Phentermine

Geschatte leestijd: 3 minuten Phentermine is an effective weight loss aid, approved for short-term use. New research suggests that long-term use may also be safe. Products and supplements with Phentermine were sold here

Long-term weight loss aid

Phentermine is an inexpensive weight loss aid. It was approved sixty years ago, but only for short-term use, up to three months. However, combating obesity is a long-term problem. Modern medications for long-term use can be very expensive. The fact that old phentermine could also be used in the long term is good news.

Phentermine, a truly effective weight loss aid

It may be one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to overweight: Are there any weight loss aids that really work? The answer is yes. The question, however, is how safe these aids are and under what circumstances. Phentermine is a good example of this. Approved halfway through the last century, but only for the short term and only for patients with severe obesity. Phentermine (phenyl-tertiary-butylamine) is a stimulant related to amphetamine. So it’s an ‘upper’ that provides more energy and alertness, among other things by increasing the release of norepinephrine/noradrenaline. Phentermine has fewer (major) side effects than amphetamine [1]. Phentermine mainly works by suppressing appetite, an effect that is linked to the increased state of alertness [2]. If you’re being chased by a lion, you usually don’t think about dinner.

Phentermine, popular as an illegal ingredient

I first described phentermine in an article about Iomax. This was following a warning from the NVWA about the dangers of using Iomax. Iomax was an unapproved weight loss aid containing phentermine. We still receive questions from people wanting to know where they can get this discontinued product. It apparently was quite popular. However, problems arose because phentermine was used by other people in other situations and at other dosages than a doctor would prescribe. You cannot account for the possible side effects of phentermine if it’s not known that you are taking it, how much you are taking, and what influence it may have on the heart and blood vessels. In the article about Iomax, I extensively discuss the possible side effects of phentermine and the risk groups that should particularly not use this aid.

Phentermine, a long-term weight loss aid

It’s not surprising that medication leads to problems if it’s used under the wrong circumstances. That says nothing about the aid itself. Phentermine can be an effective and safe aid. Provided it’s used in consultation with a doctor who can determine your risk profile, prescribe the right dosages, and ensure you receive a product of good quality. The disadvantage of phentermine was that FDA approval applied to use up to three months. However, recent research shows that long-term use can be effective and safe [3]. The results were published last week in Obesity.

In those cases, medications or surgery can help. Generic phentermine is an effective and affordable option, but now that we view obesity as a chronic disease, it’s important to have medications that can be used indefinitely. Most new weight-loss drugs are approved for long-term use, but unfortunately the newer drugs can be expensive if they are not covered by insurance. Kristina H. Lewis, M.D., assistant professor epidemiology and prevention, Wake Forest Baptist.

Lewis and her colleagues analyzed the data from nearly 14,000 digital records of adults who had been prescribed phentermine and compared short-term and long-term use (one year or longer). They compared changes in blood pressure up to two years after initiation of use, but also the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or death up to three years after initiation. It turned out that long-term use also resulted in greater weight loss while there was no increased health risk. Stopping the use, as expected, caused weight gain again.

Phentermine risks remain the same

For now, however, nothing changes. The FDA continues to prescribe use for up to 3 months. In addition, not all possible side effects have been examined with long-term use. Think, for example, of insomnia and panic attacks. Moreover, phentermine remains unsuitable for certain risk groups such as people with existing heart problems or blood pressure issues. Also, the dosage used in the study may not be the most effective dosage for weight loss. Higher dosages might lead to potential long-term side effects. Further research is therefore needed to prescribe phentermine for long-term use.

References

1. Nelson DL, Gehlert DR (February 2006). “Central nervous system biogenic amine targets for control of appetite and energy expenditure”. Endocrine 29 (1): 49–60. doi:10.1385/ENDO:29:1:149.
2.  “phentermine”. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
3. Kristina H. Lewis, Heidi Fischer, Jamy Ard, Lee Barton, Daniel H. Bessesen, Matthew F. Daley, Jay Desai, Stephanie L. Fitzpatrick, Michael Horberg, Corinna Koebnick, Caryn Oshiro, Ayae Yamamoto, Deborah R. Young, David E. Arterburn. Safety and Effectiveness of Longer‐Term Phentermine Use: Clinical Outcomes from an Electronic Health Record Cohort. Obesity, 2019; 27 (4): 591
4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com