[mccrorie]

I have been on phentermine for about two years, on & off (more on than off.) The first year I lost 20 pounds, but have not lost any since then. (I haven't gained any either). Has anyone else had this experience? Also, I have had very little luck finding out what long term side effects are. And how dangerous are they?
I am past most of the side effects decribed here - EXCEPT - dry mouth...it has never gone away for me... & I haven't had any kind of health problems. Altoids are the best I've found for dry mouth.
I think phen has worked best for me, of all the "diet aids" I have tried.
Great forum -- the people involved seem so caring. Thanks

[Glimmerella]

Wow, 20 lbs in one year seems so low. Were you close to your goal to start out? Heck, I just started phen this morning and I hope to lose 20 pounds a month!

How is your hunger level?

--Melissa

[TSA-in-PA]

I just got mine in the mail today (on line order -- really expensive) and am hopping to lose about 30 in 2 months. I only ordered because of the great results I've been reading here.

You've been on it for 2 yrs.? A little expensive - don't ya think??

[leavingnormal]

I've been on for almost two years. It wasn't always this expensive and I don't order online.. it's almost triple my cost. I can't afford it. Of course, now I can't get it cause of the shortage.

Dry mouth, (and other areas at times) never ceased for me either until reciently when I got these great yellow time release capsuls.. but that was then from the last batch..

I don't have any information about long term effects either. I do wonder, but i was a binger and this is the only thing that helps me. Eventually I'll be without it. I'm working hard.

For those of you NON bingers, yeah, i guess two years seems excessive.. but wait until you get on this stuff for a few months.. you'll get it.

[This message has been edited by leavingnormal (edited June 18, 2000).]

[ROBIN]

leavingmormal,

If you email me I can send you an article that I have on long-term phen use. I can't send it now because you're not listing your address .

[mccrorie]

Robin,
Please send me info on long term effects of phentermine. (see the message I posted whihc leavingnormal responded to. I've been on two years. email me at mccrorie****.com.

Are you guys for real? I'm thinking this site is maintained by the pharmacutical company.

I'll go ahead and post my question. I've been taking phentermine 30 mg for approx 3 yrs. At first I lost over 40 pounds and now this is a maintenance drug (I've hit a long plateau). If I'm off of it for a few days, I gain weight. I don't excersize and I eat when and what I want usually only one meal a day at dinnertime.
I've had a numbness/tingling/aching feeling in my left leg. It's sporatic...usually starts to throb when I'm sitting for a long time. I'm in my mid-twenties and have had no illnesses, I'm healthy with a busy work and social life. I've asked my doctor (who does not specialize in weightloss) about this. He says I'm too young to worry about a heartache and doesn't really have an answer other than a pinched nerve about my leg. I too have experienced cold hands, cold feet but I've kinda always had that. I'm running out of places to go for answers. If anyone has experienced the same problems please please please post a reply.
Thank you for your time
phenarella

Heartache=Heartattack sorry!

[ROBIN]

phenerella,

What makes you think that phentermine.com is owned by a pharmaceutical company

The reason you gain weight when you're off phen is because you don't exercise and you're only eating one meal a day.

How much phen to you take in a day? Do you ever take a break from it?

I'd be concerned about the leg numbness. That doesn't sound good. If you had a pinched nerve you would know it. It's happened to me twice but not while I've been on phentermine. It sounds like you've got to much of the drug in your system.

You doctor is full of it. 20 year olds do die from heart-attacks. You doctor should be concerned just because you are. Find a doctor that specializes in weight loss.

[mccrorie]

phenarella
your experience seems very much like mine. I lost 20 lbs, and apparently reached a plateua. I haven't gained any back, but cannot lose any more weight. I'm taking 37.5 mg per day, for about two years.
In the past few months, I have begun to noticd a numbness in my hands, more frequently at night but certainly not related to sleeping , or my hands being in an awkward position, etc. Sometimes when I'm driving, I can feel them beginning to go to sleep. Or when my hands are in a normal posture, they will just begin to be tingly and then go numb....sometimes when it happens when I sleep it is very painful for them to return to normal. I wonder if this is similar to the numbness in your legs.
My husband is a general surgeon,& he thinks I should see a neuralogist - until now it never occurred to me that it could be related to the phentermine. Do you think that might be causing the numbness in your legs? let me hear from others....

[Glimmerella]

I have been taking Phen for only a week, but my main concern is numbness and tingling in my left arm, specifically in my left hand. My hand is not totally numb, but occaisionally my pinky and ring finger go numb. Both my hands are cold most of the time because I'm anemic.

I have a friend who insists it's a pinched nerve. I also have a 2 year old that I'm always picking up and tossing around, and I'm a constant typist who used to work as a secretary, so I guess I expected at some time these "carpal-like" symptoms would emerge.

[mccrorie]

Glimmerella,
Isn't it curious, though, that all three of us have experienced some numbness in "limbs," two of us have been on phen long term.....?? Anyone else out there long or short term taking phentermine, experiencing any numbnes/tingling?

[ROBIN]

When I first starting posting here, I met this girl that had been on phen for 9 years. I have only been on close to 7 so this was very interesting to me. She has the numbness and tingling problems. She experiences this often. She also jerks. This is a reflex thing. It happens with the legs (and arms too.) More often at night when you are almost asleep. There is a name for these symptoms but I'm too tired to remember right now. Here's another one (I think it's called, hyperreflexia.) Do you ever notice that you don't relax your legs or feet? Like if you are sitting with your legs crossed, you keep your calf muscle tightened so your foot is arched up? You might notice this after awhile and then once you are aware of it, relax your leg. Carrying those plastic grocery bags is a big mistake. It takes about 1 minute for you fingers to go numb when the bags are heavy. It can take weeks to get the feeling back.

The PDR doesn't list many (any really) neuro (brain and spinal cord) problems associated with phentermine use. But, the PDR doesn't have all the answers. Some things are even left out . Never seen or known of any long-term effects of phentermine study. More people are talking about numbness and tingling. You would think that someone should be doing a study on this.

[Glimmerella]

Robin, you make a very important point. I have a 2 year old so it's always my goal to get all the groceries in and up the stairs in one trip. It's horrible for my fingers, hands and arms. I can feel them hollering at me while I'm doing it. I'm going to leave them for KikStart from now on!

[Susan in GA]

Hey guys! I have been taking Phentermine for the past 8 yrs. on and off. Twenty years ago I had neuro surgery and because of that thought the numbness in my arms and hands (esp. the left) were from the surgery. Now I hear this!! Also,some of the jerking at night has been there, not bad, just enough to wake me when I frist go to sleep sometimes and my 11 yr. old says I sometimes jerk my hands in my sleep. I wander if these symptons would ever go away if I stopped taking this wonderful weight loss helper?? It is certainly the only help I've had to keep my weight down after having two children and being one that loves to eat good food. Let mw know your thoughts....

This is very interesting to me because before I started using Phen, I did an internet search and I found a website with one of those annoying message boards....untiered, so following a thread was a MAJOR pain. However, I remember comming across a series of posts of people who had been on Phen, say 2 years, or more...and had been diagnosed with CFS or FMS ( Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Fibromyalgia Syndrome) There are ALOT of other symptoms too....making these rather controversial to diagnose....BUT...it could be Phen-related based on theories of the thalamus and its role in CNS disorders. Seems to me there are enough long-term users to merit a study.