Back to All Posts

What is Phentermine?

October 18, 2016

Phentermine is a diet pill that is used in conjunction with diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle to help people lose weight. It's typically prescribed to individuals who are obese or in danger of health complications due to their weight.

How Phentermine Works

No one's completely sure how phentermine helps you lose weight. What scientists do know about phentermine is that it is an appetite suppressant, but it may not affect people's weight significantly or have any effect on metabolism.Phentermine is a prescription drug, so always follow the instructions your doctor gives you. Most courses of phentermine only last a few weeks, and typically you don't take any other weight loss drugs or appetite suppressants at the same time.

What You'll Notice Using Phentermine

When you're on phentermine, you might notice a decrease in appetite. Over the course of your regimen, you may also notice an increase in energy and a decrease in weight.You may also experience some side effects while you're on phentermine. These include:

  • dizziness
  • difficulty sleeping
  • dry mouth
  • irritability

Less common side effects include muscle twitches and mood changes. If any of these side effects appear, a doctor should be contacted immediately.There may be withdrawal symptoms if phentermine is abruptly stopped. For this reason, a doctor should always be contacted if medication is stopped. Although a doctor may say to taper off use of the drug, rather than stopping it suddenly.

The Controversy Over Phentermine

While phentermine is approved by the FDA for healthy people who want to lose weight, it's drawn some attention in recent years. Notably, phentermine was one of the ingredients in fen-phen (fenfluramine/phentermine), a drug that researchers linked to serious valvular heart problems in the 1990s.Fen-phen was eventually removed from the market. Researchers eventually determined that these heart problems were linked to fenfluramine, not phentermine. The FDA removed fenfluramine from the market, as well, but doctors still consider phentermine safe when taken as prescribed. Phentermine is still regularly prescribed as a weight-loss drug.When combined with exercise and a healthy diet, phentermine can be a safe, effective way to lose weight. Patients looking for phentermine in Austin should contact a doctor or a weight loss clinic for more information about this medication.

If you're interested in learning more about our weight loss plans, get in touch with Blue Tree Health today to speak with one of our doctors about the right options for you. Contact us to schedule an appointment!

Begin Your Weight Loss Journey!

If you’re ready to feel like yourself again, Blue Tree Health can help! We offer comprehensive weight loss programs that are custom-made for you and your goals. On top of that, we also offer body contouring treatments, vitamin shots, and food sensitivity tests. So whether it’s 10 pounds or up to 100 pounds, Blue Tree Health is here to help you lose the weight!