Phentermine - the good, bad and the ugly
sillybee74
Posts: 5 Member
There is so much out there about phentermine, but I feel obligated to share my experience out of concern for others. First let me say that the pill is not magic. I made good food choices, that is why I had success and continue to have success. The medicine did give me the "kick start" everyone speaks of, but I still made daily healthy food choices. Most importantly are the side effects of this medication. It's different for everyone, I get that. But it became very dangerous for me, I became suicidal at the 3 month point. The doctor prescribing it wasn't concerned enough to tell me to stop taking it, just reduce the milligrams. It took me realizing that I wasn't in a safe place and that I needed to stop the phen. I am thrilled that I lost 35 lbs in 3 months. But was it worth it to be suicidal for a week or two? Absolutly not. All I did was eat a restricted calorie-healthy diet, *that* is why I lost weight, not the "magic pills". I could've done this on my own without endangering my well being, if I had the confidence in myself to believe I could do it. Thanks to MFP, the support the website offers, I am still losing weight. If you are considering taking phentermine, just be aware and be careful and know that it is within yourself to lose weight, without the medication.
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what kind of diet did you do?0
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IMO it should be taken off the market. I tried it YEARS ago and had very horrible side effects. I was only on it for a month and stopped cold turkey.
I had fantasies of killing people and had to try hard not to act on those desires. When I told my doc, he took me off them right away and reported it to Health Canada.4 -
I was taken off of them by my doctor's orders....After being on them for 1 week, I lost 10 lbs., which I was excited about, of course, BUT read on....I called my doctor's office because I was trying to vomit, so sick I would just lay around. My left arm was aching, and deep down in the pit of my heart, I was hurting. It was a real, physical pain that I could definitely tell was in my heart. They told me to come in the office right then. I drove myself there with the aid of a wet washcloth, and the window rolled down to help ward off the queasiness.
He ordered an EKG test right away. He explained that it was like I was starving myself while running on a treadmill. It was messing with my heart. I forget the actual term for my diagnosis. But, to put it plainly, the medicine was too dangerous for me. The side effect of using it had negative effects on my heart. He wouldn't even allow me to use the half dose. He did not recommend it at all for me anymore. He told me my body needs protein to keep going.....
When I first visited him for weight loss he told me, "If you eat less, and move more you will lose weight....." Good luck!:happy:
I also will add that my brother-in-law used Phentermine, also, and although he lost weight while using the medicine, there was a time when he did black out. Since he has stopped using the medicine, he has gained weight again. I also have a friend who used Phentermine, and she also blacked out.....
Hope this helps...1 -
My sister took Phentermine a few times. First time she was fine, never slept, but that was the only side effect and she lost about 60 lbs. She gained it all back and then some after discontinuing the pills because of pregnancy. She went back on it a second time after baby and it hit her like a ton of bricks. Suicidal thoughts, racing heart that wouldn't calm, dizziness, all kinds of nasty side effects. She finally stopped taking them the second time because one day at work she literally passed out. Luckily for her she works on a hospital so she had immediate help but she quit taking them then and there.
I understand wanting to lose weight but sacrificing your mental and physical health to do so seems counter intuitive in my opinion. I'm glad you are not taking them and as another poster said they should be banned. Personal responsibility and hard work are key! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:3 -
i also had terrible side effects. i only lost 10 lbs to begin with and never lost another pound in about 5 months. but more importantly, i felt speedy for the first few weeks then after that, i could literally lay down and take a nap after i took it. the worst was the paranoia- i was psychotically paranoid the entire time i took it. i thought i was going crazy. when i went off the phentermine, it went away like magic. i wouldn't take it again if someone paid me.3
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My sister took Phentermine a few times. First time she was fine, never slept, but that was the only side effect and she lost about 60 lbs. She gained it all back and then some after discontinuing the pills because of pregnancy. She went back on it a second time after baby and it hit her like a ton of bricks. Suicidal thoughts, racing heart that wouldn't calm, dizziness, all kinds of nasty side effects. She finally stopped taking them the second time because one day at work she literally passed out. Luckily for her she works on a hospital so she had immediate help but she quit taking them then and there.
I understand wanting to lose weight but sacrificing your mental and physical health to do so seems counter intuitive in my opinion. I'm glad you are not taking them and as another poster said they should be banned. Personal responsibility and hard work are key! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
sorry off topic for a moment but is that the Incline that you're on in your photo?
Okay back on topic, i took phentermine once and lost about 25lbs and i believe the only reason i put it back on is because i started eating like crap again. But then i took it again for a few days and literally felt like i was dying, my husband had to call 911 cos it felt like i was having a heart attack at 24 years old. it made me sweat, it made me angry, it made my heart race. This stuff really needs to be taken off the market.
There is no substitution for eating well and exercising!1 -
I took it for a week and had a panic attack from it, stopped taking it that day. I won't take any diet pills again. They made me feel jittery and sick.
I do have to say that the weight loss is not the same as you'd experience without them, it enhances it aside from your diet. I think it does more than just decrease your appetite because I lost more weight that one week than I ever had any other weeks.
My mom was able to take them without any negative side effects, but the weight that she lost never stayed off for long. And now they don't even work on her anymore.
Healthy diet and exercise is definitely the way to go in my opinion!1 -
I took it for about 2 weeks, but the ENTIRE time I had migraines. I just felt absolutely sick while taking them. And also, I was STILL hungry! I thought that would be the "answer" to all my problems, but nope...never taking those again! Now I'm back to MFP & hey..it works.
I knew this before though, but I guess I was just trying to find the "easy" way out. 1 -
that's exactly what happened to me, and it happened at work. I called my mom immediately and she works in a hospital, she told me it sounded like I was having a panic attack and that helped me calm down knowing that I wasn't actually have a heart attack or something! My heart was beating so hard and fast, I felt like I couldn't even breathe. Not worth it!!My sister took Phentermine a few times. First time she was fine, never slept, but that was the only side effect and she lost about 60 lbs. She gained it all back and then some after discontinuing the pills because of pregnancy. She went back on it a second time after baby and it hit her like a ton of bricks. Suicidal thoughts, racing heart that wouldn't calm, dizziness, all kinds of nasty side effects. She finally stopped taking them the second time because one day at work she literally passed out. Luckily for her she works on a hospital so she had immediate help but she quit taking them then and there.
I understand wanting to lose weight but sacrificing your mental and physical health to do so seems counter intuitive in my opinion. I'm glad you are not taking them and as another poster said they should be banned. Personal responsibility and hard work are key! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
sorry off topic for a moment but is that the Incline that you're on in your photo?
Okay back on topic, i took phentermine once and lost about 25lbs and i believe the only reason i put it back on is because i started eating like crap again. But then i took it again for a few days and literally felt like i was dying, my husband had to call 911 cos it felt like i was having a heart attack at 24 years old. it made me sweat, it made me angry, it made my heart race. This stuff really needs to be taken off the market.
There is no substitution for eating well and exercising!1 -
So, what was the "good" again?6
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IMO it should be taken off the market. I tried it YEARS ago and had very horrible side effects. I was only on it for a month and stopped cold turkey.
I had fantasies of killing people and had to try hard not to act on those desires. When I told my doc, he took me off them right away and reported it to Health Canada.
Wowzers. I'd normally insert a joke about already wanting to kill my coworkers at times, but that's just crazy. Be careful, people!2 -
Me, my sister, and a close friend of mine have all taken phentermine.Bad side effects just like everyone else. I think what people don't realize is that this stuff is speed. It's bad for you. Can't remember which member mentioned this but it is spot on: Eat less, move more. Good luck!1
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My sister took Phentermine a few times. First time she was fine, never slept, but that was the only side effect and she lost about 60 lbs. She gained it all back and then some after discontinuing the pills because of pregnancy. She went back on it a second time after baby and it hit her like a ton of bricks. Suicidal thoughts, racing heart that wouldn't calm, dizziness, all kinds of nasty side effects. She finally stopped taking them the second time because one day at work she literally passed out. Luckily for her she works on a hospital so she had immediate help but she quit taking them then and there.
I understand wanting to lose weight but sacrificing your mental and physical health to do so seems counter intuitive in my opinion. I'm glad you are not taking them and as another poster said they should be banned. Personal responsibility and hard work are key! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
sorry off topic for a moment but is that the Incline that you're on in your photo?
Okay back on topic, i took phentermine once and lost about 25lbs and i believe the only reason i put it back on is because i started eating like crap again. But then i took it again for a few days and literally felt like i was dying, my husband had to call 911 cos it felt like i was having a heart attack at 24 years old. it made me sweat, it made me angry, it made my heart race. This stuff really needs to be taken off the market.
There is no substitution for eating well and exercising!
Yes maam! Did the incline back in Sept. It was awesome!0 -
I just wanted to share my own experience in case it helps anyone.
First of all, I don't believe phentermine is a miracle pill. You don't have to read many posts on here to figure that out. I agree that it should only be used for short periods, as a tool to start your weight loss. Taking this medication isn't an excuse to make poor choices.
For those suffering from headaches...
This is my second time taking phentermine. I am from the east coast and I had been going to a weight loss clinic back home. I finally got a script when I moved to the west coast. Much cheaper! Anyway, the clinic's pills (30 mg) were blue & white capsules whereas the pharmacy's pills (37.5 mg) I take now are white tablets with blue specks. The clinic's capsules gave me really bad headaches for the entire time I took them. The stronger tablets that I'm taking now don't do that to me. You may want to ask your doctor to switch you or ask your pharmacy about switching manufacturers if you're having headaches like I was. The pharmacy can usually order a different manufacturer at a patient's request if it's available at their warehouse.
The 30 mg capsules also made my hands and feet tingle. They never went numb, but I frequently had the "pins and needles" feeling. The 37.5 mg tablets are making me sweat like crazy. It's the only side effect I've experienced from the tablets so far. I eat clean and drink about a gallon of water a day, so I know it's got to be the medication since I've never had that problem before. It's pretty gross and embarrassing. Just curious if anyone else experienced this?
I like the energy the phentermine gives me. I workout 2-3 hrs a day, 5-6 days a week. The last time I was taking phentermine, I didn't have time to work out like I can now. I started my second round on 11/22 and I'm down about 8 lbs. I kept the same diet and workout regimen after I went off my first round of phentermine and did not gain back any of the weight. I know everyone is different.
Lastly, I just wanted to mention that my doctor also prescribed me a low dose of Prozac to take with the phentermine. I never experienced any suicidal thoughts or anything like that. However, my doctor said she had recently heard lots of other doctors are prescribing Prozac with the phentermine as a preventative. She was somewhat uncomfortable prescribing the phentermine to me unless I agreed to take the Prozac as well. She also mentioned that the Prozac would decrease my appetite, so I take it in the evening to balance out the phentermine wearing off. I can absolutely understand anyone not wanting to take phentermine again after experiencing a case of the "crazies". That would scare me too. However, if you ever consider it again, or you're skeptical due to this side effect, ask your doctor about taking it with Prozac. For most people, it takes about 2 weeks for the Prozac to kick in, so I'd suggest asking your doctor about taking it for a month prior to starting the phentermine.0 -
My sister took Phentermine a few times. First time she was fine, never slept, but that was the only side effect and she lost about 60 lbs. She gained it all back and then some after discontinuing the pills because of pregnancy. She went back on it a second time after baby and it hit her like a ton of bricks. Suicidal thoughts, racing heart that wouldn't calm, dizziness, all kinds of nasty side effects. She finally stopped taking them the second time because one day at work she literally passed out. Luckily for her she works on a hospital so she had immediate help but she quit taking them then and there.
I understand wanting to lose weight but sacrificing your mental and physical health to do so seems counter intuitive in my opinion. I'm glad you are not taking them and as another poster said they should be banned. Personal responsibility and hard work are key! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
sorry off topic for a moment but is that the Incline that you're on in your photo?
Okay back on topic, i took phentermine once and lost about 25lbs and i believe the only reason i put it back on is because i started eating like crap again. But then i took it again for a few days and literally felt like i was dying, my husband had to call 911 cos it felt like i was having a heart attack at 24 years old. it made me sweat, it made me angry, it made my heart race. This stuff really needs to be taken off the market.
There is no substitution for eating well and exercising!
Yes maam! Did the incline back in Sept. It was awesome!
off topic again
That's awesome! I live in CO springs and used to do it every sunday!0 -
I took Phentermine once. One Sunday I was at the grocery store, and started feeling really bad. I called my bf and asked him to come get me, he said I should be ok to make it home. I got home, was putting the groceries away and well, long story short they found me blacked out in the back room. On the way to the ER, they were trying to run an IV, and doing a very bad job of it, I have bad veins, and the pain kind of brought me around a little bit to the point I could hear them reading off my blood pressure readings. At one point in time it dropped to something stupidly low, like 60/40. I really thought I was going to die. Got to the ER, they ran some IV's pumped me full of fluids, and I turned out ok. But I stopped taking it after that. Weight loss isn't worth all that.0
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@Flabulously - I would venture to guess the sweating is from the prozac. Many anti-depressants will do that. Was on them years ago and I'd sweat buckets in freezing weather. Ugh, one of many "side affects" I hated on AD's.
I also took the Phen, white pill with blue specs(37.5) rx. Found 1/2 pill/day was all I needed. Lost 18lbs in 3wks on it, with no ill side affects. Fell and injured my back, so I quit taking them. Didn't think the pain pills I had to take would mix well. Of course my weight loss hit a wall for 30days. I am still losing, albeit slowly now. As my back improves, I'm able to start exercising again and that'll improve. I don't see it a magic pill, but I will credit it will getting my raving appetite under control. Only negative side affect I had on it was dry mouth, some insomnia and bad breath. I had to force myself to eat on it, so food became a choice - instead of an impulse.
Everyone is different, and no two people are built the same. Important part is to pay attention to your body, and respect it when it tells you "this ain't working!" I do agree, it's probably not for most. You also have me wondering now if some crying jags I was experiencing last month were about that, than me grieving my mother who died this year. Will have to watch that in the future. Probably won't take it in future, unless I feel my appetite taking over my life again.0 -
I took this back in 2008 for 2 months and lost about 15 lbs. Kept the weight off until 2011 when I went through some depressive times. Unfortunately while I was still depressed and dealing with issues, I decided to try and use phentermine as a kick start for one month to help lose those 15 lbs again. This time it was a BAD decision. It put me into a deeper state of depression once I was finished using them for a month, and I gained even more weight and led to even worse habits.
I'm fine now.. but it took about 6 weeks for me to stop being depressed day in and day out and then finally have the motivation to lose weight and start normal activity again. Because of that I'll never use them again.0 -
i've taken it a few times in the past and had different reactions each time. the first time, i got headaches and felt tired for the first week or so taking it, but i wasn't hungry and lost weight. after that first week i was fine and took it for three months and lost 30 pounds or so. the only issue i had was bad dry mouth.
then i took it again some years later but the headaches wouldn't stop and so i stopped taking it. oddly enough it was the blue pills that someone else mentioned they got headaches with.
then i tried it again a few years after that and it was the white pills with the little blue specks and those were fine. no issues at all. i guess everyone is just different.
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@Flabulously - I would venture to guess the sweating is from the prozac. Many anti-depressants will do that. Was on them years ago and I'd sweat buckets in freezing weather. Ugh, one of many "side affects" I hated on AD's.
Ah, ha! Thanks, gypsy!!
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I have been on phentermine for 3 months with a weight loss of close to 40 lbs. I guess it just depends on the individual because I have had no crazy side effects like some I have heard. Then again I notice that I really never get any side effects from any meds I take and I have never taken anything for weight loss. My dr started me off on the 30 mg and told me to take those for as long as I can and once they stop working she will increase to 37.5 mg. Honestly, I would still get hungry but it was up to me to make better choices. If there's no bothersome side effects I don't see the problem with phentermine, but it should be used as just an aid, you still need to make the choice to eat less, eat healthier, and exercise otherwise you will just gain everything back.0
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Ok, I read all the responses and really thought that I should comment. I have lost 99 pounds since March 26th of this year using Phentermine and changing the way I eat and exercising. The very first day I took the pill, I felt very strange. A couple times I felt my heart racing, mostly in the middle of the night. Nothing too crazy for me and I have been taking it for months. I will go a few weeks at a time without the pill and never gain any weight back, I do this simply because after a while of taking the pills, they seem to become less effective so I give my body a break. I think everyone is different and like any medication their are side effects, but they aren't always the same or as severe for one as they are another. I have had huge success with this pill, but have also changed my lifestyle. This pill just helps me not feel so ravenous.0
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Taking a serotonin regulator like an anti-depressant with this drug is playing Russian Roulette. I don't know why docs prescribe these together. Phen has a little bit of history......
When combined with fen ...
"The findings on fen-phen, specifically fenfluramine, causing valvular heart disease and pulmonary hypertension prompted a renewed interest in the deleterious effects of systemic serotonin. It had already been known for decades that two of the major side-effects of the carcinoid syndrome, in which excessive serotonin is produced endogenously, are valvular disease and pulmonary hypertension. Several centers were able to note a relationship to an excessive activation of the serotonin receptor subtype 5-HT2B."0 -
This really depends on the individual. Many folks who begin Phentermine do not eat, and end up starving their body, and although yeah, that'll lead to weight loss, it's not healthy. For me, that happened the first time I took it, and I learned my lesson. This time, I eat properly and walk - I don't take it to be able to starve, but to give myself an energy boost for workouts and control my appetite. It has kept my from snacking, and I usually eat a good dinner, and a very light lunch. I work at 7am, and I go to lunch at 10am, so I rarely grab breakfast, plus breakfast makes me feel nauseated when eating that early.
Anyway, this time around, I'm okay with losing slowly - 5lbs in the first month, and two weeks into this month, and I'm only down two, but it's a good rate for me (although, the flu had a lot to do with me not losing more), I'm a slow loser anyhow. Plus, I know I'm doing it right, and I hope not to gain it all back once I stop since I am not counting on it as a method of starvation.
Amongst the negative, I thought I'd throw in a positive. I have had no bad side effects, nothing but good stuff. Before the pill, it was difficult to workout, I was tired all the time, and now I have a little energy, no crashing, and as long as I take it early enough, no loss of sleep0 -
I lost 50lbs in two months with phentermine, the bad thing is i had the common side effects which were insomnia , and high blood pressure, its also affecting me neurologically which is severe anxiety and nervousness, iam currently looking for something more safe because phentermine is literally making me loose my mind. Good thing im almost done with the treatment.
Im just afraid of gaining that weight back.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
I hate to say it, but I took it more than a few times, and had great energy! I lose weight, but it was because it took all of my cravings away, so I didn't snack, and I was able to stick to my calorie intake - no heart problems, nothing crazy every happened, and I'm not against taking again, BUT!! It is REALLY easy to gain all the weight back afterwards.1
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I am currently in my last month of Phentermine and honestly I have not had any side effects. The first time I ever tried it I had the insomnia and i got right off. This time I am with a better physician and she monitors my food intake, my weight, and my meal planner. The office also makes you take a drug test prior. I started out weighing 228lbs and today I am 199lbs. I am scared to get off the medication because soo many people have doubled the weight back on; however, you really have to change your lifestyle if you want this to work out. I learned how to portion my meals, things to do when I notice I am eatting from boredom. The best part was that I finally felt full while being on the medication. Come to find out my Dr. says some people need an appetite surpressant every day. Due to thyroid problems they believe I need one. So I think it just varies from person to person. Its not an easy way out...its a jump start to changing your lifestyle.1
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I took Phentermine back when it was phen/fen and did great. I lost 80 pounds and kept it all off until I got pregnant with my first child. Then after I was done breastfeeding her, I was pregnant with my second. I tried lots of different things but had all kinds of excuses for not losing weight. It's only now, at 45 years old, that I get up at 4am every morning to go to the gym for 45 minutes. My doctor has put me back on Phentermine to try and get these 50-60 pounds off. I am not looking to be skinny ... just lose enough weight where I'm comfortable in my own skin and healthy and active. I do not have any of the bad side effects except the trouble sleeping at night, which is cured with a melatonin before bed. My alarm goes off at 3:50 to get up to go to the gym and I actually GET UP and GO to the gym!! I feel WONDERFUL. I take a half in the morning and a half at lunch time. I can drink coffee, diet coke, etc. and it doesn't affect me. I've had all my blood work done and all of the tests came back perfect. I don't feel "euphoric" but I definitely feel BETTER. Easy to focus, NOT grumpy, NOT edgy, very motivated and a whirlwind in getting everything done at work. Granted, this is NOT for everyone and if you do not make changes that you can ADHERE TO after you're off of the Phentermine then yes, you will gain the weight back. I am well aware of what causes the weight and know the diet that I have to follow. I know that I have to exercise. These are things that I KNEW back then but honestly just felt I was young and stupid and had the world by the tail and figured this was a magic pill. LOL. I know better know and can take the Phentermine as a tool to jump start this journey for me.0
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First of all I want to say this pill may not be magical but it does make weight fall off in literary a week .I started about a month ago I started at 203 the most weight I've ever been in my life I'm 5 ft 8 inch so its not noticeable at all because the weight was well on my behind and my thighs which I personally did not love but my husband well that's a different story lol.He started noticing I was losing weight but he didn't like not that he was jealous or anything like that but he started commenting that I was become to look I'll I actually ignored it and thought ya whatever but a month passed and hear I am at 6 30 am and haven't slept haven't ate and just feeling like a crazy women I'm 29 and I've never experienced anything like this its been about a week I've been having symptos of insomnia depression suicidal and paranoid not to mentioned 3 days ago I was really upset about a situation in my life going on anyways I was so upset I was just crying and I felt as if I was having panic attack all of a sudden I feel numbness and hottness running down the left side of my body till this as well I have a pinch in my heart and it seems to bother me a bit as of this day forward I will no longer take Phentermine because I believe deep down inside that this is not a safe thing to do to your body starving it and causing pain and emptiness its just not worth it at the end and as I sit her and stare at my lil girls face I think to myself what will she do without me if I was gone all the "mom aren't you going to eat with us " will forever be a fade my kids and family and health should be my number one priority for the little smiles that look up to me
So I wouldn't ever try this again or recommend it should not be given to anyone at all. 0 -
When will people learn calories vs exercise. STOP fooling yourself with "diet pills". Remember there are always the long term side effects you don't even know about.0
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