Has anyone been put on Adipex-P?

[jenm2878]

My Dr. just prescibed this for me but I am having trouble finding much information on it. Has anyone been on it and does it work?

I don't wish to start a debate about weight-loss drugs, I would just like to hear more about this pill.

I have been 20-30 lbs overweight for most of my life. I eat healthy, have low blood pressure, work out 1hr a day 5-6 days a week, haven't even had a cold in 5 years, etc. I just can't seem to make the weight budge unless I become nearly anorexic or work out for 4-5 hours a day. After two months on Weight Watchers and only losing 2 lbs (yes, I followed it exactly), my Dr. suggested me trying the Adipex-P for a month to try to 'jump start' my metabolism. I was just wondering if this has worked for anyone - I hate to take medication unnecessarily.

I asked this on the WISH board but have yet to gt a response.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JadenLayne]

There are so many side effect with diet pills. Some serious and heart related. Your Dr. should have informed you about those before subscribing the medicine. I am also overweight and really wish there was a safe answer like diet pills but in all honesty there isn't. I took them once and lost a great deal of weight very quickly but I also ended up in the hospital because the thought of eating ANYTHING made me sick. It wasn't that I wasn't eating it was that I couldn't eat. Anyway I'm sorry I just don't think someone 20-30 pounds overweight and healthy should resort to something like Adipex. Will it work, yep, healthily, no. Good luck though whatever you decide.

 

[ugadog99]

I, too, lost a great deal of weight with pills. As is the case with many, my weight is back on. I didn't learn to eat healthy because the pills made me not want to eat. Once I came off the pills, I didn't know how to eat to maintain the weight loss. Additionally, the pills made me CRAZY-literally. It was so bad that my family considered committing me to a mental health facility. Once I came off the pills, my personality was restored. As much as I have to lose weight, it won't be with the aid of diet pills again. I have already begun a healthier choice diet with exercise and am seriously considering weight watchers. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Perhaps you will not have the same problems.

 

[jenm2878]

I'm only taking 1/2 a pill a day for a month. I have an appointment at the end of August and we're going to reaccess. I am eating healthy with Weight Watchers and am sticking to it - it just doesn't work. The last time I was able to lose weight was right after my DH and I bought our house. From the time we came home from work until the time we went to bed + all day on the weekends we were remodeling the house. We were too busy to worry about eating, and were probably only consuming between 1000-1200 calories a day. I just can't spend that amount of time working out. I hate taking medicines unnecessarily, so I'm hoping that this month will be enough to kick start my metabolism.

 

[PAdisMOM]

I've been taking Adipex since March. I'm sorry, but I don't kmow what Adipex P is. I also didn't like the idea of taking medication and even though several people in my family lost 50+ lbs each using it, I stubbornly kept insisting that I could do it without meds. After a couple of years of trying and failing on my own I started Adipex. My main side effects- dry mouth and constipation. I have been losing weight more slowly than the other people in my family did, but that's because I'm not trying to starve myself. I'm trying to use this time and the help of the medication to retrain myself to eat properly. I've lost 25 pounds. That's not much for 4 month, but I'm happy with my progress.

Good luck to you! PM me if you have any questions. It's sometimes hard to talk about your experience with diet pills because people have such strong feelings about them.

 

[JadenLayne]

Here is some information I found online, this is the part that would concern me, especially if you aren't excessively overweight and if you are healthy,

This drug can cause a rare but potentially fatal condition called primary pulmonary hypertension. Call your doctor immediately if you develop such warning signs as chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting spells, or swollen ankles.

and this part too,

Adipex-P, an appetite suppressant, is prescribed for short-term use (a few weeks) as part of an overall weight reduction program that also includes dieting, exercise, and counseling. The drug is for use only by excessively overweight individuals who have a condition--such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol--that could lead to serious medical problems.

Here is the link to the entire article,
http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/adi1566.htm


I just don't see risking my health worth it. If I had the high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. then I would consider it but not if I was healthy. I do wish you luck though.

 

[HockeyChick]

Adipex and Adipex-P are the same thing.

If you're not morbidly obese with one or more major health threatening conditions, (diabetes, hypertension) your doctor is actually violating FDA approved prescribing giving you the med. Not that they don't do that all the time. It also shouldn't be prescribed for longer than 12 weeks.

Just be aware, there are very serious risks and it is addictive. It is an amphetamine-like medication. It is related to methamphetamine.

Fen-phen (this is the Phen portion...phentermine) was pulled off the market as a weight-loss drug for good reason. When it was, it was discovered that something like a third of the people who had been taking it had some heart valve abnormalities.

It will not kick-start your metabolism. It works by keeping your brain in a state of fight or flight so you sort of forget you're hungry.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.


BTW, 25 pounds in 4 months is PLENTY to lose. About 50 pounds in a year is what's considered a healthy weight-loss time frame.

 

[taekwondo mom]

If you type in the generic name you can find more info.


http://phentermine.drugs.com/

http://www.answers.com/topic/phentermine?cat=health

 

[m&m's mom]

I was on Phentermine after the birth of DD 7 years ago. Lost a lot of weight (yes, gained it back) and the only think I did not like was I was too hyped up to sleep. I swear I went 4 months on 4 hours of sleep a night.

 

[marymouse]

If you go to Phentermine.com you will find a good message board like this one with tons of information about Apidex (generic Phentermine). I am finishing my last month and have lost 32lbs since April 9. It has changed my whole attitude toward food and I am confidant that I can continue with my new way of life.
Good luck, it has really changed my way of life.

Mary

 

[jenm2878]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer my question. I'm only going to take the meds for a month and see what happens. No matter what the results I'm not going to take them for more then a month.

While I'm not obese and don't have high blood pressure or cholesterol, my doctor is worried because I am at high risk for several different types of cancer. Both sets of grandparents, two aunts and my father all died from cancer. My Dr. knows I'm doing what I can to stay healthy, but bringing my weight down to a healthy range will help the odds. I didn't mean to make it sound like he was some sort of quack who handed out pills at random.

 

[HockeyChick]

One suggestion....I might get some baseline heart tests, just to monitor for any problems. I'm a drug person not a test person, but a nice imaging test to take a look at your heart valves (ultrasound, I'd assume) is what I'm thinking. Couldn't hurt.