms that it can be highly dangerous to your system.

But to all of you that have had success...

hi,
i'm new to all this, and i do have a question. my doctor recently prescribed meridia for me, i have not filled prescription yet, because it's so expensive and my insurance will not cover it. i read a few articles about it; both good and bad. does anyone have any first hand knowledge of it? my doctor wants me to try as the first step toward bariatric surgery, anyone have any first hand knowledge of that? i did weight watchers and did really well and then i just got stuck at my current weight and started having major health problems, which is why he is recommending the surgery. i cannot do alot of exercises right now as i have a heel spur that needs to be removed and my hmo is so very slow with referrals to a podiatrist. so i have been doing small walks. i tried using a crossbow(similar to a bowflex) but have problems with my rotators in my shoulders(which hopefully will soon get fixed). just wanted more info on meridia and the surgery; which i have done alot of research on but haven't really decided to go ahead with it. any info would be greatly appreciated.
thanks so much
mick10

I did the lower dose of meridia and did alright. But when my doctor was able to get my insurance to cover it and they prescribed me a stronger dose. I am on the high strung side anyway...I ended up in the Emergency room with benign heart palpatations. My blood pressure is in the normal range and it shot up to 180/110 and they gave me strong tranquilizers to slow down the heart rate and lower the blood pressure. I stopped and was fine the next day.

This was incredibly upsetting for me as I did not tell my boy-friend and he came to the ER to be with me....he was great about it, but I was so upset, that I am sure that when I realized he was on his way (he had no idea what was happening to me and my father died of a heart attack this past year and he was with us) I am sure that my blood pressure went up even more. I say this because stress might have been a part of why this happened to me.

However....I have spoken to others who have had NO problems and love Meridia. As long as you are closely monitored and they work you up and you don't have any heart or blood pressure issues then I would not let my experience deter you. I felt the same way you did when I started it, but I realized that I was so unhappy and physically challenged when I decided to try it that the quality of life convo seemed to take precident.

If you decide to do it, my suggestionis to try the lowest dose and monitor yourself carefully, it may just work for you. But if you really are uncomfortable with it, then listen to your instincts.

Also, check around with some of the smaller pharmacies in your area, sometimes they are cheaper than the bigger pharmacies and they will cut you a deal if they have the meds in house in order to not have the inventory for long.

Good luck whatever decision you make. You can also check on the WLS surgery thread on this site, there are wonderful people there that have all been where your at and made the decision to have the surgery. I was considering the surgery and that is how I found this site. They can tell you more than I, they are kind and generous.

Thanks so much for responding, i have read so much since the doc gave me the prescription. and i just didn't know what to do. i do have blood pressure issues, this really scares me. i am already taking 50 mg of atenolol because my blood pressure goes up when i'm working. so i am really thinking that i don't want to try this, but my doc knew about my blood pressure issues and i get my blood pressure checked twice a week. so if he thinks it's ok should i try it or not?

Is it possible that prescribing the Rx is a first step, or required, by your HMO so that they will cover the surgery, should you decide to have it? (Rx as an alternative treatment to a very expensive surgical procedure and hospitalization.) If that's the case, he has it on his chart he prescribed it; doesn't mean you have to take it.

Just out of curiosity, would you mind posting your age, height and weight? and how long you have been at a weight that would 'qualify' you for the surgery? I'm doing some research of my own. Thanks.

dip

hi
i'm 36 yrs old, soon to be 37(october 10).
i am 5 1 3/4 tall and 260 lbs.
i've been struggling with my weight since my 2nd son was born 15 yrs ago. i just didn't lose the pregancy weight. I went to weight watchers and had lost 25 lbs and kept it off for 2 years. then my dads health went downhill, i worked full time, had 2 sons to raise and just was sooooo tired all the time. i forgot to take care of myself. then i tore 3 ligaments in my knee and was off my feet for 8 months, the pounds just piled on. then when i started exercising again i stayed right around 200 lbs, but then about 5 yrs ago, i just started gaining and gaining and gaining. I was still eating the same way and my mom and i walked 3 days a week at least 2 miles a day. i was sooo tired all the time, all i wanted to do was sleep. 2 years ago they tested my thyroid and said it was a little underactive. In january i switched doctors and he tested me again, and gave me thyroid meds. while i don't feel as tired all the time, i don't see much of an improvement. my sister and i walk 2 miles; 3 times a week and now have added bowflex to our routine, i've lost a few inches but nothing major.
i think that the meridia is a first step toward surgery but i'm so afraid to take it.
i've been doing so good with my diet, more veggies and less fat. it seems like the last 5 years i've been going backwards!!!