**WARNING! Please do not read further if you hate hearing/reading about bodily functions, everyday struggles, bad habits, etc. What I have to say is from my real experience, and I am not going to sugar coat what I am going through on this journey -- and especially not on this post. This is meant for information in general and on the side effects written for other people interested in or currently taking Phentermine - based on my experience (and the experiences of some friends I know personally also taking it)**
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------So, everyone already knows (if you've read anything from my blog before this post) that I am taking Phentermine (PHEN, for short). PHEN is a psychostimulant drug, similar to amphetamine, that is approved by the FDA and is used to increase energy and focus and to decrease fatigue and appetite.
Here is a link to the wiki on phentermine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Originally, and most commonly, PHEN is approved for and prescribed for short-term use to obese and morbidly obese persons who need an appetite suppressant (in combination with eating right, drinking LOTS of water, exercising, etc. --- a lifestyle change) to lose weight. I found out about PHEN from a friend who took it to lose about 30 pounds over a few months, and I wanted to know more...
There is a lot of information about PHEN online, especially from online vendors and from websites offering the product or more information about side effects, etc. I did a lot of looking into it before deciding to take a pill commonly known as the legal "speed" (yes, like the drug!) I also learned that it is better if you get it from a doctor than an online resource -- ONLINE PURCHASING: DON'T DO IT --- BUY IT FROM A LOCAL DOCTOR ONLY!!!!!!
Anyways, I ended up going to Calorie Counter in Owasso.
CLICK HERE <previous post!> to get the scoop on Calorie Counter -- its contact info, hours, costs, requirements, etc.
Here is some basic information about physically taking PHEN and what I get out of it:
The doctor recommends taking 1/2 of the pill early in the morning and 1/2 later in the day for a few days if you have concerns about taking the pill or how it will effect you -- but I started off with and still do take my (entire) PHEN pill about 9 or 9:30 am every day. I thought about doing 1/2 at a time, but after reading some reviews I realized that it would effect me differently than taking the entire thing (read below for explanation) and I would rather take it all at once, early in the morning.
I don't get hungry throughout the day---- like at all. I have to remember to remind myself to eat, and if I do get hungry, its normally mid-late afternoon around 4 or 5. PHEN is really incredible -- for the FIRST time in my life (literally) I can go throughout the day without my tummy rumbling or me wanting to snack. I don't event take lunch at work anymore because I don't even THINK about food. Its seriously incredible.
Okay, so that is the jist of information about PHEN and taking the pill... now let me get down to the nitty gritty --- what all of you that are interested in taking PHEN want to know. Many people have asked me about all of this in a private email/message, so I thought I would address it all together. If you have more questions, feel free to still message/email/text me/whatever!
I am not shy or weird about being open and talking about anything at all really.. (the good, the bad, the gross, the ugly, etc.) so I am going to say it how it is, use yucky words, and talk openly with you about the side effects I have had and do have with taking PHEN. I hope you learn from my personal experience and do your own research before deciding if you want to/don't want to taken PHEN if you are on a weight loss journey like myself.
*Names have been changed to protect the innocent -- or at least kept anonymous for personal reasons. However, all the people I talk about are real people I talk to and know personally -- Nothing fake here -- only the REAL DEAL, ladies and gentlemen!
Here they are:
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- Heightened awareness of energy -- I don't feel jittery (like *SARA did) but I really don't have a big reaction to caffeine like normal people. I can drink redbull and coffee and, while it does give me a bit more energy, I do not get shaky or jittery and I can literally fall asleep right after a few cups of coffee! Ha! However, I do have this weird amount of energy from PHEN that I almost can describe as like energy flowing through my veins? I don't know -- its so strange! Its just like my body is always ready to move and do something. Almost a tingle or a fuzz feeling in my veins, but not --- I wish I could tell you exactly, but I don't know how... It isn't a scary feeling or bad, it is just different.
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- Sleep loss -- About the first 2-3 weeks of taking the pill I definitely lost sleep. Maybe it was because of the energy? Like I mentioned earlier, the doctor mentioned that if you take 1/2 now and 1/2 later, that it would allow you to see changes and make adjustments depending on the way that it makes you feel. However, the pill gives you so much energy, I was afraid to wait longer in the day to take the other half for fear that I might not sleep. I did lots of reading online about user reviews and experiences, and many said taking the full pill wasn't bad at all, and that it actually worked better for them in terms of seeing results, and that it was better because they could use the energy the full pill gave them throughout the day so they could sleep easier/better at night. I recommend taking the ENTIRE pill the earlier in the morning you can (I do mine at 9:30 every day) because it gives you a lot of energy. If you need to go to bed at like 10, you might not be tired or able to fall asleep at all until 2-3am or later in the morning, especially when you first start taking it. It was really a struggle at first. Even if I could lay in bed and fall asleep, I had trouble staying asleep. There for about a week or so I woke up every morning at about 3am and not be able to go to back to sleep. I had to fix this issue --- I sure do love sleeping! I have another friend with sleeping problems so I asked her about how she goes to sleep -- she said go to walmart and buy generic Unisom (non-habit-forming and only $4!) and take one or two an hour or two before you need to go to sleep. Sure enough, they work like a charm. One didn't do much for me; then I tried taking two, about an hour before bed. Taking two allows me to fall asleep pretty easily once they really kick in. I definitely recommend looking into them. I will never go without them for the rest of my life -- even if I'm not on PHEN. They really did help met get sleepy, fall asleep, and stay asleep when I normally couldn't because I had so much energy. I still have to take them sometimes... especially if I am not tired at all after a workout. Mostly, the bulk of my sleeping issues were in the first couple weeks or month.
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- Heartbeat -- Definitely a more noticeable change/side effect for me would be my heartbeat. I think it is ULTRA important for anyone taking PHEN (or any other medication, for that matter) to monitor their body, know what is normal, and check for differences that could be caused by that medication. This was something that I noticed right away. Near the end of month one until about the end of month two, I would (occasionally) have a deep, hard, loud heartbeat. Normally I, personally, cannot "hear" my own heartbeat unless I have ran or some something to make it beat louder/harder. However, sometimes randomly I would just be sitting at my desk and my heart would beat three or four times, really hard, really slowly, and I could hear it in my head. It was strange, and scary at first. Heart palpitations are also listed as a known side effect --- one that isn't too bad, definitely noticeable though. Heart palpitations are common and happen many times in people in good health. I wondered about this -- and learned that as long as I know my body and will go to a doctor if it happens on a more regular basis or distracts me from what I am doing, then I should be okay. Hopefully this is correct. I mentioned it to the doctor, and they said I was healthy -- so I am not too worried about it. They have also basically stopped -- I cant remember the last time I felt one... so that's good too!
- Constipation/Stomach cramps -- A somewhat serious side effect that I have had is being able to use the restroom, specifically, going poo (#2)! Ha! ..This also gave me some wonderful stomach cramps! Booo!! Many posts are online about this, and it is listed as a specific side effect of the medication -- *SAM and I both had this problem as well. It's like at first everything is fine (or whatever your "normal" is) and then after you really lose your appetite and slow down eating (because you're never hungry and you 'e no longer thinking about food) your metabolism slows slightly. Of course, it is also sped up because that's what the pill does and gives you more energy. Aaaaanyyways, its like you eat less and your body freaks out and really, for about weeks 2 and 3 I was constantly bloated feeling and barely ever went to the bathroom other than to pee. I was losing weight but didn't feel good --- and I didn't know what was going on. I searched around and realized that the pill could be the culprit of my feeling gross and causing my inability to regularly go #2, and decided to get the 4$ bottle of equate walmart (haha I love cheap stuff!!!) stool softener. I took it once and everything was basically fine after. I've taken it a few more times too. Really, its just remembering to eat less but to actually eat that really helps. I also try to, when I noticed that I've accidentally skipped lunch (I SWEAR IT HAPPENS because I don't think about food all the time and I'm not hungry) that I eat a Fiber One - Oats and Chocolate bar. They are suuuuper delicious and definitely help to regulate your digestive system. When *SAM figured this out she was glad to know that I already had solved (basically) the problem and she told me she has been eating them basically every day for breakfast. Its really good for you and healthy to get the healthy fiber --- and definitely helps if you encounter this side effect. Basically, just remember to eat (if you don't your digestive tract will slow down... bad news!) and when you can, take a fiber supplement!
- Dry mouth & Cheek biting -- Ugh. Ive always heard of the side effect "dry mouth" on pills and for medications -- but I had, in almost 25 years of life, not experienced it at all. I mean, sure, Ive been thirsty before, but I definitely haven't experienced a "cotton mouth" as a side effect......UNTIL NOW!! My mouth is sooo dry. All the time. like seriously---ALLLL THEEEE TIIIIIIMEEE!! Its not dry like "I need a drink" dry, but is more than that. I have to constantly drink water, have something around me, and I have even ended up keeping gum and mints and little sours in my purse with me at all times because my mouth gets sooo dry I have do eat something to keep it moist. It is really irritating. One SUUUUPER annoying <BAD!> habit that I have developed from this dry-mouth is cheek biting. I don't know why I do it. I have to move my mouth to the left and to the right... I cant control it and I never ever used to do it. My cheeks are irritated and dry -- even though I keep things in my mouth and I drink a lot. I definitely need to talk to the doctor about it next time I go get a refill. My boyfriend notices it and teases me, but it really bothers me. I know it looks goofy, switching my mouth from side to side --- but, more importantly, it is bad for my mouth! I have a greater chance of damaging my skin cells, damaging saliva glands, and really, who wants to chew on their cheeks?! Ugh. Like I said, I never used to do this --- and it started only a few weeks after I started taking PHEN, about how long it took for the sever dry mouth to kick in. If I get some answers from the doctor or find anything else out I will keep you updated!
For now, that is pretty much the bulk of any issues that I have/did have when taking PHEN. I really hope that you use this information, along with research you do on your own, before you take PHEN as well as take notice of these things if you are already on or getting ready to start PHEN. Even if this isn't the last of it, or if I resolve my silly dry mouth issues, I will definitely update this!
For me, these side effects are worth the journey that I am on and are worth dealing with to give me more energy and less of an appetite to help give me that little more motivation and boost to lose weight.
Feel free to email/comment/message me about any other questions that you may have
--- or really anything else at all! I am an open book! =)
Looks like you have done your research.. Love your site.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gabe! I appreciate it! ;)
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