Has anyone tried phentermine?

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Replies

  • bosanka
    bosanka Posts: 336 Member
    Oh yeah, forgot the worst part. After I went off the pills.....I gained everything back plus. Never changed my eating habits or trained myself to eat better.

    Same here- had all the " pro's like every one else did- and had all the Con's - that were mentioned above. Eventually- the results stopped coming- what was left were only the side effects. Stoped taking it. My energy level went from high 10 to a -10.. i had barely energy to move out of the bed.. would sleep on the couch all day long- couldn't move , my " brain " wanted - but my bo dy was exhausted- i couldn't explain myself why.
    All lbs- came back - and brought some company . It took me coupple mon ths to get back to my normal energy.

    Don't recommend you to take it. Stick to the hard but - best way . :) This " way exercise/ healthy food - there are no side effects only good things can come from it .

    Good luck
  • bosanka
    bosanka Posts: 336 Member
    Oh yeah I forgot! It made me mean as hell I was so depressed and emotional I cried for no reason and argued with my Girlfriend for nothing and my sex drive was low and I have never had this problem!!

    Yes - soo true , i would just start crying .. i thought i'm going crazy .. why am i crying ? couldn't figure it out. I'm so glad i'm done with that stuff ..
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    People died taking Phen-Phen, which was the OTC version of phentermine.

    It was all over the news a couple years ago.

    Eat less, move more. You'll lose weight with no adverse side effects.
  • I took it several years ago, while under doctor care. I took a very low dosage over 3 months, reducing my dosage every month. The first month I was on it, I was in the doctors office once a week for weight-in & to get my blood pressure checked. After that, I was in every two weeks. The program included changing and monitoring my eating habits in the beginning, adding light exercise later.

    I did not experience any of the side effects listed. I only took the phentermine the first 3 months out of the 7 months I was seeing my doctor for weight loss help. Over that 7 months, I lost 68 pounds. I did not put it back on right away, but did gain it back about 3 years later (after loosing my job, moving, starting my own business, working 7 days a week and lots of stress).

    If I still lived in that area, I would see my old doctor again and be willing to take it again, but only in a low dosage for a short time, and only if I was being closely monitored.
  • Wow. I can't believe you can get that drug on prescription in the USA, it's illegal here. It was banned in the UK after fears it could cause heart disease in April 2000. This is because it was been linked to leakage in the heart valves.

    Please, please don't take it.
    I'm a registered nurse and I don't want to see any MFP friends get ill because of this drug.:frown:
  • raindancer
    raindancer Posts: 993 Member
    I took it for a year and half as part of Phen-fen. I had no side effects except dry mouth but as you can see I gained the sixty lbs back so I won't do it again. I need to deal with the mental part of my overeating issues. I know how to lose weight I just don't know how to make myself stick to it for a lifetime. I am a sever YO-YO dieter. Thats why I'm here.
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    I lost a bunch of weight and then as soon as I stopped taking it I gained it all back plus some. The problem with all diet pills is that they don't teach you how to eat healthy or how to properly exercise so as soon as you stop using them you just go back to the same old bad habbits. For me the side effects were not worth any success, I was constantly jittery and could hardly sleep and my mood was terrible, I felt like I was constantly angry. But this is just my personal experience.
    ALL TRUE!
  • gualsl
    gualsl Posts: 2 Member
    I joined a weight loss office where you are closely monitored by a Bariatric MD and Nutritionists. He highly recommends Phentermine. I am not sure how long it takes to kick (this is my 4th day on it), but I have noticed that it curves my appetite, unless it's just psychological. So far I haven't noticed any other side effects. The doctor said the most likely side effect would be dry mouth. I get the medication through the office, it is 37.5mg and I take a 1/2 of a pill once per day around 10am. I have always been cautious with taking diet medication, but I asked him a lot of questions, he has prescribed it for many years and feels that using it in combination with diet modification and exercise is a beneficial thing. If I start to experience side effects like previously mentioned then I will report back. It does say that you can take 1-2 pills per day so maybe some people were taking too much? I was told that I can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week with it, certainly not 14 pounds within two weeks! ;)
  • I used it for the three month allowable cycle in my state. No side effects and the weight stayed off. Doctor is required to check blood pressure every 3 months and mine actually went down. Just like anything all medication has sideffects the only one was I stayed very late at work. I am still loosing weight off the Adipex but at a much slower weight.
  • cnp8942
    cnp8942 Posts: 37
    i see you said your aunt and mom took it and lost 30 pounds in 4 weeks (or something close to that) .....well if you eat right, log your calories, and exercise, you can expect to lose about 2 pounds a week (the right way) and that would be 32 pounds lost in the same amount of time....do it the healthy way and you will develop healthy habits for a lifetime and notice all the good changes you body is doing!




    If I said weeks I meant months, sorry for the confusion. thank you for the advice though!
  • cnp8942
    cnp8942 Posts: 37
    I'm sorry for anyone who's had bad experiences with this pill, but it does give me a lot to think about. I really appreciate all of the feedback and there's no way I wouldn't still exercise and diet while taking this pill. thanks again!
  • OMGG
    OMGG Posts: 44
    What are these called? I didnt think you could get anything like that in the UK anymore.......... Would love to try... Any advice please

    Good Luck all
  • What are these called? I didnt think you could get anything like that in the UK anymore.......... Would love to try... Any advice please

    Good Luck all

    It was banned in the UK in April 2000 because of all the deaths from heart valve disorders. Just read up on the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and find out all about this so-called wonder drug.

    If you then want to risk your life, go ahead, buy it from an online pharmacy - but it was banned over here for a darn good reason so be VERY CAREFUL.

    Anything that sounds to good to be true generally IS.:mad:

    I have my nurse's hat on here folks:embarassed:
  • OMGG
    OMGG Posts: 44
    lol ok

    i have moved on already :-)

    how can i add my ticker................................

    thanks
  • OMGG
    OMGG Posts: 44
    yeah hey!! added my own little ticker :-)
  • oh sorry i meant month's.....it is still the same loss though at 2 pounds a week for 16 weeks... 32 pounds lost with logging cals and moderate exercise, actually it's 2 pounds more :)
  • CroakerNorge
    CroakerNorge Posts: 165 Member
    There is no quick fix diet pill, in my opinion.
    The FDA recommends this diet pill be taken no longer than 12 weeks in addition to maintaining a sensible diet & exercise plan.

    I say, if you're going to follow a sensible diet & exercise plan, you may as well skip the pill entirely and save yourself some money.
    If you lose at a healthy/sustainable rate (.5- 2 lbs/week), you could lose up to 8lbs/month= 32 lbs in 4 mos., on the high end.
    If you exert the discipline to do so, chances are, you're making a lifestyle change that includes healthy eating.

    I prefer healthy functioning organs (esp. my heart) and slow & sustainable losses (to avoid saggy skin).
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
    I took it for six weeks and lost 15 lbs. I loved it. You literally are hardly hungry at all. I forced myself to eat, but was full after two bites. I kept it off for two years. Since you're so used to eating hardly anything, it's not hard to stay around 1200 calories wehn you're done. Good luck!
  • leah33
    leah33 Posts: 16
    HORRIBLE STUFF! I was on it for two weeks at half the prescribed dose (the full dose made me feel like my heart would burst from my chest). I had a cardiac episode and ended up in the ER with my two children watching me get electrodes strapped to my chest with a nitro drip. I was 31 and weighed 145 when I started taking the phentermine!!! It took six months to get back to a place where I could sleep at night...at all. Three years later, I still have heart palpitations. Not to mention that I gained TWENTY pounds after I stopped taking it. I actually considered baby doses of it again to jump start my weight loss recently. However, that is only due to the extreme desire to lose weight at any cost. After trying MFP for a few weeks now, I have lost seven pounds with no negative side effects, and I am CONVINVED this is the way to go...phentermine is NOT!!!!
  • Luv2bme
    Luv2bme Posts: 58
    I took a generic brand of Phentermine from a doctor. I recommend it to everyone! It is how I lost most of my weight. If you get it from a doctor, they monitor you monthly. There are people outthere who should not be taking it, and those are the people who are most likely having the horrible side effects. You would have ti be honest to the doctor about your medical history. But, yes, there is dry mouth (just keep a bottle of water close by). It did keep me up late if I took it later in the day. But the results WAAAY outweighed the side effects. The doc will tell you to eat 5 times a day (small portions) and exercise. Common sense... It you follow the routine, you will have no problem losing weight! Good luck!!
  • I took a generic brand of Phentermine from a doctor. I recommend it to everyone! It is how I lost most of my weight. If you get it from a doctor, they monitor you monthly. There are people outthere who should not be taking it, and those are the people who are most likely having the horrible side effects. You would have ti be honest to the doctor about your medical history. But, yes, there is dry mouth (just keep a bottle of water close by). It did keep me up late if I took it later in the day. But the results WAAAY outweighed the side effects. The doc will tell you to eat 5 times a day (small portions) and exercise. Common sense... It you follow the routine, you will have no problem losing weight! Good luck!!

    But surely eating 5 small portions a day and exercising will ensure you lose weight anyway without the need for drugs?:frown:

    I am so glad this medication is banned in the UK and has been for 10 years - although some people will undoubtedly buy it online - that is worrying, but hey, we're all adults and can make informed decisions I guess.
  • Luv2bme
    Luv2bme Posts: 58
    I hope everyone is not confusing this with Phen Phen. Before any one speaks out about it I think research should be done. I was seeing as doctor monthly, a personal trainer and nutritionalist. I did a lot of research before I decided to take it. I have been off of it for a while now and the weight continues to stay off. Yes, you are right, if we eat like that and exercise daily we can take off the weight! But I tried for MANY MANY years to do it on my own and it was very hard, the weight just kept getting worse! The pill curved my appetite until I got in the habit of eating right and exercising regularly. In my case, I know I could not have done it on my own. But like I said, it is not for everyone and the doctor will tell you the truth! He denied my friend because she has high blood pressure, I do not recommend taking it without the supervision of a doctor.
  • I am a registered nurse and I am NOT confused about this drug, I was involved in the research into the heart valve disorders that presented in people who had been prescribed it, back in the late 1990's in the UK.

    What concerns me most is that British people may read posts extolling this drug and will buy it online, with no medical supervision and no guarantee it is even the genuine medication.

    I appreciate the health service is completely different in America and as long as people taking this drug are doing it under the care of a qualified doctor, then fine.

    But I still personally think that 5 - 6 small meals a day and exercise is a far safer method.
  • I tried to get my dr. to prescribe it to me but he told me it was unsafe and he didn't prescribe it and didn't know anyone who did. He also mentioned that he would have to check my heart and I have a family history of hypertension PLUS my blood pressure that day had been high because I had taken a stacker 3 that day. He also mentioned that I have lost about 30lbs since '08.
    I wish that I could get phentermine because I have SUCH a big problem with eating when I'm not hungry. I almost need to be on a diet pill that makes me look at food and cringe unless I am actually hungry.
  • amg22
    amg22 Posts: 7 Member
    You need a different doctor. Phentermine is for people who are clinically obese. You weigh 145 which is very healthy unless you are extremely short. Your doctor never should have prescribed that for you.
  • kspeach
    kspeach Posts: 179 Member
    FYI It seems like there is some misinformation of sorts in this thread.

    The heart valve problems of the 90s were related to the Phen-Fen combination, of which the Fenfluramine was diagnosed as creating the heart problems. Fenfluramine is no longer prescribed. Phentermine is.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fen-phen
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phentermine
    http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-4151-Phentermine+Oral.aspx?drugid=4151&drugname=Phentermine+Oral&source=1

    However, as there are side effects with ANY drug, you MUST have a competent doctor, be honest with him and with yourself, and watch closely, especially as dosages are adjusted. I did a LOT of research on this myself (on reliable websites, not hearsay, although opinions were good..but a LOT of sites are PROMO'ing phentermine, so be careful), before I started to take phentermine. I lost 20 pounds in 3 months on it 5 years ago. The dr would not re-prescribe, and I gained it back. It KILLED my appetite completely. And yes, I was plenty overweight enough to take it.

    I tried taking it again 1 1/2 years ago. Within a week, a previously undiagnosed heart defect (NOT CAUSED BY THE PHEN!!!) became apparent. The docs said it was not caused by the phentermine. I'd had it all my life. But at that point, I decided never to take another weight loss drug of ANY KIND again. I had heart surgery to repair the heart defect and it's been fine since.

    And wow, was I impressed with my 20 pounds in 3 months. Pshaw!! I lost almost 20 pounds in 2 1/2 months by diet and exercise!! And this will stick.

    There are people who take various drugs that have life threatening reactions and various side effects to them, including aspirin, sinus meds, caffeine, Tylenol, Effexor, and every other drug out there. You have to weigh the risks, and listen to your doctor and monitor yourself. No one here has given you a physical as well as having an MD. One size for ANYTHING does not fit all. I have been on various antidepressants throughout my life. Sometimes they have worked great, sometimes for awhile, sometimes not at all, sometimes for a long while....and every one of these has given SOME other people terrible side effects...but not me.

    Be careful and good luck. For ME, this is working right now.
  • savannahgur
    savannahgur Posts: 235 Member
    I have talked to different weight loss clinics around areas i have lived and all of them will give you Phentermine to help you lose weight through their programs..However, I do not suggest it, you have to tell your body your not hungry and just get up and do something else. Drink some water, take a nice walk, go play with your animals..do something.

    The drugs are great for people who have no other alternatives but I think that as long as you put your mind towards goals that are realistic for you, you will achieve it.

    Good luck.
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