Phentermine?

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I got sick over the holidays and went to the doctor to see what was up. It felt good telling my doctor my weight...he noticed I had lost some...he was happy with it and then offered me phentermine. His statement was "why do it alone when you can have help?" He prescribed Adipex. I didn't get it. From what I gather...it's not great, but my doctor offering it to me...made me wonder. Has anyone tried phentermine? What are your thoughts on it? I want to be smaller, but i want to be HEALTHY more.

Replies

  • adamskidxo
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    Hey :)

    I bought some off the internet and being in the UK sites were selling them for around £40 which is way too expensive, i found some for £20 and bought them but i think they were fake ones as i lost no weight what so ever and just felt ill all the time :/

    If they work for you, let me know :D

    Good luck x
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Isn't that an appetite suppressant? I've not used it but know it can help some people if they are having trouble with their diets/over eating. If you're doing good though with MFP I'm not entirely sure why he would just give it to you.. Good luck either way!
  • TheRightWeigh
    TheRightWeigh Posts: 249 Member
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    Well the doc says that it suppresses appetite, but he also says it speeds up metabolism. I'm more interested in the latter...i can stick to my calories alright...but i feel like it's not enough? I'm not going to try them as of right now...I've pretty much decided.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
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    Well the doc says that it suppresses appetite, but he also says it speeds up metabolism. I'm more interested in the latter...i can stick to my calories alright...but i feel like it's not enough? I'm not going to try them as of right now...I've pretty much decided.

    Good decision. You can do this on your own!! (I have used phentermine in the past--I gained the weight right back and then some as soon as I went off it. Also causes sleeplessness.)
  • l3ugjuice
    l3ugjuice Posts: 233
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    My thoughts are: if I'm losing weight on my own, I'm not taking anything.
  • ashesmf
    ashesmf Posts: 100 Member
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    My doctor tried to give me it too. Just want to help if I can - My mom's doctor gave her Phen Phen back years ago. They said it was natural and would be perfectly okay. Since (because of the drug) she's had strokes and had to replace her aortic valve with a mechanical one. Wouldn't want to risk the open heart surgery and health problems. Just do what you feel is right for you though!
  • Bunnehface
    Bunnehface Posts: 129 Member
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    i can stick to my calories alright...but i feel like it's not enough?

    I've tried something similar to this whenever I have plateau'd in recent months. I'm usually good at sticking to my calories, eating around 50% of my exercise calories back, drinking water, getting enough sleep etc. So when I get stuck at the same weight for weeks on end, I go on tablets for about a week to give me a boost and get the scale moving again. So far so good!
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I took it years ago for about a week and it made me feel sick. I was shaky, had headaches, insomnia and was just plain miserable. It's like overdosing on caffeine. I can't even imagine trying to work out while on that stuff now. Yuck!
  • bwcrouch
    bwcrouch Posts: 105 Member
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    I was on it a couple of years ago. It works amazing well ... almost scarrey. I could have gone forever without eating. I started it just before Thanksgiving and lost 40ish through the holidays over the next 4 months. It did give me some headaches. It also has a tendency to cause severe constipation. It was actually through this side effect that I learned the most. I needed a way to solve this problem or I wouldn't be able to continue the medication. I did not want to compound my situation by creating a dependency on laxitives. So, I ramped up water (15 - 20 cups a day), minimum 5-6 servings of vegetables and 5-6 servings of fruit each day which always included a ruby red grapefruit. That solved my problem and has become the basis of my diet today. So, now eating like that I can lose weight rather quickly. It's finding the will power to not deviate that is the problem. Note: I took the pill as prescribed the first month - 1 per day. The second 30 pills I took 1 every other day and the third set 1 every 3 days to wean off. This was by doctor direction. I think I had some lingering depression issues following the pill which probably aided in slowly gaining back 30 lbs. But, last summer I signed up with a trainer and using the core diet above (I do eat other things, that is just my minimum) I was able to lose 35 - 40 again.

    When I was on the pill, I remember thinking to myself - this is how thin people must think of food. It did open my mind and completely change how I view food. For the first time in my life I would go until I could feel all my energy just fall out which helped me to understand the difference between being hungry and have a grumbly stomach.

    The only thing I would do different while on the pill would be to ramp up protein and exercise. I would also use this site to ensure I am getting enough well balanced calories. At the end, I felt weak and my feet and hands would get cold. I weigh less now than what I did at the end of Adipex but I feel stronger and don't get cold like I did.

    One last thought. If you are looking to drop some weight without using the opportunity to truly change, then I would not do it. But, if you are ready to apply yourself to changing your eating habits to healthy ones for the long haul then it might be the edge you need to get you on track.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    They are just appetite suppressant/stimulants. They do not directly cause weight loss. They sure can work, but you need to make sure to change your habits so when you come off of it you do not rebound.
  • con4t
    con4t Posts: 7
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    I got sick over the holidays and went to the doctor to see what was up. It felt good telling my doctor my weight...he noticed I had lost some...he was happy with it and then offered me phentermine. His statement was "why do it alone when you can have help?" He prescribed Adipex. I didn't get it. From what I gather...it's not great, but my doctor offering it to me...made me wonder. Has anyone tried phentermine? What are your thoughts on it? I want to be smaller, but i want to be HEALTHY more.

    Phentermine works wonders as an appetite suppressant. I've list 80+ lbs on my own and hit a plateau my dr recommended phentermine 12.24.12 and I've lost at least 10lbs on it already. Dieting and exercise still of course- the medicine triggers part of your brain and says " im full" therefore you need to remind yourself to eat. I never thought I was "over eating" because I was eating all healthy things but the medicine cut my portions drastically. It's somewhat like when someone has a lap band etc... They are only able to eat a certain amount before being full. Same concept- without surgery + of course risks from the medicine..