Has anyone ever taken phentermine?
ashley92188
Posts: 49 Member
My dr prescribed me phentermine 37.5mg for 3 months. All the reviews I've read r good. Has anyone on here taken it?
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Replies
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Drugs are not The Answer.
There are no Magic Silver Bullets. You have to do the work.0 -
Yes, I did. Never ever again!
I didn't sleep. I was moody and depressed. I cried for no reason and had zero patience!!!0 -
And what happens when you stop taking them and your appetite goes back to "normal" ?0
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SergeantSausage wrote: »Drugs are not The Answer.
There are no Magic Silver Bullets. You have to do the work.
I kno that. I am doing the work.
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christinev297 wrote: »Yes, I did. Never ever again!
I didn't sleep. I was moody and depressed. I cried for no reason and had zero patience!!!
The only side effect I have is dry mouth.0 -
I tried it once, couldn't take it as prescribed. It caused very dry mouth which made me drink a LOT, I guess that's good, but didn't feel good.
It kept me up. And by that I mean is that one night I went to sleep, and I SWEAR, my brain never stopped thinking. My body was asleep, but my brain was awake, and when I woke up I could remember every single thing I thought about during those 8-9 hours. Like I was sleeping, and I knew it, but my brain was separated and was having a conversation with myself. This was a pretty weird experience.
It can also cause severe heart palpitations, shortness of breath and you could have a bad reaction, you might have a heart condition you don't even know about.
Not worth it. I didn't lose any weight because I didn't take it as needed and not nearly long enough (a few here and there)0 -
christinev297 wrote: »And what happens when you stop taking them and your appetite goes back to "normal" ?
That's where self control comes into play. I think the pill is like a helper to get u on the right track as far as eating habits goes.0 -
If you do take it, you won't eat because you won't be hungry (because of those pills), not because of your self control. If you find it hard now to control your appetite / what you eat, what makes you think it will be easier when you get off of it? You might think it will be easier because your body will get used to eating less, but in my opinion, appetite and eating and all this is a matter of your mind, not your body.0
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Marianna93637 wrote: »I tried it once, couldn't take it as prescribed. It caused very dry mouth which made me drink a LOT, I guess that's good, but didn't feel good.
It kept me up. And by that I mean is that one night I went to sleep, and I SWEAR, my brain never stopped thinking. My body was asleep, but my brain was awake, and when I woke up I could remember every single thing I thought about during those 8-9 hours. Like I was sleeping, and I knew it, but my brain was separated and was having a conversation with myself. This was a pretty weird experience.
It can also cause severe heart palpitations, shortness of breath and you could have a bad reaction, you might have a heart condition you don't even know about.
Not worth it. I didn't lose any weight because I didn't take it as needed and not nearly long enough (a few here and there)
Yea everyone's body reacts differently. So far I'm ok. I go to sleep like a baby every night lol. The dry mouth is annoying but helps me get my gallon down easier.0 -
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I took it and was very pleased. My doctors plan was 3 months on it then 3 months off and hopefully I wouldn't need it again. I lost 30 lbs the first 2 months. In the third month I just didn't feel like taking it every day and weaned off it. I lost 40 lbs by the 4th month and my husband and I started trying to get pregnant.
Our baby is now 5 mo old and I'm going back on the diet but I wouldn't be able to take the meds again even if I wanted to because I'm nursing her.
it made a huge difference for me and was a great tool to help me adjust to a more reasonable diet for me. I had no negative side effects. If you have a good doctor they will help you make sure it's right for you.
If I hadn't seen my doctor I don't know what I would have done but I was at the end of my rope and done failing. The phentermine helped me succeed, and now I know I can lose the baby weight, and more, even without the medicine, because I was able to retrain my brain to want less food.0 -
I took it and was very pleased. My doctors plan was 3 months on it then 3 months off and hopefully I wouldn't need it again. I lost 30 lbs the first 2 months. In the third month I just didn't feel like taking it every day and weaned off it. I lost 40 lbs by the 4th month and my husband and I started trying to get pregnant.
Our baby is now 5 mo old and I'm going back on the diet but I wouldn't be able to take the meds again even if I wanted to because I'm nursing her.
it made a huge difference for me and was a great tool to help me adjust to a more reasonable diet for me. I had no negative side effects. If you have a good doctor they will help you make sure it's right for you.
If I hadn't seen my doctor I don't know what I would have done but I was at the end of my rope and done failing. The phentermine helped me succeed, and now I know I can lose the baby weight, and more, even without the medicine, because I was able to retrain my brain to want less food.
Same here 3 on 3 off. And that's how I'm looking at it to help me adjust. And get on the right track. Congrats on ur success and ur baby!
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Did your doctor give you diet advice too? Mine had a very detailed plan, it wasn't just the drug
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Did your doctor give you diet advice too? Mine had a very detailed plan, it wasn't just the drug
Yes she did and I pretty much kno the basics but for whatever reason I just wasn't losing any weight just constantly gaining. She wants me to get a lot of blood work done and I'm also stopping my birth control to see if maybe that is a factor in my gaining weight. So I'm hoping for good results with everything as far as the pills, the results of my blood work, and stopping my birth control.0 -
I was on a max dose for 2 months (40mg daily), with a 3rd month progressively dropping my dose. There were pro's and cons to taking it, but I think my wish to lose my weight without medication will stop me from using it again. Besides, it's damn expensive.
Pros:
- Energy energy energy. You have no problem being on the go all day. ALL. DAY.
- You don't feel hungry
Cons:
-Dry mouth. I got used to it and just drank lots of water, but I'm sure for others it wasn't the case
- Sleeplessness. My day starts at 5:30am, but my alarm goes off at 5. I'd take the tablet then, and it would start to work by the time I was out of the shower. Any later than that though, and I would have trouble sleeping. What I did find eventually was that if I actively used up all the extra energy it was giving me during the day, I found it easier to sleep at night.
- Doesn't solve the problem if you are an emotional or boredom eater (not that it should anyway). So if you are, you'd eat the same amount, you'd be losing weight because of the extra energy you have, but it certainly doesn't teach self control.
It's all to personal opinion, but I think if a person is going to use it, it's best to try it once you're already starting to lose weight on whatever eating plan you're following, so that it gives a boost to the good habits you're forming, rather than giving a boost to the bad ones.0 -
mangrothian wrote: »I was on a max dose for 2 months (40mg daily), with a 3rd month progressively dropping my dose. There were pro's and cons to taking it, but I think my wish to lose my weight without medication will stop me from using it again. Besides, it's damn expensive.
Pros:
- Energy energy energy. You have no problem being on the go all day. ALL. DAY.
- You don't feel hungry
Cons:
-Dry mouth. I got used to it and just drank lots of water, but I'm sure for others it wasn't the case
- Sleeplessness. My day starts at 5:30am, but my alarm goes off at 5. I'd take the tablet then, and it would start to work by the time I was out of the shower. Any later than that though, and I would have trouble sleeping. What I did find eventually was that if I actively used up all the extra energy it was giving me during the day, I found it easier to sleep at night.
- Doesn't solve the problem if you are an emotional or boredom eater (not that it should anyway). So if you are, you'd eat the same amount, you'd be losing weight because of the extra energy you have, but it certainly doesn't teach self control.
It's all to personal opinion, but I think if a person is going to use it, it's best to try it once you're already starting to lose weight on whatever eating plan you're following, so that it gives a boost to the good habits you're forming, rather than giving a boost to the bad ones.
Ok yea I can respect ur opinion. Thanks for not being rude or judgmental lol.0 -
christinev297 wrote: »Yes, I did. Never ever again!
I didn't sleep. I was moody and depressed. I cried for no reason and had zero patience!!!
This doesn't seems to have any difference from illegal drugs. This is just a matter of FDA approval and a guy in a white coat to make this legal
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SergeantSausage wrote: »
It is a different medication/combo. Is your point that it got approval and then found to be dangerous? That is why it was pulled but yes it was a shame that people did get harmed0 -
My point is (paraphrased) : " FDA approval ain't all that" and anyone taking unnecessary drugs is taking an unnecessary risk, regardless of white lab coats and government agencies' magical "approval".
You don't need drugs, folks.
Old Nancy had it right way back in the 1980s: "Just say 'no', kiddies "0 -
Legal speed. Never again.0
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christinev297 wrote: »Yes, I did. Never ever again!
I didn't sleep. I was moody and depressed. I cried for no reason and had zero patience!!!
This doesn't seems to have any difference from illegal drugs. This is just a matter of FDA approval and a guy in a white coat to make this legal
There are plenty of other legal drugs that have a lot of negative side effects. That doesn't mean they have no use.
Personally, I think it's kind of rude for people who haven't used it, or maybe even have and didn't like it, to call it a "magic pill" or "silver bullet". Taking this medication is NOT an "easy way out". It's not a cure all. And my doctor never presented it that way, or let me think it was.
You know what the easy way was? Just staying fat. Giving up, not trying anything anymore, that would have been easy. Forcing myself to get on the phone, call my doctor (whom I greatly admire and trust, despite my general distrust of doctors - I don't like doctors, I don't trust the FDA, I don't think most doctors are good at their jobs - but I found one who IS good), so I get on the phone and call someone who I admire and have to admit that there is something I can't do without help? You think that's EASY? To admit that you have failed over and over again and just don't know what to do? Especially to someone who is clearly in good shape?
Yes, calories in / calories out - the equation is simple. The premise is obvious. But execution is not always so easy. I know the theory of how a rocket works, but I'm not going to build one on my own.
For a person to ask a doctor for help is not always easy. Taking a pill for a while to help you succeed at your goals is not cheating. I hope you people aren't telling people whose doctors prescribed them blood pressure medication that it's a magic pill. What about insulin for diabetics? Just because YOU can control your blood pressure without medication, everyone else should? Are my glasses a magic cure-all? Maybe I should just try to see harder.
If a doctor prescribed it, no one on the internet should be telling someone NOT to take their medication. The OP asked to hear from people who have taken it, not people who think the drug shouldn't even be allowed or that it's lazy to take it, which is what can easily be inferred from some of these posts. If someone asks for medical advice when they haven't seen a doctor, the response is to see a doctor. If someone says "My doctor prescribed me this", it's reasonable to share your concerns but just being negative about the drug because you don't LIKE the idea of it, that's irresponsible. Share your negative experience taking it, that's what OP asked for. Talking crap about it when you've never tried it is not.0 -
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Sounds like amphetamine ( speed, whizz etc ) to me, which is illegal in the UK, but the side effects and weight loss sound just the same....ermmm a friend told me about it lol!
No judgements going on from me, and i cant comment as havent heard of the drug you are taking, just alarmed by its name and side effects being the same, but hey if it works for you and you are fine on it, good luck hun x0 -
What is the plan after you lose the weight? Do you stop taking the pills? What happens with your appetite?
I can't speak for how anyone else is prescribed it, but my doctor's prescribed plan was a very low calorie vegan diet, which was very similar to the diet Dr. John McDougall outlines in "The Starch Solution" (you can google this and get a lot of info, but it's basically tons of starch [potatoes, rice, beans, etc], fresh veggies, and low low fat [including "healthy" fats])
This was very appealing to me as I had tried before to be vegetarian but had a hard time finding foods I *thought* were healthy enough. Once I stopped trying to use substitutes like veggie burgers and soy milk, and just switched to the recipes that fit the starch based diet, I was so happy.
So anyway his plan was to take it for 3 months and by then I would be used to eating so much fewer calories every day that I would be able to handle it once I stopped taking the pills. And I was for two months - but when I got pregnant I used it as an excuse to eat things I knew weren't healthy for me, and eat too much, and I did gain more weight than I needed to with this pregnancy. With my first baby (who is now 3), all of my baby weight was gone by 6 weeks, and with this baby (who is now 5.5 mo) I still have half of it to lose.
When I stopped taking the pills after 2-3 months my appetite did not really increase, and I think it's because I had a diet that really worked for me. The starchy foods really fill me up and are enjoyable. I think if you took the pills and just ate a very low calorie diet (because you're not hungry) of things that aren't filling or very nutritious, when you stopped the pills you would have trouble.
I can remember for years before I saw my doctor, I would often have days where I would almost binge eat at dinner and have a few hours of feeling very uncomfortably full, and regretting it. Since taking the medication, that has never happened again. I finally feel like I have control over my eating, and I'm pretty sure it's because I had a few months of having TOTAL control over it, not feeling like I was constantly hungry even after eating thousands of calories. Even when I wasn't specifically trying to diet, I never overate like that anymore, I think it let my stomach and my brain readjust to know when to stop better.
That's just my personal experience. I know people who had lapband done and they continued to overeat later and it stretched back out and they had it done again - nothing is a perfect solution that will work for everyone. My diet wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for me And I don't think I would have been able to even start if the doctor hadn't helped me. (I also have referred a few friends there, and one has lost like 65 lbs so far and it's been at least a year he's been doing it.)
Oh, also, my doctor wanted me to wait on adding exercise until I had lost some weight and had adjusted to the diet. He also checked my heart before and during the time I was on the meds, and made sure I wasn't having any bad side effects. I have had dry mouth my entire life, so I already constantly have a beverage, so I didn't notice any change with the meds. I guess that suddenly happening would be annoying but I'm just used to the fact that I will ALWAYS be thirsty because it's been that way my whole life. It's easy for me to get my daily water
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Please use the search function; this has been addressed many times before.
Yes, I've used phentermine. It was a godsend. Suddenly I was _not_ hungry, where before I was ravenous pretty much all the time.
I knew it was a short-term aid, expected it to reset my hunger mechanism, and that's exactly what happened: I used it for a few months, got my hunger under control, got used to eating normal-sized portions, and the weight has kept coming off.
The only side effect I had was that my blood pressure was very slightly elevated. Still within acceptable limits.
No excessive energy, jitters, constipation, heart palpitations, trouble sleeping... nothing bad at all.
I just stopped being hungry (while I was taking it). Now that I'm not using it I get hungry if I haven't eaten for 6 hours or so, which my doctor tells me is normal. I don't know; I've never experienced that before.
I did a blog post about prescription weight loss drugs. It has links to more detailed / technical info on most of the medicines.
For the guy who said it's "legal speed", yes, it's related to amphetamines, but as I say in my blog post, "these are the refined, controlled, upper-class distant relatives who wear tuxedos to dinner."
For those who think it's a "magic bullet" or "the easy way out", and people should just use more willpower... if someone were in pain would you tell them they just needed to use willpower to overcome the pain?
Or would you say it's OK for them to take a tylenol, or a shot of morphine (depending on how much pain they're in)?
Hunger is a kind of pain. If someone can't get it under control, there's nothing wrong with using ALL the resources available to help.
Controlling appetite allows a person to control calories in, which is the only way to lose weight. (Short of liposuction.)
And when someone is not overly hungry, they can learn to eat normal-sized portions, learn about healthy eating.
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It's only approved for people who are obese (by BMI standards), or overweight and have other health problems.MrM27 wrote:What is the plan after you lose the weight? Do you stop taking the pills? What happens with your appetite?
It's approved for short-term use (generally 2-3 months).
So it can't be used all the way down to where someone is a healthy weight, and no reputable doctor will prescribe it for someone who's only a little bit overweight.
It was my experience that phentermine reset my hunger to a normal level, so even now that I'm not taking it I'm not ravenous.
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I am on it, and it works as long as you stick to a diet with it.
Yes it is not a magic pill that will fix all, but try it is you think it will help.
You will get a lot of haters on this site for people taking prescription weight loss pills.
They will try to down any one on it.
I will agree there are side effects. Sleeplessness and the need to drink a lot are what I had experienced. My sleeplessness only lasted for 4-6 weeks. (Some people will call it prescription speed because of this)
Yes if you take it to long it can leave long lasting bad effects. this is why a doctor should never prescribe this any longer than 5-6 months
Some people will tell you that you will gain all your weight back once you stop the pills. Not true, well as long as you understand that once off the pills you still need to continue your new way of eating. Of course once you stop the pills if you go back to your old way of eating you will gain it back. That is true of any diet.
Me I see the pill as a better alternative for me. I would rather take a pill that decreases my hunger than get lapband or have my stomach mostly cut out.
While on this pill I am eating less and getting use to it. I also know when I stop I won't go back to my old ways. I know this because over the holidays while traveling I stopped taking my pill. I went to subway, got a 6" sub. I could only eat 1/2 of it. My body learned and my stomach could no longer eat a full meal. So two weeks with out it and I was doing good.
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It's only approved for people who are obese (by BMI standards), or overweight and have other health problems.MrM27 wrote:What is the plan after you lose the weight? Do you stop taking the pills? What happens with your appetite?
It's approved for short-term use (generally 2-3 months).
So it can't be used all the way down to where someone is a healthy weight, and no reputable doctor will prescribe it for someone who's only a little bit overweight.
It was my experience that phentermine reset my hunger to a normal level, so even now that I'm not taking it I'm not ravenous.
I was on it for over a year. I went to a shady 'weight loss clinic' and I was still on it at a 140 lb goal. At that point I needed it for energy to get through my day.0
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