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Can you ever lose that extra weight?

Losing weight is not an easy thing to do. Some are successful but majority of the people who have weight problems find it difficult to shed off those extra pounds. Friends and relatives are all suggesting all sort of weight loss and diet programs and you, eager to lose weight, would want to try all of them. But of course, that is not practical. The effectiveness of diet programs vary because some factors come into play such as body type and metabolism. It could be that the diet plan that you choose may work for you and not work for another.

The fastest way to lose weight is considered by many to be through the use of diet pills. These pills can suppress your appetite. You will feel full easily. The foods that you cannot resist before will no longer have the same tantalizing effect on you. There have been a number of success stories from the use of diet pills such as phentermine.

The effectiveness of the diet pill is dependent on the manufacturer and the consumer. This is because there are some unscrupulous companies that only have the minimum number of weight loss chemicals in their product. This means that the effectiveness of the product is also minimal even though you are paying a high price for these. These companies may be found in places such as Mexico and even India since it is dependent on the control measures implemented by the government on diet pill manufacturers.

The makers of Phentermine consider the drug as a success since these are primarily used for the reduction of weight in obese people. 

Unfortunately there are multiple pros and cons that are normally included in any weight loss pill and even in over-the-counter medication. The reason for this is that there are contra indications in each additional pill that you try to include in your weight loss program. This is the main factor in having you thoroughly checked out by a reputable diet professional since a simple mistake can lead to a fatal death.

What is Phentermine?

Phentermine is a highly addictive drug that belongs to the family of amphetamines. This drug is popular as an appetite suppressant wherein it acts on your central nervous system. However, this drug achieves its best effect when coupled with the right amount of diet and exercise.

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, you are highly advised to take this drug to improve your quality of life. Your diseases can be a good excuse to lose weight and take phentermine.

Brief History of Phentermine

It was in 1959 that Phentermine was first approved by the FDA. The primary use for the drug was for weight loss. But there is another thing that this drug can do: increase your energy levels. Phentermine became popular for this reason because women wanted to maximize their time and juggle their work, family, and social lives. Like some other drugs, Phentermine was abused and misused by people who really did not need to lose weight. The drug caused mood swings among some patients.

Drug-drug Interaction

Phentermine requires prescription as it can be addictive. Before taking in this drug, your doctor must make sure that your body does not have other drugs that can cause a drug interaction with phentermine. The following are the medications that you or your health care provider needs to note before taking in phentermine:

  • furazolidone (Furozone)
  • phenelzine (Nardil)
  • selegiline (Elderpryl)
  • ocarboxazid (Marplan)
  • emsam (Zelapar)
  • rasagiline (Azilect)
  • tranylcypromine (Parnate)

These drugs need to be out of your system for at least 14 days to avoid any serious drug interaction that can be fatal. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare lung disorder that can result from the interaction of phentermine and fenflyuramine (Phen-Fen). The most important thing to remember is this: do not take phentermine without letting your doctor know. There are some very serious side effects that can cost you your life. Always check with an expert before medicating.

When mixed with alcohol, phentermine can cause impaired thought process. That is why it is never advisable to take in alcohol when you are under this medication. Your reaction is slowed down and you will be a threat to yourself and to others within your range.

Other Dangerous Drugs

Phentermine has a number of contraindicated drugs that include over-the-counter medicine and even herbal products. This makes it much more important to inform your diet clinic professional or a doctor about the current drugs that you are taking so that any life threatening side effect will not be a possible occurrence in the future.

The blood pressure products are some of the most dangerous and these include the following:

  • doxazosin (Cardura)
  • terazosin (Hytrin)
  • prazosin (Minipress)

Some common anti-depressant drugs may also be included in the list such as:

  • fluoxetine (Prozac)
  • Sarafem (Symbyax)
  • citalopram (Celexa)
  • sertraline (Zoloft)
  • parozetine (Paxil)

If you are taking any of these medications, make sure your doctor knows about it before you move forward in using phentermine.

Requirements before it can be prescribed

The use of Phentermine is best prescribed with a strict diet, plenty of exercise and a personalised weight control program so that you will be able to achieve the weight loss target safely. A doctor that prescribes phentermine for weight loss needs to ensure that the patient is careful in his or her use since the weight loss program is designed strictly for him/her alone.

This means that you are not allowed to share your weight loss medicines with other people since these are not designed for the weight loss of others. Each weight loss program is personalised. Just because it works for you does not mean it will work for everybody else. Considering that phentermine can be addictive, it is best to ensure that your phentermine use is carefully tracked by counting the number of tablets taken and those remaining in the bottle.

The care and maintenance by a doctor must be ensured so that they can track your progress in order to slowly wean you from the drug. The reason for the slow decrease in phentermine use is that it needs to be slowly removed from the body to minimize the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that normally occur in addictive drugs. The doctor will help you ensure that there will only be minimal withdrawal effects when the phentermine needs to be stopped.

Current Medical Conditions

If you have Diabetes, Kidney disease, Thyroid disorder and High blood pressure, you will not be able to or be a candidate for phentermine use. Other medical conditions that may be included in the prevention of phentermine use are:

  • Severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
  • If you have a previous allergic reaction to other diet pills, this includes the use of cold medication, stimulants, and amphetamines.
  • An overactive thyroid.
  • If there is a previous incidence of congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, pulmonary hypertension or heart rhythm problems.
  • Current use of agitation drugs.
  • Glaucoma
  • Currently pregnant or breast feeding.
  • A previous or current history of drug and alcohol abuse.

How to Safely Take Phentermine

The correct dosage given by the doctor must not be adjusted to a greater or smaller dosage when you are taking it. The reason is that volatile changes in dosage or extending its use for an additional few days could severely affect your health. The prescribed use or directions must be strictly followed so that danger of misuse is prevented. The minimum amount of time required between taking the drug and eating breakfast is thirty minutes. But there are some drug derivatives that may be taken at a maximum of two hours.

The maximum amount of time that the phentermine can be safely taken is only a few weeks since long term use can be considered dangerous. The doctor will also teach you on how to slowly wean from the use of phentermine so that the withdrawal symptoms are minimized to prevent drug abuse.

Drug Storage

The drug must be safely stored at room temperature and kept away from high humidity, moisture and heat. The high moisture content of the environment can significantly affect the diet pills since it can weaken the protective coating of each tablet and make it lessen its efficacy. The side effect of a compromised tablet can increase your hunger which may mean that the drug is not working properly. Even if you think that your appetite suppression is weakened, you are still not allowed to change the dosage since it may cause an increased number of side effects which may be fatal. It is best to take the drug before 6:00 pm in order to minimize changes in sleeping patterns.

Overdosing on Phentermine

You must strictly adhere to the schedule of taking the allowable dosage in a day. This means that you can take a missed dose as soon as possible unless if the time ranges between remembering and the next dosage is more than 2 hours. If it less than 1 hour then it is advisable to take the next scheduled dose. This is not a make-up type of case where you can take two dosages in one sitting. The reason for this is that this is a dangerous drug which can increase the danger of an overdose.

Overdoses of this drug could be fatal and therefore seeking the fastest emergency medical attention is best. The number for the Poison help line is at 1-800-222-1222.

Some symptoms of overdose that you should be aware of are the following:

  • Hallucinations
  • Overactive reflexes and
  • Fainting or Feeling light-headed
  • Nausea
  • Hostile and aggressive behavior
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Rapid breathing
  • Irregular heartbeats
  • Confusion
  • Panic
  • Stomach cramps
  • Seizure or convulsions

Side Effects

Some of the more severe side effects which may be considered as fatal are:

  • Allergic reaction to the drug
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Swelling of the lips, tongue, throat or face
  • Hives

Other less serious side effects that only needs the attention of the doctor are:

  • Shortness of breath due to a mild exertion
  • Feeling of light headedness inclusive of Chest pains
  • Pounding heartbeats or flutters in the chest cavity
  • Swelling of feet and ankles
  • Extreme volatility in mood swings
  • Irritable or easily confused
  • high blood pressure reaction, this includes buzzing in the ears, anxiety, chest pain, shortness of breath, severe headache, seizures, shortness of breath and blurred vision

The list is not comprehensive since there are other side effects that can be included in the future. It is therefore best to keep updated with your doctor with regards to other side effects which are considered minor such as:

  • Restless or hyperactive reaction
  • Sleeping problems that primarily includes insomnia
  • Dry mouth and an unpleasant taste in the mouth
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Levels of interest in sex
  • Dizziness, headaches and tremors

Product Dosage

The minimum age requirement before the phentermine is prescribed is at 16 years of age. This can also be prescribed to minors 12 years and older but it has to be carefully tracked or examined. The drug is given three times a day using an initial dose of 8 mg which needs to be orally taken 30 minutes before meals. The prescription of phentermine hydrochloride and phentermine resin can be given orally using a dosage range of 15 to 37.5 mg. If the drug is given once a day this must be taken before you eat breakfast or 10-14 hours before you will rest for the day.

The dose for first time adult users is also at 8 mg which will be taken orally 30 minutes before meals. The dose will be taken three times a day. If you are not comfortable with this time schedule then the doctor can prescribe phentermine hydrochloride and phentermine resin since it can be used once a day with a 15 to 37.5 mg dose to be taken before breakfast or 10-14 hours before resting for the day.

DEA Ban on Online Sales in 2005

The misuse of the drug led to the DEA banning it from being sold online in 2005. The requirement to purchase a drug online was very lax. You can simply come up with a consultation form and you can easily buy Phentermine. Sellers no longer check the authenticity of the document and it is for this reason that phentermine is no longer allowed to be sold online.

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