Quitting Sibutramine / Meridia / Leptos / Reductil (stimulant/weight loss med)

[chickchick]

SWIM asked me to tell you...

I'm taking Sibutramine as a diet aid (orally). I believe it has a simaler chemical structure to amphetamine. It's basically making me bad, I get stressed and easily anooyed on it. I grind my teeth all the time on it. I feel wired but knackered all the time. Sleep problems aswell. So is this normal or am I just more sensitive to it? (I do seem to be sensitive to anything I take) And how the hell do I come off it? I had come off for a week or 2 but found myself going back on when I got depressed about something. It stops me getting that empty feeling in my belly which I think is the main thing I like about it.

Have lost all the weight I planned to loose so no real need to stay on it unless I get neurotic and feel I need to loose more and more.

Help!

chickchick added 2 Minutes and 1 Seconds later...

oh and my oh thinks i'm unhinged on it and is abandoning me

[fiveleggedrat]

While not directly being an amphetamine, Sibutramine seems to have abuse potential. It seems to act like an amphetamine, at least in some ways.

Here's some wiki info:

Sibutramine (trade name Meridia in the U.S. and Canada, Leptos in India, Reductil in Europe andmost other countries), usually as sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate, is an orally administered agent for the treatment of obesity, as an appetite suppressant. It is a centrally-acting serotonin-norepinephrine reduptake inhibitor structurally related to amphetamines although its mechanism of action is distinct. Sibutramine is manufactured by Abbott Laborotories. It is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance in the United States.

If you are having problems getting off, either slowly taper and reduce dosage, or seek medical help.

Sounds like you should get off soon.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for the help info sc

[Spare Chaynge]

Its all about will power.. The longer you use this substance the harder it will be to get off of it. If it has not caused significant problems in your life besides feeling bad there are not many options.. Try an NA meeting or something if its really bad..

Swim would suggest just to think this one out do you want to feel bad for like a month or do you want to wait and feel bad for a year.. The longer the worse it gets..

Try talking to family members about this problem or you can countinue posting here and swims will be glad to help you out.. There are many swims who have been where you are with far worse substances and live a good drug free life now..

Thanks for the post five legg... swiy helped a lot with my response...


Go for a jog when you get depressed. Get some hobbies to keep you happy... Hot tubs are usually good. If your religious ask help from what ever you believe in..

It seems the problem is when ever you get depressed or unhappy you go back to it... So avoid these feelings and you should have an easy time getting off.

Post again please... Good luck

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good poster. You are appreciated.

[chickchick]

Swim doesn't just feel bad, swim has lost the love of her life because of some stupid drug swim finds it even harder now to come off as there is no support so to speak. swim has already confided with a psychiatrist but got no help apart from psyc saying she will tell gp not to prescribe me any more as a)swim is addicted and b) swim is now a good weight. Said psychiatrist put swim on these meds even though swim wasn't actually obese (as one should be to start them) but was overweight. Also even though the packet says not to use with mental health problems and swim was suffering from depression/anxiety, psyc still encouraged the use of meds even when swim was clearly suffering. (nb was swims idea to take them but psyc agreed and then actualy encouraged swim to ignore the side effects. psyc is also meant to be good with eating disorders as psyc specialises in this). Swim now feels a complete mess and doesn't know who to talk to.

chickchick added 4 Minutes and 2 Seconds later...

NB, although swim cannot get anymore drugs from the doctor, swim doe still have some at home as had been stashing them. swim lid to doctor about dosing the psyc suggested, so swim has more drugs left over. swim has also had urges to do other drugs which has not happened before taking these sibutramine. swim had fought off urges but swim feels a bit overwhelmed sometimes. swim has also felt suicidal

chickchick added 12 Minutes and 45 Seconds later...

Also how does swim try and get her other half back? swim feels in catch 22 situation and feels it would be too hard to do this alone. yet swim feels maybe proof is needed that swim will come off the sibutramine. how can swim prove to OH that swim is serious about coming off the tablets? OH didn't want swim to go on tablets in the first place

[fiveleggedrat]

What an idiot psych, really. If having a bad effects profile with a drug, you should never continue to take it unless you have to, like a life or death situation or a vaccine, for example.

If you feel tempted to do leftover pills or other drugs, either have them put far away, go where you can't get them, or flat out toss them. Drug craving is to be expected coming off what sounds like a decently strong amphetamine. Personally, Swim thinks amphetamines are the hardest drugs to come off and quit. They mess with the brain wayyy too much.

If you could stay with a friend/family for a while, away from temptations, that would help.

Make sure to avoid other drugs. Doing other or more of the original drug now is a bad idea, and will only increase the amount of time you spend addicted/craving/unhappy.

[chickchick]

Thanks for the advice. Swim is currently living with familt but family are just about ready to disown swim due to swim being a difficult sod. Should swim taper the drugs or just come straight off? Swim tried tapering before with the drug but not sure it really helped. The side effects seem to linger for about 5 days.

chickchick added 1 Minutes and 8 Seconds later...

also swim wonders if there would have been any permanent messing up of the brain?

[chickchick]

Swim has been off since Friday but is really really struggling today

[Spare Chaynge]

Why is swim struggling.

[chickchick]

swim is feeling very tired but very anxious. swim is trying to keep going with small amounts of caffeine but it's doing nothing. swim is also feeling generally strange.

[Spare Chaynge]

This is all very normal.. Please remember that this will pass and soon swim will be feeling great. With a stimulant like swim was on it will only last maybe one more week... Remember cravings are a temporary cycle and that cycle can be defeated by doing something that occupies one mind for 30 minutes or so... By posting here chances are the craving will be gone when swiy is done..

Try and stay strong.. if swiy breaks down this will only start the feeling shitty cycle over and over.. swiy does not want that..

caffeine can be somewhat similar to this sibutramine try and avoid it if possible.. but everyone is different so it is up to swiy.

Swim has to go study and has his own struggles with not taking small amounts of yhombine.

Please post here again some swim will be glad to help...

Stay strong and swiy will feel so so much better.. swim promises!
Swim has been where swiy is now and knows that if swiy just sticks it out this one time that swiy Will make it!!!!!!

[chickchick]

sorry to hear swiy is struggling. yes psyc told swim to avoid caffeine if possible. swim might as well avoid it as it is doing no good anyway.

swim has discussed with psyc the fact that swim was taking very high doses (advised by psyc) of medical epa (fish oil) might have interferred with and made the Reductil (or any drugs that work on neurotransmitters), much more potent. Just thought would be useful info to pass on.