Greetings!
I am very overweight and am desperate to get fit. I exercise atleast 4 times a week with a personal trainer and I eat the right food! My problem is how much I eat and when I eat. I am considering taking diet pills on a short-term basis (i.e. 8-12weeks) to help suppress my appetite and allow my body to adjust or ‘get used to’ eating smaller amounts of food.
In Australia,
I am able to get access to two types of ‘appetite suppreseant’ medications with
a prescription:
I am currently prescribed Dexamphetamine 5mg (or Dexedrine in the USA) to deal with my ADHD – I currently take about 20-30mg a day. My concern/problem/question is how these drugs may interact. I would appreciate any advice/suggestions from anybody in regard to this.
Just to note, I prefer to take the Phentermine, because from what I am told this is a far more effective drug. But of course I will not take any combination that is not safe.
I am very anxious to try the medicative option to assist
with weight loss I think it could really help me out but I would not like to if
the interaction of the medication will pose any serious risk to my health.
Many Thanks and I would appreciate any input!
Daniel eats diet foods with his depakote has no problem there. How about the diet stuff at a different time than the medacine. Since dexedrine is a stimulant, and most appetite supressants contain stimulants, I would definitely check with the doctor first, as Maxdad suggested. How long have you been taking the dexedrine? I have been on Adderall XR for about 3 months now, and it has supressed my appetite so much that I have lost over 20 lbs. I do not get hungry, so when I do eat, I make myself eat the healthier foods. The meds that are known to interact with the major ADD meds (Adderall and Ritalin) are:
Make sure to read the warning label on any diet aid. As has been mentioned most diet aids (the ones that really work anyway) are stimulants and are a no-no for us. The warnings should state if it affects heart rate and that's the warning you need to heed. Caffeine, ephedra, etc. at high doses can cause erratic heart beat and frankly can kill you. A few of the famous deaths in sports have been from taking diet aids and exercising vigorously.
The best way to lose weight isn't to take the aids or to remove favorite foods. The key to long-term weight loss (almost all can lose it short term) is to limit the amounts not the types. Eating ice cream isn't bad - eating a tub of it is.
I find my metabolism has shot out of control when my dexedrine started. I tended to work very hard (I'm basically a labourer where I'm employed) then I'd go home and eat a lot of calories due to my body craving the intake and fast.
My solution was to pre make my meals in smaller portions and freeze them. I take out the day's worth and stick to it the best I can. When I crave something to fill me I drink extra water and black coffee and eat salad.
One tool you may have overlooked is your medical practitioner. Most MD clinics, offices and hospitals now have licensed nutritionists on staff. They will give you realistic diets and goals that aren't fads. It may be covered totally by your insurance if you feel the ADHD meds are partly to cause as well.
Make sure to keep your MD in the loop. Taking ADHD when seriously overweight is dangerous. Your heart will be stressed and when taking meds it increases pulse and blood pressure. To a healthy person that's negligible but if you suffer problems already it may push you over the top. Be careful please!
Check with your doctor as well about the new class of drug for weight loss that restricts the amount of cholesterol and fat absorbed. They are mostly for cholesterol but I've read they drop pounds as well. They can cause diarrhea I'm to understand as well but all meds have potential troubles.
Mostly be realistic! Not everyone can have washboard abs or a trim figure. It takes lots of work and there's no shortcuts if you want permanent results and not a yo-yo weight gain/loss for you.
I'm concerned truly about you. Take good care of yourself and try to keep it all in perspective.