What Is Phentermine HCI?

Patients can jumpstart their diet with phentermine HCI, a weight-loss aid, but patients are more likely to maintain weight loss when using the drug, which is similar to amphetamine, in combination with a healthy diet and exercise.

Function

• According to the Mayo Clinic, phentermine works by making patients feel fuller longer or by decreasing their appetite. The drug is recommended for seriously obese patients.

Drawbacks

• The drug has potentially serious side effects such as nervousness, dizziness, sleeplessness, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision and increased blood pressure. Combining the diet drug with fenfluramine (Phen-Fen) or dexfenfluramine (Redux) is inadvisable because it can cause a rare lung disorder called pulmonary hypertension, according to Drugs.com

Warning

• Patients with some pre-existing conditions such as glaucoma, overactive thyroid, coronary artery disease (hardening of the arteries), heart disease, severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, history of drug or alcohol abuse, or allergies to diet pills, amphetamines, stimulants or cold medications should avoid taking phentermine.