There was a time when consuming pills to fight obesity was a fad amongst people and it is in response to this trend that a brand named Phentermine came into being. Best described as an over-the-counter medication that can be acquired without prescription, Phentermine is supposed to cause weight loss by suppressing your appetite. It is also believed to act on the person’s nervous system, thus triggering the brain to send signals pertaining to avoiding food and causing the person to eat less. However, effective and simple though it might seem, is it truly safe?

At the time of its release, Phentermine seemed to be a dream-come-true for every individual who had crossed the weight limit and was classified as obese. Not only was it more promising than other weight loss products in the market but seemed simpler in terms of the technique employed to cause reduction in weight. Unfortunately, this perception remained short-term because soon after its usage, cases reporting alarming side effects began to surface and put a question-mark on its safety.

One of the first warning signals about using Phentermine for weight loss emerged when people who had been using it for some time showed signs of being addicted to it. While manufacturers offered the explanation that they recommended consumption of this medication for short periods of time, users often consumed it for longer duration for the mental stimulation that it provided. ‘Phentermine high’ was the phrase that soon came into being to describe this dependence and terminating the dosage resulted in the user being enveloped in fatigue and depression.

Another major side effect associated with Phentermine pertains to its negative impact on cardio health and this surfaced when a couple of users had to be admitted into the hospital and even met with fatal consequences. Since their past medical history had been insignificant, the sudden manifestation of cardiovascular damage was attributed to intake of Phentermine. Further investigation revealed that through its action within the body, Phentermine tampered with regulation of blood pressure and caused palpitations, ultimately leading to valvular heart disease.

Incidence of ischemic event was also observed amongst users of Phentermine wherein symptoms were manifested in form of headache, mental disturbance and cerebral infarct. It was observed that in patients whose only medical problem was obesity, there was a high probability of developing pulmonary hypertension which could aggravate to the point of causing death. Several other forms of cardio damage have also been attributed to Phentermine even though the individual may have embarked on this medication as recently as 20 days previously.

True though it is that Phentermine provides unmatched mental stimulation, it leads to several other problems too, common amongst which are headache, insomnia, anxiety and bouts of euphoria alternating with depression. Irritability is another side effect that was reported as being experienced by users of Phentermine and it was diagnosed as occurring without any major fluctuations in blood pressure or changes in any other parameter.

Some rare side effects of Phentermine include an allergic reaction causing skin problems, drastic reduction in libido at times leading to impotence and gastrointestinal disorders in form of constipation, diarrhea and a persistent feeling of dryness in the mouth.

What was further discovered is that many of these symptoms appeared in form of common physical discomfort like difficulty in breathing, chest pain, dizziness and swelling in the lower region of legs, particularly feet and ankles. A warning was issued that if users of Phentermine experienced such symptoms they were to seek medical help immediately and simultaneously stop consuming Phentermine till the doctor’s verdict.

Whether or not Phentermine actually results in weight loss is immaterial in the face of health problems that it has been known to trigger and this in itself is reason enough for any individual to stay away from this diet pill.