Phentermine - Your Experience?

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Replies

  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I took it for about 2 weeks and HATED it. It make me twitchy, nervous, mean, and I couldn't sleep. It was a very, very weird feeling of being SO TIRED, but not being able to sleep and then jumping out of bed at 5 am. I couldn't handle it at all.
  • nlwilliamson
    nlwilliamson Posts: 225 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.

    ^^ This. nuff said.

    Your not looking for a quick fix, your doctor is looking to keep you alive! as long as your still careful with what you eat, and how much you work out, you should be fine when you come off it

    Best of luck hun xx
  • Windy32
    Windy32 Posts: 54
    I currently take phentermine. I have taken it in the past too. The main side effect I have had was dry mouth, and extra energy. Dry mouth is easy to solve just drink more water. Right now I take mine every other day because I am due for a refill but can't refill it because i am out of state visiting family. the whole point of phentermine is to get you into better eating habits. Before taking it i felt like I was always hungry. I could easily eat 2000+ cals a day and still want to eat more. Also after about a week I notie my appitie returned not as bad as it was but I was able to feel hungry again. You probably won't regain the weight you lose as long as you keep your calories in check and exercise. I had regained back the weight I lost by not exercising and when my youngest was in the hospital all I ate was junk food because I am a stress eater.
  • mkdarin
    mkdarin Posts: 13 Member
    My Dr. sugested I take it too but I delcined because I was aafraid. Please stay in touch with me and let mwe know how you are dong on it. My Dr. Also wanted me to start tkaing Metformin. Are you taking any other drugs?
  • zenjenn
    zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
    I had regained back the weight I lost by not exercising and when my youngest was in the hospital all I ate was junk food because I am a stress eater.

    I think this is the problem for so many of us. I don't normally gain or lose when all is well, but the situations in life that caused inactivity or excess eating - pregnancies, surgeries, etc. Those are the times the weight goes on. Getting it off becomes a problem - my body seems to like to stay at a stable weight in normal situations. I was never thin but I was content at my stable 140-150 lbs - but then a couple babies, cancer, a broken leg surgery, etc - the pounds add up over the years.

    Anyways, thanks for those who shared there experience - other experiences welcome. Also those who have objections thanks for keeping it mostly civil.
  • jody0726
    jody0726 Posts: 34 Member
    Hello zenjenn and friends. This has been my experience.

    Earlier this year, I changed doctors and found myself sitting in my new doctor's office hearing, "You are morbidly obese. Your health is now to the point that you have to get this weight off. You are 38 and have the blood work of a 93 year old. You are pre-diabetic and have many other health risks that are all weight oriented." Then, the script for Phentermine, along with one for hypo-thyroidism, came.

    I have been taking a dose of 37.5 grams, under doctor's care, for the past few months. Only when I research side effects did I immediately undergo them myself. LOL It's pretty self defeating I guess so I don't really spend much time worrying about what others have experienced. I listen to my own body and personally, I've found if I don't drink enough water and get some exercise, I don't sleep well. Could that be the medication? Who knows / who cares - I just try to get both of these things in every day.

    Bottom line, I believe this medication can be used a weight loss tool.

    Let's put it this way, if I fell down the stairs and broke my leg, I'd need to see a doctor and possibly use crutches for awhile; I'd need the help of an aid to get me back up on my feet again. Well, just speaking for me, this medicine has helped me to do that. This month, I began breaking the pills in half myself, only taking half of the prescribed dosage. I feel I am ready to walk without the crutch!! I have far to go on my weight loss journey, but I know I can do it. I now honestly ENJOY working out! Before, even getting in and out of the car was exhaustive.

    Feel free to add me as a friend. I'd love to encourage and support you, as would many people that I've found here at MFP. This community is encouraging and supportive and I have found some of the most wonderful people here.
  • MichelleHoughton
    MichelleHoughton Posts: 2
    You are so smart for keeping your food log especially if you are not hungry because of the pill you are taking. You don't want to starve yourself because that will cause the weight to come right back ten fold.
    You should check out Hypoxi on google, I went and loved it. There is a Hypoxi studio in Kitchener, ON.
  • MichelleHoughton
    MichelleHoughton Posts: 2
    You can also change the kinds of proteins that you intake, Arbonne has a fantastic vegan protein shake that has pea, rice and cranberry proteins they are 160 calories and taste fantastic.
    www.michelleyhoughton.myarbonne.ca
  • Presley0381
    Presley0381 Posts: 88
    I have taken both, the 30 mg and the 37.5. I found the 37.5 was strong at first so I would cut the pill in half and take half in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. You should have some good results on the pill but the most important thing is to learn good eating habits. I tried taking the pill again in the beginning of the year and found that it didn't work as well. I was told it was becasue my body became immune to it. I'm not sure if that is true. But good luck!!!
  • MrsSorenson
    MrsSorenson Posts: 450 Member
    Dry mouth and very fitgity for the first week, but dry mouth stayed! I didn't see that it helped me. But to each their own.
  • ShaunaLaNee
    ShaunaLaNee Posts: 188 Member
    I hated it. I didn't sleep,and thought I was losing my mind. I did lose weight because I was starving. When I stopped taking it, the weight came back and I gained even more. It ruined my metabolism and a year later, I'm still struggling worse than I ever had in my life.

    Just to be clear, I didn't go back to unhealthy eating or go over calories when I stopped the medication, I simply starting eating in the normal range
  • sowinstead
    sowinstead Posts: 13 Member
    I am currently taking Phentermine 37.5 mg. I was dieting on my own and losing weight very slowly for my size, (about 10lbs in 8 weeks) and also taking caffiene supplements for energy which resulted in a nasty kidney infection. Even eating around 1200 kcal I felt like I was starving myself. I'm also on Depo shot for birth control which has sent my appetite through the roof. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Phen as an appetite suppressant. The first two days I ate nothing because I had no desire to eat whatsoever and felt on top of the world. (I also cleaned the house compulsively, and enjoyed it.) On the 3rd day, still no appetite, but was at a horse show in 90 degree weather. Started having dizzy spells and spotty vision so I forced myself to eat, but still nothing sounded good. Slowly started gaining an appetite. I also started an exercise routine with JM dvds and worked out about 2-3 days a week. I went back to the doctor for my one month checkup. I lost 23 lbs and felt great. My second month started and I gained 3 lbs back by going back to my normal eating habits. I have now found a eating plan that works for me and keeps me full. I'm watching calories, fat, and carbs and upping protein. I exercise everyday. This has been the past 3 days and I have lost about .5-1 lbs a day. Have lost 35 lbs so far. The pill is to help you into a healthier lifestyle, not to be used as a crutch. You can't just not eat. You have to eat healthier and get into a habit of just eating healthier. I also suggest weaning yourself off of it during your last 30 days because people who take the pill are at risk for dependency. My biggest side effects were major mood swings (highs and lows), dry mouth, and irregular blood pressure. Make sure to stop taking the medication and consult your doctor if you experience anything "funny" going on with your heart. Good luck on your journey!
  • sowinstead
    sowinstead Posts: 13 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.
    agreed. it makes me randomly hostile at times.
  • zenjenn
    zenjenn Posts: 16 Member
    Well, that was short-lived. After 3 days of taking it I started to experience some mild chest tightness/aches. I called the doc to report it as the drug literature advised, and he told me to stop taking it immediately. He seemed very pro-phentermine when he prescribed it so he I guess that symptom is nothing to screw around with. No real danger after 3 days, he said, but definitely stop.

    I guess it was worth a shot.
  • bnelly55
    bnelly55 Posts: 88 Member
    I took it for 7 months and lost 100 lbs in those 7 months. The only side effects I had was dry mouth and constipation. As people have said, it's not a magic pill and you must eat healthy and exercise or the weight will come right back on when you finish taking it. Just adopt a healthy lifestyle (sounds like you have) and you'll do great on it. I went off of mine cold turkey and I had no withdrawal symptoms at all. I felt totally fine. Go for it. Just make sure your doctor monitors you closely while on it.
  • sukatx
    sukatx Posts: 103
    I was on it for three months last year and lost a lot of weight. The purpose of the medication is to help suppress your appetite while you learn healthy eating habits. People who report that they gain the weight back are often those that depend on the medication to lose the weight, and then go back to their old eating habits once they stop taking it. Anyone who loses weight and then goes back to unhealthy eating and exercise habits will gain weight back. Personally, I've kept my weight off for months and I'm still losing.
  • strecruit
    strecruit Posts: 2
    I worked in a clinic that was prescribing the phentamine several years ago when it was a big deal. I noticed the majority of the patients who had previously tried the medication and later stopped, gained the weight back plus more. Ask your pharmacist for
    literature on the medication, look at the side effects. Perhaps a second opinion from another physician may be helpful.
  • sarabethlives
    sarabethlives Posts: 4
    I took it for a little over a month and it was great during that time. The problem I had is that it increased my blood pressure so I couldn't continue to take it. It also made me very thirsty but that helped me drink enough water every day. Every doctor that I know that prescribes it watches you very carefully while you are on the drug and will take it away immediately if they see adverse side effects.
  • Pinky1147
    Pinky1147 Posts: 105
    I was on it for three months last year and lost a lot of weight. The purpose of the medication is to help suppress your appetite while you learn healthy eating habits. People who report that they gain the weight back are often those that depend on the medication to lose the weight, and then go back to their old eating habits once they stop taking it. Anyone who loses weight and then goes back to unhealthy eating and exercise habits will gain weight back. Personally, I've kept my weight off for months and I'm still losing.

    completely agree! So many blame their gains on other things when its their eating habits. I took it a long time ago and did lose weight. I stopped taking it and gained my weight back. A lot people tried telling me it was bc I took it. I was very honest and upfront and admitted it wasnt that, I just started eating bad again.
  • litnerd4life
    litnerd4life Posts: 19 Member
    I took it after I was done breastfeeding with both kids to help me lose the incredible amount of weight I gained (I balloon up while preggo). I have had nothing but good experiences. I only took it for a couple months both times, as that was enough to get the weight off. It didn't come back either time (except after I got pregnant the second time, obviously). I have found that if you use it as a tool with a healthy diet and exercise, the weight will not come back. It gets you used to eating less (although it isn't a miracle pill, after the first couple weeks the hunger does come back some), so that when you stop taking it you are set up for success. I didn't have any problems when stopping it. No withdrawels or anything. I also was lucky enough not to have side effects. I would take it around 10am, and by 9 or 10 that night, I was in bed sound asleep. I'm sure everyone is different, but it helped me. Good luck!
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