Meridia Substitute

I weigh over 300lbs and have been using Meridia for the past 3 months.  During that time, I lost 13lbs.  However, my Insurance company refused to renew my prescription because I failed to lose 5% of my body weight.  I understand that a person using Meridia is unable to use medications for depression as I asuume the medication works on a similar mechanism in the brain.  Is there another drug, similar to Meridia, prescribed for depression that might target the same area in the brain?  Could I substitue that drug for the Meridia?  I was formerly taking Paxil before I started the Meridia.   I ceased taking the Paxil when I started the Meridia.    My Insurance does not require pre-approval for medication for depression.  However, it does require special approval for weight loss medication.   Thank you very much for you opinion and valuable advice.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

The basic answer is no..no other ssri's are weight reducing. But some reports suggest that the combination of something like Zoloft or Prozac or Celexa with a low dose of Topomax (topamax)(mood stabilizing drug that does curb appetite)might work. You can suggest this to your psychiatrist.

[spook]

What you are after is a Drug that has Anorexic properties and is also an Approved Antidepressant.
I would push my Dr for RITALIN.(tell Dr you are thinking of Suicide-DAILY).
And make sure you do LOTS of exercise(see conservation of energy law-Physics).

[broggie]

Ritalin...screws up your heart good and proper..Not a good idea at all.

Ray

[JanetFL]

I weighed 268, when I switched from Prozac to Wellbutrin (150mg. twice daily).  I lost 70 lbs. over the course of a year.  Prozac made me larthargic and apathetic.  Wellbutrin didn't cut my energy at all.  I started taking the Wellbutrin at the same time I had decided to "turn off a new leaf" and start eating healthy and walking regularly.  So, perhaps the Wellbutrin doesn't deserve all the credit, but I feel it really helped.  I could never get motivated for anything on the Prozac.  In the last six months I have lost about 8 more lbs. and I'm not working at it as hard as I used to.  I won't say Wellbutrin curbed my appetite, but I believe it made me more mentally capable of sticking with my diet, having a positive outlook, etc.  I strongly feel it helped with my compulsions (smoking, overeating).  Good luck!

[mrkite543]

this is avery hard subject matter but I would have to say that if you are that depressed you should try and go for the medicine and quit being so miserable its not good for your health