Phenermine???

[SelfMedicated]

Pills like that make me feel cracked out.

Same here. Phentermine by itself is actually pretty fun...for about a hour or so. Until the crash, then I start binge eating to deal with the depression. Not good.

See, I'm a binge eater. I do fine in the mornings and during the work day, but from dinner to bedtime - especially if I'm sitting watching TV - I turn into a raging carb maniac, and my wife always has chips and cookies lying around for the kids, so I'm pretty much dead meat.

What I really needed was a targeted way to deal with these binges. Something I could take immediately before the "danger zone" of dinner-to-bedtime, and then be off of. After three years trying out countless suplements, I think I found something.

The realization that phentermine effects me like short acting speed was the start. That indicated to me that it could be used in a targeted manner. (Yes, I know that the half life of phentermine is failry long, but for some reason, its effects clear my system really fast. )

Then I read an old article on Phen-Fen that really got me going. http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/ullis/diet-drugs-01.htm

The combination [ of Phentermine and Fenfluramine] was more effective then either drug alone. As an added plus, the mildly sedating and satiating properties of Fenfluramine seemed to partially negate the stimulating effects of Phentermine. Thus the combination apparently had fewer side effects than either alone.

Okay. The key to a good appetite suppressant seems to be: an amphetamine combined with something that increases serotonin levels in order to smooth out the amphetamine's ride. Check.

The article then goes on to describe attempts to find a Phen-Fen replacement that was as effective ( and profitable) as the original. Of note, it talks about Meridia being the great white hope, except that it dind't seem to work. Turns out that Meridia is phentermine plus a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor. Fenfluramine actually increased serotonin production in the brain. In theory, a re-uptake inhibitor ought to work just as well, but in reality, it simply didn't.

So are there any other ways to increase serotonin? Wait. I'd already tried a herbal that was supposed to do just that - 5-HTP. I even had an unfinished bottle of it sitting in my supplement drawer which I'd abandoned after determining it didn't work.

Put the two together.... Hell yeah! Finally something that works! (for me at least.)

20mg phentermine combined with 200mg of 5-htp is my ultimate binge buster. Completely changed my life. I take it about 30 minutes before dinner, and I'm sane. Don't get me wrong. I still have to use will power to not overeat. But it's a reasonable level of will power. I no longer feel completely out of control, unable to resist the cravings tearing away at my brain. I used to have at least three, "F**k it! I just don't care anymore. I'm going to eat the whole tub of ice cream!!!!" episodes a week. During one and a half months on this protocol, I've had none.

Hobbs: What drugs are you using for weight loss?

Rothman: Most patients take phentermine plus 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) plus carbidopa plus pindolol.

Hobbs: Is the Phen-5-HTP combination better than phentermine alone?

Rothman: Yes. We wouldn’t be in business without 5-HTP. The average weight loss during the first month for our patients on Phen-5-HTP is approximately 17 pounds compared to 10 pounds for those taking phentermine alone. But of course there are some patients that don’t respond.

Hobbs: Why do you say “we wouldn’t be in business without 5-HTP?"

Rothman: We stopped prescribing fenfluramine in July 1997. Afterwards, as former Fen-Phen patients returned for treatment, they were treated with phentermine alone. Most dropped out because phentermine alone was not anywhere near as effective as the Fen-Phen combination. The introduction of 5-HTP into our practice led to a more effective treatment, better results, and an improved patient census.

Hobbs: How does Phen-5-HTP compare to Fen-Phen?

Rothman: Phen-5-HTP works as well as Fen-Phen in approximately 60 percent of patients who previously took Fen-Phen; another 30 percent say that Phen-5-HTP doesn’t work quite as well as Fen-Phen but it works better than phentermine alone; and in the remaining 10 percent of patients Phen-5-HTP doesn’t seem to work at all.

More 5-htp + phentermine articles can be found here: http://fatnews.com/index.php/weblog/C94

NOTE: I recently added L-tyrosine and L-Lysine to the mix to combat hair loss after reading http://www.neuroreplete.com/ORU aug 1999 article.htm


Enjoy.

-SelfMedicated