Phentermine - Your Experience?

zenjenn
zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
edited 12:41AM in Health and Weight Loss
Please, no hating on this. I was prescribed this medication by my primary care doctor yesterday. I did not ask for it or even mention my weight issues. I have never taken a weight loss aid before, nor even was tempted to. But, my doctor went over my alarming cholesterol numbers, and said my weight loss right now is too slow and I need to get out of the obesity category. It was either try phentermine temporarily to see if getting some more rapid weight loss lowers the numbers, or go on cholesterol meds with the slow (and sometimes stagnant) weight loss. I had a lot of concerns but he really emphasized that I am a textbook candidate and the risks of remaining at my current weight are greater than any risk of the drug. He said he prescribes it all the time for clinically obese patients that have weight-related health issues, and the weight loss reduces or eliminates the health issues most of the time. A 12% weight reduction would remove me from the obese category, and that this is commonly achievable with the drug in 12 weeks (at my current rate, the same weight loss will take me almost a year.)

But, I have my reservations. Does anyone have experience with this drug? I am concerned about side effects and withdrawl once I go off. Also concerned about weight regain, but my current commitment to watching what I eat and exercising has at least kept a cap on gains even though I am not always losing. Obviously I will do calorie logging, and also avoid foods that affect triglycerides, not just relying on the drug. Your experiences appreciated. I am hoping that on myfitnesspal, there will be people here who used the drug responsibly as part of their lifestyle change, and not casual users of the drug.
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Replies

  • bjmurray55
    bjmurray55 Posts: 6 Member
    I did take this a year ago and the only side effect I seem to have was dry mouth. With Dr. supervision you will do fine. My family Dr prescribed mine but only for a period of 3 months, it gave me to boost. I think if I remember I lost a little over 30 pounds in the 3 months.

    Good luck!!!
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    I was on it for eight weeks when I was in my mid-twenties. It did help the weight loss, but it wasn't a miracle pill. I still had to eat responsibly and exercise (which you are doing).

    I didn't get shaky or fidgety. I still slept okay. It didn't affect my heart rate at all. I never noticed any changes, to be honest, other than a slight increase in weight loss (3-4 pounds/week instead of 1-2).
  • Elderberry6
    Elderberry6 Posts: 1 Member
    I loved it and used about 2 hours before working out. I felt positive and happy after the first 3 days of not sleeping at night. It made a great difference.
    Please consider trying it or something else that you are comfortable with to get more rapid loss. Quick successive will build an energy of their own and you can feel more in control.
  • abigail416
    abigail416 Posts: 3
    I've been on phentermine since June 1st and I've lost 20 lbs. I have another 130 lbs to go though. I love it. The only side effect I have is dry mouth that is really annoying. I have had to kind of go through this month finding what worked for me. I went through not eating at all because it cuts your appetite so much. I then went through eating too much *If you binge one day..the next day taking it you will be hungry just like the day before so, be careful!* But, the past week or 9 days or so has been perfect. I've eaten between 1,200 & 1,400 calories and have been walking and I lost 7 lbs last week. I have to go in monthly for check ups and my doctor says I can only be on it for 5 months tops but, so far it's working out beautifully. Good Luck!
  • Sh1tsRainbows
    Sh1tsRainbows Posts: 1,227 Member
    It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






    but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






    but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

    That isnt necessarily true and I hate when people just spout that off.

    It works be suppressing appetite. So as long as you continue eating at a deficit or maintenance afterwards, no, the weight wont "come right back"
  • ShellBell4281
    ShellBell4281 Posts: 127 Member
    I've taken Phentermine many times for years. It really works well for the first two months or so. I hate the side effects. Dry mouth, tweaky, trouble sleeping, and it makes me a total b*tch.

    Other than that, it's great! ;) I manage to lose about 10 - 20lbs easily.
  • zenjenn
    zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
    Wow, thanks for all your responses. Abigail, 20 lbs since June first? Crazy. Saltatoria, I would be bowled over if I lost 3-4 lbs a week. I typically lose about 1/2 lb a week if I'm PERFECT about exercise and diet (just have a slow metabolism, I guess.)

    I've read a lot of people just practically don't eat because their appetite is non-existent. I have only taken it for 2 days and I agree - the only time I was hungry was when I woke up in the morning, and just a bit. I'm a girl who has a HUGE appetite, doesn't matter if all the food is healthy, good food - I want to eat a ton of it. So the appetite loss will be welcome, but I figure the food logs are still important to make sure I continue to eat sufficiently, especially since I'd like to continue my exercise routine.
  • jcrowe1
    jcrowe1 Posts: 5
    It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






    but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:


    I agree.
  • ShellBell4281
    ShellBell4281 Posts: 127 Member
    It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






    but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

    That isnt necessarily true and I hate when people just spout that off.

    It works be suppressing appetite. So as long as you continue eating at a deficit or maintenance afterwards, no, the weight wont "come right back"

    I agree. I have yet to regain the weight I've lost from Phentermine. If you eat a bunch of junk after you stop taking it, yes, of course you'll gain.
  • TChester_05
    TChester_05 Posts: 83 Member
    I took it and phentetrazine(??) for about 5 1/2 months together and lost about 35 lbs doing NOTHING else. Of course because I didnt change my lifestyle in anyway it came back gradually when I stopped.

    Personally it was helpful and effective, it increased my energy although it occassionally made it hard to sleep. As long as your still working hard at changing you along with the pills I recommend it.
  • zenjenn
    zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
    It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






    but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

    This is my concern too, honestly, though my doctor insists that since I am already in the habit of being conscious of what I eat and exercising, as long as I continue those habits while taking the drug & after I go off, I will not regain. The drug will just remove the impulse to eat just a little more, which is what slows/stalls losses, and help get me out of the danger zone faster. (But, I still have worries - that my appetite will come back tenfold or something when I stop taking it!)
  • Leah_T
    Leah_T Posts: 17 Member
    I took it for a while and did lose weight, but i was staying up till like 3am and having to get up at 8. Then at like 5:30 in the afternoon i would crash/pass out for about an hour because i wasn't sleeping at night. I wasn't hungry and would have to force myself to eat. It made me really thirsty and my skin got horrible. I got really bad pimples. My skin was dry and they looked almost like chicken pox they were so bad. It also makes your heart race. I did gain my weight back, but i was not educated on how to count calories and was not paying attention to what i ate, unlike now. If you think you want to give it a shot, that is your decision. I never want to be considered a "hater" but i would never take it ever again. I just wanted to share my experience. It was about 12 years ago when i took it, and i am not sure what dose i was taking. However there are other factors that can impact your cholesterol numbers. Do you have a family history? You might lose the weight and still have high cholesterol.
  • abigail416
    abigail416 Posts: 3
    I know I can't believe I lost that much either, I can't tell at all though haha but, I mean I'm a size 24 so, I don't expect to see changes quickly. I welcome 2 lbs a week and anything faster than that is just a bonus. I have skipped days where I didn't take it because I forgot or something and my appetite didn't change because I didn't let it. With that being said I can't imagine that it would just come right back if you quit taking the pills unless you obviously stopped counting calories and exercising. But, if you lose weight all natural and then quit counting and exercising it's gonna come right back soooo...I see absolutely no harm in having a little help.

    I am THRILLED my doctor put me on this and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
  • StrongerJess
    StrongerJess Posts: 185 Member
    My family doctor prescribed it to me for a while. My skin broke out more often and got dry too. The other odd side effect for me was at first, I felt like I could conquer the world with all of my extra energy, and then the energy dropped off and I was taking naps ALL of the time.
  • abigail416
    abigail416 Posts: 3
    I also want to point out to some on that Phenphedrine or Phen Phen is NOT the same as Phentermine. Phentermine is the generic form of adipex. I was confused about this at first. I personally took phenphedrine for 1 month, lost 12 lbs (which I gained back). It made me get horrid pimples and my hair fell out. Also, it would make my chest hurt. I quit as soon as I linked all those to the pill and called and got my money back. Phentermine/Adipex is much different. And Phen Phen is now illegal so, I would think you guys wouldn't get those confused but, who knows haha c:
  • viva1825
    viva1825 Posts: 1
    The point of Phentermine is to decrease your appetite and ultimately your stomach will shrink enough so you aren't as hungry once you get off the pill. It is designed for quick short term results but long term lifestyle change(just like every other diet program). I took it briefly, about a month, and loved it. I am not considered obese, though, and would have liked to get the prescription for a longer amount of time, but didn't qualify. I have a close friend, though, who is taking it now, about 60 days in, and she has lost 30 lbs and counting. Of course, she is eating better, and less, and working out more.

    I wouldn't be too concerned to take it, especially if you need to lose weight for health reasons. Good luck getting in great health!
  • zenjenn
    zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
    Leah - thank you for honestly sharing your experiences. Both of my parents have high cholesterol and have been on cholesterol medication for decades. However, they are also both obese - and far more obese than I am. Dr. doesn't guarantee that weight loss will improve my numbers, but insists often it does. I have no way of knowing if my parents' cholesterol is related to their obesity or not. They have both been obese as long as they have had cholesterol issues. I really have fears about this medication, but I have fears about taking cholesterol meds for years and decades, too.
  • AJ_Pete
    AJ_Pete Posts: 863 Member
    I was once on it.... it gives you that extra boost to sustain you until you can live the lifestyle change on your own.... if you're ready for a change, take it.... and go for it.

    Best of luck!!!
  • Leah_T
    Leah_T Posts: 17 Member
    Sounds like you are well informed and are looking at your situation clearly. Good luck to you and congrats on everything you have lost so far.
  • atrjohnson
    atrjohnson Posts: 77 Member
    I have never tried. However, a close friend has and she loved it for a few months. Then she started having a health issue. She is convinced that the pill brought on this condition because previous blood tests did not reveal it. I think that somethimes certain medial issues don't present themselves immediately and will show up in later tests. I am not for or against phen either way, I think everyone's body is their own business.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I'm not a big advocate of drugs, unless it's life threatening. I would suggest speaking to a naturopath and nutritionist (if you've got benefits from work, or your spouse does, if you have one, it's likely they will be covered). They may have another solution to bringing your cholesterol down without the need for drugs.

    From my experience, doctors are either "don't worry about it, you'll be fine," or "take this pill and it'll make you better really fast!"
  • secondchance82
    secondchance82 Posts: 66
    Didn't take this one but I took Ma Huang last summer. Dropped like 25lbs. in 6 weeks (same effects) and had to take a sleeping pill to sleep at night because that stuff had me jacked up for 12-18 hour straight. Put back on 20lbs. of the entire 30lbs. I lost with the help of it. Doing it slow this time around.

    IMO, if you NEED a pill to kickstart things make sure you're under strict medical supervision.
  • Presley0381
    Presley0381 Posts: 88
    It does seem to work very well for fast weight loss.






    but im guessing it'll all come back when you stop taking it :flowerforyou:

    This is not true. I was prescribed Phen and lost a lot of weight. I didn't gain any of the weight back until I got pregnant with my 3rd daughter. While on it, I experienced dry mouth and had a hard time sleeping at night at times but other than that it was fine. The first couple of days you might experience rapid heart beat too but that should go away. What are you taking, the 37.5 or the capsule??
  • MandaPaigeSparkles88
    MandaPaigeSparkles88 Posts: 1,289 Member
    I loved it and I took it for 3 months. It does suppress your appetite and makes you less hungry. I didn't get dry mouth at all. It made me very very hyper I felt like I was the Energizer bunny on crack lol but I loved it. I lost 25lbs in a month. I probably would have lost more if I would have went on a diet. Some of my weight did come back on but not all of it.
  • payupalice
    payupalice Posts: 126 Member
    I think that, if you follow your doctor's advice, and take the time you're on it to develop healthy eating & exercise habits, it will be a great asset to your health goals.
  • Presley0381
    Presley0381 Posts: 88
    I think that, if you follow your doctor's advice, and take the time you're on it to develop healthy eating & exercise habits, it will be a great asset to your health goals.

    AGREE!!!
  • zenjenn
    zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
    Presley, yes, the 37.5 mg pill.

    ejean, there was a time I would have agreed with you. I used to avoid taking all drugs, even tylenol or antibiotics unless I was clearly and obviously in need of them - still do to some extent. But I've had too many "natural" approaches not work or even cause me worse health issues. The stories I could tell you - I think some of them being the universe telling me not to be so smug about what I thought I knew. But just to say, as I approach my middle years, that sometimes natural approaches are great, and sometimes, modern medicine and pharmaceuticals improve the quality of life & health greatly. For example, I suffered with horrible almost year-long allergies and related sinus infections my whole life using neti pots, local honey, natural supplements, steam, chiropractic, etc, before I finally gave up and started taking a daily allergy pill. My quality of life is SO much better due to a drug. I still use my neti pot, btw, but alone it doesn't cut it.

    I think natural methods work best when you are a textbook human with everything in working order. In contrast, I'm someone that probably would have been eliminated from the gene pool about 10x over by now if I were at the mercy of nature.

    That said, I still remain very *cautious* about using drugs. I would not have even considered this drug if I didn't not only have a health concern but lifelong struggle with weight, appetite control, and clearly some biochemical limits that clearly render my weight loss far slower than what it should be on paper.
  • VanishaDawn
    VanishaDawn Posts: 48
    I started taking Phentermine a week ago and I am still unsure if I have lost any weight. I decided not to weigh myself until I go back to the doctors office in two weeks. She also gave me a B-12 shot and a diet plan. I haven't been able to follow the diet to a tee because I have no appetite at all. My side effects are minimal; dizziness, restlessness, and dry mouth. I notice a very slight increase in my energy level. I'm not sure if not eating will cause more harm than good, but last night I had to make myself eat a bowl of cereal and even then, I didn't finish it. If I go according to the plan, I will consume between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day and 2-3 grams of fat. My biggest concern is once I stop taking the pills, I am not sure that I will be able to maintain the weight loss. We'll see, Good Luck to you!
  • jojo52610
    jojo52610 Posts: 692 Member
    I took it as well and have kept the weight off through 2 kids and 20+ years because I changed my eating habits and excerise.
    Only time the weight came back was 6 years ago when I got cancer and had chemo - and then it was only 15 - 20 pounds

    I had 50 pounds to lose back then and it did help me. Just be careful I saw someone post they take it 2 hours before they work out, which isn't good because it can elevate your heart rate.

    Good Luck
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