Adipex Diet Drug

Obesity is a growing epidemic. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, approximately 97 million Americans are overweight or obese and at risk for developing obesity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. This epidemic requires a number of strategies to combat it. Adipex or Adipex P is one of a few drugs on the market approved to fight obesity.

Dosage and Classification

Phentermine Hcl, the active ingredient in Adipex, is classified as a stimulant. It suppresses your appetite by stimulating an area in the brain called the satiety center. This part of the brain sends your stomach a signal that it is full or satisfied. The usual daily dose for Adipex is 37.5 mg. The drug should be taken in the morning a half-hour before breakfast or one to two hours after breakfast. One dose suppresses the appetite for the rest of the day.

Treatment Considerations

Adipex is not considered a first-line treatment for obesity; rather, it's generally prescribed as an adjunct to diet and exercise. You should not take Adipex as the sole therapy for your weight loss or for merely cosmetic reasons. In fact, prescribers usually reserve appetite suppressants for patients who fail to lose weight using lifestyle changes alone, for those who are at increased medical risk and for those with a very high body mass index, which is a gauge for determining a person's risk for developing obesity-related diseases. Adipex is not intended for long-term treatment of obesity; patients can expect to take it for two or three months.

Side Effects

Some of the possible side effects associated with Adipex are an extension of its stimulant properties. These include restlessness, insomnia, nervousness, dizziness, tremor, euphoria, increased blood pressure and increased heart rate. Other potential side effects include dry mouth, constipation, rash, headache, irritability and blurred vision. Certain drugs and health conditions worsen or increase the potential for developing side effects, so your doctor needs to know all the medications you take and any chronic health conditions you have.

Tolerance and Dependence

Users of Adipex may develop tolerance to its appetite-suppressing effects, which would require increasingly higher doses to produce a therapeutic effect. This may occur within a few weeks of starting Adipex. If tolerance does develop, patients should discontinue Adipex rather than increasing the dose. Physical dependence or addiction may occur with long-term use of Adipex. If you have a history of drug and alcohol abuse, you should probably avoid taking this medication. Also, you should never abruptly stop taking Adipex. To prevent withdrawal symptoms such as mental depression or extreme fatigue, your doctor should wean you from the drug.

Warnings/Precautions

You should not take Adipex if you have heart problems, moderate to severe uncontrolled high blood pressure or an overactive thyroid. It can aggravate these conditions, resulting in life-threatening reactions. Adipex should not be combined with other diet pills, certain antidepressants, other stimulant medications, decongestants or alcohol. These combinations may result in serious reactions, such as a potentially fatal heart condition, dangerously high blood pressure and a condition called serotonin syndrome, characterized by mental confusion or coma, muscle stiffness, muscle twitching, an extremely high body temperature and possibly death.