I'm a new poster, but am trying to find a good group to be in. I'm not planning on having surgery of any kind. Instead, I am using diet and medication to help with weight loss. I have had decent success in the past 6 months. My main issues are a lifetime of being overweight, having three children back to back and having hormone imbalances and now PCOS. So losing weight is difficult to say the least.

At any rate, last November, I began taking a combination of phentermine and topamax (but not qsymia). As of today, I have lost 35 pounds. Unfortunately, while the medication helps with appetite (big time), it messes with my hormone birth control and therefore I am developing problems there. My doctor and I are switching to Victoza which she believes will help tremendously. I am hoping so.

Starting this week, I'm titering off topamax 25 mg at a time for a month.

I never had any issues with phentermine in terms of heart racing issues, etc. It made me thirsty, but that's about it. I don't know if I'm going to continue with that or not. I'd rather not since my insurance won't cover it. The one thing I liked about topamax is that is got me off of drinking pop (soda) and carbonated drinks. They taste AWFUL. I haven't had any since November. Nothing has worked until this medication. That in and of itself is amazing. One habit is broken completely. I cannot go back because it all just tastes terrible.

I appreciate any and all experience with Victoza - especially if anyone else has PCOS. I have been told that it is helpful. I fall within the pre-diabetic realm as well, so it will do good there too.

I know it isn't Saxenda - which is what I would prefer, but my insurance won't cover it and I won't pay 1000 a month for that! I have about 86 more pounds to go for my goal weight.

I took victoza along with Metformin and spiro 25mg for almost 10 months along with low carbing and excercise, worked well. I found the victoza changed my taste buds, all three together made me very thirsty which was good for Water intake. I thought I would have a problem injecting myself, the needles were thin and didn't really hurt.The black box warning on victoza made me uneasy about using it for long term. I did succeed taking weight off but as soon as I stopped the meds it came back. Now I've decided it time for WLS.

I'm prediabetic with pcos, none of these drugs did much for the A1C, one set of labs had it going up which the doctor was surprised by. I did take it faithfully and as prescribed.

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Edited May 16, 201610 yr by nyteacher125

I took victoza along with Metformin and spiro 25mg for almost 10 months along with low carbing and excercise, worked well. I found the victoza changed my taste buds, all three together made me very thirsty which was good for Water intake. I thought I would have a problem injecting myself, the needles were thin and didn't really hurt.The black box warning on victoza made me uneasy about using it for long term. I did succeed taking weight off but as soon as I stopped the meds it came back. Now I've decided it time for WLS.

I'm prediabetic with pcos, none of these drugs did much for the A1C, one set of labs had it going up which the doctor was surprised by. I did take it faithfully and as prescribed.

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I had some concerns with the phentermine too - but had no problems honestly. I guess we'll see. There are risks with everything I suppose. I am willing to try this stuff first before surgery. I just don't want it if I can help it.

Agreed! The meds were my last hope, now I feel ready to get WLS. Good luck

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A combination of Victoza and Metformin was the only thing (with a proper diet) that helped me lose weight, even after my first WLS. I'm Insulin Resistant, I have PCOS and my body excels at creating fat cells. After my most recent WLS, the d/s, my surgeon told me to stop taking both of these meds, so I did. My weight loss practically stalled, despite walking nearly 3 miles a day, 5 days a week. I learned that he advised me to stop taking these meds because I wouldn't need them since I wasn't ingesting much sugar. I spoke with my pharmacist and she advised me that even with very little sugar in my diet, these meds wouldn't hurt me. So I began taking them again and my weight loss is improving. I don't think my surgeon really understands the whole Insulin Resistant thing. It's more in the realm of Endocrinology. I will continue to take the combo until I reach my weight loss goal, but I'll have my PCP supervise it. Best of luck to you!

Edited May 18, 201610 yr by GracefullyInsane

@@GracefullyInsane I found your post to be very helpful. I also have PCOS, although I can't take Metformin I take Innvokana I will keep this in mind post surgery.

I tried Victoza and had great luck, but I it kept making me sick.

Good luck.

@gracefullyinsane... I find you posting helpful... It gives good for thought regarding the insulin resistance thing... I would have thought WLS would have made insulin resistance less of an issues... May I ask what your 2 WLS were?

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That's all good to hear. So far so good. I have been on it for 3 days now at .6ml. I will change to 1.2 on Monday and 1.8 the following Monday. I think getting some kind of balance will be a good thing. Good luck with your surgeries or post surgery journeys.

@hrhmkb... Same way I started.... Good luck to you as your continue on your weight loss journey... How ever we get there, we're all working toward the same goal

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Hi Kierra,

I had a lapband originally. Most recently I had the d/s (Duodenal Switch). I wish I would have done the d/s first!

Miya

I started Victoza around Thanksgiving 2010. It was a couple of months before I realized that my appetite had completely changed: I was full after eating a much, much smaller portion of food than I had in the past. Between November 2010 and November 2011 I lost about 60 pounds. Unfortunately I gained it all back and then some while still on Victoza in 2012. It was great while it lasted, but at some point it stopped working for me.

I feel like my appetite has already changed in just a few days on .6. Now granted, I am weaning off of Topamax currently so that explains some of it, but really yesterday I had a very small amount of food and realized how full I was. It was so strange to me. It was much smaller than the smaller portions I had as a result of the Topamax I had been taking for the last 6 months. It was really the first time I noticed it. I recognized how sick I felt when I ate too much and it didn't seem that much. It's a step in the right direction. I go to the gym 3 days a week as well. So we will see. I change to 1.2 tomorrow.

Yep, victoza does that, the longer I was on it I found it changed the way food tasted... For some reason it made everything tasty salty... You'll do great on it!!!

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Thanks all of you for your sharing. I think wt loss meds are a good way to start, and perhaps avoid surgery.

Meds are sometimes a great way for high bmi folks to get to a good surgery weight, if nothing else.

Please keep sharing..

Hi Kierra,

I had a lapband originally. Most recently I had the d/s (Duodenal Switch). I wish I would have done the d/s first!

Miya

I had lap band 2008 and had DS loop in May. I am also so sorry I didn't get a different surgery sooner.

I took victoza along with Metformin and spiro 25mg for almost 10 months along with low carbing and excercise, worked well. I found the victoza changed my taste buds, all three together made me very thirsty which was good for Water intake. I thought I would have a problem injecting myself, the needles were thin and didn't really hurt.The black box warning on victoza made me uneasy about using it for long term. I did succeed taking weight off but as soon as I stopped the meds it came back. Now I've decided it time for WLS.

I'm prediabetic with pcos, none of these drugs did much for the A1C, one set of labs had it going up which the doctor was surprised by. I did take it faithfully and as prescribed.

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I had some concerns with the phentermine too - but had no problems honestly. I guess we'll see. There are risks with everything I suppose. I am willing to try this stuff first before surgery. I just don't want it if I can help it.

@@GracefullyInsane I found your post to be very helpful. I also have PCOS, although I can't take Metformin I take Innvokana I will keep this in mind post surgery.

I tried Victoza and had great luck, but I it kept making me sick.

Good luck.

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What is pcos?