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Weight Loss meds after surgery

BubblesCT

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BubblesCT    83

BubblesCT
Posted

My doctor recommended that I continue taking phentermine after my surgery for at least 3 months then taper. She stated that people already taking phentermine do not loose as much weight if they stop taking immediately after surgery. therefor staying on it will optimize my weight lossHas anyone else received the same recommendation? What has your experience been? I really want to come off the medication. I've been on it for years.

Thanks

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ddhudak    20

ddhudak
Posted

Wow! This is the opposite of my Dr., in fact, they ask if you have ever been on it, if you say yes then most likely you would be refused surgery because you will have a high risk of a heart attack. That stuff is very hard on your heart. I honestly do not understand how staying on it will help. You are going to have a stomach the size of a medium banana. You will not be able to over eat unless you want to get sick and hurt yourself. Believe me, you will not want to overeat. That diet pill is all a mind game, if you want to lose this weight then you need to mentally fight it. Good luck!

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BubblesCT    83

BubblesCT
Posted

1 minute ago, ddhudak said:

Wow! This is the opposite of my Dr., in fact, they ask if you have ever been on it, if you say yes then most likely you would be refused surgery because you will have a high risk of a heart attack. That stuff is very hard on your heart. I honestly do not understand how staying on it will help. You are going to have a stomach the size of a medium banana. You will not be able to over eat unless you want to get sick and hurt yourself. Believe me, you will not want to overeat. That diet pill is all a mind game, if you want to lose this weight then you need to mentally fight it. Good luck!

Thanks for that info. I appreciate it. I hear what you are saying, my biggest concern is for my heart. The reason I'm having the surgery is because the meds stopped working and if I go off of them I balloon up. I'm having the Endoscopic Sleeve so maybe because it is less invasive there is less risk?? Who the heck know... Thanks

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ddhudak    20

ddhudak
Posted

Wow! This is the opposite of my Dr., in fact, they ask if you have ever been on it, if you say yes then most likely you would be refused surgery because you will have a high risk of a heart attack. That stuff is very hard on your heart. I honestly do not understand how staying on it will help. You are going to have a stomach the size of a medium banana. You will not be able to over eat unless you want to get sick and hurt yourself. Believe me, you will not want to overeat. That diet pill is all a mind game, if you want to lose this weight then you need to mentally fight it. Good luck!

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DropWt4Life    957

DropWt4Life
Posted

I've taken phentermine in the past. It worked for me by suppressing my hunger, but I couldn't stay on it for more than a month at a time (per my doctor), because it has bad side effects. I would press my doctor about tapering off before surgery if I were you. I believe that the drug IS working for you, because you balloon up when you get off of it. However, you need to learn to be successful at weight loss without the use of stimulants.

When I was on phentermine, I didn't have to make changes to my diet. I simply wasn't hungry, so I lost lots of weight. Once I got off, and the hunger returned, I ate more and more often. It was just a Band-Aid. Weight loss surgery can be the same if you don't make major changes in your diet and overall lifestyle. You must change your relationship with food, and learn good eating habits. if you don't learn these things now, you are going to add one more hurdle to achieving success long-term.

I would think your doctor would be more concerned with you achieving success without the use of stimulants than achieving it faster with stimulants. If you have been taking them for a while, you are also going to possibly have to deal with withdrawal symptoms when you stop. I would rather deal with that now than a few months after surgery.

I truly wish you the best of luck, and please don't take my comments negatively. I really want you to succeed long-term, and I am perplexed as to why your doctor would recommend something like this.

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BubblesCT    83

BubblesCT
Posted

2 hours ago, DropWt4Life said:

I've taken phentermine in the past. It worked for me by suppressing my hunger, but I couldn't stay on it for more than a month at a time (per my doctor), because it has bad side effects. I would press my doctor about tapering off before surgery if I were you. I believe that the drug IS working for you, because you balloon up when you get off of it. However, you need to learn to be successful at weight loss without the use of stimulants.

When I was on phentermine, I didn't have to make changes to my diet. I simply wasn't hungry, so I lost lots of weight. Once I got off, and the hunger returned, I ate more and more often. It was just a Band-Aid. Weight loss surgery can be the same if you don't make major changes in your diet and overall lifestyle. You must change your relationship with food, and learn good eating habits. if you don't learn these things now, you are going to add one more hurdle to achieving success long-term.

I would think your doctor would be more concerned with you achieving success without the use of stimulants than achieving it faster with stimulants. If you have been taking them for a while, you are also going to possibly have to deal with withdrawal symptoms when you stop. I would rather deal with that now than a few months after surgery.

I truly wish you the best of luck, and please don't take my comments negatively. I really want you to succeed long-term, and I am perplexed as to why your doctor would recommend something like this.

Thank you, what you said really reaignates with me. It makes sense and It has motivated me to start focusing on my food choices without phentermine before my procedure. I have taken myself off it befor so I can handl the side effects. I just need a good plan so I don’t make poor choices. Thanks a million!!

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dreamingsmall    1,125

dreamingsmall
Posted

Oh my God. Taking Phentermine when your on the liquid diet post op . Oh my please take close to your house. That sounds dangerous.

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Go To Topic Listing GLP-1 & Other Weight Loss Medications (NEW!)

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    • LeighaTR

      LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
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    • Alisa_S

      Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.

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