Phentermine and Tiredness

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angela13081
angela13081 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
So my doctor put me on Phentermine for 4 months only to help me jump start my weight loss and change my habits. The problem is I am so weak. I feel out of breath pretty much all the time. I am exercising every day for about an hour (usually 30 minutes of running/30 minutes of strength training) so I am blaming some of the soreness on that. However, working out is HARD! I have run before at various points in my life and the breathing of course got easier out of time, but this time, it doesn't seem to be changing. And my energy is pretty much gone (except for maybe a spurt in the morning when I first take it). Do you think it's just me getting older (I'm 32) and taking longer to get back in shape or could it be the phentermine? Kinda hard to change habits on it when I'm physically exhausted. I'm thinking of cutting back to half a pill. Thoughts?
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Replies

  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
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    Find a new doctor. I felt miserable when I was hooked on meth too.
  • angela13081
    angela13081 Posts: 7
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    Also forgot to mention that I am out of breath a lot even just sitting down. And have had several periods of time where I couldn't take a deep breath. Almost felt like asthma.
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
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    Because your heart is working overtime. Please listen to your body, it is screaming that you are injuring it. There is no magic pill. All you can hope for when taking this medication is that you will win a class action law suit when people start to die from it and you will have millions of dollars to help pay for your O2 tanks and meds until you die like my best friend's mother in law.
  • ktliu
    ktliu Posts: 334 Member
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    I'm 47 and taking phentermine, I do cut my pill into 75/25 %.and I take the 75% the whole pill makes me jitter. As for lack of energy, I eat a bit of breakfast before I go to the gym, it really helps. I was never a breakfast guy, but now I am, nothing crazy, just 1 scamble egg and some homemade vege juice. It gets easier when you become stronger. but my trick is to find something I love to do when I was a kid. Dancing and martial art, so I fired up the Xbox/kinect and bought some discs and play. it really helps to start.

    I used to be a once a week gym guy, Now I'm 7 days a week. I'm an open book, feel free to look at my diary. or maybe friend me.
  • BogQueen1
    BogQueen1 Posts: 320 Member
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    I'm not sure your results, but Phentermine literally made me forget to eat anything at all most days, and on days I did eat, it was a very small amount. I ended up blacking out while putting away groceries and going to the ER to spend the next few hours hooked up to an IV pumping me full of fluids for dehydration. My blood pressure had dropped to next to nothing.

    If you aren't eating anything, and you are working out for an hour a day, well... you do the math. Your body has no fuel to use for these workouts. Wean yourself off the phentermine, keep working out, and start eating again!
  • wvgirlnfl
    wvgirlnfl Posts: 30
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    I took that for a while and it actually gave me more energy. It doesn't sound normal that it is making you so tired and you are out of breath.

    You do need to make sure you eat regular meals and keep your calorie intake enough to fuel your body.

    I had no problem with it and it did help curb my appetite for a few months and then it wore off.
  • graceylou222
    graceylou222 Posts: 198 Member
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    yeah that stuff is terrible for your heart.. you're better off drinking redbulls all day honestly. I would tell your doctor you want to be taken off of it. You can't breath because your heart is working so hard.. you are supposed to gain energy from it, not be so tired that you run out of it. Clearly your body is telling you that you cannot handle it. Get off.
  • angela13081
    angela13081 Posts: 7
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    I am eating about 1200-1400 calories a day. It has helped curb my appetite but I force myself to eat a protein and carb every three hours (like greek yogurt with granola or a KIND bar). After all, trying to change habits or all this is for nothing. I was eating horribly so also thinking maybe I am going through carb and sugar withdrawal. Sounds like I need to cut it in half and see if that helps. My doctor also suggested taking it every other day.
  • KimberlyDCZ
    KimberlyDCZ Posts: 525 Member
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    You can do this without the pill. Just try it.
  • KimberlyDCZ
    KimberlyDCZ Posts: 525 Member
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    By the way, my mom has a lung condition that is genetic in her case but most people assume that it's because she used a diet drug in the 80's. This drug caused a bunch of people to have pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) With this condition, the lungs work too hard and the heart becomes enlarged from trying to keep up. The end result is death by heart failure, or a double lung transplant to cure it. This drug from the 80's that many many people took for weight loss was called PHEN PHEN....think about it....
  • bvddj
    bvddj Posts: 21 Member
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    I have taken phentermine and seen results, usually about 20lbs a month but as soon as I stop taking them I gain the weight right back. I took my at noon and that gave me the energy I needed because if I took them in the morning my energy ran out before the end of the day. If you're going to stay on them try taking them around 12pm...but it's easier to loose weight without them and there aren't any risky side effects!
  • Shes1CraftyMama
    Shes1CraftyMama Posts: 152 Member
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    It's the Phentermine. I was on it and experienced the same thing. My doc prescribed it as well, but honestly it doesn't do a whole lot for teaching you new habits. I did feel weak out of breath, dizzy, and working out is something you really should not do hardcore on it. My suggestion is to get off of it. You don't need to jumpstart your weight loss, weight loss will happen when you start setting and working towards healthy goals. Start with planning meals, and making small daily changes in the way you eat. for example, change from sugar to stevia, or soda to juice or flavored waters. Change from chips to fruit and add more whole foods. You will see you lose more weight this way, it lasts longer, and you feel AMAZING when you give your body good food! Also, once I cam off Phentermine and gained the weigh back it was harder the next time around. I have done both and trust me the healthy way is the best way!

    Good Luck. Nothing (even losing weight) is worth how you are feeling now!
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
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    By the way, my mom has a lung condition that is genetic in her case but most people assume that it's because she used a diet drug in the 80's. This drug caused a bunch of people to have pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) With this condition, the lungs work too hard and the heart becomes enlarged from trying to keep up. The end result is death by heart failure, or a double lung transplant to cure it. This drug from the 80's that many many people took for weight loss was called PHEN PHEN....think about it....

    Fen-Phen was a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine. Fenfluramine is what caused the heart and lung problems, which is why Fen-Phen and fenfluramine are no longer on the market. Phentermine doesn't have those effects, however, side effects DO include exactly what the OP is saying. It is considered a SERIOUS side effect and you should call your doctor immediately.
  • KimberlyDCZ
    KimberlyDCZ Posts: 525 Member
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    By the way, my mom has a lung condition that is genetic in her case but most people assume that it's because she used a diet drug in the 80's. This drug caused a bunch of people to have pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) With this condition, the lungs work too hard and the heart becomes enlarged from trying to keep up. The end result is death by heart failure, or a double lung transplant to cure it. This drug from the 80's that many many people took for weight loss was called PHEN PHEN....think about it....

    Fen-Phen was a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine. Fenfluramine is what caused the heart and lung problems, which is why Fen-Phen and fenfluramine are no longer on the market. Phentermine doesn't have those effects, however, side effects DO include exactly what the OP is saying. It is considered a SERIOUS side effect and you should call your doctor immediately.

    Didn't know this, I always thought it was Phen Phen. Thank you. Either way, I wouldn't trust it. Everyone thought Fen-Phen was okay until they found out otherwise.
  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    KICK THE PHENTERMINE TO THE CURB!!! I was prescribed that by my doctor as well... it is a horrible so called 'jump start.' All it does is kill your appetite and along with it comes what most call Phen rage. If you are not eating while on it you are pretty much destroying your metabolism. Clean eating and exercise. It is amazing the things your body will do if you feed it the right things. For me clean eating and working out has gotten me a 37 lb loss in 100 days, as well as a ton of more energy without caffine.
  • zahid222
    zahid222 Posts: 233 Member
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    Also forgot to mention that I am out of breath a lot even just sitting down. And have had several periods of time where I couldn't take a deep breath. Almost felt like asthma.


    If you are short of breath at rest you need to see your doctor ASAP
  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    Also forgot to mention that I am out of breath a lot even just sitting down. And have had several periods of time where I couldn't take a deep breath. Almost felt like asthma.

    The phentermine is causing this. It was the same for me when I was on it.. horrible stuff.
  • FrankieB127
    FrankieB127 Posts: 31 Member
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    Please do some more research about Phentermine before you decide to continue taking the pills. What you described is not a carb and/or sugar withdrawal; you are experiencing side effects of the phentermine. Diet pills tend to take a two-pronged approach in order to achieve weight-loss. The most common is to load the pills up with caffeine so that the user's heart rate increases (in an attempt to mimic exercising). The second is to alter the chemicals in the user's brain to give a false sensation of being full. Some pills, like what you are using, do both. Read through your comments: someone else stated that she has taken phentermine and seen results, until she stops using. That's because diet pills wreak havoc on your natural metabolism and even short term use can do serious harm to your body. I would strongly urge you to seriously reconsider your use of these, and any other, diet pills.
  • Snikkee
    Snikkee Posts: 295 Member
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    Phentermine also causes high blood pressure.
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
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    By the way, my mom has a lung condition that is genetic in her case but most people assume that it's because she used a diet drug in the 80's. This drug caused a bunch of people to have pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) With this condition, the lungs work too hard and the heart becomes enlarged from trying to keep up. The end result is death by heart failure, or a double lung transplant to cure it. This drug from the 80's that many many people took for weight loss was called PHEN PHEN....think about it....

    Fen-Phen was a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine. Fenfluramine is what caused the heart and lung problems, which is why Fen-Phen and fenfluramine are no longer on the market. Phentermine doesn't have those effects, however, side effects DO include exactly what the OP is saying. It is considered a SERIOUS side effect and you should call your doctor immediately.

    Didn't know this, I always thought it was Phen Phen. Thank you. Either way, I wouldn't trust it. Everyone thought Fen-Phen was okay until they found out otherwise.

    I didn't either! I just decided to research out of curiosity. :D

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