It’s that time of year again when everyone and their mother is starting a new diet or workout plan. ( I am no exception). What I’ve noticed recently is the huge increase of Spam email that I’m getting for the weight loss drug Phentermine.

Normally I get the odd 1-2 emails that slip past my spam filters and make it to my inbox. In the past 5 days however, I have received no less than 25 per day.

Why so many? Simply put it’s a numbers game and my spam filters have captured 8000 spam emails, that’s a 10 fold increase over normal rates so naturally the number that are getting through would also increase.

Looking at all these wasted emails it got me thinking about Phentermine, what it is and why it is so popular. If you don’t know by now I am against diet pills and do not recommend them unless your obesity situation is extreme.

What is Phentermine?

Phentermine is an appetite suppressant that is taken orally as a tablet or in capsule form. This drug is only available by prescription (legally anyway).

Phentermine works by “stimulating the hypothalamus gland and affecting certain neurotransmitters to decrease appetite” according to the manufactures website. “The hypothalamus is the region of the brain that controls the autonomic nervous system, regulating sleep cycles, body temperature, appetite, etc”

This is why many Phentermine users report insomnia, fatigue, hot flashes etc.. as you are messing with a gland that regulates all of this stuff.

Phentermine Side Effects

As with any drug Phentermine has its side effects and they can range from mild to sever to down right crazy. I am just going to list a few of the more notable ones (along with my smart ass comments).

Depression – You shouldn’t be sad when you’re losing weight!

Drowsiness/Tiredness – Usually because you are up all night or can’t sleep.

Increased blood pressure - Again, your blood pressure should be dropping as you are losing weight and becoming healthier, not the opposite.

These are listed as less common to rare:

Change in sexual desire - That could be a good thing for some of you

Clumsiness/Confusion/Blurred vision - As long as you look good does it really matter if you can’t see properly, drop stuff and have no idea where you are?

Nausea or Vomiting/Stomach pain - Lose weight by not being able eat and throwing up everything that does make it into you? Sounds a lot like my Lose 9 pounds in 4 days diet plan don’t you think?

This is my favorite one and has to do with the symptoms if you over dose on Phentermine, which is possible apparently.

Hostility with urge to attack – This is exactly the type of person I want in the gym with me when I forget to put the weights back on the rack or wipe down the treadmill!

In all seriousness, I don’t mean to make light of the serious side effects that this weight loss pill can produce. I just want you to be aware that taking Phentermine carries risks and in my opinion they are not worth the benefits of dropping a few extra pounds.

My Beef with Phentermine?

First let me be clear that I have never tried Phentermine so I am not a “user” and my experience with the drug is obviously limited. However, I do know people that have tried it and I’ve read a lot of postings in forums about the experiences that other Phentermine users have had with this weight loss pill.

What bothers me the most about Phentermine is that it is supposed to be used “in conjunction with diet, exercise, and behavior therapy” and even then it “may” help you lose weight. Which begs the question, If you are able to maintain a proper diet, a regular exercise plan and are working to change your behavior/habits then why do you need Phentermine at all?

You may be thinking, “well taking Phentermine will help me lose weight more quickly than diet and exercise alone” the answer is well yeah it probably will but not by the massive amounts you are thinking of.

Although I couldn’t find a ton of clinical studies about Phentermine and weight loss on the Pubmed government site, I did see one that showed a small amount (under 5 pounds) of additional weight loss when it was combined with another drug over a 24 week period vs. a placebo group. (do your own research though as I am not a Doctor)

The last thing I want to say about Phentermine and it’s effects follows this quote on how to take Phentermine: “Take Phentermine about 30 minutes to 1 hour before a meal” You know what else works just as well 30 minutes before a meal? Drinking a Bottle/Cup of water and it costs waaaaaay less. (Phentermine costs about $500-$600 for 180 pills, you do the math)

What are your thoughts, as I am sure there are many supporters of this weight loss pill and weight loss pills in general. Let me know in the comments below and I look forward to some interesting discussions.

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I have been dealing with my weight for 10 years now and I have tried a lot of different diet programs, read books and taken advice from trainers and other successful weight loss experts on and off line. So I think I have some pretty good knowledge when it comes to dieting and weight loss.

Right now there are 4 people in my life that are, what I consider to be fitness or dieting newbies and they are driving me crazy!!!

2 of them are having a lot of really great success 6 weeks into it as a result of a new years resolution. They are following a limited diet and working out 4-5 days a week. I am very proud of them and the effort they have put in. But….. I could do without the advice.

I guess they now consider themselves experts and are offering advice to me on what I am eating and how I’m exercising. I really do enjoy discussing stuff like that as I am passionate about it. But for me anyway it’s hard to take that advice because I have been there. I have been in that position where you are having a ton of success and feel like you are unstoppable. From my experience though it doesn’t last.

As much as I don’t want to see it happen I know they will plateau, they will get sick of eating the same foods everyday and spending 2 hours a day in the gym. Life will get in the way and they will have to adapt. Even though I’m struggling with my weight as well, I will be there to help however I can when it happens.

For now all I can do is nod my head and humor them, But if I hear “Do you know how many carbs are it that” one more time I might just lose it.

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