While my preference is always to attempt weight loss in my patients through diet and exercise, medication can sometimes be a useful tool to help with weight management. I often get asked about a medication called phentermine, or Adipex, which can rev up your system and cause decreased appetite and accompanying weight loss.
Its important to note that not everybody is a good candidate for phentermine. For starters, I pay close attention to body mass index (BMI) in somebody interested in attempting this therapy. Patients with a high BMI might benefit from this medication. When your BMI is less than 27, the risk usually outweighs the benefits of the medicine. But determining whether a patient can take it safely doesnt end with BMI. I also pay close attention to whether they have medical conditions that make it more dangerous to take the medicine, especially because this medicine can stimulate your cardiovascular system. Anybody with a history of heart disease, including previous heart attack, congestive heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms (like atrial fibrillation) should avoid this medicine. If they have the condition of high blood pressure, the blood pressure must be under good control before this medicine can be started. Somebody who takes thyroid medicine for low thyroid function must also have well-controlled thyroid hormone levels before safely prescribing this medicine. These are just some of the things I pay attention to before giving the okay to begin phentermine.
Once the medication is started, there must also be close monitoring of the patient. First and foremost, we monitor to make sure that the patient is losing weight on the medicine. After all, there is no sense to take phentermine or any other weight loss medication if it is not helping one to shed pounds. Second, we pay close attention to how the medicine is affecting the blood pressure and heart rate. If either blood pressure or heart rate is high, this is grounds to either reduce the dosage or stop the medicine altogether. The medicine is also known to potentially cause certain side effects, so I ask the patient about this at every visit. Some of the most common side effects are jitteriness, insomnia, palpitations and headaches. As long as the medicine is contributing to adequate weight loss, the blood pressure and heart rate are under good control and there are no significant side effects, the medicine can usually be safely continued. One last point on phentermine is that its effects are typically temporary. In other words, the effectiveness of this medication subsides and eventually disappears after a few months. Therefore, this therapy is not one that is used long-term for weight loss. That is why its so important to make sure that there is a good foundation of proper dieting and exercise. If one relies only on the medicine to lose weight, they can expect to gain the weight back once the phentermine effects wear off.
If you are interested in starting on this or any other medication to assist in weight loss, it is extremely important to consult with your primary care provider to see if this is a safe option for you.
Dr. Roy Barco welcomes your questions concerning health and wellness. Please Facebook him at http://www.facebook.com/roy.barco.5 where you can submit questions for the column, or write to:
True Medical Group
Shoals Professional Building
203 Avalon Ave, Suite 120
Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
256-286-4026
Original post:
I'm Interested in Taking the Diet Pill Phentermine For Weight Loss - courierjournal
