Adipex-P (phentermine) is an FDA-approved drug treatment for obesity. It is recommended for weight loss in combination with physical activity, behavior alterations and a healthy diet. It may also be used not only by overweight patients, but also by patients who suffer from comorbidities associated to overweight, such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure in order to reduce the burden of the diseases.
Available in both tablets and capsules, the medication was developed by Gate Pharmaceuticals, which is now part of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Phentermine was approved by the FDA in the 1959 and it is an appetite suppressant, belonging to the sympathomimetic amines class of drugs. Physicians usually recommend the use of one pill or capsule per day, an hour before breakfast — a dosage that may be adjusted by the physician up to three times a day. Adipex-P is commercialized as a short-term treatment, which is supposed to take only a few weeks.
History of Adipex-P
Until 1996, Adipex or Adipex-P was one of the two only drugs approved by the FDA for weight loss, the other one being Tenuate (diethylpropion). There are currently other drug therapies available in the U.S. for obese patients, but Adipex remains a reliable method to be used in the short-term. The FDA approved the use of 37.5 miligrams of phentermine hydrochloride, which are commercialized by Teva since the 1990s in capsules or tablets.
Before the approval, Adipex was submitted to a rigorous scientific process, during which it was reviewed by physicians, statisticians, chemists, pharmacologists, and other scientists. Since the approval of the generic form of phentermine, few studies were conducted to analyze the drug. Among the research made, it stands out the one made to evaluate the benefits of the drug in combination with fenfluramine.
How Adipex-P Works
Being a sympathomimetic amine, Adipex-P works with a pharmacologic activity similar to the prototype drugs of the amphetamine (d- and dl l-amphetamine) class used for the treatment of obesity. Usually denominated anorectics or anorexigenics, this type of medication works by targetting the central nervous system and reducing the patients’ appetite. In addition to appetite suppression, other actions related to the central nervous system and metabolic system may also be involved.
Other Details About Adipex-P
Adipex-P is not recommended for patients who have a history of heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, overactive thyroid, glaucome, drug or alcohol abuse or by pregant women. It is also not recommended for people who took an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days or in combination with other diet medication, including fendluramine and dexfenfluramine, which can result in severe side effects.
Most important cause effects include dizziness, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping, irritability, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. In addition, patients may suffer withdrawal symptoms like depression or severe tiredness, and abnormal drug-seeking behavior. However, the cases of addiction are rare. Since it is a short-term treatment, Adipex-P may stop working, following a few weeks of treatment, a problem that should be discussed with a physician in order to adapt the treatment to the patient’s needs.
