So my husband decided that he wants to lose weight and look better too. He went to his doctor and got a prescription for Phentermine. I never took this before my surgery and really know very little about it. I was never interested in weight loss medications so strong you need a prescription for. Does anyone have any experience they can share with me? Good or bad?

Unfortunately, yes. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and IT. WORKS. I lost 20lbs in like two weeks. BUT it made be so in unbelievably depressed, I’m talking suicidal thoughts depressed. I stopped taking it after those two weeks and told my doctor who told me that suicidal thoughts were a “very uncommon side effect.” But that was the only thing I changed about my lifestyle. I wasn’t interested in feeling like that.

Just now, veronica97 said:

Unfortunately, yes. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant and IT. WORKS. I lost 20lbs in like two weeks. BUT it made be so in unbelievably depressed, I’m talking suicidal thoughts depressed. I stopped taking it after those two weeks and told my doctor who told me that suicidal thoughts were a “very uncommon side effect.” But that was the only thing I changed about my lifestyle. I wasn’t interested in feeling like that.

Thank you! I'll make sure he knows to stay mindful of that as a potential side effect.

1 hour ago, KCgirl061 said:

Thank you! I'll make sure he knows to stay mindful of that as a potential side effect.

Read the informational inserts too. you find a lot of necessary information in them such as what foods you shouldn't eat with the medication or if there are vitamin interactions

1 hour ago, KCgirl061 said:

So my husband decided that he wants to lose weight and look better too. He went to his doctor and got a prescription for Phentermine. I never took this before my surgery and really know very little about it. I was never interested in weight loss medications so strong you need a prescription for. Does anyone have any experience they can share with me? Good or bad?

I took it years ago. It was the equivalent to speed. Once the prescription ends, your appetite comes back. It was not a long term solution for weight loss.

59 minutes ago, aisuru113 said:

Read the informational inserts too. you find a lot of necessary information in them such as what foods you shouldn't eat with the medication or if there are Vitamin interactions

Thanks I didn't know there were food interactions

Just now, KCgirl061 said:

Thanks I didn't know there were food interactions

I can't tell you if there are or not but reading the inserts will be helpful

I took it off and on for a few years and successfully lost 60lbs but no matter what I couldn't get below that. I stopped and very slowly gained it back until I started on a new antidepressant and my weight ballooned. The worst side effect I had with it was some insomnia.

I took it several times but was not able to maintain weight lost once off the drug.

It does decrease appetite but is a stimulant. It gave me dry mouth and the jitters but I was very productive.

Wow I feel so much better now. My doctor made me feel like I was the only person who had ever had negative side effects from it.

My wife took it off and on for a while and it definitely works as an appetite suppressant. I wasn't allowed to take it because of my heart condition at the time. She did pretty well while on it but it certainly isn't a long term answer. He will be able to cut weight but he will have to make the changes to his lifestyle as well. With the changes you have made maybe it could work however with y'all both working together though!

And hope he isn't like ME, the only I know of who actually gained 30 pounds while on it. I kept an accurate diet recond, mystified me and my PCP both. That's when I reached my HW of 365, Hurray I am 100 pounds lighter now, but have 85 to make my Dream Goal, maybe I am selling,my-self short but truly any point in onderland ,even if 195 would THRILL ME!

I have a strong opinion on this. I started taking Phentermine in 1996 or so. My doctor prescribed 37.5 pills two times a day, one at 8am and one at 3pm. I was about 40 pounds overweight. I was basically high all the time. It made me want to drink alcohol to level me out. He’d refill my script when I weighed as little as 115 pounds ( I am 5 foot tall so I was hardly overweight at 115).

Back in the 90’s-early 2000s I Could get it on the Internet easily so as they lost effectiveness I would buy it and take it from online vendors. An a point was taking four+ 37.5 mg a day.

Besides the fact that I felt like I was basically on crack, a couple of other things. They give you dry mouth and bad breath. For me the dry mouth led to gum recession. They also cause me back pain, heart palpitations, etc.

Phentermine makes me high and then irritable and then completely made me want to isolate myself from other people. But for me, being “hot” was always worth these risks. I was taking pills and counting calories at 97 pounds!

Around 2002, my now ex-husband got into them and took like 6 in one 24 hour period and had to be admitted to the ICU for 3 days. His pulse was racing at 200 for almost 2 straight days.

These days I don’t think any doctor their merit would write a prescription for two of those a day. It set me up for 20 years of weight loss and gain. I just stopped taking them in 2016. I literally took them off and on all those years. Not to that extreme of course. I put on about 30-40 pounds and for the last 10 years would take 1/2 to 1a day them to maintain that weight.

Anyway, That’s what led me to the surgery decision and ultimately to this forum. I will never live that way again.

That’s an extreme example (and an example of drug abuse/misuse) but that’s my truth. It’s a quick fix for a lot of people myself included. I’m sure there are some people that take them successfully but I was not one of those people. Hope I didn’t scare you; just wanted to share my story.

I only took it for one month although my prescription allowed for 3 months. It changed my personality. I'm generally pretty laid back. While I was on it I simmered with rage. I don't think it was apparent to others but Is was to me. I didn't like how it made me feel. I don't know if this is common or not. I had a similar personality change on Chantix so medications sometimes have that affect on me.

I had similar experiences as others in this thread. Totally worked for me, but only for about 30 pounds. Every time I stopped using it, I gained it back. Tried a few times and it eventually stopped working. I agree it's basically speed, but I loved it though because I was already on depression meds so I got all the good stuff and none of the bad stuff (except cotton mouth, which is where I learned to chug water!).

Phentermine works amazingly! I was put on it during my pre-op period, and it definitely does what it says it is going to do. As far as the depression goes, I already struggle with it, so I cannot really say if it was actually impacted by the medicine, because I see others have had issues with it. BUT. My experience was quite positive, and I would recommend giving it a try.