Obesity and weight loss are the two sides of a coin which requires multifaceted approach that includes setting realistic weight-loss goals, a balanced diet and regular exercise. Obesity is a chronic health condition, when only adhering to lifestyle changes does not provide satisfactory weight loss results. Here the patient has to be administered weight-loss medications in association with a proper diet and adequate exercise. There have been quite a few weight-loss drugs or diet pills flooding the markets over the years but only a few have proved to withstand the test of times and the trust of its users. One amongst them is Phentermine – an oral prescription diet pill.



Phentermine, a 1959 FDA-approved drug is used as a short-term therapy, of 6 to 12 weeks, for the treatment of obesity and other related diseases. It is strictly recommended for clinically obese patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more who are at medical risk such as hypertension or high blood cholesterol levels with a BMI of 27 or more, rather than for a cosmetic weight-loss. The main component in Phentermine diet pills is Phentermine hydrochloride, a sympathomimetic amine similar to an amphetamine which stimulates the central nervous system, consequently increasing your heart rate and blood pressure and decreasing your appetite.

Phentermine is an appetite suppressant drug and cannot be substituted for a proper diet. It works by stimulating the hypothalamus gland of the brain, which controls the autonomic nervous system, regulating sleep cycles, body temperature, appetite, etc .and affecting certain neurotransmitters to decrease appetite. It has proved to help patients undergoing permanent long term lifestyle changes lose significant amounts of weight when used along with a balanced low-calorie diet and physical activity. When the body starts to build up a resistance to the effects of Phentermine after a few weeks of treatment, the patient should be well on their way to a new lifestyle and ready to stop taking Phentermine while continuing to sustain a healthy body weight on their own.

Phentermine is the most effective form of drug therapy for obese patients and should be administered only under medical supervision even though the magnitude of the weight loss will depend on the lifestyle changes endorsed. Consult your doctor on possible side-effects and probable drug interactions before using the drug. Even though Phentermine has a track record of listing the minimum side-effect cases but care should be taken to avoid Phentermine if you have a history of anxiety disorder, heart problems, hypertension, glaucoma, epilepsy, thyroid disorders and during pregnancy or lactation. It is also a strict no-no for patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) to treat depression.

Weight-loss program is a child's play with Phentermine. But the use of Phentermine alone cannot treat obesity. It should be combined with a healthy lifestyle including physical activity and improved diet to lose and maintain weight successfully.