Phentermine

I am pre op and from the way it looks, it will be a while before I even get an appointment to see the surgeon.  I am on the waiting list at PNH.  I am still seeing my PCM on a monthly basis for my supervised weight loss.  I saw him on friday and he perscribed Phentermine to help me lose some weight.  Has anyone else tried it and how did it work for you?  I had to pay for it because PNH does not carry it and Tricare does not cover it.  I just do not want to waste my money if it does not work.   Thanks-gotta get ready for church! God Bless. Christina

http://www.phentermine.com/ Give this web site a try . It has a lot of good info on the drug . But I do believe you must pay for it yourself .  Best wishes to you .  Natalie

I used it in the mid-90s along with a high protein diet and it worked for me.  Can't remember how long I used it (a year?), but lost about 65 lbs.  Maintenance was the issue (as usual).  I changed jobs and moved 1,000 miles away from friends and family so guess what I substituted for them?  Good luck!

Christina, I have not been on Phentermine however I wanted to give you encouragement and support while you are waiting. Taking the pills are up to you. The 6 month supervised weight loss encourages you to try to lose weight. I went to the PNH seminar Aug 06 met with the surgeon, Dr. Mann, in March and got surgery in June.{ersonally, I didn't mind the wait.  I used that time to make behavior changes. I took my vitamins, increased my water,protein and when I could exercise(walking) I truely believe that the transition was easier to make. 

Thanks Jen.  I paid for the pills and am giving them a try.  If nothing else, I have lots of energy with them.  I cleaned house this morning before church, went to the commissary after church, cleaned out my van, helped hubby clean out the shed, and got the kids to help rake the backyard.  Needless to say, they are not digging this pill!  I have been using my time to make changes in exercise, eating, etc. but waiting is still so hard because I want it so badly.  I went to the seminar in the beginning of April this year so it is not like I have been waiting too long, but I know it is going to be a while before my number comes up.  It would be so nice if I were able to get my WLS before the new year.  I have not tried any protein shakes yet.  I do not like milk, hate the taste of slimfast, so I do not know what I am going to do about that.  Any suggestions?  I do not post often, but I do lurk and I have to say you are so encouraging to others.  Your upbeat attitude is a blessing to others.  Thanks! Be Blessed. Christina

Alot of protein powders are able to be mixed with water or juice. Try www.bariatriceating.com . They have a sample pack that was not too much $$. I found I love the Nectar Lemon Iced Tea and the Matrix cookies and creme.  Thanks for your kind words. I am a very optimistic person. I have gotten so much support here- I'm just glad to be one of the family!

Hey Christine, Jen's right, taking the pills is up to you and they will help you lose weight especially since you have never taken them before.  I was on Phentermine a few years back, have taken them on supervised weight loss programs more than once in my life,  I always found  that  I loved the energy they gave me, but after about  3 months  they did not work for me any longer, your body just gets adjusted to them.  It also helps to take a fluid pill with the phentermine they work well together and you'll lose more weight.  Did they prescribe you this?  Good luck, too you, I'll be watching for your updates .  I am waiting on approval for the Lap Band with the WLS of Hampton Roads. I would like to have the VSG, but that's hard to find my area. God Bless you. Robin

Hi Christina! Hang in there while on the waiting list!  Just keep plugging along and doing what you're doing. Im not sure I'd take phentermine and Im really surprised that it's still prescribed.  Remember Fen-Phen?  Boone clinic prescribed it to me in the 90's and I'm pretty sure it was a combination of  Phentermine and Pondimin.  I don't know which of that combination damages your heart, but if you do a search on it, one of them does - or maybe it's the combination.  I don't know.  I just remember having to have EKG's and ECG's at Balboa and then the Dr. telling me that it had damaged my heart and gave me a mitral valve prolapse.  There were class action lawsuits against the manufacturer, so Im sure youll be able to find info on it.  In all of the testing that Dr. Mann had be do prior to the surgery, all of the heart stuff was included because of that.   Luckily, it turned out that my heart must have repaird itsself, because Dr. Mann said that I no longer have a mitral valve prolapse...soooo....I'd do alot of research on it before taking it for any period of time. Dr. Mann's wife is a cardiologist, so he was very careful. I've heard that the waiting list is a little slow because Dr. Chastenet left and it was only Dr. Mann for now.  Hang it there.   Your time will come quickly! Joy :-)  

Hi There! Since you asked, I'll put in my 2 cents. Phentermine is the safe side of the old Phen-Fen combo. However, it can also be like liquid cocaine. I was prescribed it by mental PDoc in 2004 and I immediately fell in love. I had TONS of energy. I couldn't sit still. I was walking alot and always on the go. However, I would always forget to eat. I was keeping food logs at the time to keep up with my calories and such and I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until I already lost 35 pounds in the first month. I looked at the numbers instead of the unhealthy choices I was making. Most days I would eat an apple in the morning and a salad in the evening. That's it. 300 calories a day. I was terrible to my body, I'm sure. Once I was taken off the medication, I gained it all back and then some. That is just my experience with it. I'm not saying its a bad drug, but without real supervision, it can get out of hand. It definitely works to eliminate your appetite and gives energy. Good luck with everything.

hi christina i have taken phentermine and i had much sucess loosing weight after the birth of my first son back in 96, i lost 40 pounds in 2 months, had tons of energy, it did give me the jitters though. i think i constantly chewed my nails! but it was keeping it off that was the problem once i quit taking it. but it definatly works for weightloss in the begining. after a while though my body adjusted and i didnt really keep loosing. i just kinda stopped taking it. i did gain back what i lost and more. it does work. i hope it helps you jump start where you want to be before surgery. good luck to you. im on topamax now and im down 30 pounds. with no side effects. i call it my miracle pill. im at 147 and still loosing. but its taken since feb. to get there. im 4 years post op wls. i never made it to goal weight and stopped loosing after 7 months. and stayed the same even after having a baby! im still happy i had surgery though. take care!!  shelly