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Phentermine – heard of it before? Well if not, it’s a very, very popular diet pill. It impacts on your central nervous system and boosts your metabolism. And what must sound like music to the ears of overweight people, it stops the accumulation of fat.
This top-selling diet wonder drug is apparently cheap, but for some people who think it’s easy to get hold of as well, it’s not so. It’s no over the counter drug; it works for those who need to lose weight, but your doctor needs to prescribe it for you.
Today, dieting is a national obsession, a multibillion-dollar industry. Did you know that just about a quarter of all American people say they are on a diet currently and that half of those on diets are overweight?
Many people cannot seem to realize that if they change their lifestyles and eat nutritious meals, get involved in exercising, cut out sugar and all the bad fats, etc. they could become slim and healthy without the use of diet pills.
It is actually sad to say that there is one weight loss strategy that can really do a lot more harm to your body than it can do well, and that is diet pills. In saying that, however, the Food and Drug Administration has in recent years approved a whole lot of weight loss drugs – and one of the bestselling diet pills in the USA is not amongst them;
Fastin, the former brand name for phentermine, is no longer available in the USA. But phentermine remains a controlled substance, only to be taken for not more than three weeks. You could say that phentermine is the mother of all appetite suppressant drugs.
It has helped thousands get out of obesity, and it can help you too, but you need to consult your doctor. Today it has still not lost its charm of giving the required desired results.
How Effective Is Phentermine
Phentermine, to put it simply, helps people to jump-start their diet, particularly for those who are obese. It is a stimulant that gives those who use it a high – an inexpensive high. You can imagine therefore that it has quite a long history of misuse.
But doctors have a good incentive to recommend phentermine. This drug is the mainstay of weight-loss clinics across the nation. It is prescribed by physicians who make big profits selling this pill to their patients. And those who are fans of phentermine exchange tips on social media sites and top health websites.
Users on these websites even talk to each other as “phrends” and share out the names of doctors who will easily prescribe it, no questions asked. Unfortunately says Carmen A. Catizone, the executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, there just isn’t enough resources to shut the people down that need to be shut down.
So Phentermine continues with its staying power, persisting, even with the FDA approval of a few other approved weight loss products since 2012. Phentermine today is made by quite a few different manufacturers. It commands 80% of the market for diet drugs, according to the company who tracks prescription drug usage, IMS Health.
In the 1990s, half of the phentermine was used in the sensation drug, fen-phen. But this was found to cause users some heart-valve problems. Others drugs added in the mix were fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, but these were also taken off the market.
The half part, phentermine, was not linked to the heart problems complained about, so it was allowed to remain available on the market. Patients who take phentermine today should be screened because it can intensify existing heart problems. Also, it can be abused by people who have eating disorders.
Sometimes the people who use phentermine develop a tolerance for it and then they require higher doses for it to be effective. For obese patients, it is approved only for short-term use in conjunction with an eating plan and an exercise plan for a healthy life.
In saying that, there are still doctors who do prescribe phentermine to their patients for long-term use – arguing that it is a safe practice. Many conclude that it is not addictive.
A Doctor Will Prescribe Phentermine To You
As mentioned above, phentermine is not difficult to get hold of. All you need to do is let your doctor know, mentioning that you want to try it. A good doctor will know the procedures he should follow so that you can have that prescription.
Your doctor’s office will tell you to come into the consulting rooms for an appointment, even if you were in his rooms a short while ago. He is actually not authorized to prescribe phentermine to you over the phone.
You need to go in physically to see him because health checks will need to be done, such as a blood test, a blood pressure test, and heart test. He will also want to go over other medications that you might be taking such as vitamins and supplements.
Before your prescription is issued, your doctor will ask you to come back to get the lab results. When your blood tests come back, and everything seems to be in order with you, you will be given your prescription, probably to last you for a month.
Doctors aren’t authorized to prescribe Phentermine for longer than a month which means you will have to go in and see him again and be evaluated if you want to continue with phentermine. That’s part of the requirements.
Those doctors who do not follow the proper procedures when prescribing phentermine could well lose their license to practice medicine, and they could even have some jail time.
Remember the case with Dr. Pynkerton Newton of Indianapolis, IN? There have been others too. So when you run out of phentermine, you will need to go back to your doctor to get the next month supply and so on.
If you are new to starting on a phentermine diet plan, your doctor will probably prescribe you a 15 mg dosage. Sometimes you will be given 7.5 mg that you will need to take twice a day or the 15 mg in the morning, just once.
Like any medicine, you will get used to taking Phentermine. Sometimes the dosage you are taking seems not to be as effective as it was before. If you want to continue though, you will need to let your doctor know, and he will be the one to prescribe a higher dosage for you.
In the USA, the highest dosage of Phentermine known to be 37.5 mg a day. In Australia, you get Duromine coming in at 40 mg.
Why Is Phentermine Only Available by Prescription?
Today, there is a worldwide ban on the trade of non-prescription phentermine. It is a scheduled four controlled substance in the USA. According to the FDA in the USA, any trading of phentermine without having a doctor’s authorization is considered illegal.
You are not even legally allowed to share your phentermine pills with your family members or your co-workers; nobody. If you are caught with phentermine without a prescription, it is a felony; treated in the same way as someone who has been found with illegal narcotics.
And if you give someone some phentermine and they have health complications, you are looking at a bigger offense in the legal department. Just know this – don’t share your phentermine with another soul!
Usually, phentermine is prescribed to those patients who have high BMI scores to stop them from overeating, helping them to lose weight. There will be some cases where the drug is prescribed to people who need to lose weight rapidly.
An example is gastric bypass surgery. For instance, if a patient is not qualified to have the surgery because they carry too much weight to go under the knife, then phentermine is prescribed ahead of the procedure, to bring weight under control to ensure safer results.
Sometimes, if a person’s weight dangerously impacts on their health, doctors will prescribe phentermine. This would ensure the patient lost weight in order to prevent even further health complications because of excessive weight.
But There Are Pros And Cons
It is estimated that on average, a person can lose at least one pound of weight each week. It is so effective that if you do not lose weight in the first week, you would need to address that problem with your doctor.
Unfortunately, some people experience phentermine side effects. Further tests will reveal why. While phentermine might seem like a “wonder pill”, all patients should ensure that they know about all the interactions, the precautions, the side effects, and other important details before they kick-start their diet. Knowing all the details helps patients to minimize their risk of experiencing these unwanted scenarios.
Pros
Gives you a kick-start to a diet that many speak of, but you still have to make healthy food choices.
You lose a significant amount of weight
Cons
You need a prescription. It’s different for everyone, but people say it doesn’t make them feel “nice” (emotional side effects). People with diabetes can experience sugar spikes.
If you take other medication, there can be negative reactions. You could experience nausea, headache, stomach cramps, and insomnia as mild side effects. More severe side effects could include vomiting, fainting, memory loss, erectile dysfunction, and addiction
Taking phentermine, you need to follow a proper diet with nutrients, and you also need to exercise regularly. If you don’t, you could experience some adverse effects, rather than the benefits.
What Age of Person Can Get Phentermine?
There are no age restrictions such as alcohol or tobacco when it comes to phentermine. You get some instances where even children receive phentermine prescriptions.
That will be at lower dosages though so as not to interfere with their development and create problems. Phentermine is prescribed regardless of your age.
You have to prove that your body won’t have any negative reactions from phentermine. The two main factors are other medications you might be taking and your blood pressure.
Is Phentermine Addictive?
Sure it is! It is addictive, and any kind of abuse can lead to physical and mental addiction. If you were to miss your dose and forget to take it on one of your days, then you mustn’t take a double dose to make up.
You stand the chance of becoming addicted or even harming yourself when you take excessive amounts. You could also become resistant to smaller dosages quicker too.
When you take extra phentermine, you are not going to improve your chances of losing weight any quicker. You need always to follow the directions given by your doctor.
Never try and snort phentermine or try and inject it into your body. You can experience some irreversible consequences if you do something like that.
You need to take phentermine only as directed by your doctor.
Generic Phentermine
Yes, you do get plenty of phentermine makers across the world out there. Some will fill the capsules with powder and sell it to the local pharmacies as Generic (a non-branded product) Phentermine.
Some will even offer branded products. The difference is release-mechanism or adding in other ingredients. In the US, there are two major brands of phentermine diet pills.
These are Vivus Qsymia, and the other is Adipex P. These offer their own proprietary release-mechanism. Both these branded products are effective, and your doctor will explain to you what your best option is.
You will also see a difference in the price. Generic phentermine can cost $20-$50 for a one month supply. The price of the generic Phentermine will depend on where you buy it from and also the number of milligrams each tablet or capsule will contain.
The highest price for generic Phentermine in the USA shouldn’t be greater than $50 for a month supply. If you are buying Adipex P or Qsymia, the cost will be quite a bit higher. A bottle of Adipex P can range from $100-$300 a bottle and Qsymia will go for between $300 -$500 per bottle.
Phentermine Works, But It’s Not Meant Forever
Remember that phentermine effects are temporary. In other words, medication effectiveness gradually subsides and will eventually disappear after a few months.
You need to realize that this therapy is not long-term and that is why it is important for the user to ensure that they create a good foundation of correct nutritious eating, dieting, and exercise.
If you are going to rely on the medicine only to lose weight, you can expect to gain it back once the phentermine effects have worn off.
Want To Come Off Phentermine?
There comes a time when you will need to stop or want to stop taking phentermine. You will need to be prepared for some more side effects. Naturally, your body becomes used to the energy, so coming off it, you might feel tired, even very tired. Fortunately, that will pass in a few days
Final thoughts
Look, this pill is not magic, but it does make you lose weight. The positive side, if we want to find some light in diet pills, is that this diet pill is also known to offer the feeling of happiness and elation, as well as known for providing some much-needed energy, particularly for those who are overweight.
There are thousands of people who are very happy with the weight loss they have achieved from taking phentermine. Of course, there are the negatives too; nasty things like anxiety, restlessness, mood swings headaches, insomnia.
Some symptoms are worse such as blurred vision, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, nausea. But because weight loss is such a multi-million dollar business, people are willing to “put up” with the negative effects if it can promise them a svelter look. There are some, though, who find the negative aspects too much to handle and overwhelming.
If you must kick-start your diet with phentermine, rather celebrate your new look afterwards by starting a new lifestyle of eating well and exercising to keep the weight off. Because real natural dieting with good food and exercise is the only game where you truly win when you lose!
