User Reviews for Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)

Overall happy-longer term use. Started Nov 2022 and it is now June 2024. I started 5’6” 240lbs, I’m now 169. I have stayed on the 7.5 dose. I have struggled with my weight since I was in my adolescence- disordered eating, either restricting or overeating at night to compensate- 20 years of purging. I recovered my disorder but struggled as I got older to lose weight in a ‘healthy’ way especially after a really difficult pregnancy and gaining 80lbs. My doctor felt I was in a good place to try this med, in conjunction with therapy if you are ANY type of emotional eater I believe long-term changes can be made with Qsymia! I have been through many holiday seasons without struggle, really hard times where I would have fallen back on bad habits- I’ve been able to basically stay on track since beginning this med. I have had a LOT of plateaus (6-8+ weeks of not losing or gaining, sometimes 4+ months) but then it will start up again. I also have tried taking it every other day or less regularly as time went on since I’ve reached my goal and am in maintenance and I don’t notice any big changes- I feel the slow weight-loss helped me more than a quick fix. CONS: I do notice I’m more agitated, dry mouth which may have accelerated periodontal disease for me, dry scalp since starting, and almost complete loss of libido. Tons of hair loss also but that has happened in the past when I lost weight. Overall I plan to stay at this dose as long as I can/need to- my doctor and I are happy with my labs and progress, and it has helped me maintain my ED recovery! Read More Read Less

I started to take the 3.25/23 for the first 14 days as recommended. I had headaches for the first 3 days and noticed my mouth was dry so I was drinking a lot of water. My taste was dulled, but it did not bother me as I did not have much of an appetite for sweets which was my biggest craving. Once I got on the 7.5/ 46 dosage, I ate a light breakfast, small lunch, and small dinner, with maybe a small snack or drink other than water throughout the day. I have lost 8 pounds in 1 month with most of that being lost the last 2 and a half weeks because of the higher dosage. I started at 224 pounds, so losing 8 pounds in a month is something I am happy with. I do not feel weak or tired throughout the day and choose healthier foods as well as play sports and go to the gym 2-4 times a week. I hope to maintain these habits, so I do not need a drug to lose weight again! Read More Read Less

I've been taking it for a couple of weeks but haven't lost an ounce. It really hasn't helped me not feel hungry, I'm still always hungry. I've cut back on my calories, increased my physical activity but like I said zero results. I do feel dizzy all the time, had some issues the first week with sleep, but it's easing up now that I'm on my 2nd week. My insurance does not pay for this, but I went on their website & applied for a card & got a discount. I'm not giving up hope because I've literally tried everything to help lose weight & this is my last hope b/c I can't afford Ozepempic & all those other ones. Read More Read Less

I have been taking Qsymia for approx. 7 weeks. I am 5'4 and weighed 168. I have lost 13 pound and my BP is improving. The biggest change has been portion control. I like exercise and eat healthy just too much. Extremely effective. My biggest concern is that I feel dizzy all the time (although it could be from the BP meds) and I did have a single day of deep depression (very rare for me). I'm going to reduce back to the lower dose starting tomorrow after talking with my Dr. I am simply not hungry and don't have cravings. It is such a reliefRead More Read Less

Great results but don't like the side effects and have decided to go off after 5 months. But I have lost 25 pounds and my BMI went from 32.6 to 28.2. My side effects were excessive phlegm, anxiety, mental confusion, rapid heartrate. But none of that was until I went to the 15mg dosage and I only did that for 2 weeks and asked my doctor to go back down to the 11.25. I lost most of my weight in the first couple months. I'm going to try Contrave. I noticed the pharmacy doesn't fully inform you of all the interactions as you are NOT to ingest grapefruit when taking this drug as it doesn't allow it to clear out of your system. I would say my case was a little extreme but I am overall happy with the results.Read More Read Less

Started with the lowest dose. I was very excited, not just for the weight loss, but everyone said it would give me a boost of energy too. I became a little tired taking the starter dose. When I bumped up to the second dose 7.5, I was back in bed by 10 every day, and I could barely hold my eyes open when I was able to get up. I also had frequent feelings of fuzzy or light headedness, slight problems with my vision, and developed a rash on both arms and legs. I lost the ability to "taste" carbonation in soda and fizzy waters. The day I stopped taking it, I finally had a little energy, and my rash started to recede. The day after that I felt much better. I am not sure my vision is still back, and my taste is slowly returning, but not entirely back. Unfortunately this didn't work for me, but my insurance said I had to try to move on to the next options. Read More Read Less

My doctor prescribed me Qsymia over Ozempic for me to try. I have been taking Qsymia now for 8 weeks and to date, I am now down 24 pounds. The side effects are very minimal. The insomnia was rough in the beginning but has really improved now. The only other side effect I’ve had is dry mouth and a little tingling in my hands and feet but both are minimal. I would recommend this 100% to anyone wanting to drop some weight with very few side effects.

I took this for over a year and stopped because I believed it was the cause of my excess phlegm/mucus. Trying to figure out if I was allergic to one of the drugs… I had lost 65 lbs, I’ve since gain 30 back and have decided to get back on the medication. My question to y’all is, have you noticed any issues with excess mucus, post nasal drip, allergies etc? Thanks y’all!

This medication definitely helped me lose weight overtime. Very few side effects except started to notice hair loss after taking Qsymia for a year. After stopping the meds, the excessive hair loss continued even a month and a half after discontinuing meds. There was also a 2-3 week period after stopping Qsymia that led to a period of severe depression as my body withdrew from the med.

I started the lowest dosage November 2023 and honestly because I pay out of pocket I have taken this sporadically with no lifestyle changes. Had a doctors visit today and I’ve lost 17 pounds. My doctor upped me to the next dose and I’m committed to exercising more and I’m in a better financial position to afford a pill a day. Looking forward to my next appt in 5weeks. No side effects but the only weird thing for me is I was asked to weigh myself daily and I literally did not drop 1 pound for weeks and then the following day 12 pound were gone and stayed off. If this continues this is a miracle pull for me, I will provide an update. Read More Read Less

I have religiously read almost all of the reviews on Qsymia on WebMD and decided to add my two cents. My weight loss journey began two years ago when my weight topped 290 pounds. I am 5’2” and decided I could not continue my life like that anymore. I joined Noom and lost over 130 pounds, doing everything Noom said to do, regular exercise and eating healthy, and reached 160 pounds, the goal weight my doctor and I set at that time. Once I reached my goal weight, I went on maintenance, and my calorie intake was increased. This created a perfect storm; between the calorie increase, menopause, and genetics, I promptly gained fifty pounds. Mind you, I exercise religiously, walking over 3.5 miles six mornings doing a 16-minute mile, as well as leading a very active life as a teacher, ending the day clocking over seven miles on my feet. I continued to eat healthy, based on the Noom guidelines, eschewing high-calorie foods, eating non-processed foods, etc. You get the idea. After having zero luck dropping any of the weight I had regained, only gaining weight, my doctor and I decided I would try Qsymia because I did not want to try the far more expensive injectables. I have had outstanding success with Qsymia! I have consistently dropped weight since beginning the pill from day one. I am on the recommended dose now and have high hopes that Qsymia will be the “magic pill” that will help me finally get down to my dream weight of 140 pounds and keep me there with the maintenance pills.Read More Read Less

I started this medication October of 2023 by January 2024 I had lost 40 lbs, that was with a changed diet and exercise.. I had no side effects from the meditation other than dry mouth

I am nearing 1 year on Qsymia. I am just starting the highest dosage. I have had no issues and have seen improvement in my weight management. I am down 56 pounds and counting.

I began my weight loss journey Oct 2022 with a BMI of 38.3 weighing 216 lbs and was able to lose 18 lbs on my own by Feb 2023 by diet and exercise but continued feeling tired all the time and deflated by the lack of my results. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor and explored several weight loss options (Ozempic/Wegovy,etc.too expensive), my insurance denied everything as I did not meet any medical criteria. Mentally ready for change, my doctor suggested Qsymia, and using their website saving card and using Good Rx I was able to keep my cost at about $100 a month. March 3, 2023 /Weight 198lbs/BMI 35.1/Symptoms were only minor tingling of gums and some chattiness and increased thirst in the very first couple weeks at the low dose 3.75mg, my idle snacking and cravings gone. I felt more energy but no jitters and my BP was good and lost about 2 lbs weekly. I moved to the next dose 7.5mg for 4 months through July 24,2023/Weight/ 170/BMI 30.1 and continued to lose weight easily with a decrease in appetite, no cravings and my weight plateaued. My doctor wanted to increase my medication sooner but I was not looking to lose weight too fast, just for the scale to keep moving. My dose increased to 11.25 in August 2023 and am now down to mid Dec 14, 2023/Weight 157 lbs/BMI 28, no side effects, no BP issues, sleeping good, but weight loss has plateaued. I am about to begin 15mg dose at end of Dec 23. My doctor would like to see me get last 10-15 lbs off and then keep me on a low maintenance dose after that. I am completely satisfied with the results, this has worked for me, it is not for everyone! You have to be ready for change. I do not deny myself I want something but do not have the same habits I once had. This has help me push through the insulin resistance and perimenopausal phases that I was struggling with for several years. For me, I am lucky "obesity" was my only health issue and was a candidate to take Qsymia. I have had to buy a new wardrobe and haven't seen the 150's since I was in my 30's and don't know what I'm going to think if I see the 140's! Read More Read Less

I first use the lower dosage and saw no results. My doctor then prescribed me the higher dosage and I saw no results but even saw weight gain. I wasn't eating more, I was eating better, incorporated different types of physical activity into my lifestyle change. This is so disheartening as I have been really trying.

This was great for the first 3 months. I was taking the 3.5 dose. Lost 22lbs. Then went up to the 7.5 dose and after two weeks on that dose my hair started falling out. So the weight loss is great but not at the cost of my hair.

I started taking qsymia (lowest dose) because I had significant weight gain 6 years post vsg and I needed a large hernia repaired, but needed to lose a lot of weight before that could happen. I started the medication in November of 2022 and I weighed 262 lbs. It’s now October 2023 and I’m down 87lbs and I have been weaned of qsymia because my surgery is in a little over two weeks. I tracked my calories and walked two miles a day for 4-5x a week. The only downside is that now I’m off it I can tell a difference. I feel more hungry, tired, unmotivated, and moody. I’m hoping this doesn’t last long. Other than that no side effects while on qsymia and it worked great for me!Read More Read Less

Have been on this medication for 45 days and have probably only lost a couple pounds. Not excited with the results and can’t see a reduction in appetite

most effective weight loss medication for me. was 250, 5'4" 60yr old female, after 6 months down to 210. I use the gym 4x a week about 45 minutes, light exercise for my age and feel fantastic. every once in a while have some numbness and tingling in my lips but as many have said, I have something to eat and it goes away. I am on the highest dose now because I do feel that I have hit plateaus along the way where I wanted to snack at night again (biggest problem of grazing). losing 40 pounds is life changing for my health and I look forward to losing more. having said all that, my husband with diabetes and obese tried this medication with no results, no reduction in eating, no feeling of fullness, no feeling different at all. so you just have to try what works best for you and keep at it. Read More Read Less

I have been on Qsymia since 2016, I lost 45 lbs and have kept it off since then. I weigh 163 and wish I could lose at least 8 more lbs, but I have plateaued. I have been taking it this long and had no side effects only at the first 2 weeks I had the tingling sensation on my legs. What I did is that I always have to eat something before I take it… no more side effects since. This is a long term medication and I’m going to stick with it. Love it that it has help me keep my weight off.