Weight loss pills with Lapband

[LindaD 3]

It raises your blood pressure and heart rate.

[married 0]

It raises your blood pressure and heart rate.

Yes amphetemine would do that. My blood pressure has always been in the normal range and still is after three weeks on phentermine. My question was regarding the statement that phentermine would keep you from finding your sweet spot due to a changing BP. My question is that if phentermine changes your BP or possibly makes it fluctuate..does that in turn tighten or loosen the stomach. Or was he saying that once you go off your stomach changes somehow. Obviously the band isnt changing. And also does that happen to someone who has a fluctuating BP and if not why not. How about people who lose weight and then their blood pressure goes down. Would that also make it hard to find the sweet spot. There are many people who have blood pressure changes throughout the day/week/month or situational BP changes. What about those people? I have read that tension makes the band tighter. Is that a result of BP or something else? Does anyone know?

[Jaffa 5]

Yes, it is well known that blood pressure changes can make the band feel tighter or loser. Taking phentermine can make those changes much more dramatic for many people. Some people may fluctuate 10-30 points a day, but will jump to 20-60 or even worse in bp.

[married 0]

Tighter or looser huh? Wow. Well..that makes it more difficult to work with I guess. I went to see the surgeon today for a fill. He okayed the phentermine and said its ok for now. So I will definately keep everyone posted on my experience with it. And btw I do appreciate everyones input. If I find that taking phentermine has been a bad decision I will certainly let everyone know so that the info is out there for anyone considering it. Thanks everyone.

[Jaffa 5]

I think that is why your doctor is saying it is "ok for now". Later when you are tighter or if you have big swings in band tightness from it, you will need to quit.

Good Luck with it, and let us know how your did.

BTW....I believe the brand name FASTIN...is considered to be a little bit more effective at hunger control then the straight generic phentermine....but I have no experience to tell you for sure.

[married 0]

I think that is why your doctor is saying it is "ok for now". Later when you are tighter or if you have big swings in band tightness from it, you will need to quit.

Good Luck with it, and let us know how your did.

BTW....I believe the brand name FASTIN...is considered to be a little bit more effective at hunger control then the straight generic phentermine....but I have no experience to tell you for sure.

Well blood pressure is the same so I dont think thats why he said that. I think it was more along the lines of what someone else said and thats that after awhile it doesnt work anymore but I suppose I shouldve asked why he said that. I was just glad he okayed it. So I am not really sure. Anyway...he did say that between the two things I should aim to lose 10 pounds by the time he sees me in 7 weeks. I am thinking thats probably doable...hopefully. The phentermine works really well at hunger and craving control at least for me. I will look up Fastin...never heard of it. Is it also an amphetamine and do you know of anyone who has taken it?

[kgloverii 0]

The phentermine is not safe for long-term use, and most doctors will stop usage after 12 weeks. If you choose to continue after 12 weeks, you need to know you are putting your health at risk. Keep this in mind.

As some of the other posters have said, the amphetamine WILL mess with the tightness of your band. I take Adderall for ADD, and my band tightness fluctuates GREATLY with when I take it. There are some days that I can barely eat anything, and other days I can gorge, if I wanted to. The band allows me to keep this in check, as well as some willpower. But there are some days when I can barely eat ANYTHING and it gets VERY frustrating... Just some things to keep in mind as you go along on your journey.

[married 0]

I spoke to the doctor about the safety of phentermine. He feels that it is a safe drug to take up to a year or possibly even more as long as it is prescribed by a metabolic/weight loss doctor who specializes in this field. In his opinion the reason phen fen was such a disaster was that the drug was prescribed by doctors who had no training and didnt specialize in that area and it was prescribed to people who shouldnt have been on it. Makes sense to me. My girlfriend was prescribed phen fen by her regular doctor and went on to experience heart problems. The fenfluramine was the part of the drug that was implicated. Phentermine has been studied for years and is deemed safe for some people...not all. Now I have not noticed any fluctuation in the tightness or looseness of the band. If it is because my blood pressure has remained the same...I dont know. As another poster had mentioned - it is a blood pressure issue that can make the tightness/looseness of the band fluctuate. As of now I have had no fluctuation. I wish there were days when I felt I could hardly eat anything but I have not gotten to that restriction point yet. I can imagine how your fluctuations must be very frustrating. I hope there will be a way for you to find a a solution to the fluctuations. Thanks for your post.

[kgloverii 0]

The changes in band tightness with stimulants are not just due to blood pressure issues. It also has a direct correlation with changes in Water retention... i.e. dehydration. I can pump fluids all day long with my Adderall but still lose fluids and this, in effect, tightens my band.

As a fellow bandster who **cares** I really caution you on the long term use of phentermine... I hope that you can get the restriction you need so that you can be successful without the medication.

Warmly,

[married 0]

Ok I appreciate the warning. I will keep that in mind. I dont know if its inappropriate to ask you about your ADD in this forum. I know that I have had ADD all my life but have never gone to get diagnosed. I work for someone who has EXTREME ADD and is also not medicated. Suffice to say...we are a very unorganized twosome but we manage to with routine to do a great job. He is much worse than I am. Can I possibly pick your brain maybe in a PM about your ADD and the meds sometime? If not its ok. Thanks.

[june09bandit 0]

I was on phentermine for a long time. It did raise my blood pressure. Mine has always been "normal", but on the phentermine, it was borderline high.

[married 0]

I was on phentermine for a long time. It did raise my blood pressure. Mine has always been "normal", but on the phentermine, it was borderline high.

So far my BP has remained the same. How long were you on it? Did you come off once your BP became elevated? How long did it take for your BP to become elevated once you started taking it? I assume this was before you were banded? When you say a long time how long were you on it? Also did your BP come down when you came off? I have been on it for over a month and so far no high BP. Did you lose weight or did you regain it like some of the other people have mentioned. There does seem to be two camps here. Those who have taken it and were happy with the result and those who had bad experiences. Would you say you fall into the bad result camp because of the BP?

[june09bandit 0]

So far my BP has remained the same. How long were you on it? Did you come off once your BP became elevated? How long did it take for your BP to become elevated once you started taking it? I assume this was before you were banded? When you say a long time how long were you on it? Also did your BP come down when you came off? I have been on it for over a month and so far no high BP. Did you lose weight or did you regain it like some of the other people have mentioned. There does seem to be two camps here. Those who have taken it and were happy with the result and those who had bad experiences. Would you say you fall into the bad result camp because of the BP?

Very good questions.. are you a lawyer??:blushing:

How long was I on it? So long I'm embarrassed to admit. I was on it for probably 5 straight years, then off and on for another 10. I was getting it through a doctor at first and was very successful. I lost about 70 pounds. As soon as it lost it's effectiveness, I started to gain it back. When my weight started to creep back up, I started getting it over the internet and in Mexico. Not legal, but not illegal either, and it was still phentermine. It eventually became totally ineffective. I tried to increase the dosage slightly and scared myself when I felt my heart racing. It also caused me to have long lasting insomnia - up to this day I can't sleep without a melatonin and 4 diphenhydramine (sp?). My blood pressure was elevated from the day I started to take it. If I had a doctor's appt, I would skip a dose so that my BP would fall back to the normal range. My BP is totally normal now. I haven't taken any in about 3 months when I started researching the lapband. Up until I found the band, I didn't see any other alternatives. When I lost the weight the first time, I was in the very happy camp. Now that I realize what all I was doing to my body with the phentermine, I refuse to take it again (at least for now). I can get it very easily, it's about 15 miles to Mexico. It was never meant to be used long term, but I did it anyway.

I was just banded on June 2, so this was all pre-band. I have to learn to deal with hunger myself rather than counting on a drug to do it for me. When the drug stops, so did my self control.

Just my two cents worth. Like you, when it was working, no one could talk me out of it. Actually, I wouldn't have asked anyone's opinion. If your band doctor agreed it's a good idea for you, then no one should try to convince you otherwise. This is really strictly between the two of you.

Good luck!!!

[married 0]

Very good questions.. are you a lawyer??:blushing:

How long was I on it? So long I'm embarrassed to admit. I was on it for probably 5 straight years, then off and on for another 10. I was getting it through a doctor at first and was very successful. I lost about 70 pounds. As soon as it lost it's effectiveness, I started to gain it back. When my weight started to creep back up, I started getting it over the internet and in Mexico. Not legal, but not illegal either, and it was still phentermine. It eventually became totally ineffective. I tried to increase the dosage slightly and scared myself when I felt my heart racing. It also caused me to have long lasting insomnia - up to this day I can't sleep without a melatonin and 4 diphenhydramine (sp?). My blood pressure was elevated from the day I started to take it. If I had a doctor's appt, I would skip a dose so that my BP would fall back to the normal range. My BP is totally normal now. I haven't taken any in about 3 months when I started researching the lapband. Up until I found the band, I didn't see any other alternatives. When I lost the weight the first time, I was in the very happy camp. Now that I realize what all I was doing to my body with the phentermine, I refuse to take it again (at least for now). I can get it very easily, it's about 15 miles to Mexico. It was never meant to be used long term, but I did it anyway.

I was just banded on June 2, so this was all pre-band. I have to learn to deal with hunger myself rather than counting on a drug to do it for me. When the drug stops, so did my self control.

Just my two cents worth. Like you, when it was working, no one could talk me out of it. Actually, I wouldn't have asked anyone's opinion. If your band doctor agreed it's a good idea for you, then no one should try to convince you otherwise. This is really strictly between the two of you.

Good luck!!!

No just a wannabe lawyer. LOL. People tell me I argue like one though. I actually didnt start off asking for peoples opinion. I think my original question was "Has anyone been prescribed phentermine while being banded" or something to that effect. And there have sure been alot of negative responses..but I can see why especially since alot of people have gained back the weight once they come off the pill sort of like gaining weight back after you go off a diet i suppose. Well thanks for your response to all the questions!