Phentermine Weight Loss

Phentermine: Amphetamine for Weight Loss 

More than two-thirds of American adults carry more than fifteen extra pounds on their frames or have Body Mass Indexes more than 10% over their ideal. In other words, two out of three Americans are, by clinical standards, obese.  

In 2009, obesity will pass cigarette smoking as the number one cause of preventable death in the United States; and obesity already represents the leading contributor to higher costs for healthcare. Responding to the epidemic, dieticians, physicians, and biochemists continue developing and conducting clinical tests with a variety of weight-loss medications. Phentermine, now FDA approved, stands out as the most promising of the new drugs. 

What Is Phentermine? 

Phentermine is a relatively new amphetamine developed for treatment of obesity. In clinical trials, phentermine accelerated participants’ weight loss by approximately one pound per week over the effects of placebo. Phentermine increases metabolism and suppresses appetite, making it appropriate for use in combination with behavior modification, a low-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, and a program of regular daily exercise. The manufacturers and researchers do not recommend the drug’s use without other weight-loss treatment, because it may trigger high-blood pressure. Although psychiatrists frequently prescribe amphetamines for treatment of ADHD and bipolar syndrome, The FDA has not tested or licensed Phentermine for treatment of those conditions. 

You May Take Phentermine If… 

You have a Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 30 kilograms per square meter; your physician may prescribe Phentermine for a slightly lower BMI if you present other risk factors—high blood pressure or diabetes, for example. (You can find BMI charts at popular medical websites.)  

Researchers have not precisely determined how much weight you should lose while you take the drug, but physicians and nutritionists generally recommend that a combination of healthy diet, proper exercise, and drug therapy should result in steady loss of two-to-three pounds per week. You may lose up to seven pounds during your first week of comprehensive weight loss treatment, because you will shed water weight, and your increased metabolism may increase the rate at which you eliminate digestive wastes. If you lose more weight than the guidelines suggest, your physician may change your dosage or completely alter your medication, because excessive weight loss suggests a negative reaction to phentermine without prescription, and it may put your heart at risk. 

You may not take phentermine if you suffer anxiety disorders or have a history of manic episodes. Similarly, patients with histories of drug abuse—particularly the use of crystal methamphetamine—should not take Phentermine. If you suffer high cholesterol, serious constrictions of your veins and arteries, high blood pressure or any kind of cardio-vascular disease, Phentermine may aggravate these conditions, triggering heart attack or stroke. Glaucoma patients and patients with histories of idiosyncratic reactions to amphetamines cannot take Phentermine. If you have taken monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MOAI’s), you must wait fourteen days before beginning treatment with Phentermine. And preliminary research suggests you should not take Phentermine in combination with many commonly prescribed anti-depressants. 

Phentermine Risks 

Most physicians will prescribe Phentermine for approximately thirty-days at the beginning of a comprehensive weight-loss program. Because it boosts your metabolism and suppresses your appetite, Phentermine accelerates your weight loss during your program’s first month, when you need to see results in order to sustain your motivation. The drug does not so dramatically burn calories and erase excess pounds that you will see inches disappear overnight, but it will contribute significantly to your steady weight loss in accordance with your doctor’s wishes. 

Like all amphetamines, Phentermine carries significant risk of creating drug-dependency in people who use it. If you have difficulty withdrawing from the drug at the end of your thirty-day prescription, contact your physician, who will assist you with restoration of your body’s chemical equilibrium.