Phentermine is a diet pill commonly used for the purpose of weight loss.
How It Works
Phentermine suppresses the appetite of its users, causing a lesser caloric intake and the amount of food that the user needs. Phentermine is an amphetamine, composed of the same compound that makes up the club-drug speed.
Due to the illegality of most drugs formed by the amphetamine molecule, phentermine is generally used only in severe cases of obesity where the patients are truly in medical distress due to their weight. Phentermine must be prescribed to a doctor and obtaining such a prescription drug is a bit challenging due to the frequent misuse of amphetamines on the black market.
The Side Effects
Phentermine is generally well tolerated by the human body however some side effects arise due to the nature of the drug. Being an amphetamine, phentermine often leads to restlessness and insomnia due to the stimulated activity of the mind. Use of this medication can also lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate as well as palpitations. Due to the prolonged lack of physical activity of the morbidly obese this sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure has a much higher risk of causing fatal cardiac arrest due to the sudden overload of stimulation and must therefore be cautiously used. Also, long-time users of this slimming pill have been shown to develop euphoria and become psychologically addicted to it due to its stimulating properties.
The FDA recommends that users of this drug spend a maximum of twelve weeks under prescription due to the risk of addiction and the possibility for the development of a drug tolerance, in which the body becomes less responsive to the same amount of the drug over prolonged use. It is also recommended that common methods of weight loss be implemented while using this drug, including dieting and exercise. Due to the risk of abuse of this drug, phentermine is only prescribed in small doses and should only be used as a last resort only.
Although this drug has been manipulated into a medically acceptable form of its mother-drug, the fact remains that phentermine is composed of the same compound as the street-drug speed and therefore offers similar risks to users. Although phentermine does not have as many side effect as some other weight-loss drugs, the side effects it does have, a risk of addiction and a chance of death due to irregular activity of the heart, this medication should only be used in extreme cases of obesity and with great caution.
