thoughts on phentermine

kaci80mfp

Does anyone have any thoughts on phentermine? My doctor suggested it to jump start my weight loss and I was curious what others thought.

Thanks :-)

LyndaBSS

Welcome to the community!

If you haven't already, read the stickies at the top of the getting started forum. Very informative and helpful.

I personally think phentermine is a dangerous substance. It's side effects far outweigh any positives. I would seek a second opinion.

All you need for weight loss is to stay in a calorie deficit.

Good luck with your journey!

MidModJenn

I did fen-phen a long time ago when it was the hot new way to lose weight. It worked great at curbing my appetite, and then the moment I went off of it I ate everything in sight. I would never ever take phentermine again, it's not worth it for sustained weight loss.

Samantharavenclaw84

My doc also suggested it as a short term tool under the supervision of the weight loss clinic. IIRC it was to be one "round" as a jumpstart. I declined. My sister has been on it twice over the last year. She lost a great amount of weight fairly quickly and gained it all back plus some. The medicine also aggergaveted her depression and anxiety.

For myself I needed to fix my thinking of food and exercise and a pill wasn't going to do that.

platnummommy

It made my heart beat fast. It also changed my mood. So I stop taking it.

Emmapatterson1729

Both sisters and one of their neighbors tried it. It worked great for them, they dropped weight. All got off of it when all were very thin.

And all gained back weight at an alarming rate. And all ended up with much more weight than they originally started at.

When they started dropping their weight, they were pushing it on me. I tried it for less than a month with some prescription fat burner. The fat burner messed with my hormones, caused an increase in testosterone.... No thanks, I quit both prescriptions within the first month.

Got on MFP, put a practical calorie goal in, made some small food changes. After dropping a few, I started light cardio and light core strengthening. Lost almost 100 and kept it off.

Good luck losing, and deciding. I always suggest thinking about what's best for the long term.

lalalacroix

Took it 3 different periods of my life. I lost weight quickly cause I had no appetite. I started having fainting spells. And regained the weight each time because I didn't learn proper eating habits.

Personally I would never take that drug again.

MARILYNENA

I lost a lot of weight on them, but unfortunately, my doc will not prescribe it anymore, and I gained all plus some more wt back. But while I was taking it I had no hunger...and felt energetic to do all my exercise!

starskita

I have just started taking this and was only prescribed 15mg. So far I've only had dry mouth which makes me drink alot of water. It does surpress my appetite, so I have to remember to eat as not feeling hungry.
I have heard that alot of people (not all) have put all their weight back on, but I guess if u keep to ur calories an programme hopefully it will work when off the drug. Some people will just eat and eat. Its almost like when u have the gastric bi-pass surgery. Some people don't stick to diet and regain it all. Hope that helps you.

cheryldumais

I took it many years ago and like most of the folks here said I gained everything back. I finally came here and lost about 100 lbs without any drugs. The trouble with things like phentermine is that they are temporary and you don't learn anything. I wouldn't bother with it.

NovusDies

Like many others I took it a long time ago did not learn anything and gained everything back.

I wasn't ready to manage my weight. I just wanted to lose weight. The pill did all the work and I was happy to let it. I can't blame the pill which might have worked if I had the right mindset but I did not.

I don't need it to lose weight. I am not sure who does but I don't judge what others do. I would encourage anyone taking it or thinking of taking it to have a plan and a goal that extends well beyond weight loss.

jguldi11

Phentermine is a stimulant in the amphetamine class like Adderal, Ritalin, Concerta, Vyvanse, etc. which are related to methamphetamine. While stimulants do result in loss of appetite and increased energy, there is a risk of developing psychological dependence, along with some undesirable side effects. I'm a substance abuse counselor and see phentermine and/or other stimulant abuse fairly frequently. I was prescribed phentermine about 15 years ago and found it decreased my appetite to the point of me forgetting to eat and having hypoglycemia, and increased my anxiety. If I knew then what I know now, I never would have tried it. It is a personal choice, and you will likely see some weightloss results; however, it is not going to teach you the lifestyle changes needed for sustained weightloss. I highly recommend being very cautious if trying this medication, and stopping if you notice a craving for it or desire to take more than prescribed. There are alternative medications (I.e. Contrave) which is not a stimulant and may be a safer alternative if you feel a medication is necessary.

nighthawk584

You should find a new Dr. Any Dr that prescribes this for weight loss is a quack.