43-year-old man loses 44 lbs in 3 months on phentermine plus Topamax (topiramate)

By Larry Hobbs
Friday, June 13, 2008

Here is a short story of a 43-year-old man named Ray who lost 44 pounds in three months who is part of a trial involving phentermine plus Topamax (topiramate).

His Story

His story : 43-year-old man loses 44 lbs in 3 months

“I am in the current study [ of Qnexa which is a combination of phentermine and Topamax (topriamate) ] and have lost 44 pounds in 3 months.”

“It is a double-blind study so I may be in the placebo group. Kinda doubt it.” [Comment from Larry Hobbs : I doubt it too.]

Side Effects

No side effects

“I have had no side effects that I have noticed and feel pretty good.”

“My goal is to lose 100 lbs in one year. I think I can make it.”

Starting Weight

Starting weight 307 lbs

“I am a 43-years-old male and my starting weight was 307 lbs.”

Diet

Diet : 1800 calories per day

“My calorie intake is 1800 calories a day.”

Exercise

Riding a bike 5 miles per day, twice a week

“I started riding a bike 5 miles twice a week about 3 weeks into the study. I didn’t want to change everything at once.”

“it looks real promising. It gave me the jump start and motivation to continue.”

Liposuction surgery and health

Study from Mexico found benefit 3 weeks after surgery

A study from Mexico found that 3 weeks after surgery, patients who underwent liposuction had reduced blood sugar, cholesterol and insulin secretion, but did not change insulin levels and insulin sensitivity. (Robles-Cervantes et al, 2004).

They concluded that, “[I]n the short term, liposuction can modify important markers for the development of type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.”

Study from Washington University found no benefit 3 months after surgery

However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri found that liposuction provided no benefit to any risk factors for diabetes or heart disease.

They concluded, “Abdominal liposuction does not significantly improve obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities [associated with diabetes or coronary heart disease in women.]”

Subjects: 15 obese women, both diabetics and non-diabetics

The study involved 15 obese women, half of whom had diabetes, who had liposuction of the belly about 3 months earlier.

20 lbs of belly fat removed

They removed an average of 20-23 pounds of fat from their bellies which represented 18-19 percent of their total body fat.

Based on this, it appears that liposuction is probably not helpful.

REFERENCE #1

Robles-Cervantes JA, Yanez-Diaz S, Cardenas-Camarena L. Modification of insulin, glucose and cholesterol levels in nonobese women undergoing liposuction: is liposuction metabolically safe? Ann Plast Surg. 2004 Jan, 52(1):64-67.

Jalisco Reconstructive Surgery Institute, Guadalajara, Mexico.

REFERENCE #2

Klein S, Fontana L, Young V, Coggan AR, Kilo C, Patterson B, Mohammed B. Absence of an effect of liposuction on insulin action and risk factors for coronary heart disease. N Engl J Med. 2004 Jun 17, 350(25):2549-57.

Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.