Yellum Notnef

Do they work and which one works the best?

Robert G. Ingersoll

They're all crap. But, then, what do I know - I'm only a pharmacist.

Yellum Notnef

Thanks for the reply,but thats not quite what I was hoping to hear.

I'm a bit over 6 feet tall and weigh almost 300 pounds. I seem to be getting fatter regardless of what I do although I have to admit that I'm not doing all that much.
Lately I've been having weird dizzy spells where I feel confused and shaky. I've also noticed that my temperature is always on ther low side rarely getting above 97,but at the same time I'm often hot and sweaty.

I've been feeling sick like this on and off for the last few months and seems to me that I need to dump some of this weight fast,but I don't know how to safely go about it.

theyeti

Fenton, get your ass to a doctor. Not only is he/she the best person to ask about perscription weight loss pills, but those dizzy spells might be serious. The symptoms you describe could be type II diabetes, though I'm not qualified to make that judgement.

theyeti

Yellum Notnef

I actually have a routine appointment with the doctor tomorrow afternoon. The reason I'm here now asking about the pills was to see what some other people "in the know" had to say about them.
I asked the doctor about the pills last fall after I exercised and dieted like mad all summer only to get on his scale and find out I had lost only THREE pounds.

He just brushed off my inquiry for the pills saying he doesn't like to prescribe them to people.

I did have a blood test that day,but I don't think diabetes was something they were testing for. I was having a few spells back them,but it was nothing like now so I didn't press it.
I will tomorrow though.

JGL53

Fenton - I would interested in hearing what your physician recommends.

Your physican's 'not liking to prescribe diet pills', I'm guessing, is because they could endanger your health, they are not a long term solution, and there is a more rational and effective way to get rid of a few dozen excess fat pounds.

What kind of diet and what types of exercises did you do before that proved so ineffective?

A change in your diet to a rational, healthy one and getting into an exercise program in which you gradually increase the frequency and duration, and the proper mix of intensity and strength/cardio would seem to me to be at least part of the long term answer to your problem, if not the total answer. But, again, let us know what you are advised by your physician.

Jackalope

Make sure you doctor knows about your dizzy spells, the shakiness and the low body temperature. This could be any of a number of endocrine problems, including hypothyroidism, diabetes, or addison's disease (adrenal gland failure). Or they could just be a result of not enough exercise and low metabolism. But because these symptoms could be the sign of something serious, you should make sure your doctor knows they've been happening.

One reason to not like diet pills is that a great many of them have been shown to have serious side effects...usually long after the drug was approved for general use. Heart problems seem to be the most common problem, but they can also cause increased blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, kidney problems, and very odd (and potentially deadly) blood problems. They're not a quick cure. In fact, gastric bypass surgery can sometimes be safer and more effective (though that has serious potential consequences as well). Do some serious research so you can make an informed decision before you talk to your doctor about your options. And then you may need a referral to a specialist before any final decision is made. At the very least, you should try working with a nutritionist before considering more drastic measures.

I'm 4'11" and weight 225lbs now, thanks to rheumatoid arthritis and the associated medications I'm on. Current consensus among my doctors and myself is that when we get the autoimmune problems stabilized and I can get off prednisone, a lot of this weight may go away on its own. But we do a lot of monitoring to make sure I don't develop any more problems from the weight gain. And talking to the nutritionist and the rheumatologist fixed some problems with my diet (because of the drugs I'm on, I need to be on a low-sodium, high-potassium, high-calcium, high-protein and restricted carbohydrate diet). The nutritional fix has at least halted the weight gain. Being able to reduce my prednisone dosage a tiny bit has even reduced my weight by 10lbs from my peak weight.

Anyway, my point is that you shouldn't look for a fast fix, and certainly not an easy one. If your health plan allows you to see a nutrionist and possibly a physical therapist (to keep you from injuring your joints while exercising--gym trainers generally know crap about this issue), do it. If that doesn't work, then consider the more drastic measures.

callmejay

"Dumping weight fast" isn't safe no matter how you do it, I don't think. If your doctor isn't very helpful, and it seems like he isn't, I'd recommend finding one who will be. There's a famous program at Duke, I think, if you're near there.

As for pills, remember the Phen-fen fiasco a couple of years ago? Turned out they could damage your heart . Then there's Ephedra, which has (probably) killed at least a few professional athletes over the last few years. If there were pills that worked and were safe, we wouldn't really have any overweight people any more, would we?

Dune

There are some "diet" pills via perscription that are not stimulants- but the side effects could be nasty. Xenical is basically a fat absorption blocker- unfortunately (and I dont mean to be gross here, forgive me) it has a tendancy to cause severe flatulence, and oily discharge. Especially in a high fat diet- if you dont absorb the fat, it simply slides on through.
As for the stimulants- in your current condition i wouldnt recommend them since they could cause greater strain on your cardiovascular system and induce ischemia or other cardiac event.
Your symptoms almost sound endocrine in origin (as mentioned earlier) have you had your thyroid checked? Also ask your doc about an HbA1c test (for diabetes)
In general dropping weight fast is a BAD idea...slow and steady is the best way. Have you talked to a dietician? It might be worthwhile to hook up with a specialist and get some help that way...

Pyrrho

Of course they work! They successfully remove money from suckers...er, "customers"?, "patients"?...and put that money into the hands of pharmaceutical companies. That is their function, and they work admirably for that purpose. So what if a few people die or have serious health problems? There are plenty of others willing to part with their money.

If you want to lose weight and be healthy, you need to watch what you eat, how much of it you eat, and you need to exercise. But people don't like to hear that, and so they go for an "easy fix", like drugs, and they usually pay for their foolishness. And by all means, tell your doctor about all of those symptoms you've mentioned here. You may have something seriously wrong with you aside from being overweight. If it turns out that the weight is the problem, you need to change your eating habits, as well as your exercise habits. For exercise, I advise you to try doing something that you enjoy doing, because otherwise you are likely to not do it regularly enough. For eating, I advise you to avoid high calorie foods, and don't skip meals, because doing that leads to getting very hungry, which makes you more likely to overeat later. So, many very small meals is usually best. And, of course, if you cannot manage this on your own, seek professional help from a qualified professional.

One more thing: The changes in eating and exercising must be permanent, not temporary. If you go back to doing what you have been doing, you will become overweight again. After all, what you have done is what has gotten you to where you are now.