Doctors may prescribe phentermine to help obese people lose weight, but it will be effective only for a short time, according to Drugs.com. The medication functions directly in the brain to cause neurotransmitters to suppress the person's appetite. This may aid the person as she diets, exercises and makes changes to her eating habits. Physicians may prescribe phentermine as a pill or a capsule that releases the medication over a period of time.
Euphoria
Taking phentermine may cause the person to experience a sense of euphoria during the first day or two of use, Drugs.com states. This condition, because it does not have a basis in reality, can be a problem, especially when it ends. Although euphoria may seem great while it continues, the end of it can occur as a let-down to the person, and this may make it difficult to continue with the prescribed diet and exercise. Fortunately, this side effect will occur temporarily and is not classified as serious.
Altered Sexual Desire and Performance
Phentermine may induce changes in a person's interest in sex. The drug either decreases the sex drive or, sometimes, increases it temporarily. This side effect, classified as nonserious, may end in a day or two after starting phentermine use. For men, the medicine can induce impotence, even with sexual stimulation. This, too, will be temporary of most people and it will generally end without medical attention, Drugs.com reports.
Unpleasant Taste and Dry Mouth
As phentermine functions in the person's body, it causes alterations in the body chemistry in the brain. The drug itself, as it flows through the body, can induce an unpleasant taste in the person's mouth for up to a week. Along with this, the National Institutes of Health report that patients may experience dry mouth, which may make swallowing difficult. These non-serious side effects generally end shortly.
Constipation and Vomiting
Constipation may occur as a side effect of phentermine, because the medication disrupts the body's normal processes, and because the person will eat less as a result of the drug's intended effect, according to the National Institutes of Health. This imbalance also may cause the person to vomit while she gets used to the drug's effects.
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