User Reviews for Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)

Keep in mind I have only taken the free dosage which is 1 pill (3.75) for 14 days. So this might not be enough time to notice anything. So far no weight loss, no decrease in appetite, yet my resting heart rate as increased a small amt. My Pharmacist is waiting for the approval from my insurance to fill the remainder of my 1 mo. 'script. that will increase the dosage to 2 pills per day. Hopefully, with increased exercise I will see a difference.

Two years ago, I quit smoking after 32 years. I gained 56 pounds. During these past two years, I have tried everything to keep the weight down, maintain it and then lose it - to no avail. I have been to nutritionists, herbalists, specialists, personal trainers, gyms, etc and the weight kept gaining. Finally 40 days ago, I saw my doctor after researching the four available weight loss drugs on the market and determined that Qsymia would be right for me. He was a little hesitate as he wanted me to try more diet restrictions when I have tried everything, and I finally told him that this is my last help or I was going to start smoking again. He agreed to write the prescription for the two week starter and one month of the level two. 40 days and I have lost 16 pounds! I am very excited to be heading back in the right direction. I plan to ask for one more month prescription and hopefully this might have kick-started my metabolism where it should be while I continue to work out daily and eat right. Honestly, I was so hopeless. Yes, there are side effects like dry mouth and constipation but the side effects are no where near the sadness that you feel when you are trying your hardest to eat right and workout but seeing zero results. Read More Read Less

Anyone else have initial success and then a major plateau? I had great success first 10 days, lost 6 lbs and felt like FINALLY something is working, and now I am stuck. Side effects are wearing off and I am paying for this expensive medication and its not doing anything. I am in my 3rd week, still at only a 6 lb weight loss. Do I continue? Advice wanted...

I had just started Qsymia for 14 days on the lowest dosage. It was working for me. I was starting to have energy and eating less. I continued to sleep as always. I would have continued to take this med. but when I went to get my 30 day supply, unfortunately, my insurance wouldn't pay and I cannot afford the $245.00 price. If it had paid, I would have continued taking it. I feel it was doing a good job for me. Oh well, those who can afford it, you are the lucky ones.

So just writing this since it is my 1st day. I am not sure what to expect but I was hoping to not feel hungry, but.. I am hungry! Any of you know if it takes time to build up inn your system? I need to lose 25-30lbs and am hoping this will be successful. I quit smoking almost a year ago and the weight piled n. I work out a minimum of 4 days a week but still gaining weight (not muscle) I will chime back in to let y'all know how it's going in a week or so! :)

I was only on this for three weeks and had lost 7 pounds but in that I time I started experiencing eye trouble. I had to be taken off it. My vision did not completely return to normal.

I've been on this drug for about 3 1/2 months and have lost 34 lbs. I use this as another tool in in trying to lose weight and it has helped me curb my appetite and not obsess as much over food. I have struggled with weight pretty much my entire life and never have done any fad diets. I have lost weight before on weight watchers but was struggling for a long time on this. I still go to WW but needed help in getting a kick start. This has worked very well and no real side effects. I pay attention to drink more water too. You still have to work at it .... There is no "magic" pill, but this drug has been a great assistance. Read More Read Less

Been on 11.25 strength since Nov. 2014. Lost about 45 lbs. which is nowhere near my goal but still quite significant. Still steadily losing a few lbs. and inches while maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, but nothing too extreme. Within the past 6 months I got pregnant twice while on both birth control and Qsymia. I had NO IDEA the topirimate interacts with birth control so BEWARE of that.

There are a lot of side effects to this medication, and there are withdrawal symptoms when you stop. Please educate yourself before you sign up for this. It is also very expensive, and our insurance dropped coverage this year. The benefits of Qsymia did not outweigh what my body told me after over a year. I lost almost as much weight on my own than with Qsymia. It is not worth the side effects. Just diet and exercise in a committed way. Trust me.

Qsymia is poison. I can't stress this enough. This medication caused my heart rate and blood pressure to go up to the level that I almost hyperventilated during a work-out. It also has a diuretic in it that completely drained me of potassium. My eyes looked sunken and my skin was sallow. I had a constant loud ringing in my ears, insomnia, unbelievable, miserable constipation, and I felt as if I was depressed and unable to function for most of the time I was on it. I simply felt awful. Imagine feeling exhausted but unable to sleep, having work to do but you can't focus or think, feeling depressed to the point of hopelessness over small situations etc... This toxic drug is not worth it! As soon as I stopped taking it, 16 days into my prescription I began to return to normal. After a week of not taking it, I feel like myself again. This medication raises your heart rate, your blood pressure, depletes your system of water, and disturbs your sleep. All recipes for disaster. I hate to say it, but sustained calorie counting, self discipline, and patience are the only safe ways that I know of to lose weight and keep it off. This drug is scary evil.Read More Read Less

I used this drug for 6 months from Sept 2014 through February 2015 and lost 50 pounds. It worked very well to reduce my appetite so keeping my calories low was very easy. I used the medication along with a healthy diet and a light exercise program and saw real results. I went off the medication after it started to lose effectiveness after several months and gained back about 10 pounds. I ended up trying another medication for a short time and had terrible side effects and had to quit. I am starting back on Qysemia this week after being off of it for 11 months. I hope it works as well the second time around. Read More Read Less

When I started taking this drug, there were no warnings about effects on the kidneys and liver. A week after taking the pills, I didn't feel well and couldn't urinate. I was losing weight rapidly. Three weeks later my blood work showed kidneys were failing. After doctor told me to stop immediately within 2 days I started urinating. However my blood work remains at a level 3 chronic kidney disease 1-1/2 years later. There was no warning at that time but I reported it and now see it is listed. I am totally devastated that this drug caused kidney damage. Read More Read Less

Normally I do not write reviews but, I felt that I needed to because of what I have experienced. If I can spare anyone the agony I have been experiencing it will be worth it. I may be a rare case but I do not want anyone else to experience what I have in the last 3 days. I am fairly healthy had blood work prior to starting this medication and all was good and usually is. I need to lose 50 pounds. I took 1 pill and 6 hours after I felt dizzy, blood pressure and heart rate shot up ( but not dangerously high), I started to have nausea and vomiting, severe abdominal cramping, and a fever of 100.5, shivering and chills. So I figured maybe just maybe it was something I ate but, then the itching started. No rash just itching that never stops. I looked again on line and found on Web MD the side effects and they are all listed there. It has been 3 days since I took that one pill and I am still slightly dizzy and weak, but the itching is unbelievable. Benadryl helps for about 2 hours but who can work and function on 50mg of Benadryl. I am glad that this drug has worked for some, in fact I have lost 5 pounds in 3 days(because I have been so sick and can't stomach any food) but it is not worth the side effects. At this point I am hoping that this itching stops. The itching is driving me crazy. I wonder how long it stays in your system. Read More Read Less

Took the initial dose and after couple days, got short of breath and chest tightness. Tingling, numbness in legs. Anxiety, can't imagine at regular dose. Had to quit after going to ER.

Lost 30 pounds in 3 months, stopped my binge eating completely, I did exercise daily and reduced calories which I believe reduces the side effects, I had a surprise positive side effect while on it as it reduced the horrible menopausal hot flashes I was struggling with, it reversed side effects I was already experiencing, headache, depression, lack of vocus, blurred vision, I will continue to take to reach my weight goal.

I have been taking Q for a 8 months now off and on and have reached the second dose. The first strength didn't work well for me so I consumed caffeine with it and it worked wonders. The side effects are pretty costly though. I can feel the difference in my heart beat. My heart sometimes hurts now, my appetite is controlled or non existent, dry mouth, sometimes I cannot even form a sentence and can be so forgetful because of this med. I am only 22 and I know these symptoms are caused by the med, but I am down 23lbs so I continue to take it.Read More Read Less

I was on Qsymia for one full year and lost only 38lbs. I still have 130lbs to go. I was up to the third strength level. I was experiencing the worst insomnia, sleeping about 3 hours each night and walking around like a zombie all day. My hands kept getting numb, my mouth always dry, shortness of breath,and sometimes I could feel my heart racing.I was getting forgetful and having trouble getting the words out when I had something to say. I felt like I was not myself, if that makes sense! I would take the pill in the morning before breakfast and I was never hungry throughout the day, there were many days that I even forgot to eat and had nothing but a cup of coffee all day. Then I would find myself binge eating at night I guess when the pill wore off. My doctor wanted to increase my dose to the highest strength level but I decided to just stop taking it. If I was losing a tremendous amount of weight I may have considered it, but the side effects are just too much to bear for the results I have experienced. Read More Read Less

29F, morbidly obese, workout 3-6 days a weeks but needed Qsymia to manage insatiable feelings of hunger. I started Qsymia on 10/5/15. Today is 10/9/15 and Ive lost 13 pounds! Q appears to help me stick to my diet plan recommendations. Side effects so far: muscle cramps, fatigue, headaches---BUT these could also be a result of diet change, So far so good.

I have not found any reviews with younger women thus far, and so decided to write one. I am a 21 year old diabetic with PCOS. I started the lowest dose three days ago and have lost six pounds. I feel the tingly sensation and slight drowsiness but nothing too severe. I check my sugar levels often as they drop with the metformin. Q makes me not hungry, and therefore my sugar drops more often, but nothing a glass of OJ can't fix. I really have nothing bad to say yet about this drug but will keep monitoring my side effects. Like I said I only started a few days ago.Read More Read Less