Tried Topiramate and Phentermine for weight loss? Side effects?

I took Topiramate for a few years. My GP suggested it because it could help with weight loss. It’s also a mood stabilizer (I’m bipolar) and my shrink didn’t have me on one at the time. I asked him to put me on it to help with weight loss and to control my moods. It worked well! I was losing weight and I felt happier and more stable. But at some point, my therapist thought I’d be better off on a different mood stabilizer. I had started gaining again for some unknown reason and I was really depressed. So my shrink changed my mood stabilizer, one that shouldn’t cause weight gain, and it’s gotten out of control. Even when I ate salads for weeks (and pretty much nothing else), I GAINED! How do you gain eating salads?! I’m thinking of having him switch me back to the Topiramate again. At least I wasn’t a blob when I was on it. So if your doc wants to try you on it, give it a try. I didn’t notice any weird side effects and it’s safe as long as you follow the directions. I was on 50mg twice a day, so taking half what I took in a day? You’ll be okay. Good luck!

@mamakat Definitely raised my heart rate and couldn’t sleep at night either even though I took it early in the morning. I much prefer Ozempic.

My doctor changed my Phentermine prescription from 15 mg/mg day to 37 mg/day. My pharmacist said my heart rate might go up. I’ve been through increased heart rate before and it scares me. Has anyone else experienced this happen and how did you feel? I haven’t started the higher dose yet.

@pattertp1 - wondering how things are going with your (former) daughter-in-law and taking phentermine?

I have a two part comment/question:
The doctor had me taking Topiramate for years for avoidance of migraines. I had a Gastric Sleeve done in 2013. I lost 100 pounds afterwards; but since then have gained back about 45 pounds. I don't know if the Topiramate I have taken since about 2015 has helped with any weight reduction, but it doesn't seem to have had an effect. However, I cannot eat much due to my sleeve anyway.
I admit that over the years since my surgery, little-by-little I have begun to eat much less healthy foods. I also returned to eating sweets about 3-4 years post-surgery. (I've always had a big sweet tooth.) But whatever I eat, it is limited by the amount my sleeve can tolerate - which is not much.

I now am mostly confined to the bed; so I get very little exercise. I want to lose at least 30 of the gained pounds, but I really don't know how to do so in my current situation.

Now for the second half of my question/comment:

I have recently come to find out that my daughter-in-law (DL) , whom I dearly love, but who doesn't communicate well with me, has begun taking the prescription drug, "Phentermine" for weight loss. I am not sure my son even knows.

My DL is very overweight and has been ever since I have known her. She and my son were divorced a little more than a year ago and she went onto antidepressants. Since then, she has gained even more weight. I can understand why she would want to do something to try to lose the weight, but I am very, very concerned. My DL has had a long history of IV amphetamine drug abuse. She has been clean for 10 years (since she and my son have been together and she got pregnant with my granddaughter). I am very sure she has not told her physician about her dependency issues. She has custody of my little granddaughter. (Drugs caused her to lose custody of 3 previous children before my son.) Neither she, nor my son, take advice from me or my husband well at all. And I sure don't want to risk the ability to have contact with my little granddaughter; especially, if I need to make sure she remains safe.

I would like to know the thoughts from those of you who have experience in this area (professionally and personally) of how I should deal with this matter. Thank you!

I've used topiramate twice as a migraine preventive. Worked beautifully each time until I started losing feeling in my right arm -- that sort of numbness is a known side effect, but it's disturbing to experience. In both cases, getting off it was really hard. I had to taper very, very gradually, and the insomnia was terrible. Just one person's experience, but if you try this, I would encourage you to ramp up and down with care.

Basically, it's not a surprise that an anti-convulsant drug intended to target someone's neurology would have neurological side effects, right?

When I was popping this medication, I felt like a total boss thanks to its amazing efficacy, whether I started or stopped it. I was stopping and starting it all the time to figure out the perfect dosage schedule tooffset symptoms.

I still have some pills left, and I to use them to cut down on my beer cravings, which will let me enjoy dark lagers in moderation and minimize the risk of inflammation. Thanks for sharing your experience.

This worked great for me the first time I was on it it's very slow working and then they have to bump it up each time it quits working and add more to keep it working I had my hip replacement and so I went off of it for surgery and my fault I didn't start it right back up again so when I did months later started back up it then didn't work for me anymore so if you stop it it may not start working again

It makes reduces desire for alcohol giving it turn off taste.

I was taking topirimate 50 mg for a short time and after a couple of weeks it did seem to make sweet stuff taste off.