leksey
11-18-2004, 01:20 PM
I have been taking diet pills for about 10 years. I started off with Metacuts to enhance my workouts, then switched to Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Metabolife, Diet Fuel, Ripped Full among others. Just kind of would go back and forth between all of those depending on what would work for me at the time. I saw a lot of results with the hydroxycut and dropped down to below 100 pounds (i'm 5'3). I felt sick and sad all the time but I looked good. At least in my eyes. I quit taking them because I was scared of the health risks. There were times I would be sitting at my desk and my heart felt like it was going to race out of my chest. After quitting, I quickly gained about 20 pounds which made me even more sad and depressed. That was about the time ephedra was taken off the market. After that I started ordering prescription Bontril off of different internet sites by lying about my weight. I have been doing this for about 7 months now. I am at a decent weight (113) and I workout everyday because I like to. I also try to eat right and do for the most part. My problem is I can't seem to stop taking the Bontril. Anytime I go a day without taking it I feel fat or I feel like it gives me an excuse to eat bad and end up pigging out. I want to be healthy and happy without any type of pills or superficial things but I don't know how to stop. Does anyone have any suggestions? Know of any books on the subject? My friends all say that I have a distorted sense of what a perfect body should look like and that I need professional help. I don't know if that is necessary. I haven't really gone more then a month at the most without having a diet pill so I don't know if you go threw a detox period like people do with they are addicted to alcohol, etc. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Jess75
11-18-2004, 05:42 PM
Your weight is actually really good for your height. 5ft3, 113 pounds sounds ideal to me. What don't you like about your body? Changing your eating habits for life is the only way to go. You can't rely on pills forever, your gonna have to change sometime. You would be suprised how much better you'd feel when you start to give your body what it needs, like fruits, veggies, lean proteins, nuts, fish, etc,etc. You said you felt sad while you were on those pills....probably because you are depriving yourself from important nutrients that your body needs. Also, those pills can be very dangerous. You may need to wean yourself off them and start educating yourself about healthy living. It make take time ane PATEINCE (patience is key), but you'll notice how much energy you have after giving your body what it wants. Trust me, the more you know, the better you can manage your diet and life. :)
LV40
11-18-2004, 05:57 PM
My friends all say that I have a distorted sense of what a perfect body should look like and that I need professional help. I don't know if that is necessary.
I do.
This isn't just about weight for you, it's about body image and self-worth. And I could be wrong, but it doesn't look like you have a whole lot. You only weigh 113 pounds. But yet you think you're overweight. You were/are willing to give up good health just to be thin. You can't stop taking these pills knowing they're bad for you (or at least I HOPE you know they're bad for you). You don't think that's cause for concern?
If you don't get yourself some help, hon, you're gonna land yourself in the hospital.
I do.
This isn't just about weight for you, it's about body image and self-worth. And I could be wrong, but it doesn't look like you have a whole lot. You only weigh 113 pounds. But yet you think you're overweight. You were/are willing to give up good health just to be thin. You can't stop taking these pills knowing they're bad for you (or at least I HOPE you know they're bad for you). You don't think that's cause for concern?
If you don't get yourself some help, hon, you're gonna land yourself in the hospital.
Calamity04
11-18-2004, 06:06 PM
I'm just going to come out and say this, no sugar coating, you are a drug addict. This is not about being overweight. A person doesn't stay on diet pills for 10 years just to lose weight. I think you need to check into drug rehab as soon as possible.
wish
11-20-2004, 08:03 PM
I think this goes a little deeper then just being a drug addict. I do think you are addicted, however, I do agree with your friends about you having a distorted view of your body. 113lbs at 5'3" is thin and when you were under 100lbs you were underweight and you said you liked it and felt like you looked good. Sounds like you may need to be evaluated for an eating disorder, lots of people with eating disorders abuse diet pills I know very well that is the case. I have had dealings with eating disorders, without talking more to you I would suggest being evaluated for that first and the latter will come about. Losing weight can easily become addicting to some just like smoking, drinking, and/or overeating.
My suggestion is really to be evaluated first for an eating disorder.
I could be way off but what would it hurt?
wish
My suggestion is really to be evaluated first for an eating disorder.
I could be way off but what would it hurt?
wish
firebug06
11-23-2004, 07:36 PM
leksey, I know how you feel bc I am going through the same body issue. I am not addicted to diet pills but I have taken them in the past and when I didnt have them I felt insecure, and fat. I needed them. I took metabolife when it had the ephedra and it kept me under or around 100 lbs even and I felt so beautiful even though I felt light headed and dizzy at times. My heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute, and I got tired with little exertion. I still take diet pills from time to time and I dont think I have a problem, they are ephedra free and enhance my workouts. I have changed my eating and workout more.
leksey
11-25-2004, 02:56 PM
Thank you for all of your responses. I have never felt like I had an eating disorder just because my weight has never been extremely low. I read somewhere that you had to be a certain percentage below the ideal body weight for my height and at 113, or even when I was 100, I was never in that percentage.
firebug06, you say you use the ephedra free pills on occasion and I did try that but it didn't make me feel the boost that i feel on the pills w/ ephedra so i deemed the ephedra free as pretty much worthless for me. How often do you work out? What is your diet like? How tall are you?
It's weird because I have been taking these pills so long that it seems almost like I can't function normally without them.
I talked to my PCP about my problem and she basically said I was borderline obsessive compulsive and that the pill addiction is a psychological dependency at this point. I feel like i need them to be in control. She offered to put me on an anti-anxiety drug but that isn't what I want my solution to be. I want to get off them because I am strong enough to do it on my own. Not with the help of another drug. Does that make sense?
firebug06, you say you use the ephedra free pills on occasion and I did try that but it didn't make me feel the boost that i feel on the pills w/ ephedra so i deemed the ephedra free as pretty much worthless for me. How often do you work out? What is your diet like? How tall are you?
It's weird because I have been taking these pills so long that it seems almost like I can't function normally without them.
I talked to my PCP about my problem and she basically said I was borderline obsessive compulsive and that the pill addiction is a psychological dependency at this point. I feel like i need them to be in control. She offered to put me on an anti-anxiety drug but that isn't what I want my solution to be. I want to get off them because I am strong enough to do it on my own. Not with the help of another drug. Does that make sense?
firebug06
11-27-2004, 08:22 PM
Leksey,
Im 5'2 around 112, but Im trying to just lose the 9lbs Ive gained. I have been off the ephedra for about 2years now, and I do miss the energy it gave me. Right now I workout at least 4times a week, that includes spinning classes and treadmill at home. My diet is very restricted, usually tuna sandwiches/fatfree turkey sandwich through the week, and if I want something like pizza on the weekend I eat it bc I do right all week long. You cant deny yourself things you like or you will be miserable. I take herbal supplements called Fat binder and its at a local herb shop. It eliminates the fat from meals and flushes it out the body before digestion. I personally dont think that ephedra is harmful if you take it in moderation, unllike the people who died from it. Keep working on yourself and you will reach your goal. :wave:
Im 5'2 around 112, but Im trying to just lose the 9lbs Ive gained. I have been off the ephedra for about 2years now, and I do miss the energy it gave me. Right now I workout at least 4times a week, that includes spinning classes and treadmill at home. My diet is very restricted, usually tuna sandwiches/fatfree turkey sandwich through the week, and if I want something like pizza on the weekend I eat it bc I do right all week long. You cant deny yourself things you like or you will be miserable. I take herbal supplements called Fat binder and its at a local herb shop. It eliminates the fat from meals and flushes it out the body before digestion. I personally dont think that ephedra is harmful if you take it in moderation, unllike the people who died from it. Keep working on yourself and you will reach your goal. :wave:
Lenin
11-28-2004, 10:48 AM
leksey,
I don't think you are "addicted" in the true sense of the word but you certainly have gotten "dependant." In the same boat, I'd try self hypnosis but you really need to fashion a life plan that will allow you to limit your eating without drugs.
The drugs that aren't risky aren't any good and the ones that are good are risky.
Side effects: Bontril has caused different side effects like restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, headache, insomnia, diarrhea, dry mouth and changes in the patients sex drive, allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, closing of the throat, swelling of lips or tongue), hallucinations, extreme hypertension, chest pain, pounding heart and difficulty urinating. Bontril can also be habit forming. You can become physically and psychologically dependent on this medication, and withdrawal effects may occur if you stop taking it.
Maybe 10 extra pounds are a price worth paying to be rid of this stuff.
(I know a bit of what you are going through because I can sometimes feel the call of the diuretic to relieve the "squishy 7 pounds" that I find awful.)
An aside...when you DO decide to go off the Bontril, maybe a gradual wean is better than "cold turkey."
Good Luck.
I don't think you are "addicted" in the true sense of the word but you certainly have gotten "dependant." In the same boat, I'd try self hypnosis but you really need to fashion a life plan that will allow you to limit your eating without drugs.
The drugs that aren't risky aren't any good and the ones that are good are risky.
Side effects: Bontril has caused different side effects like restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, headache, insomnia, diarrhea, dry mouth and changes in the patients sex drive, allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, closing of the throat, swelling of lips or tongue), hallucinations, extreme hypertension, chest pain, pounding heart and difficulty urinating. Bontril can also be habit forming. You can become physically and psychologically dependent on this medication, and withdrawal effects may occur if you stop taking it.
Maybe 10 extra pounds are a price worth paying to be rid of this stuff.
(I know a bit of what you are going through because I can sometimes feel the call of the diuretic to relieve the "squishy 7 pounds" that I find awful.)
An aside...when you DO decide to go off the Bontril, maybe a gradual wean is better than "cold turkey."
Good Luck.
leksey
12-02-2004, 09:45 AM
Hey guys....Just wanted to follow up...I decided to quit taking diet pills cold turkey because I know that I am strong enough to do this on my own. I flushed the Bontril I had left down the toilet yesterday. I am nervous about what affect it will have on my body and I am scared that I will go back but I know that I have to do this or else I will never feel like a normal, complete person. Thank you for listening and offering advice. I will let you know how I am doing. If anyone would like to keep in touch with me, I could sure use the encouragement. Thanks again!
Lenin
12-02-2004, 10:19 AM
Good Luck leksey,
Go see a good movie to get your mind off the pills...better yet, hit the gym:D!
Go see a good movie to get your mind off the pills...better yet, hit the gym:D!
leksey
01-20-2005, 09:53 AM
Update:
I slipped up and bought some Zantrex-3 about a month ago, took them for 3 days, and hated myself every second for being weak soooo I threw them out. I have wasted so much money on diet pills. It's unreal. Anyway, other then the 3 day slip up, I have been diet pill free since my last post. Yay! Just trying to keep in my head to "do the right thing". It's a constant struggle but I feel so much better. No more wondering if i'm having a heart attack, hallucinating, shaking, etc. Again, thanks for the continued support. And good luck to everyone out there.
I slipped up and bought some Zantrex-3 about a month ago, took them for 3 days, and hated myself every second for being weak soooo I threw them out. I have wasted so much money on diet pills. It's unreal. Anyway, other then the 3 day slip up, I have been diet pill free since my last post. Yay! Just trying to keep in my head to "do the right thing". It's a constant struggle but I feel so much better. No more wondering if i'm having a heart attack, hallucinating, shaking, etc. Again, thanks for the continued support. And good luck to everyone out there.