Phentermine and Weighloss

vjohn04

I took it for a month or so to jump start weight-loss and form good exercise habits. What I found was that I enjoyed the energy to do 2x per day workouts and I had a ton of stamina.

I stopped taking it a couple months ago, as I wanted to continue my journey 100% on my own. I wasn't interested in using phentermine as a crutch or possibly becoming addicted.

No problems or issues here.... sleep was fine, no irregular heartbeat. I did get wicked dry mouth, but always had plenty of water...

For what it's worth....I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.

FlipFlopLaura

Yes, I highly recommend it! I lost 35 pounds in 8 months. Never made me jittery at all. No side effects like other diet pills. My doctor was so satisfied with my weight loss that he lowered my blood pressure medication! Now I am going to try this program as well. My only suggestion is to take it as soon as you wake up! Taking it to late in the morning will prevent you from going to sleep at a normal hour at night. But trust me....you will actually feel like doing things you haven't felt like doing in years! Good Luck!

taramaureen

It's really good to hear there's some success storys mixed in with the horror ones LOL

mambagirl

I took it before and it did help.I had TONS of energy to do things around the house.Actually,taking it made me think that I might need antidepressant meds because I felt more human while on it...Sometimes I was sad for no reason at all,but I never felt like that while on the Phen.

I did have HORRIBLE Cotton mouth and had water around at all times even in the middle of the night.

Some foods that I normally liked were gross to me like chocolate and rice.

I got full really fast when I did eat.

It did give me a racing heart once and I cut my dosage in half.

Overall,I think that its a good tool if you are in good health before taking it.If anyone gets it from a DR. that does Not make you have an EKG and Blood work done BEFORE prescribing the Med I would probably get another Dr. You don't want to have any underlying issues and then take this type of med.

coyoteo

It gave me all sorts of energy for the first two to three days....then nothing. I've tried it three separate times. Lifting heavy is my magic pill now.

Thatsdatdiva601

I lost about 50lbs taking them over the course of 3 months but after stop taking them, I became extremely hungry and could not control it. I actually gained back all plus an additional 10lbs. I've tried a 2nd time years later and same thing. I do better just eating healthy and working out. Let me knw how it works for u.

sassynurse78

I started using MFP in March of this year. I used it faithfully and had results of about 40 lbs. I recently started Adipex and it has really helped me! I think it can be done healthy and if done right you can use it without the negative, like changing your habits. I have changed my habits dramatically with the help of the medication. This Thurs will mark three months and 18 lbs. since I started it. Some might say it is unhealthy, it's speed, etc. I guess if you use it against what it should be used for it is just like anything else it can be dangerous and addictive. I mean even Tylenol can be dangerous if you use too much. I feel like instead of climbing an uphill battle I am finally on an even field. The main thing I noticed was how it changed my mood along with my appetite, I have more motivation to get up and do something, my house is amazingly clean, and I do not crave certain foods. I can eat just about anything and I no longer think about what I can't have. I watch my servings and it has changed my habits of piling a plate up with multiple servings and then being hungry later because I am out of calories for the day. Most doctors seem to only prescribe it for three months and usually at lower doses then you can even prescribe it. I often skip the pill now and realize only at bedtime that I have, but the cravings and changed habits stay. Just as I often don't need to log my foods some days because I have learned to eat better. I have enough to take two pills a day if I need them, I usually only take a half to one 100 mg tablet. I hope all the neg posts about it will not scare you, just follow the directions and be aware of what your body tells you. I have had no side effects, it did not even raise my pulse or blood pressure. Personally I believe the chance of side effects outweighs the positive impacts losing weight will have on your body. The meds is just like any other tool it will work if you do the work, but if you do the work without the meds, that works to. Personally they help me do the work a little bit easier, and any help is greatly appreciated when life throws so much at us.

SouthernSweetie74

It affects everyone differently. I love it and love how I feel on phentermine. I went to a weight loss clinic in April and was prescribed phentermine, but before my doc gave it to me, he did all kinds of blood work and an EKG. I go back once a month. I stopped going to the clinic for awhile because I got sick and had some issues in personal life that prevented me from going. I was able to maintain. Today, was the first day in four months that I have taken a phentermine pill, and I feel better today than I've felt in a long time. I have had more energy; I'm able to stay focused and organized and get things done. I actually feel like I can think clearer when I'm on it. It helps keep me focused instead of scatterbrained like I normally am.

My suggestions? Drink LOTS of water. Exercise. Make healthy choices and change your eating habits so that when you do go off of it, you will not gain back. And if you do start feeling the negative side effects, just stop taking it.

The downfalls for me? Dry mouth. And... it makes me really super horny. And I'm single... so, yes, it's a downfall... lol

Starbuck2020

I was working out a LOT and watching everything I ate, but I couldn't get my food intake under complete control. I would do perfectly for a week then fall into a binge. Then do fine for 2 weeks and over eat for a week. etc. I gained a lot of muscle and I ate really healthy, but the ups and downs in calories kept me from losing.

I kept track of everything and saw my doctor once a month for 4 months while trying it the "natural" way. She then suggested Phentermine. I have been on it for almost 70 days but I still have several days of my 30 day supply left. I started out taking half a pill every other day. Then not at all for a week or so. Then half a pill every few days etc. I have actually lost almost 25lbs, but my tracker doesn't include all the weight I gained when I started working out more.

When you take it so sparingly the side effects aren't noticable. I drink a lot of water anyway, but recommend lemon water if your mouth gets dry.

What has it done for me? My body is comfortable with being mildly hungry. What I mean by that is I was feeling so deprived when I started trying to lose weight that my body would almost panic if I got a little hungry. Thus over eating and binge eating. I use to feel like something was wrong if I wasn't stuffed. Now I am ok if it isn't meal time and my body knows that the small portion in front of me really will fill me up. No more panic. No more emotinal eating. I imagine I have "shrunk" my stomach and also trained my mind so as to be able to "eat to live" not "live to eat".

I am not done with my weight loss goals, but they actually feel possible now. I don't feel insane trying to lose weight only to stay the same or gain every week. I can actually eat healthy and workout and see progress and it is amazing.

Becky388

Reading these replies again and bringing up bad memories, yep, my blood pressure went up on it. Normally mine is on the low side, it was borderline high on the drug.

Shekinah2013

My doctor prescribed it 2-3 years ago and after 3 days of taking it, I had to stop because the chestbpain and palpitations were awful!

Car0lynnM

My advice would be to not start taking it. Get back on MFP regularly, and continue the healthy habits you know you have. If you could lose 33 pounds, you can continue it to your goal. You can can do it!! **without drugs**

betancourta229

I did this for the first 2 months and lost 27 lbs. It was a last resort as I had been trying to lose and been unable. My doctor gave it to me if I also joined a weight management program but it wouldn't start for 2 months from the time he gave it to me. I was so motivated by the 27 lbs loss that I was excited to do the class and relearn how to eat better. During the class, 3 months, I stopped the phentermine to prove that I could do it without taking It. In 3 months I lost 13 lbs. I was eating and exercising the same amount both on and off of phentermine for the two months prior and during the class. This may help give you an idea of how phentermine increased my weight loss. Although, the first few lbs were probably water weight. Apparently, I was doing pretty good with my calories and exercise (thanks to stuff on MFP). The class did help me stay focused with weekly weigh ins and changing the quality of food. It is going slow and steady but I will get there! I have re-enrolled in the class because now my husband is joining me on weight loss and I have him to help with my motivation.

It did give me dry mouth for a week when I started it but it went away. My blood pressure has always been low 108/58 average but while taking it i would be 122/75. My doctor was ok with this as long as i was not going higher and was not having symptoms. It works great for some but not others. It should not be used if you have an addictive personality. You should check your blood pressure weekly and watch for symptoms such as headache, dizziness and chest pain, palpitations or changes in mood or behavior and consult your doctor/emergency services immediately if you do experience these. As long as you relearn healthy eating and exercise skills it can be a great tool for some people. As with all diets if you stop using it it and have not learned the skills to maintain the loss it is possible to gain the weight back.

Good luck and feel free to add me if you are looking for friends!

Phaedra2014

get a new doctor

or...follow this one's instructions....not ours

I agree.

MaggieSporleder

I took it a few years back, I had ok results for about two months, (but no better than I've ever had just watching what I eat) then it caused a panic attack, and I quit taking it.

magazinegirl

i think results vary person by person and i really think there's a difference in the different manufacturers of it. years ago, i took it for about three months and lost about 30 something pounds. for the first week or so i got headaches but that finally went away and all i had to deal with was some dry mouth after about a month. i stopped taking it because my insurance at the time didn't pay for me to go back to the dr for the blood pressure checks and they wanted to charge me $150 a month just to check my bp.

then years later i tried it again. i couldn't take it at all withoiut feeling horrible all day with headaches and just wanting to sleep. i wasn't hungry but i couldn't function. the pills were light blue and someone on another board mentioned that the light blue pills did the same thing to them.

then i took it another time and the pills were white with little blue specks on them. no issues at all. no headaches or nothing. just lots of energy and feeling more motivated than usual.

so i think it varies depending on person and the pill manufacturer. even though they are all supposed to be created equal i really don't think they are.

taramaureen

Thank you so much for the encouragement ladies! I started it today, and so far so good. No ill side effects as of now. Although I did notice that I could go all day without eating 6pm rolled around and I hadn't had the urge to eat... at all. So I got some PadThai and took a few bites, felt a bit ill ater that. But other than that no issues.

2bmeagain12

Bumping this. I'm considering getting a script this week.

Windi38

I just started back up on it. I started taking it in March of 2011, when I explained to my doctor the trouble i was having losing weight. I was tracking calories, working out 4-5 times a week (biking long distance, hiking etc) and getting nowhere. She prescribed it and I lost 11 pounds the first month. Then another 25 pounds over the course of the next four months... I did not have the side effects people are talking about, I honestly thought it wasn't working before I went back to the doctor because I still get hungry, have no trouble sleeping, etc, etc......

After I stopped taking it, I maintained for about 4 months, but stopped working out, tracking calories etc, as well. Basically I quit everything...I did not gain all of it back, but about half. I honestly think if I had continued working out and eating well, I would not have gained it back. I quit because I was going through a separation and a move and career change, etc,etc. I just didn't care about my weight anymore.

When I moved here to TN, I went to a new doctor and asked him if I could start back up again. He wrote the prescription but told me to hold off on it until I had a meal and exercise plan to show him. He also did blood work. The next day he called and told me not to fill it because I had hypothyroidism. I KNEW there was an issue somewhere!

Anyway, I went on levothyroxine and started tracking calories and exercising again. My thryoid levels are good now, but I'm still having a hard time jump starting my metabolism. I kind of went off the bandwagon in December, but ready to get back at it again.

I've decided to take the phentermine as a way to help out. I'm going to be using a personal trainer 2x a week, tracking calories again, and I think the phentermine will help motivate me. My doctor said to take it 1 month on, one month off for six months. Last time I took it, I took it for 5 months straight. This time I'll do it the way the doctor prescribed.

I think if you do have side effects, you should definitely not continue it. Everyone reacts differently to meds, and this is no exception. If I get side effects this time around, I'll quit using it.

taramaureen

So, just a bit of an updated: It's not working for me. At all. I haven't lost a pound. I go back to the doc in 6 days to reconfigure a stratagie. It has curbed my appetite quite a bit and has helped in that area, I do have quite a bit more energy. I've been forcing myself to eat and preplanning meals so that they're available. But weight loss is nill. I did haveadhesion surgery at the beginning of December so I haven't been able to exercise at all (will be discussing that with the doc on the 10th as well, same doc... long story). I plan on starting up another training program for a second tough mudder, second half marathon and first full marathon when I get the all clear so hopefuly that will help. But if it doesn't I'm not going to continue to take it. I'm thinking I may just have to go on hormone replacement therapy (I have no ovaries). But I don't want to because the last time I tried it I had hot flashes like nothing else.