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Duromine Tips

Duromine is the Australian brand name of the prescription, generic drug phentermine. Used as an appetite suppressant, Duromine is only cleared for use with the people who have a body-mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher. Physicians consider this BMI extremely overweight to obese. Patients in this category may also have high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes, all of which may improve upon significant weight loss. Duromine is a stimulant in the amphetamine class of drugs and as such can be habit forming if taken long term.

  1. Use Only as Directed

    • Do not self-adjust your dosage. If you still feel hungry or are not losing weight, consult your physician or nutritionist. Tell your doctor if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure. As a stimulant, Duromine has the potential to increase blood pressure and may induce a cardiac event in persons with untreated heart conditions.

    Monitor Side Effects

    • Side effects of Duromine include restlessness, insomnia, excess energy, feelings of nervousness or anxiety, increased blood pressure, changes in sexual appetite and performance, headache, difficulty breathing and swelling in the extremities. If the side effects impair your daily life, consult your physician to adjust your dosage.

    Create Healthy Eating Habits

    • As an appetite suppressant, Duromine will make you feel less hungry and you should stop craving between meal snacks. However, this is not an excuse to stop eating. Use your time on Duromine to create healthy eating habits. Break the bad habits of uncontrolled portion sizes and continuous eating. Add more fruits, vegetables and grains to your diet. Enroll in a cooking class and learn to cook your favorite takeout dishes with less fat and preservatives.

    Exercise Regularly

    • While not all exercises are created equal in the eyes of the muscle-bound or bikini-bodied crowd, any exercise is good exercise for maintaining health and losing weight. Most obese persons have stopped intentional exercise all together. Something as simple as four 15-minute walks per day may speed your weight loss and increase your heart and lung health. As you begin to lose weight, you may progress to more strenuous exercises, such as yoga, swimming, strength training or running.

    Fen-Phen No-No

    • Phentermine, the active ingredient in Duromine, is half of the weight-loss combination Fen-Phen, banned in the U.S. by the FDA in 1997. The other half of the drug is fenfluramine. Separately, the two drugs are approved for weight loss treatment, but combined can cause valvular heart disease. While most reports focused on women, there is no reason to believe that Fen-Phen will not affect men in the same way.

    Withdrawal and Dependence

    • The higher the starting dosage of Duromine, the harder it will be to stop taking it. Because Duromine comes in a range of dosages, your physician can slowly step you down and help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Tell your doctor if you have been previously addicted to drugs or alcohol or if you have a family history of addiction. Stepping down from Duromine will make you feel fatigued and you may experience sudden episodes of low blood pressure causing dizziness or fainting. Let your physician know if your withdrawal symptoms do not alleviate.

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