Phentermine - Your Experience?

zenjenn

Please, no hating on this. I was prescribed this medication by my primary care doctor yesterday. I did not ask for it or even mention my weight issues. I have never taken a weight loss aid before, nor even was tempted to. But, my doctor went over my alarming cholesterol numbers, and said my weight loss right now is too slow and I need to get out of the obesity category. It was either try phentermine temporarily to see if getting some more rapid weight loss lowers the numbers, or go on cholesterol meds with the slow (and sometimes stagnant) weight loss. I had a lot of concerns but he really emphasized that I am a textbook candidate and the risks of remaining at my current weight are greater than any risk of the drug. He said he prescribes it all the time for clinically obese patients that have weight-related health issues, and the weight loss reduces or eliminates the health issues most of the time. A 12% weight reduction would remove me from the obese category, and that this is commonly achievable with the drug in 12 weeks (at my current rate, the same weight loss will take me almost a year.)

But, I have my reservations. Does anyone have experience with this drug? I am concerned about side effects and withdrawl once I go off. Also concerned about weight regain, but my current commitment to watching what I eat and exercising has at least kept a cap on gains even though I am not always losing. Obviously I will do calorie logging, and also avoid foods that affect triglycerides, not just relying on the drug. Your experiences appreciated. I am hoping that on myfitnesspal, there will be people here who used the drug responsibly as part of their lifestyle change, and not casual users of the drug.

bjmurray55

I did take this a year ago and the only side effect I seem to have was dry mouth. With Dr. supervision you will do fine. My family Dr prescribed mine but only for a period of 3 months, it gave me to boost. I think if I remember I lost a little over 30 pounds in the 3 months.

Good luck!!!

EnchantedEvening

I was on it for eight weeks when I was in my mid-twenties. It did help the weight loss, but it wasn't a miracle pill. I still had to eat responsibly and exercise (which you are doing).

I didn't get shaky or fidgety. I still slept okay. It didn't affect my heart rate at all. I never noticed any changes, to be honest, other than a slight increase in weight loss (3-4 pounds/week instead of 1-2).

Elderberry6

I loved it and used about 2 hours before working out. I felt positive and happy after the first 3 days of not sleeping at night. It made a great difference.
Please consider trying it or something else that you are comfortable with to get more rapid loss. Quick successive will build an energy of their own and you can feel more in control.

abigail416

I've been on phentermine since June 1st and I've lost 20 lbs. I have another 130 lbs to go though. I love it. The only side effect I have is dry mouth that is really annoying. I have had to kind of go through this month finding what worked for me. I went through not eating at all because it cuts your appetite so much. I then went through eating too much *If you binge one day..the next day taking it you will be hungry just like the day before so, be careful!* But, the past week or 9 days or so has been perfect. I've eaten between 1,200 & 1,400 calories and have been walking and I lost 7 lbs last week. I have to go in monthly for check ups and my doctor says I can only be on it for 5 months tops but, so far it's working out beautifully. Good Luck!

Sh1tsRainbows

It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

roachhaley

It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

That isnt necessarily true and I hate when people just spout that off.

It works be suppressing appetite. So as long as you continue eating at a deficit or maintenance afterwards, no, the weight wont "come right back"

ShellBell4281

I've taken Phentermine many times for years. It really works well for the first two months or so. I hate the side effects. Dry mouth, tweaky, trouble sleeping, and it makes me a total b*tch.

Other than that, it's great! I manage to lose about 10 - 20lbs easily.

zenjenn

Wow, thanks for all your responses. Abigail, 20 lbs since June first? Crazy. Saltatoria, I would be bowled over if I lost 3-4 lbs a week. I typically lose about 1/2 lb a week if I'm PERFECT about exercise and diet (just have a slow metabolism, I guess.)

I've read a lot of people just practically don't eat because their appetite is non-existent. I have only taken it for 2 days and I agree - the only time I was hungry was when I woke up in the morning, and just a bit. I'm a girl who has a HUGE appetite, doesn't matter if all the food is healthy, good food - I want to eat a ton of it. So the appetite loss will be welcome, but I figure the food logs are still important to make sure I continue to eat sufficiently, especially since I'd like to continue my exercise routine.

jcrowe1

It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

I agree.

ShellBell4281

It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

That isnt necessarily true and I hate when people just spout that off.

It works be suppressing appetite. So as long as you continue eating at a deficit or maintenance afterwards, no, the weight wont "come right back"

I agree. I have yet to regain the weight I've lost from Phentermine. If you eat a bunch of junk after you stop taking it, yes, of course you'll gain.

TChester_05

I took it and phentetrazine(??) for about 5 1/2 months together and lost about 35 lbs doing NOTHING else. Of course because I didnt change my lifestyle in anyway it came back gradually when I stopped.

Personally it was helpful and effective, it increased my energy although it occassionally made it hard to sleep. As long as your still working hard at changing you along with the pills I recommend it.

zenjenn

It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

This is my concern too, honestly, though my doctor insists that since I am already in the habit of being conscious of what I eat and exercising, as long as I continue those habits while taking the drug & after I go off, I will not regain. The drug will just remove the impulse to eat just a little more, which is what slows/stalls losses, and help get me out of the danger zone faster. (But, I still have worries - that my appetite will come back tenfold or something when I stop taking it!)

Leah_T

I took it for a while and did lose weight, but i was staying up till like 3am and having to get up at 8. Then at like 5:30 in the afternoon i would crash/pass out for about an hour because i wasn't sleeping at night. I wasn't hungry and would have to force myself to eat. It made me really thirsty and my skin got horrible. I got really bad pimples. My skin was dry and they looked almost like chicken pox they were so bad. It also makes your heart race. I did gain my weight back, but i was not educated on how to count calories and was not paying attention to what i ate, unlike now. If you think you want to give it a shot, that is your decision. I never want to be considered a "hater" but i would never take it ever again. I just wanted to share my experience. It was about 12 years ago when i took it, and i am not sure what dose i was taking. However there are other factors that can impact your cholesterol numbers. Do you have a family history? You might lose the weight and still have high cholesterol.

abigail416

I know I can't believe I lost that much either, I can't tell at all though haha but, I mean I'm a size 24 so, I don't expect to see changes quickly. I welcome 2 lbs a week and anything faster than that is just a bonus. I have skipped days where I didn't take it because I forgot or something and my appetite didn't change because I didn't let it. With that being said I can't imagine that it would just come right back if you quit taking the pills unless you obviously stopped counting calories and exercising. But, if you lose weight all natural and then quit counting and exercising it's gonna come right back soooo...I see absolutely no harm in having a little help.

I am THRILLED my doctor put me on this and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

StrongerJess

My family doctor prescribed it to me for a while. My skin broke out more often and got dry too. The other odd side effect for me was at first, I felt like I could conquer the world with all of my extra energy, and then the energy dropped off and I was taking naps ALL of the time.

abigail416

I also want to point out to some on that Phenphedrine or Phen Phen is NOT the same as Phentermine. Phentermine is the generic form of adipex. I was confused about this at first. I personally took phenphedrine for 1 month, lost 12 lbs (which I gained back). It made me get horrid pimples and my hair fell out. Also, it would make my chest hurt. I quit as soon as I linked all those to the pill and called and got my money back. Phentermine/Adipex is much different. And Phen Phen is now illegal so, I would think you guys wouldn't get those confused but, who knows haha c:

viva1825

The point of Phentermine is to decrease your appetite and ultimately your stomach will shrink enough so you aren't as hungry once you get off the pill. It is designed for quick short term results but long term lifestyle change(just like every other diet program). I took it briefly, about a month, and loved it. I am not considered obese, though, and would have liked to get the prescription for a longer amount of time, but didn't qualify. I have a close friend, though, who is taking it now, about 60 days in, and she has lost 30 lbs and counting. Of course, she is eating better, and less, and working out more.

I wouldn't be too concerned to take it, especially if you need to lose weight for health reasons. Good luck getting in great health!

zenjenn

Leah - thank you for honestly sharing your experiences. Both of my parents have high cholesterol and have been on cholesterol medication for decades. However, they are also both obese - and far more obese than I am. Dr. doesn't guarantee that weight loss will improve my numbers, but insists often it does. I have no way of knowing if my parents' cholesterol is related to their obesity or not. They have both been obese as long as they have had cholesterol issues. I really have fears about this medication, but I have fears about taking cholesterol meds for years and decades, too.

AJ_Pete

I was once on it.... it gives you that extra boost to sustain you until you can live the lifestyle change on your own.... if you're ready for a change, take it.... and go for it.

Best of luck!!!

Leah_T

Sounds like you are well informed and are looking at your situation clearly. Good luck to you and congrats on everything you have lost so far.