i didn't expect this....

[paperweight]

Hi everybody

I'm new here. i started phen last thursday. the dr suggested it for me, and all he said about side effects was "most people complain about dry-mouth". i was really happy with the idea of losing weight fast....

after the 1st pill (37.5), i felt like i had taken a triple-shot expresso. it was great, really. i was hyper all day. for the 1st 3 days, the only problem was i would only sleep 5, maybe 6 hours a night - which i way less than what i usually sleep.

on sunday, i was really, really low. i woke up with my heart racing (180) and as soon as i got up, i felt like i was gonna pass out. i felt like crap all day, i was very irritated, and everyone got on my nerves. i was light headed too.

monday was worse. i felt like staying in bed all day. i didn't have energy to do anything. everytime i would get up i would get dizzy. i tried eating something, but that only made my stomach hurt.

tuesday was a nightmare. i tried going to the gym and working out, but i couldn't even think right. my heart was really fast, and after only 10 minutes, i gave up. i went to the shower, but i had a panic attack. to top it off, i was dizzy all day and very down

i decided today would be the last day if these side-effects ddin't go away. i read some of the posts, and most people say that they do go away. so i gave it a try. i was ok all day, but now (6:55pm), i'm back to crap. i can barely type, and i'm very sad. the headache is back, and my stomach hurts.

WHY????

am i overdosing? am i depressed? what do i do?

i did check my blood pressure last night and it was normal, btw


PLEASE HELP ME!!! i dont know what to do! is this worth looking thinner????

[Angelia Gibson]

Hi paperweight, i too have had some strange side effects too. How long are you takeing your phen, before you exer? i found that if i take it about 15 to 20 min before the work out, then i feel better. I think if you give the phen time to work before you start your work out, then it has that same effect on me as you are haveing. Try this and see if it works. What time of day do you work out? If not morning, then this will not work for you. Someone on here told me when i feel this way, to drink a soda, or eat something sweet, i know it seems like it is defeating the purpose, but it helped, just don't eat alot, some fruit, hand full of ceral, or 1/2 of a peanut butter sand, or even 1/2 of that. See i have a problem with water making me naus, are you experiencing any of that? And as for being ill, that is a part of it too.Like now, i feel a little shakey, not all day, just at night. Hope this helps. God bless you on your journey, if any more questions, if i can help mess me.

[paperweight]

hi!

I take my phen at 10:20, and i did exercise right after i took it. i thought i was gonna pass out. i called my mom and she told me to drink a coke, because that would help my stomach and the nausea.
then, later, i thought i was gonna pass out again, so i had a very small piece of chocolate, to see if the sugar would make me feel better.

i'll take1/2 of the pill tomorrow and see how it goes. i have school all day, and i can't afford to feel like this all day long

[sbourland]

Hey I started taking phen 6 days ago an d the last few nights I have felt the same way yyou are but when i feel light headed i also feel a kind of tightness in my chest but it comes and goes and it's only at night time when I feel this way.Has yours got any better? My pills aren't the kind I can half..

[paperweight]

I'm sorry it took me a while to reply. after i took the 1/2 pill, nothing changed, so i quit phen for 3 weeks. i was back to normal, except for this pain on my neck / upper back (maybe just a coincidence). i've been back on phen since last monday (a week ago), but only taking 1/2 of it (the original was 37.5mg). the only side effects i got this time around were a very light head ache, which is something i can deal with, and i'm a little more irritable, which is something i can deal with too. i do get hungry, but i'm eating way less. i already lost 5 lbs during this past week. i haven't felt light headed at all, so i'm really glad about it. i hope you feel better too let me know how it turns out

[minime0918]

I really hope that people who are feeling that the side effects are not going away that they really think long and hard if they want to stay on this drug. I almost lost my vision in my left eye and my doctor said that if I did not stop when I did that I was setting myself up for an early grave. So please if your body is telling you that it hurts when you take this drug then please stop for it is not worth it. Yes I lost 22 pounds in a month but I went through hell to get through that month and I have to wonder if I would of sat at a MC D's for a month and ate bad fast food would my body feel this bad? Probably so the message is, that we just have to fight the good fught by working out, eating better and hugging the people we love at nite so that we can live to see them another day. This is a very intence strong drug and I beg any of you who are feeling bad when you go on it, to please stop it's not worth it

[jadedlette]

Increasing my Electrolytes has helped me alot while taking this medication. This is my second go around on it and I went threw the same experiences as everyone else. I found out this time around after talking to my doctor and do some research that I needed to drink more Electrolyte sport type drinks. The one I like alot is the new Vitamin Water The Revive or Charge both help with Electrolytes . You can read about them all at the website link above. If you dont like the drinks then eat a potassium rich foods.
_______________________________________________
Apple --- 1 med. ---143 mg
Apricot, fresh ---1 med. ---107 mg
Banana ---1 med. ---555 mg
Dates, dried ---1 ea. ---65 mg
Grapes, green seedless ---1 cup ---220 mg
Orange Juice, fresh ---8 oz. ---250 mg
Papaya --- 1 large ---936 mg
Peach ---1 med. ---234 mg
Pineapple, fresh ---1 cup ---204 mg
Prune Juice, unsweetened ---8 oz. ---284 mg
Raisins ---4 oz. ---305 mg
Strawberries, fresh ---1 cup ---244 mg

Asparagus, cooked --- 1 spear ---29 mg
Artichoke --- 1 sm. ---300 mg
Brocolli --- 1 cup ---401 mg
Cabbage, cooked --- 1 cup ---277 mg
Celery, raw --- 1 lg.stalk ---171 mg
Corn, on cob --- 1 med. ---165 mg
Green Beans --- 8 oz. --- 95 mg
Green Pepper --- 1 lg. ---213 mg
Kidney Beans, canned ---8 oz. --- 343 mg
Lettuce, iceburg --- 3.5 oz. ---175 mg
Lettuce, romaine ---3.5 oz. ---264 mg
Onion --- 1 med.---157 mg
Peas, fresh cooked ---8 oz. ---98 mg
Potato, baked with skin --- 1 med ---503 mg
Pumpkin, canned --- 4 oz. ---180 mg
Spinach, steamed ---8 oz. ---167 mg
Sweet Potato --- 1 sm.---300 mg
Tomato --- 1 med. ---366 mg.

Ice Cream --- 8 oz. ---105 mg (YA ICE CREAM !!!!!!)
Milk, skim --- 8 oz. ---178 mg
Yogurt, lowfat --- 8 oz. ---178 mg

Bread, wheat ---1 slice ---59 mg
Brazil Nuts --- 4 oz. ---540 mg
Egg --- 1 med. ---65 mg
Hamburger ---4 oz. ---383 mg
Peanuts, roasted w/skin ---4 oz. ---404 mg
Peanut Butter, natural --- 1 tbsp. ---94 mg
Rice, brown ---1 cup ---105 mg
Rice, white --- 1 cup ---42 mg
Salmon, canned --- 4 oz. ---409 mg

[ttgreat]

Hi I started taking Phen 4 days ago, the 1st day I only took 1 15mg pill in the morning and thats it, I wanted to see how I felt. I did feel a tiny bit energetic, with a slight head ache, at well, drank a ton of water, and rode my elliptical for 20 minutes, 1st thing after taking it, before eating. The next 3 days, I have taken 30 mg, in the morning only and nothing the rest of the day because getting tired at night was little more difficult than normal. I do have alot more energy, nothing jittery at all, which is great, I still get a bit of a headache, but I just eat somethin or take tylenol, also I am on 100mg of zoloft, which I take every evening for the last 6 months. No problems there so far, no heart pallpitations, or anger, so far so good, and I've lost 5 lbs, in 4 days.
Yeah for mee....
Good luck to all

[marlx]

For someone trying to lose 23lbs.. 37.5 is quite a big dose. What helped for me, is to eat breakfast.. a substantial healthy breakfast before taking your pill. I usually take mine about 30 - 45 min after breakfast at half the dosage to start with. It works pretty well for me... although I'm not sure if it will work just as well for everyone.

[Riot]

I've been on Phen officially 3mo as of yesterday, and I'm still only taking 1/2 pill (but thinking of upp'g it tomorrow), but if I don't eat something w/in 1hr of taking it, I start to really 'feel' it: light-headed, 'spacy', anxious/nervous, nauseous. It usually goes away right after eating ANYTHING. I know I have to eat 30mins-1hr after taking it (I take it in the a.m. right after waking), but on the weekends or other days off I'm more inclined to a) sleep in and/or b) end up eating breakfast later than 30mins after taking the Phen, so I'm not surprised when those first 'weird' feelings start to appear.

As for the really (and I do mean REALLY) fatigued feeling, even on half a pill & after 3mo, I still experience this. What's worked for me like a miracle is taking a multi-vitamin WITH my Phen in the morning. After only a week on Phen, (after the 1st few days of great hyper energy) I was having some real problems even rolling out of bed, especially on Saturdays (day off); it was getting so bad, I had to sleep for hours, which usually started that icky feeling to die down, but not always. Basically, I just felt like crap the whole weekend. The multi-vitamin seems to work wonders, tho', so I'd suggest adding one a day if you don't already; see if that makes a difference (I don't buy any name brand; regular store brand is doing the trick). Also, maybe think about only 1/2 pill, like others have suggested?

I hope yer feeling better, too! Hang in there

[lollipop31]

Have you tried supplementing with 5-HTP. This will help you sleep and make you wake up more energized.

I was also exhausted at first and I added that, and the B-12 shot and now I feel normal and with lots of energy.

I have basically no side effects now that I added 5-HTP.

[JustCallMeTan]

I think may be the young lady may not be eating enough. You should really take them when you get up in the a.m, then eat a big b-fast then try starting your day. You know the phen just makes not hungry so you really have to stay on eating. Oh also you may need to ask your Dr. to give you something to sleep I did. but most of all take them when you wake up so you will burn off some of that energy durring the day. Good luck !!

[pink.water.lily]

I hope I dont get side effects.. glad to hear you kinda solved your problem and already lost 5pds!!!

[Buddy048]

wow that's real intense effects.

I just recently started Phen 5 days ago. I take 30mg once a day in the morning when I first awake and I feel ok. I eat breakfast an hour or so after taking it.

I make sure that I drink lots of water. by noon I have drank 32 oz or so..

I snack and nibble in between meals.

Although, by 2pm or so I feel sleepy.

Someone suggested that I take vitamins or b-12 shots.
I think I might start on the daily multi vitamins.

I hope you feel better. But seriously, If the side effects gets bad or won't end I would stop the pills. You can also try other pills out there..maybe they'll work better for you side effects wise.

Good luck!

[dhenryhand]

I started off feeling like crap also. Think about it you are introducing your body to something new. Until your body get use to Phen, you might do better then get worst again.

At first I was going to quit, but I did like you did and kept giving it another day and another day. It got better, and then it was say only two things that would bother me. It is always going to be something.

I am at the stage now where I take it for 4 or 5 days and then stay off for 2 or 3 days. I am doing this because I don't want my body to feel like it needs it everyday.

Hang in there as long as you could. Once you start seeing weight lost, you will start to look past some of the small things, like dry mouth or restlessness.

[less_of_Dee]

First of all I think you may want to really stop and think about your doctor. If he told you the only significant side effect was dry mouth then he may not know his medications that well. Phen is an anphetamine therefore you run a risk of heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, abnormal beats,shortness of breath and etc. It is not reccomended to be taken with seratonin boosters either. When I first got started on Phen my doc had me comming in every 2 weeks for vital checks. Also, your pharmacy should have given you info with your script that fully explains your medications and the side effects. Many of those possible effects are the same as what you described. It sounds like they have been serious enough for you to really consider stopping the Phen. I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do! Even if Phen isn't what your body needs for assistance then you will eventually find something that does work.

[funmom011]

Okay, I almost hesitate to admit this, but I've got to get some answers from people who have taken this drug. I have been taking phentermine for almost an entire year, and I'm under a doctor's supervision. I go once a month and get my vitals checked, etc. I started with the 30mg pill and now I'm at the 37.5mg pill. I have never had any problems this entire time until now. And yes, I realize that this is supposed to be a short-term solution; I've done my research. But, I figured since I wasn't having problems, and my doctor said I was fine, then I was okay.

Well, in about the last week or so I've been having trouble sleeping. Before I had no trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night; however, if my toddler woke up in the middle of the night, that was it and I was up (I didn't think much of that, though since this is an upper after all). But now I have difficulty just falling asleep and I toss and turn all night long. I'm exhausted. I am not a regular exerciser like I'm supposed to be and I don't eat right half the time. I'm wondering if I would do those things consistently if it would help?? Or do I just get of the phentermine completely?? I just need sleep; I can barely function right now and I've still got the whole day ahead of me. Help!

[paperweight]

funmom011, i experienced the same thing at night. all i wanted was some sleep, but it was a pain in the neck falling asleep.

i was able to get down to 164 for a while, but i had some really intense problems, so i got back to 170, and now, 173 again. granted, i'm not on the pill anymore. but i'm gonna give it another try.

i can't wait to fit into a tiny bikini this summer, and i know i'll be able to do it once i'm around 155lbs

since i started taking only 1/2 pill, i haven't had any side effects. i eat fine, i sleep fine, and i don't drink water like a maniac....

i hope it works this time around like it did the 1st time!!!!

[abbi403]

hello. gosh i have felt the same way that you feel. i just started taking it last tuesday. i had to take off work 2 days this week cuz i was feeling so bad and depressed. are you still taking them?? i have had to force myself to eat and drink. i also want to lose weight and i think god is it really worth all this to look thinner. i ask myself that question all of the time.

[funmom011]

I should just stop taking it, then? I do want to lose the weight but I don't want to compromise my health, and I think I'm doing just that (especially when you consider how long I've been taking it).

[Band Mamma]

Suggestions:
split the pill and only take 1/2
make sure you are eating enough- log everything!
Drink plenty of water
don't take it late in the day
Make sure you are expending enough energy during the day via exercise, housework, whatever so you sleep at night.
Water will also help move it through your system faster so you can sleep better

If it's all still too much, try taking it every other day. I know my body gets to the point where I feel saturated and toxic from the drug, so I take a few days off and voila! all better again. I do get headaches when I don't take it, but ibuprofen takes care of that.

[Band Mamma]

I forgot to mention if you scoot on over to the My Experience with Phentermine board there is a post titled, "Newbies, Please Read" that has lots of useful info you can use.