thoughts on phentermine

Does anyone have any thoughts on phentermine? My doctor suggested it to jump start my weight loss and I was curious what others thought.

Thanks :-)

Replies

  • Emmapatterson1729
    Emmapatterson1729 Posts: 1,296 Member
    Both sisters and one of their neighbors tried it. It worked great for them, they dropped weight. All got off of it when all were very thin.

    And all gained back weight at an alarming rate. And all ended up with much more weight than they originally started at.

    When they started dropping their weight, they were pushing it on me. I tried it for less than a month with some prescription fat burner. The fat burner messed with my hormones, caused an increase in testosterone.... No thanks, I quit both prescriptions within the first month.

    Got on MFP, put a practical calorie goal in, made some small food changes. After dropping a few, I started light cardio and light core strengthening. Lost almost 100 and kept it off.

    Good luck losing, and deciding. I always suggest thinking about what's best for the long term.

  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    Took it 3 different periods of my life. I lost weight quickly cause I had no appetite. I started having fainting spells. And regained the weight each time because I didn't learn proper eating habits.

    Personally I would never take that drug again.
  • MARILYNENA
    MARILYNENA Posts: 53 Member
    I lost a lot of weight on them, but unfortunately, my doc will not prescribe it anymore, and I gained all plus some more wt back. But while I was taking it I had no hunger...and felt energetic to do all my exercise!
  • starskita
    starskita Posts: 54 Member
    I have just started taking this and was only prescribed 15mg. So far I've only had dry mouth which makes me drink alot of water. It does surpress my appetite, so I have to remember to eat as not feeling hungry.
    I have heard that alot of people (not all) have put all their weight back on, but I guess if u keep to ur calories an programme hopefully it will work when off the drug. Some people will just eat and eat. Its almost like when u have the gastric bi-pass surgery. Some people don't stick to diet and regain it all. Hope that helps you.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    I took it many years ago and like most of the folks here said I gained everything back. I finally came here and lost about 100 lbs without any drugs. The trouble with things like phentermine is that they are temporary and you don't learn anything. I wouldn't bother with it.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    Like many others I took it a long time ago did not learn anything and gained everything back.

    I wasn't ready to manage my weight. I just wanted to lose weight. The pill did all the work and I was happy to let it. I can't blame the pill which might have worked if I had the right mindset but I did not.

    I don't need it to lose weight. I am not sure who does but I don't judge what others do. I would encourage anyone taking it or thinking of taking it to have a plan and a goal that extends well beyond weight loss.
  • jguldi11
    jguldi11 Posts: 201 Member
    Phentermine is a stimulant in the amphetamine class like Adderal, Ritalin, Concerta, Vyvanse, etc. which are related to methamphetamine. While stimulants do result in loss of appetite and increased energy, there is a risk of developing psychological dependence, along with some undesirable side effects. I'm a substance abuse counselor and see phentermine and/or other stimulant abuse fairly frequently. I was prescribed phentermine about 15 years ago and found it decreased my appetite to the point of me forgetting to eat and having hypoglycemia, and increased my anxiety. If I knew then what I know now, I never would have tried it. It is a personal choice, and you will likely see some weightloss results; however, it is not going to teach you the lifestyle changes needed for sustained weightloss. I highly recommend being very cautious if trying this medication, and stopping if you notice a craving for it or desire to take more than prescribed. There are alternative medications (I.e. Contrave) which is not a stimulant and may be a safer alternative if you feel a medication is necessary.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    You should find a new Dr. Any Dr that prescribes this for weight loss is a quack.