[findingmy_self95]

I haven't been taking my medication for almost 6 months. I just stopped and I missed my last appointment with my psychiatrist but I'm too afraid now to reschedule now that I'm 18. It might cost me to see her now since it was covered when I was underage. I have two and a half bottles left my my CONCERTA. When I started it, I lost 50lbs going from 220lbs to 170lbs. It really helped me out with my health and helped with the depression. After I stopped my boyfriend came to visit me for the summer. On the pills I ate maybe 1500 CAL a day. When he was here, we cooked everyday 3 meals a day and way to much. He is very skinny naturally and burns calories quickly but I do not. I'm not mad at him at all, I should have controlled myself.

Lo and behold over 2 months I quickly gained 30 lbs back. He left for 2 months, and I continued to eat as we did during the summer, not as bad but bad enough. When he returned in November for 3 months we ate horribly, frying all of our food, eating several meals a day definitely exceeding 2200 CAL a day.

He has gone now and I am back to 220lbs. My stretched marks which had healed and we practically invisible have started to grow and stretch and turn red going further up and down my body.

I have started to take my old medication again in the hopes that I can lose the weight and keep it off. I'm thinking of just finishing off these 2 bottles and get to whatever weight it gets me to and then stopping.

Is what I'm doing bad?

NEED ADVICE

[~JD~]

This isn't bad. I have an an old army crate in my room full of near-full bottles of RX meds that I don't take anymore that I use for their side effects.

More related to you: I use my Zyprexa to increase my appetite and for its effects on my metabolism to help me gain weight.

[onionknight]

Do you have trouble losing weight when you are not taking this medicine? Maybe you should go to your gp to have your hormone levels checked and to see if theres anything that might be effecting your weight there. You might even ask for some tips on weight loss. Even if the med helps you lose, you'll need lifestyle changes to maintain. Make sure you monitor yourself for unwanted side effects and whatnot.

[findingmy_self95]

That's the thing. I can keep the weight off. But I never lose weight. So if I loose it I don;t gain it back. It was just my unhealthy eating habits during summer and christmas.

[Permanent Pajamas]

Brennan, be careful if you do use it without a doc's okay. In adults it can cause psychosis. I'm one of those statistics.

[Perna]

Taking a medicine for the side effects is not really a good idea, especially without working with a doctor. There are other possible side effects and you have no way of knowing if the weight loss or other help will happen again and/or the repeated losing/gaining back can change your body in ways not healthful for you. You say you cannot lose the weight but it does not sound like you have ever tried in a healthy manner to do so (if you automatically eat poorly when your boyfriend is around).

I do not know what your circumstances were when you originally saw a doctor and received the medicine but if an adult paid or you were in a special program; I'd contact the person helping you and see if they will continue helping you (by paying for doctor appointments, etc.).

If you primarily just want to lose weight, I would work on learning healthy ways to do that, how to eat and exercise effectively and give that a try rather than rely on pills that may/may not work or mess up your life worse. Just going to a better eating plan so you are only eating 1500 calories a day and getting a bit of activity will lose the weight again, a pill that suppresses appetite cannot be used forever or will make you very ill and in worse shape than you were in the first place and dependent on it instead of your own hard work.

[Travelinglady]

I agree. It is best not to play your own doctor. These meds are not things to play around with. Was the Concerta not helping for what it was prescribed for?

[findingmy_self95]

I took the medication for a year and according to her records I;m still taking them I just stopped myself. I had been doing so well our appointments were 3-4 months apart so I missed the last one because I was busy. I cant gain or lose weight. I gained it from poor eating habits but I havent changed from 220 in 6 months. I tend to stay the weight I am. I was 170lbs for 1 1/2 years and never changed.

[findingmy_self95]

Its was extremely helpful for my ADHD although I chose to stop it without my doctor knowing because school had ended and I used it for school only. My ADHD is managable as long as I'm not in school.

[jonathansmith]

Well, you need to be careful while taking any medication for weight loss. Research about the medicine regarding the ingredients as it does not contain any ingredient to which you are allergic.